Record scratch: Sylvest got Optimum Nutrition to ditch the swole gym bros for the WBNA’s Cameron Brink to challenge misconceptions about female athletes.
Lifting up: When she’s not working on culturally disruptive campaigns, Sylvest fosters agency community by heading up the Young Pros ERG, where she hosts fun, educational events for fellow rising professionals like the (totally SFW) Drunk Spelling Bee.
Nikki Mendez
Associate Creative Director, Salt XC
Cleaning up: Passionate about pop culture, Mendez practices boundary-pushing storytelling through unconventional creativity, challenging how brands can earn relevance. Look no further than her “Brawny 3-Ply Guys” campaign, which used weaponized incompetence to reframe domestic labor with humor and sharp social commentary.
Speaking to culture: When Cheez-It wanted to attract a younger, multicultural fan base, “Cheez-Fitz” was born. By partnering with stylist Brittany Hampton to create a custom look for WNBA star Rickea Jackson, Mendez centered Black fashion and women’s basketball to strengthen Cheez-It’s ties to Black Gen Z audiences.
Eat your darlings: The on-field ritual sacrifice of a Pop-Tart mascot to feed the winners of the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl? Mendez was behind the stunt, which has become a beloved annual tradition.
Nithya Charles & Henry Coffey
Junior Art Director & Junior Copywriter, Mischief @ No Fixed Address
Already stars: Landing at Mischief straight out of ad school in April 2025, this duo had already racked up the awards. Henry Coffey’s Brandcenter at VCU team were the first to win two Black Pencils at the D&AD New Blood Awards for “Ads for Rats,” while Nithya Charles won a Young Ones Gold Pencil for a gamified online stunt for Subway, as well as a D&AD New Blood Pencil for Yahoo’s “No Exclamation Needed,” which called out gendered expectations around professionalism.
Hit the ground running: Their first brief became the viral Capri Sun Solstice Pouch with 974 million total impressions and 331 earned media placements. Then in October, they created an ‘80s-infused throwback national commercial for Outback Steakhouse with a jingle lauded across the ad industry.
