ABOUT

I am currently a freelance CD/writer at 72 and Sunny.

Over the past few years, I’ve been in my experimental era.

I co-founded LES SQUEAK, a creative studio that takes on special projects of all sorts - from creative direction for a rock band to an epic pop-up concert for one of the world’s greatest sportswear brands. Recently, it’s evolved into a nimble design crew that’s plugging into small and medium sized businesses as an embedded in-house team. It also has a robust media arm that’s run by Darra Naiman. Dig in more and see all the work at www.lessqueak.com.

I’ve also spent some time as an in-house CD at two of Montreal’s biggest fashion brands, Sheertex and Psycho Bunny. As an ad agency vet, it was illuminating to be brand side and it’s given me a new perspective on the agency/client relationship. This, plus the battlefield that is entrepreneurship, has made my post Covid career path one filled with immense learning, growth, and expansion.

Prior to that, I did my agency circuit in Toronto, where I spent the bulk of my career. Over my 10 years there, I’ve proudly collected all the pies in the trivial pursuit game of advertising. I cut my teeth in traditional advertising, led a PR agency at the birth of influencer marketing and pop-up culture, and steered an experiential agency into content creation through Covid. This means my approach to creative problem solving is rooted in strategy but naturally grows tentacles into all corners of culture and communication.

As the Executive Creative Director and Head of Content at Mosaic North America, we did some great work for Audi, Youtube, and UberEats, to name a few. During my time there, we earned a spot on the 2020 Strategy Magazine’s Agency of the Year list, for the first time in almost a decade, and climbed 16 spots in the Creative Report Card in 2021 to sit in the top 25. We also pivoted the experiential business through without any talent or client loss.

Prior to that, I was a Creative Director at Narrative / Bensimon Byrne / OneMethod where I specialized in building truly integrated, 360 campaigns. Alongside my long-time creative partner Meredith Klapowich, we led some of the agency's most inspiring work, across multiple categories, including: Nike, Converse, Starbucks, Rexall, Scotiabank, Salesforce, Bayer, Constellation Brands, Nestlé, and Up Cannabis. Together, we helped build cross functional teams across all agency divisions, grew Narrative to more than double in size, reimagined the agency’s brand identity, and earned a Gold at the 2019 Strategy PR Agency of the Year awards. I also held the #6 spot in Strategy Magazine’s top copywriters in Canada in 2019.

There, we conceptualized the award winning work for Casey House, where we launched the world’s first pop-restaurant (2017) and spa (2018), run by people living with HIV/AIDS, to shine a light on the stigma that still exists. These campaigns have received a long list of global accolades, including Lions, tigers, bears, Pencils, and Clios.

Outside of work, I was also a mentor at Miami Ad School’s Toronto location from 2018 to 2021. In 2021, my students won a D&AD Blood Pencil for their Whopper Garden idea and shortlisted for the New York Festivals awards in Student: Digital/Mobile and Student: Positive World Impact for their Google Local idea. I also launched a new course at the school, From Disney to Donda: The Magic of Experiential in collaboration with her creatives at Mosaic.

And believe it or not, I had a life before advertising as a columnist for The Globe and Mail but you won’t find that work here because it was in PRINT.

Hit me up if you’d like to chat!
lala@lessqueak.com

AWARDS

2022

Applied Arts Design | Stush, Pinky Poppin' Patties | Complete Brand Identity Program - Campaign

Applied Arts Design | Stush, Pinky Poppin' Patties | Food - Series

AToMIC Awards | Uber Eats, The Reunion | Niche Targeting, BRONZE

Communication Arts | Stush, Pinnky Poppin’ Patties | Branding Programs, SHORTLIST

Idea Awards | Uber Eats, The Reunion | Advertising Film, BRONZE

One Show | Uber Eats, The Reunion | Creative Effectiveness, Single Country or Region, Consumer Brand, SHORTLIST

One Show | Stush, Pinnky Poppin’ Patties | Design, Branding, Logo, SHORTLIST

Strategy Awards | Uber Eats, The Reunion | Niche Strategy, SILVER

Strategy Awards | Uber Eats, The Reunion | Social/Conversational, SILVER

2021

One Show | Quatreau | Design, Packaging, Mass-market, SHORTLIST

Clios | Quatreau, A Wave of Calm | Film/Video / 30 seconds and under / BRONZE 

Clios | Quatreau, A Wave of Calm | Film/Video Craft / Visual Effects / SILVER

I also sat on the One Show judging committee in both 2019 and 2020.

2019

2019 Strategy PR Agency of The Year, Gold

2019, CASEY HOUSE, HEALNG HOUSE

ADCC: Advertising - Experiential, Single, SILVER

Cannes Lions: Health Awareness and Advocacy - Branded Content & Entertainment / Live Experience, BRONZE LION

Cannes Lions: Health Awareness and Advocacy - Brand Experience and Activation, SHORTLIST

Cannes Lions: Culture and Context - Brand Experience and Activation, SHORTLIST

Cannes Lions: Direct - Non-for-profit/Charity/Government, SHORTLIST

Cannes Lions: Direct - Social Behaviour and Cultural Insight, SHORTLIST

Cannes Lions: Media - Social Behaviour and Cultural Insight, SHORTLIST

Cannes Lions: Media - Use of Stunts, SHORTLIST

Cannes Lions: PR - Local Brand, SHORTLIST

Cannes Lions: PR - Use of Events and Stunts, SHORTLIST

CPRS Toronto ACE Awards: Best Use of Special Events, GOLD

CPRS Toronto ACE Awards: Best Media Relations Campaign over $50,000, GOLD

D&AD: Branded Content & Entertainment, WOOD PENCIL (Documentary – June's)

Marketing Awards: Public Service Experiential, SILVER

Marketing Awards: Integrated Campaign Led by PR, SILVER

Marketing Awards: Direction (June’s Documentary), SILVER

One Show: Experiential/Live Events, SILVER PENCIL

2018, CASEY HOUSE, JUNE’S

AdAge Small Agency of The Year: International Agency of the Year, GOLD

AdAge Small Agency of The Year: Pro Bono Campaign of the Year, SILVER

ADCC: Creative Effectiveness in Design, GOLD

ADCC: Integrated Campaign, GOLD

ADCC: Media Campaign, GOLD

ADCC: PR Campaign, GOLD

ADCC: Promo Campaign, GOLD

ADCC: Direct Campaign, SILVER

ADCC: Events, SILVER

ADCC: Influencer Marketing, SILVER

ADCC: Promo Single, SILVER

Applied Arts: Break Bread Smash Stigma  Public Service/Charity 

Applied Arts: Break Bread Smash Stigma "Test Positive" Direct Mail Package

Applied Arts: Break Bread Smash Stigma "Soup" Direct Mail Package - Advertising/Corporate 

Applied Arts: Break Bread Smash Stigma  Advertising - Non-Traditional - Single

Applied Arts: Break Bread Smash Stigma - Documentary - Branded or Sponsored Content 

Applied Arts: Break Bread Smash Stigma   AW/19 Integrated Campaign 

Applied Arts: Break Bread Smash Stigma - Documentary TV

Applied Arts: Break Bread Smash Stigma - Documentary Cinema 

AToMIC Awards: AToMIC Idea, GOLD

AToMIC Awards: AToMIC Engagement, GOLD

AToMIC Awards: Best Experiential Engagement, GOLD

AToMIC Awards: Cause & Action, SILVER

AToMIC Awards: ROI, SILVER

Cannes Lions: Direct - Use of Ambient Media Large Scale, SHORTLISTED

Cannes Lions: PR - Use of Events & Stunts, SHORTLISTED

Cannes Lions: PR - Social Community Building & Management, SHORTLISTED

Clios: Public Service / Events & Experiential / Branded Entertainment, GOLD

Clios: Public Service / Integrated Campaign, BRONZE

Clios: Public Service / Cause Related / Public Relations, BRONZE

Clios: Public Service / Special Event / Public Relations, BRONZE

CMA: Business Impact, GOLD

CMA: Brand Building, GOLD

Communication Arts Integrated Campaign

CPRS Toronto ACE Awards: Marketing Communications, GOLD

CPRS Toronto ACE Awards: Media Relations, GOLD

CPRS Toronto ACE Awards: Special Events, SILVER

CPRS Toronto ACE Awards: Best Campaign of the Year, WINNER

D&AD: Experiential / Community Experience, WOOD PENCIL

D&AD IMPACT: Community & Interaction, WOOD PENCIL

Effie: June’s HIV+ Eatery, SILVER (2019)

Effie: June’s HIV+ Eatery, BRONZE (2019)

Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Award Winner

Kinsale Gold: PR

Kinsale Gold: Events

Marketing Awards: Public Service Experiential, GOLD

Marketing Awards: Public Service PR, GOLD

Marketing Awards: Public Service Community Building, SILVER

One Show: Influencer Marketing and Multi-Channel, GOLD PENCIL

PR Week Global Awards: Non-Profit, WINNER

Shoppers Innovation Awards: Public Service / Integration, SILVER

Shoppers Innovation Awards: Public Service / Original Idea, BRONZE

Shoppers Innovation Awards: Public Service / Reinvention, BRONZE

Strategy Awards: PR Campaign of the Year

Strategy Awards: Game Changer, SILVER

Strategy Awards: Social / Conversational Strategy, SILVER

Strategy Awards: Creative Catalyst, BRONZE

2018 Strategy PR Agency of The Year, SILVER