A writer’s wit. An artist’s eye. A marketer’s gut. A dreamer’s heart. A showman’s touch.
Curious. All ways.
How we made Times Square a 360 theatre for a night...
We made magic real with a groundbreaking immersive experience in Times Square to launch our new global campaign for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
AdWeek 2020 Experiential Award Winner - Best OOH
National ADDY Silver Award Winner
AdWeek’s Top Stunts and Innovations of 2019
The One Show 2020 Shortlist
Nearly 360 degrees of custom content, 51 synched screens, four city blocks
1.6 Billion impressions, 368% lift in clicks, 227% increase in CTR
Role: Experience Director, Creative Director
How writing Harry Potter fanfic as a kid finally paid off…
We welcomed a generation home with a trailer for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I wanted to tell a story; to the 11-year-old kid who opened a world when he opened that first book; to the 20-year-old who grieved when he ran out of pages; and to the man I became.
This audio is the scratch of the original script, set to music from the play. Below is the final released trailer.
A first for the Franchise—integrating content from the films, books and stage together
The digital-first release was coordinated among all Franchise-connected social channels with an exclusive broadcast premiere on SyFy during an airing of the Potter films
13-year-old me is proud—and still waiting for someone to publish Harry Potter and the Griffin’s Enigma
Role: Creative Director, Video Concept, Copy
How Jane Krakowski got me on the Tony Awards...
We put the comedy first—literally. To help position the adaptation of one of the funniest films of all time as the funniest new musical on Broadway, Tootsie the Musical Comedy became: Tootsie the Comedy Musical. I call it an Aha (ha ha) moment.
Forbes gave the switcheroo a thumbs up in its review: “…historically, the last two words are the other way round. But ten minutes into this adaption, you realize immediately why the producers made that change. Tootsie is knee-slapping, zinger-line-filled, steeped-in-slapstick, hot-damn funny.”
Jane Krakowski used her mouth to say my line on national television at the Tony Awards
Below, please enjoy my favorite lines that didn’t get a callback…
Role: Copywriter
How we got Robert De Niro to make a Taxi Driver joke...
We reunited Chazz Palminteri and Robert De Niro, film co-stars of A Bronx Tale, for a digital short that got the whole neighborhood talking about A Bronx Tale the Musical—and boosted advance sales into a traditionally slow period.
70% increase in site traffic, 20% lift in advance sales
Gold Davey Award – Best Use of Humor
Robert De Niro looked me in the eyes and said, “Did you write this?” And I refrained from saying, “You talkin’ to me?”
Role: Copywriter
How we made peace in the Middle East happen…
We dared audiences to “feel something different” with an awards campaign that let emotion sing loudly for the seductively subtle musical, The Band’s Visit. Audiences (and voters) couldn’t help but embrace this story of a lost Egyptian band that found harmony in an Israeli town. And we gave them the language they needed to spread the word about this little Broadway show that didn’t sound or act like any other.
Clio Awards Shortlist – Live Entertainment: Integrated Campaign
Gold Davey Award – Integrated Campaign
The show won 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical (3rd most in history)
The show recouped its investment in only 10 months
Role: Creative Director, Strategy, Copy
How we flipped off the patriarchy and pandering ads...
We flipped the script with a teaser for an upcoming all-woman production of David Mamet’s testosterone-fueled and profanity-laced, Glengarry Glen Ross. This is the proof-of-concept that made the client remember my name. It’s Sam, in case you also forgot.
Role: Creative Director, Video Concept, Copy
How sweet it is to launch Broadway’s Golden Ticket...
We used pure imagination to create an everlasting showstopper of a campaign for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory The Musical. Following up the release of the team’s epic TV spot that candy-fied New York, I helped keep the wonder going through native ads choc full of whimsy, and a Wonka-sized experiential activation that social media ate up. #BigCandyApple
Gold Davey Award – Integrated Campaign
The show opened to the largest advance sales of the season for a new musical
The show’s most-shared content on social was the experiential front-of-house that transformed the theatre into Wonka’s factory
Fun fact: to recreate Wonka’s iconic contract at 8ft tall (and so close you could lick it), I had to add a fudge ton of words. With a magnifying glass in hand, you might have read my Grandmother’s secret chocolate cake recipe, the entire contract repeated upside down and backwards, and every candy pun known to man…and the Candy Man
Role: Copywriter
How a play helped thousands of good people find jobs…
We deepened our connection to our community with a marketing idea that blossomed into so much more: a job fair that creatively utilized the lobby space at Arena Stage during its production of a new play about the dignity of work called Good People. We got the local government on board and it actually put people back to work.
Served over 8,000 community members since 2013
Partnered with over 100 companies including Walmart, Hyatt, and the US Army
Now a bi-annual community event
Role: Idea and Execution, In-house Marketing Manager
How a musical that broke the internet stayed viral…
We got into the heads of Gen Z, creating a digital karaoke contest for an earworm musical that shot from obscurity to Broadway—thanks to a legion of young fans and 300 million+ album streams. For a show about a supercomputer that implants in your brain and tells you what to do, we didn’t have to do much convincing to get the submissions (and votes) flooding in.
200% increase in site traffic
1,046 submissions from 48 states
Over 50,000 unique votes
Significant earned media + social sharing over multiple hits
Role: Creative Director, Experiential Concept
How New York embraced a “9/11 musical”...
We told a 9/12 story. Come From Away is the true story of a tiny, remote town in Newfoundland that opened their homes to nearly 7,000 strangers who were stranded in the wake of the tragedy. And we continue to strive to genuinely embody their welcoming spirit by welcoming audiences to “come together at Come From Away.”
The show recouped its investment in only 8 months
Consistently in the top 5 of Broadway shows for % of Audience Capacity
Now one of the longest-running shows currently on Broadway
Role: Creative Director, Strategy, Copy
How we helped Broadway
kick-ball-change the world…
We went from the chorus line to the picket line with a launch campaign for The Prom, a new musical about big Broadway stars who invade a small town to fight injustice…and all that jazz. Like the show, the key art was both a love letter to the Golden Age of musical comedy and a sign (or two) of the times. Call it The Music Man meets the Women’s March.
The client said, “you nailed it on the first try.” And that’ll likely never happen to me again
The show went on to make history—and headlines—with the first on-air LGBT kiss at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
Role: Key Art Concept, Copy
Then we tapped into the outsider in us all with a big-hearted awards campaign inviting everyone onto the dance floor: “You belong at The Prom!”
The show was nominated for 7 Tony Awards and won Best Musical at the Drama Desk Awards
Partnerships with Kenneth Cole, United Nations Free & Equal, and World Pride extended the spirit of belonging
Ryan Murphy is now producing The Prom for Netflix—starring Meryl “I swear I manifested this” Streep
Role: Creative Director, Strategy, Copy