Brunner Names Rob Schapiro Executive Creative Director

PITTSBURGH, PA--(Marketwire - Nov 2, 2011) - Independent, full-service advertising agency, Brunner, today named Rob Schapiro as executive creative director/content at the agency. Schapiro will share creative responsibilities with Jay Giesen, executive creative director/visual arts.

"Rob has an outstanding reputation in the advertising industry for producing award-winning creative on behalf of blue chip brands," said Michael Brunner, CEO of Brunner. "The fact that Jay and Rob have worked together in the past is a real plus for us. They have a great relationship and strong chemistry that I know will make our work even better."

Schapiro is joining Brunner after 14 years at the Martin Agency, where he was most recently senior vice president, creative director. At Martin, he was co-creative director on the global Saab business and directed the repositioning of Miller's MGD brand as a beer for "grown-ups." He led integrated communications for the launch of ESPN's first interactive show, Sports Nation, as well as ESPN's Summer and Winter X Games. Schapiro was also creative director on Hanes Apparel and their Barely There brand and the United States Tennis Association. Prior to this role, Rob held various creative positions at other agencies, including Ketchum Advertising in Pittsburgh, Earle Palmer Brown in Richmond and The Richards Group in Dallas.

"Brunner is a fiercely independent company with broad resources, a collaborative culture and a diverse roster of clients," said Schapiro. "It's a potent combination that can lead to fresh integrated solutions that help businesses take off. That's something I'm here to be a part of."

Rob's work has been internationally recognized by The One Show, Communication Arts, British Design & Art Direction, Cannes, the Kelly Awards, Athena, Archive, Graphis, the Webbies and the FWA. He has also taught copywriting at Southern Methodist University and Virginia Commonwealth University and led the ESPN Campaign semester program at the Brand Center.

About Brunner
Brunner is a $220 million independent advertising agency with more than 200 employees in offices in Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. The agency provides a broad range of services, including brand strategy, research and planning, advertising, digital, one-to-one, public relations, social media, mobile marketing, and Shopper Marketing, to clients such as Bob Evans Restaurants and Food Products, the Cub Cadet brand of outdoor power equipment, CONSOL Energy, Eaton Vehicle Group, Food Lion, multiple GlaxoSmithKline brands, GNC, Heinz, Huffy, Philips Healthcare, PPG Industries, and Wise Foods. In addition to being ranked among the Top 75 U.S. ad agencies, Brunner is recognized as one of the Top 75 digital marketing firms in the country.