SUSAN GOLKIN CREATIVE
250 East 65th Street
New York, NY 10065
917 208 0515
golkinsusan@gmail.com
Obligatory Bio that’s so awkward to write:
Susan is an EVP, Executive Creative Director, making her one of a very small number of female ECD’s. That alone says a lot about her ability to stand out, to persevere, and to wince at the word no. All traits we know a good ECD needs.
Susan is responsible for transforming the Campbells business at BBDO, from a montage of smiling faces, into an honest portrayal of families, women and modern life. The campaign received a lot of press for its honesty and its rejection of the Pinterest perfect version of life we were all so skeptical of and ultimately over. Raising a young boy on her own, Susan called BS on the social world mothers were portraying and channeled that into an award-winning campaign that actually sold soup. The company saw a spike in sales after years of steady decline.
Her work on American Family Insurance, a regional, mid-western Insurance company, out spent by everyone, separated the brand from the tropes of the category. American Family instead positioned themselves as a partner protecting the dreams of their customers. Because dreams are the most valuable thing anyone can own, and in life we all need protection and support to achieve anything.
While at BBDO Susan also ran the woman’s Gillette business, changing the work from just beauty to stories of substance, stories with humor, stories that resonate with women today.
And while working on Dove chocolate, she created a purpose for the brand- every generation of woman should get more pleasure out of life than the generation before it. Leading to award winning, category differentiating work for the core brand and holiday pushes.
Most recently, Susan is responsible for winning the AstraZeneca oncology account, US and Global, making it one of the agency's largest pieces of business. And while probably the hardest assignment she has ever had the good fortune to work on, it is also the most rewarding.
There is no piece of business that Susan has not been able to transform for the better simply through trust. Her clients trust, her teams trust, and the agencies trust.
Before BBDO Susan freelanced all over New York, and a dash in Minneapolis.
She spent ten years at Margeotes, Fertitta and Partners, Messner, Vetere, Berger, Mcnamme, Schmetterer (say that ten times fast) and she began at Scali McCabe Sloves as both a junior writer and the worst assistant known to man. (There are people out there still talking about this and we believe one creative director still waiting on an expense report.)
She’s won a bunch of awards across her body of work, but now after homeschooling her 7-year-old son during Covid-19, she really wants to know where her award for that is.
BBDO
EVP, Executive Creative Director, 2015-2020
Clients include: Campbell’s Soups, Chunky Soups, Dove Chocolate, American Family Insurance, Tropicana, Quaker Oats, AstraZeneca.
SVP, Senior Creative Director, 2008-2015
Clients include: Gillette, Hyatt Hotels, Orbitz (Travel).
Freelance: 2007-2008
Margeotes, Fertita and Partners
Creative Director, 1998-2007
Clients include: Godiva Chocolate, Regent Cruise Lines, Women’s Health Magazine, Bacardi Spirits.
Messner, Vetere, Berger Mcnamee Schmetterer
Writer/Senior Writer, 1995-1998
Clients include: Volvo, Evian, MCI, A&W Root Beer,
Scali McCabe Sloves
Junior Writer/Writer, 1993-1995
Clients Include: Anything they would let me work on.