The Ad Lab

For my senior thesis, I wanted to create something that could actually help students find a highly-coveted career in the advertising world. Welcome to The Ad Lab: an insider’s guide to the world of advertising hosted by yours truly. Throughout 8 episodes, I sat down with the creative minds and strategic thinkers who are the puppeteers behind the ads we see every day. Each episode provides authentic, firsthand perspectives and advice to help students find their perfect fit in the industry.

industry experts

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industry experts ⋆

Account Management with Yin Woon Rani

  • Yin Woon Rani is the CEO & CMO of the Milk Processor Education Program or “MilkPEP” working to amplify the benefits of milk to consumers through creative marketing and educational initiatives. We chatted about her extensive career and the advice she’d give to students interested in account management.

Strategy with Justine Feron

  • Justine Feron is the Chief Strategy Officer at Havas New York. Previously, she was the Head of Brand Strategy at Grey and worked with some of the world’s biggest brands, including Snickers, Dove, Doritos, Häagen-Dazs, Marriott, Modelo, and Frank’s RedHot. We chatted about lowriding, the proverbial haystack when looking for an insight, and the way strategy has evolved over time.

Copywriting with Emma LeMay

  • Emma LeMay is a two-time U.S. Cannes Young Lion winner and copywriter at Pereira O'Dell. She started her career at Trade School and Weber Shandwick, and her previous clients include the US Postal Service and Home Depot. We discussed advertising award shows, remote work, and what she loves about her career in copywriting.

Media Buying with Louis Roloff

  • Louis Roloff prides himself on efficient media buying and effective marketing solutions. As Vice President of MediaVest Worldwide, he managed clients like Walmart & Kraft Foods. Most recently, Roloff was the Director of Media Performance at Ebiquity and now he teaches as an adjunct professor at Marist College. We chatted about who to follow on LinkedIn and what a career in media buying looks like.

    Before joining Campbell Soup, Rani was President of Universal McCann, tasked to lead IPG’s largest media agency network in North America. She also spent 15 years at Grey’s NYC headquarters where she was the Senior Vice President, Director of Strategy and Account Director. We chatted about her extensive career and the advice she’d give to students interested in account management.

Building an Agency with Maureen Maldari

  • Maureen Maldari is the founder and CEO of ‘The Bam Connection,’ an award-winning creative boutique advertising and social media agency. Maldari has led global portfolios for major Fortune 100 clients including Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson, and has worked in virtually every category of business. We chatted about the importance of account management and the grit it takes to build an agency from the ground up.

Art Direction with Dylan Brackett

  • Dylan Brackett is an art director at Anomaly. He started his career as a Junior Art Director at Havas, and some of his previous clients include Carnival Cruises, Crown Royal Whiskey, and Anheuser Busch. We chatted about his favorite project he’s ever worked on, what agency life at Anomaly is like, and his love of art direction.

Experiential Advertising with Melissa Conlon

  • Melissa Conlon is an Integrated Marketing Manager with a focus in Tentpole & Experiential Activations at Paramount. Her past activations have involved working with Marvel stunt coordinators and larger-than-life custom builds. We chatted about being Nickelodeon kids, her favorite activation she’s ever worked on, and what she’d say to students interested in experiential advertising.

    Before joining Campbell Soup, Rani was President of Universal McCann, tasked to lead IPG’s largest media agency network in North America. She also spent 15 years at Grey’s NYC headquarters where she was the Senior Vice President, Director of Strategy and Account Director. We chatted about her extensive career and the advice she’d give to students interested in account management.