Laurence Shanet
Laurence has had the honor of dancing with both Britney Spears and Bob Dole, helped teach hundreds of New York cab drivers how to flip the bird, and been intimate with an 800-pound black bear.
He has directed and produced work that you’ve seen on your television, computer, and phone screen. He is a past winner of the CFP’s Young Director Award at the Cannes International Advertising Festival, was listed among the industry’s Top 10 “Directors to Watch”, and has had his work placed in the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection.
His client list has included Starburst, H&R Block, Visa, Disney, LG Electronics, Powerball Lotto, KFC, Airheads Xtremes, Skittles, Pepsi, Green Giant, Volkswagen, The Celebrity Apprentice and many more. His work for those clients has won Cannes Lions, AICP, Clios, One Show pencils, and Best in Show at the ADDYs. He has also been a writer and producer for some of the top ad agencies in the world, including McCann, Kirshenbaum & Bond, Berlin Cameron, Leo Burnett, and others.
Laurence also works in the entertainment business. He recently directed the pilot episode of the TV comedy “Almost 40”, and is in development on the animated series “Badtime Stories” and the poker comedy “All In”. He also helmed the popular Off-Broadway play Connections, which received “Best Of New York Citysearch” honors during its frequently sold-out run. And he has contributed as a ghostwriter to some of the most popular animated comedy series on television.
He also smells good.
WAYNE BEST
In his 20 years in the ad business, Wayne has built Mars, flung Jessica Simpson through the air on a wire, tossed a football with Steve Young, blown up a Yugo, seen Gary Coleman’s closet, and spent countless hours waiting for Sean “P-Diddy” Combs to show up on set.
Prior to founding Cog NYC he was Executive Creative Director at JWT where he created the primetime CBS animated holiday special Yes, Virginia for Macys, as well as award-winning campaigns for JetBlue and Cadbury. Before JWT, Wayne was the Executive Creative Director of TAXI NYC. Under his leadership the 4A’s voted TAXI the best small agency in America two years in a row. Wayne has also worked at Fallon, Wieden + Kennedy, Kirshenbaum + Bond, Cliff Freeman & Partners, and Ammirati & Puris. His past clients include ESPN, Starbucks, Pepsi, Virgin Mobile, Staples, Coca-Cola, AT&T, Time Magazine, and Fox Sports, among others.
His work for those clients has won numerous Cannes Lions, One Show pencils, Effie’s, Webbies and the Jay Chiat Planning Award. And the New York Post called his Virgin Mobile “Chrismahanukwazakah” commercial the best holiday spot of all time.
He is chair of the Ad Council’s Creative Review Committee, and has worked with the 4A’s as a mentor in their Institute for Advanced Advertising Studies program. He has been a judge at the One Show and jury chair for the Art Director’s Club Hybrid awards, which honors the year’s most innovative and game-changing work.
Andy wilcox
Andy makes amazing things happen. Need a glass house in the middle of Canada that doesn’t really exist? Ask Andy. Need a stellar performance from an M&M? Ask Andy. Need an actor to age 70 years in 30 seconds? Andy’s your guy.
For over two decades, Andy has been one of the best producers in advertising. It all began at BBDO, where he became an Executive Producer, and was tasked with producing Super Bowl commercials. After BBDO, Andy went to Nitro NY, where he was the Head of Global Content production for five years.
His commercials and branded content for M&M Mars, NYSE, Pizza Hut, GE, Direct TV, AT&T Wireless, Visa and Pepsi, among other clients, have won nearly every award in the business.
In addition to traditional film production, Andy has also helped produce many non-traditional branded efforts, from the Blue Shield Chat Box to the Cannes Grand Prix winner “Best Job In The World” campaign.
And he always does it with a laugh.
BECKY MERCER
Becky has helped develop and launch integrated campaigns for blue chip clients worldwide including Unilever, Kraft, Microsoft, Eli Lilly and Toyota to name a few. She has a diverse background across multiple categories in new product launches, evolving creative campaigns and partnering with clients to bring ideas to market. Whether it’s for a dog biscuit that cleans teeth, the cure-all for ADHD or a superior haircare brand that has long been forgotten, Becky commits to each project with gusto.
Becky has spent most of her career on the account side in New York at the “big” agencies - JWT, FCB, Saatchi & Saatchi and Arnold. As a team member at Tent Content Becky perfectly bridges the gap between the agency side and the production side, operating as an Executive Producer and Account leader.
DURK BARNHILL
Durk helps clients make money. He understands business, and the power of creative problem solving. As CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi NY, President of TAXI NYC and Head of new business at Mother, he’s honed the craft of mixing real world objectives, with out of this world creative.
Durk helped bring the Miller Lite “Creative Superstar” campaign to life at Fallon Minneapolis, and has lead brands like J&J’s Neutorgena and Nestlé USA, among others.
He leads with a vision for the future of marketing, and brings a real business rigor to branded content. He understands how to blend creativity with a sound strategy, helping brands compete in today’s changing marketing world.