The Work That Made Me: David Olsen
David Olsen may be an executive creative director, but if he could choose any title, he’d go with Raconteur. Because to him, consumers don’t just buy a brand, they buy interesting brand stories.
Throughout his career from New York to North Carolina, David has created noteworthy brand stories that have put men in suits, cars in the shop, farmers in tractors, heads in beds, students in college, money in the bank, spirits in bellies, groceries in the fridge, words in a lion’s mouth, and caring in people's hearts. He believes prolific creativity is the key to cracking a brief, inspiring his team, producing great work, and maintaining one’s sanity in this maddening yet rewarding business.
LBB> The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…
David> Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit” — The song and music video perfectly captured teen angst, using that tension to make something groundbreaking and entertaining. The lyrics, “I feel stupid and contagious. Here we are now, entertain us” are a great reminder of how to approach coming up with ideas.
LBB> The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…
David> In ad class, we were told we’d eventually have to make the logo bigger. That clients would demand it, and we better figure out how to incorporate the logo, so people won’t miss it. This Outpost.com commercial became my north star for how to always outsmart the ask.
LBB> The creative work that I keep revisiting…
David> The Economist poster campaign that’s so beautifully captured in the book, 'Well-written and red.' I often turn to it to remind myself that a great headline can tell the entire story.
LBB> My first professional project…
David> I wrote a commercial for a Burger King promotion featuring hockey hall of famer Gordie Howe. For someone who played hockey, it was a surreal experience getting to skate with Gordie on the ice between takes.
LBB> The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…
David> I prefer to think about the ads that I’d like to make, not the ones I never want to make. “Art for commerce” is what we do and while some of the art is better than others, it’s still a form of art, nonetheless.
LBB> The piece of work that still makes me jealous…
David> There’s so much work out there that makes me jealous, envious and inspired. But since I started my creative career working on Burger King, I’ll go with the 'Burning Stores' print and outdoor campaign. It’s so simple, smart and obvious but also so incredibly risky to promote the authenticity of flame-grilling by showing what happens when it goes sideways.
LBB> The creative project that changed my career…
David> Men’s Wearhouse “The Place Where Men Belong” campaign. I wanted to be a screenwriter before becoming a copywriter, and I always thought of commercials as making the shortest of short films. These three films based on spoofing actual film genres elevated my focus on craft to new levels.
Plus, The New York Times interviewed me about the campaign, which finally gave me credibility with my parents for what I did for a living.
LBB> The work that I’m proudest of…
David> The Pure Imagination Project for the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer's took my father and when it took legendary actor Gene Wilder, I was inspired to use my imagination to help make a difference.
Along with an amazing group of collaborators, the pro-bono effort reimagined the classic “Pure Imagination” scene from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, drawing a poignant parallel to the effects of Alzheimer’s to bring attention to the need for imagination in finding a cure.
The initiative garnered over two million video views and 786.4 million media impressions worth $27.5 million in earned media.
LBB> I was involved in this, and it makes me cringe…
David> This Burger King Backstreet Boys commercial. Not gonna lie, I might’ve also had bleached blonde hair at the time.
LBB> The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…
David> The “Titanic” spot for CARSTAR, North America’s largest collision repair provider. The creative team found tension in the idea, “if there’s a collision, there’s CARSTAR” and recreated the most well-known collision of all-time in a stupidly contagious and entertaining way.
