David Intrator
David Intrator has extensive experience as a writer/filmmaker and educator.
Upon graduating from Harvard in 1978, Intrator began an advertising career in New York City in the early 80s, working as a copywriter for brands including MXR and Swissair. In 1985 he moved to Europe and joined GGK, where he continued to write for Swissair as well as for Porsche Design and Austria Laenderbank.
It was in Europe that Intrator became acquainted with unique challenges of global branding, in which cultural and political pressures collude to drive brands off-strategy. And it was here where he began his career as an educator, writing papers and presenting lectures on the nature and importance of ideas in advertising and communication. He coined the term “Brand Entropy” to describe what happens to brands as they travel through the world if they are not underpinned by a rational idea that can cross borders independent of stylistic and cultural considerations.
In 1988 Intrator returned to the U.S. to assume the post of V.P. and Creative Director at Wells Rich Greene. At Wells he created what Adweek described as the “campaign that defined a category”: Intrator’s breakthrough work for IBM was one of the first advertising campaigns to be shot in an elegant documentary style, now a staple of commercial film technique. And it was on the IBM set that Intrator got his first taste of directing, as he conducted some of the interviews in these award-winning spots. A year later Mr. Intrator also created the trend-setting “Profit from theExperience” campaign for Chase. During this time he also began teaching at The School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.
In 1991 Mr. Intrator returned to Europe to assume the position of Creative Director on International Accounts at BDDP Paris. There he created global communications for companies including BMW, McDonald’s, Michelin, Sheraton, and Polaroid. In 1994 he based himself in Vienna and helped networks like O&M and BBDO build brands in the then-emerging markets of Eastern Europe.
Building upon the upon the concept of “Brand Entropy,” he developed “Thinking through the world: rational approach to contemporary global branding,” a presentation which, once again, stressed the importance of clearly expressed ideas and rigorous critical thinking to help advertisers navigate the dangerous waters of global communications.
In 1996 Intrator was once again in New York, working as a creative and strategic consultant for numerous agencies including Y&R, the Kaplan Thaler Group, Siegal Gale and DeVito Verdi.
In 2001 he went out on his own, and began directing as well as writing commercials as well as providing market research services. He also taught creativity and critical thinking at the University of Kentucky and the New School.
This led him in 2005 to launch Smarter Storytelling, a company that fuses creative and research disciplines to help organizations better uncover and communicate their stories, both internally and to customers.
Recognizing the need for a more integrated approach to creativity, communication and critical thinking in 2011 David Intrator founded the Creative Organization.
His articles and essays can be viewed on this site, and have also appeared in AdWeek, HumanResourcesIQ.com, TrainingMag.com, Medical Marketing and Media, SuccessfulMeetings.com
and other publications.
