Moving the Needle: Matthew Boyd

At DDB, our people are the heart and soul to our agency. We believe that the inclusivity of thought and background leads to when we, as a company, are able to be the most authentic and creative. Thus, allowing creativity to be the most powerful force within our business; it has the power to make people laugh, cry, think, alter their behaviour, create change for the world, and impact culture.  

Matthew Boyd is a copywriter in St. Louis, Mo.

Originally from rural southern Illinois, Matthew worked in the film industry before stumbling into the Rodgers Townsend/DDB creative dept. Matthew writes for Valvoline Instant Oil Change, Black Rep, House of Rohl and Spectrum Brands while developing and directing short-form documentaries and teaching his three-year-old how to make a balanced V60 pour-over coffee.

1. Name, Title, Office, Link to LinkedIn Page  

Matthew Boyd, copywriter, LinkedIn

2. What is your personal mantra?   

Matthew> Telling stories. Casting visions. 

It's just a phrase I came up with to help me make sense of what I do. For me, story and vision are the most potent ingredients in creative work. Story grounds inspiration, context, and meaning, while vision shares the exciting news of what's to come or shapes what can be. As a mantra, it's probably nothing more than an unnecessary spin on a story arc, but it helps me focus.

3. How did you wind up in advertising?  

Matthew> From digging through old signs in antique malls to YouTubers and TV ads, I’ve always loved creative advertising. In any form, the idea of making big, seemingly soulless brands talk like humans interested me. The first ad I remember liking was “God Made a Farmer,” and later, Apple’s “Think Different” was the push I needed to work in the creative industry. At first, I worked in production. I crewed on film sets for three years before working around departments and eventually started directing commercials and branded documentary films. After two years of directing, I decided to retool and pursue copywriting. With the help of advertising greats Carolyn Hadlock, Cameron Day, Luke Sullivan, and others, I cobbled up a book and knocked on doors around town, knowing I only wanted to work at Rodgers Townsend/DDB.

4. What is a piece of creative that you worked on that particularly moved you?  

Matthew> In 2023, I wrote and directed a film for the Black Rep, a 47-year-old African-American theatre company in St. Louis, Mo. The campaign, Soul Shines On, explores how light drives out darkness in the African American experience and beyond. I’m a white guy from a white town in rural America. Working on the Black Rep exposed me to new stories, yet it strengthened the truth that we are all human. And that truth is what bonds us despite significant historical differences and suffering. 

5. What does your daily routine consist of? 

Matthew> I’m a morning person. I wake up at 5 a.m. and read from a few books before heading out for a run, tinkering with a personal project, or coffee with a friend. Typically, I work from 8:30 to 5:30 while drinking enormous amounts of La Croix. Evenings involve dinner negotiations with my three-year-old, a TV show, or early to bed.

6. When do you feel the most powerful?   

Matthew> Powerful? Yikes. No thanks. 

7. Which of the DDB Four Freedoms is the most important to you and why? 

Matthew> The freedom to fail. Before I knew it as "DDB Freedom," it was the language I used to describe my relationship with my dad and how he helped shape who I am today. Failing is key to living and stumbling upon success.  

8. What is one source of creative inspiration you draw from outside of work?  

Matthew> Thomas Merton’s writings inspire me daily. Merton was a Trappist Monk in Kentucky. He has nothing to do with advertising but everything to do with being a human. I also enjoy learning about plants, animals, ecosystems, and why the natural world does what it does.

9. Who are your creative heroes? 

Matthew> They are very different characters, but I greatly admire Judy John, Drew Lanham, Taika Waititi, Shel Silverstein, and Aaron Starkman. They’re great examples of silly, serious, dramatic, cunning, simple, complicated, and everything in between.   

10. Wishes or aspirations for the advertising industry.   

Matthew> I hope advertising continues to embrace helping brands talk, walk, and behave like humans. Testing, elaborate consumer data, and fear often drive brands to act in nonhuman ways. It's an old problem. But there are seemingly always more ways we can miss the mark and fail to tell a great story or cast a beautiful vision.    

11. How are you moving the advertising industry forward?  

Matthew> My role in moving the advertising industry forward is to do work that excites me and that I want to see more of in the world. I’m here to be myself and hopefully help others do the same.  

12. What has been your most measurable impact?   

Matthew> I hope I’ve made a measurable impact with the Black Rep, for the agency and the brand. The campaign has been fortunate to receive local industry recognition while pushing the meaning and importance of the theatre beyond the St. Louis community.   

13. Lasting words to leave us with:

Matthew> Make cool shit with your friends often.