Sometimes all the pieces come together at the right time. That’s what’s happening at Brunet-García Advertising, where essential leaders are ushering in a new era of creative energy.
After an unprecedented year of growth, Brunet-García has assembled a team with the experience and skills to tackle inventive solutions for clients in the fields of health, safety, education, the arts, and environmental sustainability.
After winning a ten-year contract to provide national health marketing services for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2015, Brunet-García made several key hires to handle increasing demands for branding, marketing, public relations, and social media.
“At Brunet-García, our purpose is to inspire meaningful change,” said Molly Walker, partner and chief strategist at Brunet-García. “Key to achieving this purpose is attracting extraordinary talent with the expertise to stimulate and advance causes in which we believe.”
In February, Brunet-García hired Creative Director and VP Eduardo Sarmiento to lead the agency’s creative strategy for all clients. He brings a wealth of knowledge from his experience as a university educator, professional illustrator, and most recently creative director for a multinational advertising agency based in Miami. Eduardo oversees the growing creative team and all of the agency’s work to ensure Brunet-García consistently breaks creative ground and meets client objectives. Sarmiento participates in all high-level client, strategy, and brainstorm sessions, and is responsible for the creative output of the agency. He has developed integrated marketing solutions and strategies for global brands like MoneyGram, MasterCard, Microsoft, Abbott, Starlims, Samsung, Haagen-Dazs, AOC, and GE.
“My focus is to create exceptional work—strategically derived, sharp creative—that delivers a positive impact to consumers and the industry while ensuring client expectations are surpassed,” Sarmiento said. “I look forward to developing strong agency relationships and leading the team through collaboration and empowerment.”
At the same time, the company promoted Aerien Mull, who carries the institutional knowledge of Brunet-García and our long-standing clients, to associate creative director. Mull’s work has been recognized with multiple national awards and publications for excellence in creativity and effectiveness in advertising, including the National ADDY Awards, American Graphic Design Awards, One SHOW, PRINT, Communication Arts, and the regional Emmy and Telly Awards. She is the immediate past president of the Jacksonville American Advertising Federation and has recently been recognized by Graphic Design USA as a “Person to Watch,” and by Jacksonville Business Journal as a “40 Under 40” recipient. She will continue to manage the creative studio, ensuring all deadlines are met and providing hands-on creative leadership. In her new role, she will provide support to Sarmiento in supervising and mentoring staff and ensuring all work meets defined strategy. She leads the company’s health and safety accounts, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, Florida SHOTS, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“I’ve been proud to call Brunet-García home for nearly a decade,” Mull said. “I’ve stayed consistently challenged creatively and have been lucky to be an integral part of the company’s growth as we’ve expanded to serve a national client base while retaining our strong community ties. I look forward to the next chapter of continued success with Eduardo and the rest of our dynamic creative team.”
In her new role as creative group head, Katy Garrison brings a breadth of knowledge from her experience in fast-paced, digitally focused and start-up creative environments. Garrison will continue to provide mentorship for the creative team and art direction on a variety of agency clients. She leads the company’s agriculture, technology, and transportation accounts, including the Native Sun Natural Foods Market, U.S. Department of Agriculture, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the National Science Foundation, in addition to spearheading the agency’s digital and technology-driven projects.
“It’s a great time to be at B|G. Our clients and their diverse projects keep things fresh.” Garrison said. “Creatives thrive on variety, and I’m lucky to be surrounded by exceptional people—experimental tinkerers that surprise and inspire me on a daily basis. We’re pushing the boundaries of creativity and keeping each other on our toes.”
Other additions to the team include Art Director Cassie Deogracia, who joined the agency in May 2016 with a desire to create “design for good.” Her work includes concepting and designing a “See the Girl” campaign for the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center, branding and generating collateral for a California-based initiative ProCureWorks, branding projects for the USDA’s Child Nutrition Programs, and contributing to Brunet-García’s “100 Plates” holiday campaign. She is a graduate of Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic design with minors in advertising and fine art.
As a design veteran, Bruce Cooke joined Brunet-García with a focus on user experience design and development. Cooke was a vice president of user experience design for Citi’s Global Consumer Bank division. At Brunet-García, he’s worked on the CDC’s STEADI Pharmacist Training, Florida Shots website, Transportation Curriculum Coordination Council’s app, the Dolores Barr Weaver Policy Center’s “See the Girl” online presence, as well as illustrations for Florida Shots and the U.S. Fire Administration.
The creative team isn’t the only area where Brunet-García has injected new energy. New business required the formation of a team with strong public relations and social media skills.
Denise M. Reagan joined Brunet-García as senior manager of public relations in December 2016 after successfully overhauling the identity and website of the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville. Her long career as a journalist with experience in design, graphics, photography, writing, and editing gives her the essential building blocks to tackle her new role, and her extensive relationships with media reflect 25 years of work in seven cities. She also pioneered the deployment of social media platforms, dramatically increasing followers and reach on the accounts she created. She helped bring the MOCA Jacksonville account to Brunet-García.
Natalie Spindle joined the agency in October 2016 as a PR and social media specialist. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English education from Florida State University. Her background as a public information specialist with the Florida Department of Health prepared her for work with accounts such as the CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the U.S. Fire Administration, the Health Profession Opportunity Grants, administered by the Administration for Children and Families, the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Registry, and many others.
Brunet-García Advertising, established in 2003 by Jorge and Diane Brunet-García, leverages its expertise in branding, advertising, training, communication, and social marketing to create work that shapes the behavior of targeted audiences. The agency is also a GSA Professional Services Schedule (PSS) provider and a Hispanic-owned SBA 8(a)-certified small business.
