Michael Rubin is a creative director who synthesizes both copy and design to create bold, inventive campaigns that revolutionize what’s possible for a brand.
Using a conceptually driven approach, he seamlessly weaves together mastery of writing and art direction to create disruptive campaigns that move the needle.
As a creative director at Hero Collective, Michael led proposals winning new business opportunities, resulting in a doubling of the agency’s size in under a year.
He is an expert at making the personal connection and fostering tight-knit relationships in order to understand what’s most important in the growth of a client’s business. He is driven to deliver smart, innovative creative that makes everyone look good, keeping clients coming back for more.
Michael recently premiered a short, Clear Valley Report, at Palm Springs International ShortFest 2019, the largest short film festival in North America, followed by international premieres at the São Paulo International Short Film Festival, and 32 Filmfest Dresden.
He holds a masters degree from the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) School of Design in landscape architecture and time based and interactive media. He holds a bachelor’s in film and electronic arts from Bard College, where he studied under the mentorship of internationally acclaimed director Kelly Reichardt.
EXPERIENCE
2020 - Present
HERO COLLECTIVE
Creative DirectorAs an in-house scriptwriter and commercial director with Hero, he conceptualized and developed conceptually smart, clever campaign work that established and expanded an indelible brand voice for a diverse roster of clients. He created a post-ironic cast of "insulation superheroes" inspired by He-Man and Hanna-Barbera cartoons for Owens Corning, a comic take that drafts off the signature pink color of OC's product and establishes them as a leader in construction materials. He conceptualized and led a design team in a comprehensive branding and creative refresh for the world’s largest toy brand, Mattel. He leads and mentors a growing design team developing new campaigns for clients including FX, HP, J&J, and more.
2020
TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
Art DirectorLed the design team in executing creative direction for the 2020 Tribeca International Film Festival campaign that included development of the brand design system, execution of video ads, print ads, AR filters, Out-of-Home, and social media for the 2020 festival.
BASS STUDIOS
Creative DirectorDeveloped and won new business for commercial photography and video studio lead by Anna Wolf. Michael wrote treatments, prepared and designed pitch decks, and consulted on narrative and cinematic storytelling conceptualization and technique.
MEDIUM
CreativeCollaborated with Medium's art direction team on a high profile series for Laura Vanderkam, developing editorial strategy, a stylistic look-and-feel, and executed a series of conceptual ideas.
2019
MIKE PERRY STUDIO
Creative Director Partnered with the creative team at Mike Perry Studios to conceptualize and produce a docu-style branded video campaign.
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Creative DirectorProduced a branded short and directed a series of interviews exploring architecture and environmental design's impact on ecological systems.
ELEVEN FILO, 2X4
Art DirectorCollaborated with the creative teams of Eleven Filo and 2x4 to produce an animated docu-style short for the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Coinciding with the reopening of the newly renovated MoMA building, the film project told the history of MoMA's architecture.
2017
!MELK
Landscape DesignerLed pitch proposals for a range of architectural activations, including a major new park in downtown Shanghai.
2016
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE FOUNDATION
Creative DirectorProduced and directed branded docu-style short film on the future of environmental design.
2014
PLANTA - RASCOVKSY JOSELEVICH ARQUITECTOS
DesignerCompetitions, pitches, and marketing for all-women architecture studio in Buenos Aires.
2009-13
PARTIZAN, MJZ, LUCKY 21, THE DIRECTOR'S BUREAU, MORE.
Assistant Production DesignerSet design, fabrication, and art direction assistant. Projects include: "Jonah Hex" (Starring John Malkovich), Sprite "Fusion" (Director: Antoine Bardou-Jacquet), Cheetos "Observation" (Director: Mike Maguire)
2009
CLEAR VALLEY REPORT
Film DirectorClear Valley Report is short film that follows Mr. Tom Gomm, Director of Accounts for the Northeast Region of Clear Valley Foods, in the midst of the financial crisis of 2008.
2007-09
THE OBSERVER MAGAZINE
Editor-in-ChiefServed as EIC of the Bard Observer where he managed a team of over 50 contributing editors, writers and designers to produce a weekly print news magazine.
2006
MARTHA COLBURN
Assistant AnimatorSet design, fabrication, and art direction assistant.