PAUL OSEN
www.paulosen.com
212-920-9991
pauljonosen@gmail.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR | BRAND STRATEGIST | INNOVATION LEADER
Award-winning Creative Director with 20+ years of experience driving bold, insight-driven campaigns across digital, traditional, and emerging media. Proven ability to scale brand impact, lead top-performing creative teams, and deliver cultural relevance for Fortune 500 brands. Recognized with over 50+ industry honors including AAF Mosaic, CAF, ANA, Telly, Davey, Cablefax, Naimic, SIA and Hugo Awards. Featured by Advertising Age and Screen Magazine
Creative partner to world-class brands: NBA, NFL, McDonald’s, Amazon, Microsoft, General Motors, Toyota, Comcast/Xfinity, Verizon, NBC Universal, Jeep, Ford, City of Chicago and the U.S. Navy
CORE COMPETENCIES
• Creative Direction & Leadership: Vision setting, team building, creative excellence
• Integrated Campaign Development: 360° strategy, digital-first thinking, social content ecosystems
• Brand Strategy: Positioning, identity, tone of voice, cultural fluency
• Business Growth & Client Partnership: C-suite collaboration, pitch leadership, cross-functional execution
• Multicultural & Gen Z Engagement: Inclusive storytelling, trend spotting, data-driven insights
• Innovation & Emerging Tech: Social trends, mobile platforms, experiential, Web3 exploration
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
CREATIVE DIRECTOR (CONTRACT) NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION (NBA) – New York, NY | 2017–2024
- Co-Led 2022 U.S. Election Campaign increasing youth voter turnout (18–29) by 27%; adopted as 2024
national campaign model for the presidential primary election
- Directed brand and social impact initiatives including NBA Cares, NBA Foundation, NBA Voices, and NBPA
- Partnered with internal teams to craft culturally resonant, high-visibility campaigns across multiple national platforms
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR - BURRELL COMMUNICATIONS – Chicago, IL | 2011–2017
- Led award-winning campaigns for Comcast/Xfinity, Toyota, McDonald’s, and NBC Universal
- Pioneered mobile-first strategy for McDonald’s, growing mobile app engagement and cultural affinity
- Built and mentored high-performing creative teams; elevated junior talent to senior leadership
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR - LEO BURNETT / VIGILANTE – New York, NY | 2005–2011
- Repositioned and revitalized the Buick brand for General Motors; helped achieve historic multi-market growth
- Partnered with integrated agency teams to deliver cohesive storytelling across touchpoints
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR - UNIWORLD GROUP – New York, NY | 2003–2005
- Drove culturally relevant campaigns for Ford and Burger King, increasing engagement among key demographics
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR - GLOBAL HUE – Detroit, MI | 2000–2003
- Led national campaigns for Jeep, Dodge, Verizon Wireless, and U.S. Navy with a multicultural focus
- Consistently translated insights into scalable creative executions that drove performance
EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Macomb Community College – A.A. Media & Communication Arts
Guest Lecturer – Michigan State University, Agency Recruitment Burrell– Columbia College Chicago
INDUSTRY RECOGNITION & JUDGING
- Advertising Age, Screen Magazine, Billboard Magazine, Judge: AAF Mosaic Awards, International ANDY Awards, One Club Boot Camp, Philadelphia ADDYs, and AICE Awards