Sydney Cohen & Jordan Fishel
Senior Art Director & Senior Copywriter, Highdive
Name a more iconic duo: Since finishing portfolio school 2021, Cohen and Fishel have hit the ground running. Their “Batman vs. Bateman” Super Bowl 59 spot for State Farm drove over 15.6 million social engagements, and earned an Emmy nomination. Their work has also earned two Young Ones Gold Pencils and helped fuel 24% year-over-year growth for Highdive.
Off the wall: The creative partners’ ability to find the sweet spot between culture and brands was never more on display than “Billy Bass,” the campaign announcing the return of the Jeep Cherokee featuring a chaotic father-son adventure starring the iconic singing fish. Jeep’s owner, Stellantis, got Super Bowl-level spectacle without a Big Game buy.
Tom Francesconi
Creative Director, Joan Creative
Watch this: With experience ranging from leading classrooms to launching a startup, Tom Francesconi is a master of earning his audience’s attention and giving them reasons to engage. He has a talent for seeing the ordinary in a new way, spurring conversation and a sense of discovery.
Real insights: In 2025, the Joan creative director brought WNBA three-point lines to public courts, sparking 100 million earned impressions and a rollout that began in New York but expanded globally. He turned the Brawny Man into a modern cultural character dealing with the messiness of real life. And for Mohegan Sun, he reframed unpredictability as the ultimate luxury for the casino resort’s first unified platform across physical and digital.
Tori Mortenson & Kelsey Miller
Associate Creative Directors, David New York
Fun and effective: Leading with a “Be real. Be silly.” philosophy, Tori Mortenson and Kelsey Miller create work that feels real because it’s rooted in cultural insights. After only a year and a half at David New York, they’ve become key players, integral to the agency winning AOR duties for Ikea and creating the provocative “Stop sleeping with your ex” promotional campaign that drove mattress sales for the Swedish retailer.
Unconventional: The duo were also behind Jose Cuervo’s Dumb Phone, recognizing the technology-lite trend among Gen Z before the rest of the industry.
