peter nicholson

Doers do it and don’t talk about it. / Bravery is fleeting these days. / What ifs won’t happen if you don’t ask, “What if?” / Overthinking is the death nail to creativity. | Creativity creates better business problems. / Patience perseveres. / My 3 I’s: Insight, Imagination, Instinct. / Logic is a powerful starting point.

For 20+ years, I’ve been one of the most awarded and genuine creative leaders in the country. I’ve been helping brands famous and not so uncover human insights that tap into the irrational subconscious of people(customers) to stoke an emotional attachment to the brand. Why? Because brands have a responsibility to the well-being of the people they serve.

-I’ve endeared the hearts and minds of people into the everyday life of Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell thanks to Samsung.
-Re-launched Crocs, the most hated and beloved brand in the U.S through a social and integrated content strategy.
-Re-introduced Mentos, the quirky European candy, and launched Mentos Pure Fresh Gum in the U.S.
-Revitalized one of America’s oldest brands, Tylenol.
-Developed the award-winning IKEA campaign around the election of President Obama.
-Made many a beer drinker proclaim, It’s all about the beer, in the well-awarded and iconic, It’s All About The Beer campaign for Heineken.
-Created the groundbreaking integrated campaign to introduce the U.S to JetBlue airlines.
-Launched Stride Gum becoming the fastest growing chewing gum in the US with sales ~$100MM in year one.
-Launched and turned TiVo the brand into a verb, Tivo it.
-Created the infamous, “What the hell is ANSKY?” campaign for the New York Yankees sponsorship. The campaign was selected as one of the campaigns of the decade by Adweek.

I’ve been Chief Creative Officer at Publicis, Deutsch, JWT and Periscope as well as holding key creative leadership roles at McKinney and at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. What drives me is creativity and collaboration. Stoking the team’s wide eye love for ideas and helping them let go of the fear of failure.
This formula has produced timeless work for iconic brands adidas, Microsoft, Nike, Samsung, Target, BMW, Smirnoff, Heineken, Mentos, Crocs, JetBlue and ambitious ones like Quickbooks, Great Clips, Ikea, TiVo, Toro, Essentia Water and PEMCO insurance.

Accolades received along the way include Cannes Lions, One Show Pencils, Clios, Communication Arts, D&AD Pencils, AICP, Webbys, The Art Directors Club, Crain’s 40 under 40.

My work and opinions have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Creativity, Ad Age, AdWeek, Digiday and Wired.