About Matt

Matt MacDonald is a global creative leader with over twenty years experience on some of the worlds biggest consumer, retail and technology brands. He's written award-winning campaigns for brands like AT&T, Macy's, JetBlue, Smirnoff and Ford, created reality shows for TLC and MTV, an animated prime-time Christmas special for CBS, documentaries for the film festival circuit and one open-source grade school musical.

In 2014, BBDO tapped Matt to lead creative on AT&T, their largest account in America, managing integrated, cross-agency teams in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas. In 2016, Matt led the creative charge for Omnicom's win of AT&T's $2 billion combined media and creative business — a two-month race to not just deliver new ideas, but also a re-invented agency model where creative, media, and data join forces for better, sharper, more innovative work. In April, 2022, Matt was elevated to Chief Creative Officer, New York.

Prior to BBDO, Matt was instrumental in the creative transformation of JWT New York, joining that agency as a copywriter in 2003, rising to Chief Creative Officer in 2012. Along the way, he helped lead that agency to its best award show performance in more than a decade. Matt and his teams have won every major industry award across disciplines multiple times, including Cannes Gold Lions in Film, Branded Content, Digital and Mobile.

He holds degrees from Bradley University and the University of Texas at Austin. Lives in a ramshackle midcentury modern undergoing permanent reno in Connecticut. And spends the rest of his time doting on his wife, Jillian, and four kids, Alexandra, Finley, Milo and Tobias (aka the Junior Clients.)

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Matt and his teams have earned awards from every leading creative and effectiveness competition in the industry, many times over. Highlights include Best of Show at AICP, the Addys, and the Mashable Awards, multiple Gold Lions from Cannes, pencils from D&AD and the One Show, Grand Prixs from the Ciclope Festival and Internationalist Awards, the 2016 YouTube Ad of the Year, the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival X Award, and even the Golden Award of Montreux (which earns Matt’s nod for best name.)

Matt has served on juries for D&AD, The One Show, the London International Awards, NY Festivals, AICP, the Advertising & Design Club of Canada, the Effies, and the Snackable Awards.

EXPERIENCE

BBDO NEW YORK
CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER, 2022 - Present
CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER, AT&T FOR OMNICOM, 2018 - 2021
EVP, GROUP EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR, 2014 -2021

Currently leading the creative department at the one of the world’s most awarded and most effective creative agencies. Charged with modernizing and elevating The Work, The Work, The Work. Member of the New York leadership team, working alongside the CEO, CSO, CFO and MD. Literally just kicking this thing off, so check back with me in a bit.

Before that, led creative and integration across Omnicom on AT&T, one of their largest global accounts. Developed innovative, highly-effective and highly-awarded work across the entire portfolio of AT&T brands including Wireless, DIRECTV, U-verse, AT&T Business, Fiber, DIRECTV Now, and It Can Wait, their campaign to fight distracted driving. Built a talented, diverse and widely-distributed team from a number of creative, media and specialist agencies including BBDO, Hearts & Science, Critical Mass, Dieste, Kern and Javelin.

Helped lead and win some of the biggest new business pitches of the last 10 years, including AT&T’s massive consolidated media and creative account in 2016, Ford in 2018, and The Home Depot in 2021.

Led pro bono efforts for Autism Speaks, Theirworld, and the AdCouncil. Guest lecturer for D&AD’s Shift NYC, a five-month program helping underrepresented creatives develop the experience needed to break into the industry.

JWT NEW YORK
CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER, 2012 - 2013
EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR, 2010 - 2011
CREATIVE DIRECTOR, 2007 - 2009
COPYWRITER, 2003 -2006

Started as a copywriter on Visine. Ended up running the creative department. Managed about 100+ permanent and freelance creatives, leading JWT to its best award show performance in years. Account experience: Macy's, Smirnoff, Smirnoff Ice, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray, Ford, Rolex, JetBlue, L.L.Bean, DeBeers, T. Rowe Price, Merrill Lynch, Berocca, Tylenol, BAND-AID, Litter Genie, Schick, and Nestle.

Led successful new business pitches on Macy's, Tylenol, L.L.Bean, among others. Named to JWT's High Potential Program in 2006. Served on JWT's Global Creative Council.

BATES NEW YORK
COPYWRITER, 2002

Account experience: Cadbury Adams, T.Rowe Price, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, Whitney Museum of American Art, CVS Pharmacy, the AdCouncil.

EDUCATION

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
M.A., ADVERTISING, 2001

As a Graduate Teaching Assistant, taught undergraduate creative labs for the introductory advertising course. As a research assistant to Professor Neal Burns, won a grant from NASA to develop long-term communication strategies for a human mission to Mars. Helped coach the UT Speech Team to the national championship in 2001.

BRADLEY UNIVERSITY
B.S., ADVERTISING, 1998

Competed four years on the Bradley Speech Team, winning over 200 individual speaking awards, four team national championships, and personally taking 2nd at nationals a somewhat-frustrating three times. Elected team President senior year. Inducted into the National Forensic Association Hall of Fame in 2001.

SPEAKING

"The Magic of Macy's: From Retail Brand to Entertainment Brand"
NATPE Brand Innovation Summit, September 2011

"Restoring a Pop Culture Icon"
BANFF World Media Festival, June 2012

"Can We Just Make Some F$%*ing Ads?"
Creative Week New York, May 2012

"The Advertising Funeral"
Advertising Week New York, October 2012

"Microsoft Creative Roundtable"
Creative Week New York, May 2013

"The Eight Hour Internship"
Creative Week New York, May 2013

"My Best Worst Idea"
Advertising Week New York, September 2013

"Is Cross-Channel Planning Broken?"
Google Squared, September 2014

"The Death of Intuition in the Age of Big Data"
BMA Connect, September 2014

"Winning in Second"
Bradley University Leadership Conference, June 2015

"Stop Chasing Culture and Start Making It"
Advertising Week, iHeart Media Panel, September 2015

"That's Debatable!"
Advertising Week, Cog Debate Smackdown, September 2015

“Creative Presentations Masterclass”
D&AD Masterclass, October 2017

“Presenting Creative Ideas”
London International Awards LIAsons, September 2018

“Presenting Your Work (And Yourself)”
London International Awards LIAsons, September 2019

“Reaching the Unreachables”
The Latin American Summit for Creative Economy, October 2019

“Presenting Your Work (And Yourself)”
D&AD Shift NYC, 2021 & 2022