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Jeff Greenspan

  • BRAND WORK
  • MISCHIEF
  • STANDUP
  • SOLO SHOW
  • CV
  • EMAIL
    • SEND FAN MAIL
    • SEND HATE MAIL

Hi, I’m Jeff.

I draw on my 20+ years in advertising, media, and marketing to provide guidance on strategy and creative. Basically, I help brands talk to people without seeming like jerks. If my experience creating results-driven, award-winning work could be useful, or you want to talk comedy, let’s chat.


view or download RESUME (PDF)

Say Hi

Email me at Jeff@JeffGreenspan.com

Television Writing

  • Live From the Apocalypse (Michael Moore TV show)

  • Jimmy Kimmel Live! (branded in-show material)

Staff Positions

  • Hatch Sleep, Creative Director

  • BuzzFeed, NYC, Chief Creative Officer

  • Facebook, Menlo Park, Creative Strategist

  • BBDO, NYC, Creative Director

  • R/GA, NYC, Associate Creative Director

  • Ground Zero, LA, Copywriter

  • Saatchi & Saatchi, NYC, Copywriter

  • Butler, Shine & Stern, SF, Copywriter

  • Saatchi & Saatchi, SF, Copywriter

  • DeVito/Verdi, NYC, Copywriter

  • Frankfurt/Balkind, NYC, Copywriter

Freelance Copywriting & Creative Direction (Agencies)

Wieden+Kennedy • Rethink • Maximum Effort • Mischief @ No Fixed Address • Droga5 • VML • Fleishman Hillard • Fortnight Collective • TBWA\Chiat\Day • 180LA • Y&R • Tool of North America • Superfly • McCann NY • Johannes Leonardo • Huge • Purpose • AKQA • BBH • The Pop Up Agency (Berlin) • 360i • Anomaly • kbsp+ • West • Havas • Grey • BBDO • R/GA • JWT • DDB • Razorfish • Berlin-Cameron • Dentsu • Deutsch • McGarry Bowen • Two Things • Cramer-Krasselt

Client-Direct Engagements

Apple • Anthropic • Meta • Samsung • Uber • AG1 • Bernie Sanders • Michael Moore • James Cameron • The Union Square Travel Agency (a cannabis store) • VitaCoco • Jack's Stir Brew Coffee • The Chemical Guys • Comcast • Universal Pictures

Before Working as a “Creative”

  • Advertising Account Guy: Held up at gunpoint. Had an epiphany. Switched to the creative side.

  • Radio Announcer in London: Had to speak with a fake American accent even though I’m American.

  • Writer/Production Assistant – 92.7 WDRE/WLIR, NYC: Hired to answer phones, but snuck into the studio and created some on-air promos. Luckily, the Program Director liked what he heard and promoted me.

  • Publicity Assistant at IRS Records (Not the tax guys–the music label behind seminal bands of the ‘80s): What the position lacked in pay, it made up for in backstage passes.

Education

  • State University of New York at Buffalo
    B.A. in Communication, Cum Laude

  • North London University, UK
    Communication

  • School of Visual Arts, NYC
    Copywriting

  • Patsy Rodenburg, NYC
    Voice and Performance (watch this illuminating clip)

  • Upright Citizens Brigade, NYC/LA
    Studied sketch comedy writing and improv. This sharpened my writing and sped up my idea generation.

  • Writing for the Colbert Report, NYC
    This workshop, taught by the show’s head writer, honed my satirical writing skills.

 

Awards & Achievements

  • Standup seen on Netflix

  • Spoke about “stepping into the unknown” at TEDx

  • Exhibited in The Brooklyn Museum

  • Featured in NY Magazine's "Reasons to Love New York” (March 9)

  • Ranked 8th Most Creative Person in Social Media Marketing (whatever that means)

  • Three appearances in New York Magazine’s Approval Matrix

  • Personal projects featured by: New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Guardian, ABC, NBC, CNN, Fast Company, Time, Mashable, TechCrunch, BoingBoing, Gawker, YouTube’s front page, Reddit’s front page, and other news outlets around the world.

  • Advertising Awards: Cannes Short List, One Show, Webby, Clios, Communication Arts Annual, London International Awards, Art Directors Club Annual, NY ADDY’s (Gold)

Public Speaking

  • Beyond Tellerrand, Düsseldorf , Germany, 2021: Video

  • TEDx, ManhattanBeach, CA, 2018: Video

  • HOW Design Live, Boston, 2018, Chicago, 2015 & 2017: Post-Talk Video

  • Design Thinkers Conference, Toronto, CA, 2017

  • Beyond Tellerrand, Berlin, Germany, 2016: Video

  • Smashing Conference, Barcelona, Spain, 2015: Video

  • Reasons to be Creative, Brighton, UK, 2015

  • Offset, Dublin, Ireland, 2014: Video

  • Social Media Week, NYC, 2013

Public Humiliation

  • 19-year-old me on the Howard Stern Show

Friends You Might Like as Much as I Do

  • Steve Maloy: Standup comic and writer I frequently team with. Who says two writers can’t be partners?

  • Andrew Tider: Creative partner, entrepreneur, good friend, somewhat of a good lookout when doing street graffiti.

  • Deanna Director: Maker of cool. Poke around her site and enjoy yourself.

  • Arturo Aranda: Gifted designer/creative director. My not getting beat up by BBDO's account team is a testament to his peacekeeping skills.

  • Chris Baker: A weird, wonderful genius. He’s dead now, and it breaks my heart. Check out his site while it’s still with us.

  • Ji Lee: My brother from an Asian mother, and a stellar designer.

  • Mike Lacher: Co-conspirator and collaborator.

  • Hunter Fine: Partner in many crimes, including the Urban Traps (Hipster Traps).

  • Brian Moore: Mild-mannered brilliance. When drunk, not so mild-mannered brilliance.

  • Clarina Bezzola: Incredibly gifted performance artist.

  • Joe Sabia: Accomplished maker of mischief and fun.

  • Ivan Cash: Brings a wonderfully human touch to all his personal projects.

  • Charlie Todd: Founder of Improv Everywhere and co-founder of our friendship.

  • Justin Gignac: Personal Projects outshone only by his bowling skills.

Interviews, Articles & Writing

  • Chattanooga Times Free Press: “Chattanooga has Improbably Become a Southern Base Camp for New York Comedians”

  • Fast Company: “Why this NYC comic is using his time in isolation to take calls from strangers”

  • Interview: “Besides Ads” - my take on the sad state of advertising and how to get your ideas out into the world

  • Interview and Q&A: “Creating Non-Ads”

  • Interview: “Side Hustle Your Way to Success”

  • Essay/Rant: “If You Want to Sell the Sizzle, Consider the Stakes”

  • Interview: “Koppen with Comic” - talkin’ advertising and comedy

  • Interview: "First Things First"–talking art, ads, activism, and comedy

  • Interview: "The Conversation: An Artist Podcast"

  • Included in the book Graphic Content: True Stories from Top Creatives

  • Creativity Magazine: "Applying the Rules of Improv to Digital"