I was in love with Tropic Ana. I boycotted 76 Gas Stations when they dropped the big ball. For me, advertising works best when it jumps off the screen--or the billboard or the page--into the real world and puts on a human face.

I believe there are countless ways to reach people

And sometimes, the less they look like ads, the better. At Renegade Marketing in New York, I used unusual methods—from bus wraps to nail files to wild postings—to market clients like HSBC Bank, Panasonic, Ravenswood wine and Novartis pharmaceuticals. The idea drove the medium, not vise versa. We did guerilla marketing and put on events—my favorite being the 3D anime “Save Your Summer” campaign for Panasonic.

My iPhone’s GPS tells me…

I’m at the intersection of art, design and technology. Which sounds about right because I’ve been exploring the confluence of real and virtual worlds at California College of the Arts. I created “Webmood” to give a visual glimpse of the mood of the blogosphere. And my interactive birdcage shows how the Internet can express itself beyond the screen. I’m also fascinated by gestural interfaces and the potential for all sorts of productization.

Relationships matter

Having said all that, I’ve rebelled against the go-to coolness and cleverness of modern design and toward making a meaningful connection. In the “Straight Story” (“No on 8” web, print and radio campaign for letcaliforniaring.org), straight family members tell why they support their gay family member’s marriage. The experience really clarified for me that marketing can be about giving as much as taking. The Council on Foundations awarded the campaign their top award in public policy campaigns.

Some education background

I went to the School of Visual Arts and Adhouse and I trained as a designer at Parsons. Long before talk of silos and integration, I didn’t believe in the model of one person doing one thing. At DDB, I was in charge of design across dozens of media and countries. At Brand X and Kirshenbaum, I created and ran the studio as a standalone profit center where I oversaw profit and loss; worked with vendors; and designed projects myself. It helped me understand commerce as well as art.