Rebuilding Trust at Scale for Chevrolet
Chevrolet was facing a perception problem—consumers didn’t believe the brand’s quality claims, and traditional advertising wasn’t moving the needle. I led the development of an integrated platform designed to rebuild trust by putting real customer reactions at the center of the story.
We shifted away from scripted messaging and created a campaign grounded in authenticity—capturing real people experiencing Chevy vehicles firsthand. This approach scaled across TV, digital, social, and experiential, creating a cohesive system that could evolve over time while staying true to the core idea.
The campaign became a long-running brand platform and helped drive measurable improvements in perception, consideration, and sales—ultimately contributing to one of the most effective automotive campaigns in market.
• One Show / Creative Effectiveness / 2020
• Effie / Bronze / Brand Renaissance / 2019
• Effie / Finalist / Brand Renaissance / 2018
• Effie / Bronze / Automotive / 2017
• Effie / Finalist / Automotive / 2016
The results:
• 38 straight months of year-over-year sales gains.
• Car sales up 32%
• Truck sales up 24%
• Opinion up 16 points
• Consideration up 12 points
Director: Zach Merck
Turning a PR Crisis into a Cultural Moment
When a live presentation went off-script and sparked online backlash, the brand faced a fast-moving PR challenge. I led a rapid-response effort to reframe the narrative and turn a negative moment into an opportunity.
Within a tight window, we developed and launched a social-led campaign that embraced the conversation rather than avoiding it. By leaning into the language and tone audiences were already using, we created a response that felt immediate, self-aware, and culturally relevant.
The work spread quickly, shifting sentiment and earning significant organic reach. What began as a liability became a defining example of real-time brand agility recognized globally for both creativity and effectiveness.
• Cannes Lions / Gold / Rapid Response
• Cannes Lions / Silver / PR / Crisis
• Cannes Lions / Bronze / Media / Auto
• Clios / Gold / Integrated Campaign
• One Show Auto / Interactive
• One Show / Bronze / Integrated
• D&AD / Wood Pencil / PR Best Response
Results:
That decision resulted in 5 million in free media coverage and a whopping 67.6 million impressions.
• Cannes Lions / Bronze / Activation
• Cannes Lions / Shortlist (x4)
• Effie / Bronze / Auto
• LIA / Silver / Social Media
• LIA / Bronze / Brand Content
• New York Festivals / 2nd Place / Branded
• Creativity A-List / Shortlist
Ford was launching their all-new aluminum F-150 –a potential game-changer for the industry and disaster for the steel Chevy Silverado.
To cast doubt on aluminum, 200+ Truck Guys were each invited into a room with two large metal cages– one made of steel, the other aluminum. A 700-pound grizzly bear was then released into the room, forcing guys to lock themselves in the cage they thought was stronger.
During the three-day activation, video content was gathered and seeded across social media and television. Chevy Silverado became the top trending truck of 2015 on google. Sales lept 33.9% vs 4.8% for Ford in July alone.
Directed By: Zach Merck
• Cannes Lions / Shortlist / Media
• Cannes Lions / Shortlist / Integrated
• Cannes Lions / Shortlist / Brand
• Cannes Lions / Shortlist / Promo
• One Show / Merit / Print & Outdoor
• One Show / Merit / Installations
• One Show / Merit / Brand Entertainment
• New York Festivals / Finalist (X4)
• AICP / Shortlist (X4)
• AICE / Best Visual Effects & Animation
• Creativity / Ad of the Day / Editor's Pick
• Epica / Gold / Product Integration
• Cresta / Silver / Promotions
For 75 years, the Batmobile has been one of the world’s most iconic cars. And for each of those 75 years the Batmobile has been powered by Chevrolet engines. Problem was, nobody knew it. So, Chevy signed on as the official automotive sponsor of The LEGO Batman Movie.
The campaign was one of the best-received partner collaborations ever, and garnered some incredible statistics as it swept through the auto industry and pop culture.
To date, 387 articles about the Lego Batmobile launch have been collected with an earned estimated reach of 11,135,972. Chevrolet also saw a 51% increase in brand opinion.
• One Show / Merit / Moving Craft
• Art Director’s Club / Bronze / Television
• Art Director’s Club / Merit / Editing
• Clios / Shortlist / Video
• Cresta / Bronze / Cinema
• LIA / Bronze / Editing
• New York Festivals / 2nd Place / Craft
Since 1918, Chevrolet has been building the most dependable trucks on the road. So, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Chevy Trucks, we wanted to remind people that what was true about our trucks in 1918 is still true today. So, we created a series of executions that bring this notion to life.
• Effie / Gold
• One Show / Finalist
• D Show / Best in show
• Radio Mercury / Finalist X2
Young artists are addicted, they spend hours and hours perfecting their craft. They can’t help themselves. Their parents are generally less enthused with their child’s artistic aspirations, wishing they’d go to school to become a doctor or a lawyer instead. We created a social media campaign for the College for Creative Studies that played up the duality of this relationship by mimicking anti-drug PSA’s from the 80's and '90's.
The campaign was even parodied by other groups.
Not only was Barbie a trendsetter in fashion, she was also an early adopter of electric vehicles, years before they buzzed into the mainstream. She’s been behind the wheel of Chevy battery-powered Corvettes for nearly 50 years.
So, who better than Barbie to launch the fun, stylish all-new Chevy Blazer EV.
How did we go about it?
First, we partnered with Warner Brothers and landed the Blazer EV - and classic Corvette - starring roles in Barbie’s new movie.
Working with director Greta Gerwig, we were able to integrate the Blazer EV into a memorable, over-the-top car chase that was not only exciting but also an emotionally pivotal scene in the film.
Next, we made it the official car of the HGTV Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge.
For each competition, contestants were given a Blazer EV for field trips, as they dove into the fun task of giving each room in the Dreamhouse a creative Barbie inspired makeover.
Barbie. Not only was she a trendsetter in fashion, she was also an early adopter of electric vehicles, years before they buzzed into the mainstream. In fact, she’s been behind the wheel of Chevy battery-powered Corvettes for nearly 50 years.
So, who better than Barbie to launch the fun, stylish all-new Chevy Blazer EV.
How did we go about it?
First, we partnered with Warner Brothers and landed the Blazer EV - and classic Corvette - starring roles in Barbie’s new movie.
Working with director Greta Gerwig, we were able to integrate the Blazer EV into a memorable, over-the-top car chase that was not only exciting but also an emotionally pivotal scene in the film.
Next, we made it the official car of the HGTV Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge.
For each competition, contestants were given a Blazer EV for field trips, as they dove into the fun task of giving each room in the dreamhouse a creative Barbie inspired makeover.
And lastly, we put the Blazer EV at the heart of the year’s biggest movie premiere
Movie Premiere Activation: To debut the new Blazer EV, we built a life-size “Barbie Dream EV” toy box inspired by the classic Mattel designs and placed it on the pink carpet. Batteries included, of course.
Best of Show: Overall // Yay to You, Quantum Fiber
Best Copywriting // Yay to You, Quantum Fiber
Gold: Film, Video & Sound—Audio/Radio Advertising
Gold: Film, Video & Sound—Television Advertising
Gold: Cross Platform: Integrated Ad Campaigns
Gold: Elements of Advertsing—Art Direction
Gold: Elements of Advertsiing—Film & Video: Video Editing
Quantum Fiber Internet is the internet’s favorite internet. A national service provider that leans into emojis, chunky type, and loud purple. Instead of talking about product specs, our campaign was a love song to users. A celebration of cat daddies, WFH baddies, and everyone in between. Our spots and endless social/digital/print extensions were a brand song and dance showcasing the glorious things our customers do with Quantum Fiber.
We landed 3.1M impressions in the first three days of our campaign, then 5Xed existing KPIs. AdAge, Campaign US, and others took note, but I liked when roastbrief said: “(this campaign) was a creative leap never before seen in the telco space.”
• Cannes / Finalist
• Archive Magazine / TV
• D Show / Best in Show
Chrysler Super Bowl anthem spot to launch the brand new Chrysler 200. Started the “America’s Import” campaign.
USA Today's top 10 Super Bowl ads.
It was even parodied on Conan.
Directed By: Arnaud Uytennhove
Turning a Sponsorship into Community Impact
Hancock Whitney’s partnership with the New Orleans Saints had the potential to be more than traditional sponsorship—but needed a platform that connected meaningfully with the community.
I led the development of a campaign that transformed the partnership into a series of activations focused on real local impact—highlighting community organizations and creating moments that extended beyond the stadium.
By shifting the focus from branding to participation, we created a program that resonated with fans and reinforced the bank’s role in the region. The work combined live experiences, content, and storytelling to build a more authentic connection with the audience.
Turning a Player Insight Into a Citywide Rallying Cry
When Saints QB Tyler Shough entered the spotlight, his name—pronounced “Shuck”—presented a rare cultural opportunity. In New Orleans, where rivalry with the Falcons runs deep and oyster culture is part of the city’s DNA, I saw a way to connect language, place, and fandom into a single, contagious idea.
I led the development of “Shough the Falcons”—a line that felt instantly native to the city. It wasn’t written like a campaign; it was designed to sound like something fans had always said. The goal was simple: create an idea people would adopt and spread on their own.
We moved quickly to seed it across social and into the streets leading up to game day, giving fans something they could wear, say, and rally around. By kickoff, the idea had taken on a life of its own—showing up across tailgates, signage, apparel, and conversations throughout the stadium and city.
What started as a small, instinct-driven idea scaled into a live, fan-powered moment, generating thousands of real-world impressions on game day and embedding itself directly into the culture of the rivalry.
It’s a reminder that the most effective ideas don’t feel like advertising—they feel like they’ve always belonged.
Moving on from “Real People. Not Actors” campaign Chevy was looking to extend the idea of “FIND NEW. ROADS.”
Here are a few of my favorite spots I worked on from this campaign.
“Mom” Directed By: Brian Buckley
“Safe Place” Directed By: Rachel McDonald
“Flex” Directed By: Jim Jenkins
“Video Game” Directed By: Jim Jenkins
“Future Flashes” Directed By: Lloyd Lee Choi
2019 Radio Mercury Award Finalist x4
• ”Born” - (Radio Commercial)
• ”Motown Museum” - (Radio Campaign)
• ”Play Motown” - (Radio Commercial)
• ”Play Motown” - (Creative Use of Sound/Music)
D-Show Awards
• 2019 D-Show — Radio — “Born”
• 2019 D-Show — Radio “Play Motown”
"Hitsville U.S.A." is the nickname given to Motown's first headquarters and recording studio, a small house located at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan. The house was purchased by Motown founder Berry Gordy in 1959. Today, the “Hitsville U.S.A” property operates as the Motown Museum, which is dedicated to the legacy of the record label, its artists, and the music that changed the world.
Comm Arts
2022 Public Service — “Play Motown” The Motown Museum in Detroit has long been a staple of Detroit's history and tourism.
During my time at Commonwealth//McCann, we offered them creative ideas as a pro-bono client.
• CLIO / Bronze / Radio Campaign
• Radio Mercury Award Winner
The new Chevy Equinox was leaps and bounds ahead of Toyota’s new RAV4 in terms of features. But we didn’t want to just keep telling people about it. It’d be far more compelling if our competitors did the talking for us.
So that’s exactly what we did – without them even knowing. We prank-called real Toyota dealerships around the Midwest, grilled them on the features of the two SUVs, and recorded everything. And while car salesmen in the United States typically have a bad reputation, our prank-call approach finally provided an honest portrayal of the Chevrolet Equinox from its direct competitors – the actual Toyota dealers.
Chevy wanted to get the world excited about their move to EV’s. We started with some modern sculptures to showcase the stylish Blazer EV.
And to show that Equinox EV can do it all we showed it in various landscapes across the US, without ever leaving the stage.
Directed By: Ben Tricklebank
A transition campaign going from “Real People” to work that focused more on what Chevy vehicles can do for you.
These were shot over three months to not only collect content for TVC, but for all other media as well.
Directed By: Rupert Sanders
• D-Show Social Media
When Ford redesigned the Explorer, naturally people had questions. And the best thing you can do with a question is answer it. In Explorer Live, people asked about the new Explorer on Facebook and we responded with daily videos, filming over 150 of them in six months. Some results included 34 million new impressions, 240% increase in incremental audience reach, brand loyalty doubled and most importantly a 14% increase in sales. Gotta “LIKE” that.
Shorty Social For Good Finalist
Chevrolet’s role was to work with the American Cancer Society (ACS) to identify a recipient and create a short film of their journey to share as a way to help others struggling with cancer. This film, Hotel Silverado, would recognize a member of the ACS’s “Relay For Life” program in order to spread awareness about the need for cancer patients and their families to build strong support systems.
The short film of the recipient’s journey would be published by the ACS and shared by Chevrolet and their high-visibility partners.
The Hotel Silverado video would go on to receive over 250K views. During the race weekend and into the next week, Chevrolet’s partners: The American Cancer Society, Daytona International Speedway, country music star Luke Bryan and the drivers posted about Joey’s experience 24 times to their social channels.
• 2019 Communication Arts Award of Excellence
• 2019 D-Show Best of Print
Partnering with America’s leading publishers, we took over the covers of nine magazines all at once and created ads tailored to each unique magazine.
HQ Trivia / This app and daily trivia competition is still amassing live audiences bigger than many cable TV networks. For a special Silverado-themed game, HQ Trivia gave away an all-new 2019 Chevy Silverado High Country.
When we rebranded Warrior, we did something they didn't think was possible. Summed up everything they stood for in three words.
That’s when we came up with the “Cross the Line” campaign. And they still continue to use this line years later.
If you had 24 extra hours to do something nice for someone who deserves it, what would you do? We used Leap Day as an opportunity in 2016 to surprise a handful of people who were deserving of a little extra love. The campaign leaped beyond just the one day activation - and turned into a movement for other great moments using #DayItForward - which was the campaign idea and tag I came up with.
