<![CDATA[The Creative Caucus]]>366e9f52-c43c-5147-9028-87a89e4b5b0aMon, 05 Oct 2026 18:30:30 +0000Captivate.fmGarret Brubakerhttps://artwork.captivate.fm/14bdb821-4def-4a45-a821-fb76d83987ff/Untitled-design-2.pngThe Creative CaucusGarret BrubakerGarret BrubakerPolitical ads are weird. They’re emotional, strategic, overanalyzed, under-appreciated, and everywhere. The Creative Caucus is a podcast that goes behind the scenes of the political advertising world to talk with the people who actually make the work. Hosted by Garret Brubaker, founder of Studio Brubaker, the show is a candid, creative-first conversation about persuasion, storytelling, and the craft of political communication. Each episode features in-depth interviews with professional creatives working across the political spectrum, from presidential and national campaigns to statewide races, ballot initiatives, advocacy groups, and local elections. These are strategists, copywriters, filmmakers, designers, editors, and creative directors who live at the intersection of art, messaging, and power. Whether you’re a political creative, marketer, strategist, journalist, or simply someone curious about how modern political messaging actually gets made, The Creative Caucus offers a rare, inside look at a strange, influential, and endlessly fascinating corner of the creative world. Because political ads may be weird...but the people who make them are thoughtful, talented, and worth hearing from.https://the-creative-caucus.captivate.fmfalseepisodicnopodcastStefan Smith: The Most Disruptive Man in DigitalStefan Smith: The Most Disruptive Man in DigitalGarret Brubaker sits down with Stefan Smith, Head of Digital Engagement at the ACLU, who joins the show speaking in his personal capacity. His career runs from Drunk History to Hillary Clinton's Michigan campaign, through the Democratic Party of New Mexico, and on to Pete Buttigieg's presidential run. Stefan traces his political awakening to fourth grade in Greenville, South Carolina. He scored high enough to qualify for his school's gifted program, the school dismissed the result as a fluke, and his mother fought for weeks to get him retested. From there he moved through a history PhD program and a job as principal researcher on Drunk History, where he pitched the Marsha P. Johnson story. One day-drunk afternoon he watched a Hillary Clinton ad and applied to the campaign on the spot.

The conversation moves quickly into how Stefan learned the craft. He credits New Mexico, where data was scarce and production was lo-fi, with teaching him to build real programs. He joined Pete for America as its 17th staffer, wrote a memo in his first week warning that Pete would have a problem with Black voters, and later became Online Engagement Director, where he helped build the digital captains program that still sets Pete's supporter base apart. He makes the case that good digital work comes from instinct and cross-training rather than message calendars and Tableau dashboards. He also argues that the party lost a generation of mid-career talent in 2010 and 2014, and that AI has created a new audience segment he calls "artificial audiences."

Stefan then turns his critique on the industry. Beautiful videos with no end card, no link, and no next step are "roads to nowhere." Programs built only to extract dollars are a form of digital colonialism. And the 2028 campaign that wins will be the one that breaks down silos between digital, tech, comms, and organizing. He closes with a charge to every creative listening: the old rules may not be real, and the only way to find out is to push on them.

Key Takeaways

● Digital is more than platform management. Running the Instagram account is not a digital program. The job is moving people up a ladder from attention to following, advocacy, donating, and volunteering.

● Every piece of content needs a second call to action. Beautiful videos with no end card, URL, or link in the post are "roads to nowhere," and in a broken attention economy, awareness alone is not enough.

● AI has created "artificial audiences." Search summaries, inbox filters, and AI retrieval now sit between campaigns and voters, so websites and content have to be built for the robots as well as the people.

● Cross-training is the most valuable skill in politics right now. The most powerful seat on a 2028 campaign will sit where tech, digital, and communications meet, and staffers who have only run social or only worked safe districts will struggle.

● Extraction drives people away. If supporters feel like a wallet, they will never give more than a dollar. Every step of the ladder has to feel good, and wherever someone stops on it is valid.

● Instinct still matters. The best moments on the Pete campaign, like the lights going out at the Nevada event, came from knowing the candidate and moving fast, not from waiting on a dashboard.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Garret Brubaker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garret-brubaker-9b481553/

● Stefan Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/s-alexander-smith/

● Stefan Smith on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestefansmith

● Stefan Smith on X: https://x.com/TheStefanSmith

Hashtags

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #DigitalStrategy #DigitalOrganizing #PeteForAmerica #AIinPolitics #Campaign2028 #CallToAction #ContentStrategy

]]>Garret Brubaker sits down with Stefan Smith, Head of Digital Engagement at the ACLU, who joins the show speaking in his personal capacity. His career runs from Drunk History to Hillary Clinton's Michigan campaign, through the Democratic Party of New Mexico, and on to Pete Buttigieg's presidential run. Stefan traces his political awakening to fourth grade in Greenville, South Carolina. He scored high enough to qualify for his school's gifted program, the school dismissed the result as a fluke, and his mother fought for weeks to get him retested. From there he moved through a history PhD program and a job as principal researcher on Drunk History, where he pitched the Marsha P. Johnson story. One day-drunk afternoon he watched a Hillary Clinton ad and applied to the campaign on the spot.

The conversation moves quickly into how Stefan learned the craft. He credits New Mexico, where data was scarce and production was lo-fi, with teaching him to build real programs. He joined Pete for America as its 17th staffer, wrote a memo in his first week warning that Pete would have a problem with Black voters, and later became Online Engagement Director, where he helped build the digital captains program that still sets Pete's supporter base apart. He makes the case that good digital work comes from instinct and cross-training rather than message calendars and Tableau dashboards. He also argues that the party lost a generation of mid-career talent in 2010 and 2014, and that AI has created a new audience segment he calls "artificial audiences."

Stefan then turns his critique on the industry. Beautiful videos with no end card, no link, and no next step are "roads to nowhere." Programs built only to extract dollars are a form of digital colonialism. And the 2028 campaign that wins will be the one that breaks down silos between digital, tech, comms, and organizing. He closes with a charge to every creative listening: the old rules may not be real, and the only way to find out is to push on them.

Key Takeaways

● Digital is more than platform management. Running the Instagram account is not a digital program. The job is moving people up a ladder from attention to following, advocacy, donating, and volunteering.

● Every piece of content needs a second call to action. Beautiful videos with no end card, URL, or link in the post are "roads to nowhere," and in a broken attention economy, awareness alone is not enough.

● AI has created "artificial audiences." Search summaries, inbox filters, and AI retrieval now sit between campaigns and voters, so websites and content have to be built for the robots as well as the people.

● Cross-training is the most valuable skill in politics right now. The most powerful seat on a 2028 campaign will sit where tech, digital, and communications meet, and staffers who have only run social or only worked safe districts will struggle.

● Extraction drives people away. If supporters feel like a wallet, they will never give more than a dollar. Every step of the ladder has to feel good, and wherever someone stops on it is valid.

● Instinct still matters. The best moments on the Pete campaign, like the lights going out at the Nevada event, came from knowing the candidate and moving fast, not from waiting on a dashboard.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Garret Brubaker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garret-brubaker-9b481553/

● Stefan Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/s-alexander-smith/

● Stefan Smith on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestefansmith

● Stefan Smith on X: https://x.com/TheStefanSmith

Hashtags

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #DigitalStrategy #DigitalOrganizing #PeteForAmerica #AIinPolitics #Campaign2028 #CallToAction #ContentStrategy

]]>9f0749a8-315f-48e0-9d4d-d21e459b5fe8Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:45:00 -040001:10:27falsefull116161Kasey Rollins: Behind the Scenes with JB Pritzker’s Campaign PhotographerKasey Rollins: Behind the Scenes with JB Pritzker’s Campaign PhotographerGarret Brubaker sits down with Kasey Rollins, photographer, videographer and graphic designer and the founder of Rollins Media, for a conversation about what it actually takes to photograph a candidate on the road. Kasey Rollins is a photographer, videographer and graphic designer and the founder of Rollins Media. She served as campaign photographer for the 2024 Biden-Harris and Harris-Walz presidential campaign and lead photo/videographer for Reverend Raphael Warnock's U.S. Senate campaign. The path there started nowhere near politics: biochem classes, a lab job through COVID, fashion editorial work in Atlanta with the family dog as a first model, and photo walks through the city learning how light and shadow behave.

The two go image by image through Kasey's portfolio, and the craft is in the details. The DNC frame of Kamala Harris, shot blind with the camera held above a nine-foot stage so it wouldn't crash the broadcast, ended up on the spine of 107 Days and on a Times Square ad, with a credit mix-up the publisher later agreed to fix. Governor JB Pritzker in a cornfield, where the whole shot depended on the speech running long enough for golden hour to arrive. President Obama in a cramped press room, captured through a gap between camera monitors after some improvised yoga. Kasey breaks down building a custom color preset per principal (the Pritzker one is literally named "JB's vibe"), the split between rapid turnarounds sent out mid-event and the late-night cull on the couch, and why learning a candidate's stump speech is how you stop reacting and start anticipating.

There's also the stuff that makes campaign life campaign life: leapfrogging between three events a day, waking up in a sweat a year later convinced you're late for a plane, and the strange privilege of a front-row seat to Mark Hamill, Anna Wintour, Coco Rocha, Annie Leibovitz, and Busta Rhymes. Kasey closes on the thing that makes the job worth it: a photo you love is nice, but a photo the campaign actually uses means you did the job right.

Key Takeaways

● Political photography is photojournalism most of the time, but the posed "media days" are where the fashion and editorial training pays off, and campaigns front-load that content because the candidate only gets busier.

● Anticipation is a learnable skill. Learn the stump speech, learn the keywords, and you know when the hand goes up, when the look out into the crowd is coming, and which side to be standing on.

● Build a color preset per principal. Kasey makes one in the first month of a campaign, tuned to that person's skin tone and built to hold up in low light, indoors, and outdoors, so mailers, commercials, and social all feel like one body of work.

● The day has two shifts: rapid edits in the gaps between events, capped at about five photos sent to whoever needs them, then the real cull and color grade late at night.

● Word of mouth runs the media industry. A sorority crossing shoot led to the Warnock campaign, and a cold outreach to Grayson Kisker led to a call asking Kasey to be in D.C. in two weeks for a presidential campaign.

● Black and white is a tool, not a mood. When democratic-blue stage lights wrecked the skin tones on the Pritzker cowboy hat shot, pulling the color forced the shadow play to carry the frame.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Garret Brubaker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garret-brubaker-9b481553/

● Kasey Rollins Website: https://www.kaseyrollins.com/

● Kasey Rollins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kasey-rollins-909a10136/

● Kasey Rollins on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollinsmedia_/

● Kasey Rollins on X: https://twitter.com/KaseyRollins

● Kasey Rollins on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rollinsmedia

Hashtags

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #PoliticalPhotography #CampaignPhotography #Photojournalism #Portraiture #ColorGrading #HarrisWalz #CampaignCreative #PhotoEditing #EsportsPhotography

]]>Garret Brubaker sits down with Kasey Rollins, photographer, videographer and graphic designer and the founder of Rollins Media, for a conversation about what it actually takes to photograph a candidate on the road. Kasey Rollins is a photographer, videographer and graphic designer and the founder of Rollins Media. She served as campaign photographer for the 2024 Biden-Harris and Harris-Walz presidential campaign and lead photo/videographer for Reverend Raphael Warnock's U.S. Senate campaign. The path there started nowhere near politics: biochem classes, a lab job through COVID, fashion editorial work in Atlanta with the family dog as a first model, and photo walks through the city learning how light and shadow behave.

The two go image by image through Kasey's portfolio, and the craft is in the details. The DNC frame of Kamala Harris, shot blind with the camera held above a nine-foot stage so it wouldn't crash the broadcast, ended up on the spine of 107 Days and on a Times Square ad, with a credit mix-up the publisher later agreed to fix. Governor JB Pritzker in a cornfield, where the whole shot depended on the speech running long enough for golden hour to arrive. President Obama in a cramped press room, captured through a gap between camera monitors after some improvised yoga. Kasey breaks down building a custom color preset per principal (the Pritzker one is literally named "JB's vibe"), the split between rapid turnarounds sent out mid-event and the late-night cull on the couch, and why learning a candidate's stump speech is how you stop reacting and start anticipating.

There's also the stuff that makes campaign life campaign life: leapfrogging between three events a day, waking up in a sweat a year later convinced you're late for a plane, and the strange privilege of a front-row seat to Mark Hamill, Anna Wintour, Coco Rocha, Annie Leibovitz, and Busta Rhymes. Kasey closes on the thing that makes the job worth it: a photo you love is nice, but a photo the campaign actually uses means you did the job right.

Key Takeaways

● Political photography is photojournalism most of the time, but the posed "media days" are where the fashion and editorial training pays off, and campaigns front-load that content because the candidate only gets busier.

● Anticipation is a learnable skill. Learn the stump speech, learn the keywords, and you know when the hand goes up, when the look out into the crowd is coming, and which side to be standing on.

● Build a color preset per principal. Kasey makes one in the first month of a campaign, tuned to that person's skin tone and built to hold up in low light, indoors, and outdoors, so mailers, commercials, and social all feel like one body of work.

● The day has two shifts: rapid edits in the gaps between events, capped at about five photos sent to whoever needs them, then the real cull and color grade late at night.

● Word of mouth runs the media industry. A sorority crossing shoot led to the Warnock campaign, and a cold outreach to Grayson Kisker led to a call asking Kasey to be in D.C. in two weeks for a presidential campaign.

● Black and white is a tool, not a mood. When democratic-blue stage lights wrecked the skin tones on the Pritzker cowboy hat shot, pulling the color forced the shadow play to carry the frame.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Garret Brubaker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garret-brubaker-9b481553/

● Kasey Rollins Website: https://www.kaseyrollins.com/

● Kasey Rollins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kasey-rollins-909a10136/

● Kasey Rollins on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollinsmedia_/

● Kasey Rollins on X: https://twitter.com/KaseyRollins

● Kasey Rollins on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rollinsmedia

Hashtags

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #PoliticalPhotography #CampaignPhotography #Photojournalism #Portraiture #ColorGrading #HarrisWalz #CampaignCreative #PhotoEditing #EsportsPhotography

]]>b4a059ea-0973-4b58-839b-98a6881f9944Mon, 21 Sep 2026 04:45:00 -040001:17:04falsefull115151Alli Peters: Dragging the Democrats Into a New Creative Era.Alli Peters: Dragging the Democrats Into a New Creative Era.Garret Brubaker sits down with Alli Peters, Chief Digital Officer at Majority Democrats, for a conversation that does something Creative Caucus has never done before: the guest opens her actual working project file and walks through a rebrand live, from the first Pinterest board to the final logo. Alli is a multidisciplinary creative whose work spans photography, video, design, writing, and creative direction, with credits on Amy Klobuchar's 2020 presidential primary, the Mandela Barnes 2022 Senate race, and current projects with Pete Buttigieg.

The rebrand story is the heart of it. Alli explains why the old identity felt sterile and political, how a member's blunt feedback lit the fuse, and why she chased loud, bombastic color and 1990s athletic leisure references instead of the black and white minimalism the party has been stuck in. She talks through the fonts, the acid green she had never seen used in politics, the 61 that nods to the last Democratic landslide, and the Dalmatian grabbing a star: the firehouse dog that signals what danger is looming. When the internal debate stalled out, she took advice from Seth Godin, told her bosses what she was doing and when, changed the social accounts, and moved on.

Alli also gets into her unlikely path in, from shooting photos for a Minneapolis coffee brand owned by a congressman she had never heard of, to a last minute video with Klobuchar that landed her in Iowa, to a coffee meeting with Pete Souza that Mandela Barnes engineered by faking a bathroom break. Plus: shooting Pete Buttigieg through a handheld prism filter with no adapter, why she switched from Premiere to DaVinci Resolve, the Nikon R10 versus the new audio recording Kodak Super 8, and the corn eating contest at the Indiana State Fair that became test footage for a new YouTube show.

Key Takeaways

● Alli never got a political job off a posted listing. Every role came from relationships and from showing up and doing work for free, including the Dean Phillips connection that started with a coffee brand client she quit.

● The Majority Democrats rebrand was built to break the mold: acid green and colors she had never seen in politics, Druk in thin and bold to signal a growing party, and a retro reference set drawn from C-SPAN era design and 1990s athletic wear.

● The Dalmatian grabbing a star came from a tattoo on Pinterest. It was chosen because it could run in animation, because it reads as all American rather than elitist, and because the firehouse dog signals danger looming for a party that refuses to change.

● The logo nearly died in internal debate. Alli followed advice from Seth Godin, acted like she did not care if she quit, told leadership the change was happening on a set date, and rolled it out.

● Political work does not have to look political. Alli's guiding light this year has been pressure testing ideas outside what is traditionally accepted, from prism filters on rally footage to Super 8 film for a new entertainment first, education second YouTube show.

● Her pitch to creatives: come work in politics, you do not have to be a martyr or be underpaid, and Render Club exists as a signup list where she sends out real jobs and creative experiments.

Timestamps

00:00 Why the dog became the mascot

01:47 From coffee shop photographer to Klobuchar's digital director

06:07 Meeting Pete Souza on the Mandela Barnes race

13:30 Inside Majority Democrats and the chief digital officer job

19:02 Opening the project file: where the rebrand started

24:51 The Dalmatian, the star, and the fight over the logo

36:04 Side work with Pete Buttigieg and shooting on prism lenses

45:20 Super 8, Kodak, and the Indiana State Fair

54:49 Render Club and an open invitation to creatives

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Garret Brubaker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garret-brubaker-9b481553/

● Alli Peters: [https://www.allipeters.com/

Hashtags

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #BrandIdentity #Rebrand #LogoDesign #MajorityDemocrats #PoliticalDesign #Super8 #FilmPhotography #DaVinciResolve #CampaignCreative

]]>Garret Brubaker sits down with Alli Peters, Chief Digital Officer at Majority Democrats, for a conversation that does something Creative Caucus has never done before: the guest opens her actual working project file and walks through a rebrand live, from the first Pinterest board to the final logo. Alli is a multidisciplinary creative whose work spans photography, video, design, writing, and creative direction, with credits on Amy Klobuchar's 2020 presidential primary, the Mandela Barnes 2022 Senate race, and current projects with Pete Buttigieg.

The rebrand story is the heart of it. Alli explains why the old identity felt sterile and political, how a member's blunt feedback lit the fuse, and why she chased loud, bombastic color and 1990s athletic leisure references instead of the black and white minimalism the party has been stuck in. She talks through the fonts, the acid green she had never seen used in politics, the 61 that nods to the last Democratic landslide, and the Dalmatian grabbing a star: the firehouse dog that signals what danger is looming. When the internal debate stalled out, she took advice from Seth Godin, told her bosses what she was doing and when, changed the social accounts, and moved on.

Alli also gets into her unlikely path in, from shooting photos for a Minneapolis coffee brand owned by a congressman she had never heard of, to a last minute video with Klobuchar that landed her in Iowa, to a coffee meeting with Pete Souza that Mandela Barnes engineered by faking a bathroom break. Plus: shooting Pete Buttigieg through a handheld prism filter with no adapter, why she switched from Premiere to DaVinci Resolve, the Nikon R10 versus the new audio recording Kodak Super 8, and the corn eating contest at the Indiana State Fair that became test footage for a new YouTube show.

Key Takeaways

● Alli never got a political job off a posted listing. Every role came from relationships and from showing up and doing work for free, including the Dean Phillips connection that started with a coffee brand client she quit.

● The Majority Democrats rebrand was built to break the mold: acid green and colors she had never seen in politics, Druk in thin and bold to signal a growing party, and a retro reference set drawn from C-SPAN era design and 1990s athletic wear.

● The Dalmatian grabbing a star came from a tattoo on Pinterest. It was chosen because it could run in animation, because it reads as all American rather than elitist, and because the firehouse dog signals danger looming for a party that refuses to change.

● The logo nearly died in internal debate. Alli followed advice from Seth Godin, acted like she did not care if she quit, told leadership the change was happening on a set date, and rolled it out.

● Political work does not have to look political. Alli's guiding light this year has been pressure testing ideas outside what is traditionally accepted, from prism filters on rally footage to Super 8 film for a new entertainment first, education second YouTube show.

● Her pitch to creatives: come work in politics, you do not have to be a martyr or be underpaid, and Render Club exists as a signup list where she sends out real jobs and creative experiments.

Timestamps

00:00 Why the dog became the mascot

01:47 From coffee shop photographer to Klobuchar's digital director

06:07 Meeting Pete Souza on the Mandela Barnes race

13:30 Inside Majority Democrats and the chief digital officer job

19:02 Opening the project file: where the rebrand started

24:51 The Dalmatian, the star, and the fight over the logo

36:04 Side work with Pete Buttigieg and shooting on prism lenses

45:20 Super 8, Kodak, and the Indiana State Fair

54:49 Render Club and an open invitation to creatives

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Garret Brubaker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garret-brubaker-9b481553/

● Alli Peters: [https://www.allipeters.com/

Hashtags

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #BrandIdentity #Rebrand #LogoDesign #MajorityDemocrats #PoliticalDesign #Super8 #FilmPhotography #DaVinciResolve #CampaignCreative

]]>7d97ed71-a20a-4966-93ca-13170e51ca96Mon, 07 Sep 2026 02:30:00 -040058:52falsefull114141Tobias Frere-Jones: Creating Gotham and Other Political TypefacesTobias Frere-Jones: Creating Gotham and Other Political TypefacesGarret Brubaker sits down with Tobias Frere-Jones, founder and typeface designer at Frere-Jones Type, for a deep look at the craft behind some of the most recognizable political branding in modern American politics. Best known for creating Gotham, the typeface that became synonymous with Barack Obama's presidential campaigns, Tobias traces how a piece of plainspoken lettering off the Port Authority bus terminal became a versatile family that would go on to blanket rally signs, newspaper front pages, and, later, conventions on both sides of the aisle.

The conversation moves through Tobias's political portfolio one project at a time: Conductor for Cory Booker, born from the anti counterfeit numbers on a Bulgarian lottery ticket; Mallory for Julian Castro, a typeface built on Tobias's own dual British and American heritage; Community Gothic for Stacey Abrams, drawn weight by weight from different historical sources; and, most recently, the Administration typeface for the New York City Mayor's Office, a "grownup" evolution of the campaign type used by Zohran Mamdani. Along the way, Tobias explains why the Obama team got more out of Gotham than John Edwards did, how a custom word mark gets tuned letter by letter, and why naming a typeface is often the hardest part of the job.

Tobias also opens up about the personal side of the work, from the pride of seeing his letters on the keys to the city he grew up in, to the strange experience of watching his typefaces get used to spell out messages he fundamentally disagrees with. He closes with a clear thesis on why type matters in politics: consistency reads as credibility, and a campaign that keeps its visual voice steady under pressure signals something real about how a candidate might govern.

Key Takeaways

● Gotham grew out of plainspoken lettering on the Port Authority bus terminal, and Tobias designed it to preserve that unvarnished, forthright personality rather than chase another generic geometric sans serif.

● The Obama campaign leaned into Gotham's personality so hard that no other typeface could be swapped in, while John Edwards used the same font in a way where almost anything would have worked.

● Conductor, used for Cory Booker's campaign, was inspired by the deliberately unique anti forgery numbers printed on a Bulgarian lottery ticket.

● Mallory, used by Julian Castro's campaign, was built to carry Tobias's own dual British and American heritage, with monumental Roman uppercase and a noisier, New York influenced lowercase.

● Community Gothic, used for Stacey Abrams, was drawn weight by weight from different historical sources, and its name was changed from Union Gothic after the campaign flagged how it read in Georgia.

● The New York City Mayor's Office Administration typeface retrofits campaign details onto Empirica to balance credibility with the joy of Mamdani's original campaign type.

● Type gives a campaign personality, and consistency reads as credibility: a brand that looks different every time can quietly signal an unreliable candidate.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Garret Brubaker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garret-brubaker-9b481553/

● Tobias Frere-Jones, Frere-Jones Type: https://frerejones.com

● Conductor in use, Cory Booker 2020: https://frerejones.com/in-use/cory-booker-2020

● Mallory in use, Julian Castro: https://frerejones.com/in-use/julian-castro

● Community Gothic, Grit and Patchwork: https://frerejones.com/blog/grit-and-patchwork

● Designing Gotham: https://frerejones.com/blog/designing-gotham

● Frere-Jones Type custom work: https://frerejones.com/custom

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #Typography #TypefaceDesign #Gotham #PoliticalDesign #BrandStrategy #CampaignBranding

]]>Garret Brubaker sits down with Tobias Frere-Jones, founder and typeface designer at Frere-Jones Type, for a deep look at the craft behind some of the most recognizable political branding in modern American politics. Best known for creating Gotham, the typeface that became synonymous with Barack Obama's presidential campaigns, Tobias traces how a piece of plainspoken lettering off the Port Authority bus terminal became a versatile family that would go on to blanket rally signs, newspaper front pages, and, later, conventions on both sides of the aisle.

The conversation moves through Tobias's political portfolio one project at a time: Conductor for Cory Booker, born from the anti counterfeit numbers on a Bulgarian lottery ticket; Mallory for Julian Castro, a typeface built on Tobias's own dual British and American heritage; Community Gothic for Stacey Abrams, drawn weight by weight from different historical sources; and, most recently, the Administration typeface for the New York City Mayor's Office, a "grownup" evolution of the campaign type used by Zohran Mamdani. Along the way, Tobias explains why the Obama team got more out of Gotham than John Edwards did, how a custom word mark gets tuned letter by letter, and why naming a typeface is often the hardest part of the job.

Tobias also opens up about the personal side of the work, from the pride of seeing his letters on the keys to the city he grew up in, to the strange experience of watching his typefaces get used to spell out messages he fundamentally disagrees with. He closes with a clear thesis on why type matters in politics: consistency reads as credibility, and a campaign that keeps its visual voice steady under pressure signals something real about how a candidate might govern.

Key Takeaways

● Gotham grew out of plainspoken lettering on the Port Authority bus terminal, and Tobias designed it to preserve that unvarnished, forthright personality rather than chase another generic geometric sans serif.

● The Obama campaign leaned into Gotham's personality so hard that no other typeface could be swapped in, while John Edwards used the same font in a way where almost anything would have worked.

● Conductor, used for Cory Booker's campaign, was inspired by the deliberately unique anti forgery numbers printed on a Bulgarian lottery ticket.

● Mallory, used by Julian Castro's campaign, was built to carry Tobias's own dual British and American heritage, with monumental Roman uppercase and a noisier, New York influenced lowercase.

● Community Gothic, used for Stacey Abrams, was drawn weight by weight from different historical sources, and its name was changed from Union Gothic after the campaign flagged how it read in Georgia.

● The New York City Mayor's Office Administration typeface retrofits campaign details onto Empirica to balance credibility with the joy of Mamdani's original campaign type.

● Type gives a campaign personality, and consistency reads as credibility: a brand that looks different every time can quietly signal an unreliable candidate.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Garret Brubaker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garret-brubaker-9b481553/

● Tobias Frere-Jones, Frere-Jones Type: https://frerejones.com

● Conductor in use, Cory Booker 2020: https://frerejones.com/in-use/cory-booker-2020

● Mallory in use, Julian Castro: https://frerejones.com/in-use/julian-castro

● Community Gothic, Grit and Patchwork: https://frerejones.com/blog/grit-and-patchwork

● Designing Gotham: https://frerejones.com/blog/designing-gotham

● Frere-Jones Type custom work: https://frerejones.com/custom

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #Typography #TypefaceDesign #Gotham #PoliticalDesign #BrandStrategy #CampaignBranding

]]>741f669f-cbf1-4730-bd4f-d3cfaa2469adMon, 10 Aug 2026 04:00:00 -040001:08:06falsefull112121Eric Bravo: Directing and Editing for the White House, Harris, AOC, Zohran, and Mor.Eric Bravo: Directing and Editing for the White House, Harris, AOC, Zohran, and Mor.Garret Brubaker sits down with Eric Bravo, a director and editor who got his start in political video working on Beto O'Rourke's 2019 presidential campaign and has since worked with Joe Biden, the White House, AOC, Kamala Harris, and Zohran Mamdani. Eric brings a music-video sensibility and his Mexican-American cultural perspective to political storytelling, and in this conversation he traces the fast, unrelenting marathon that took him from shooting bands and Jarritos spots in El Paso to directing President Biden in his own library.

The two editors get deep into craft. Eric breaks down the last-minute cufflink shot on the Biden book announcement, the frame-by-frame ball tracking behind the viral Zohran basketball spot, and how the Harris "Freedom" launch video came together in a sleepless three-day sprint after his wife suggested laying Beyonce's "Freedom" over the cut. He explains his guiding principle of shooting for the edit, why the "Mother" and "We Rise" ads gave him rare creative freedom, and how his run-and-gun AOC district doc leaned on car-ride conversations to shape the story.

Eric also opens up about the surreal stretches of his White House work, from filming the Ted Lasso cast bowling to getting swept into the BTS fandom, and why an all-female mariachi group performing on the South Lawn remains one of his favorite projects. He closes with a case for authenticity over formula: not every political video has to be a hype video, and there is enormous untapped potential in Spanish-language ads and in work that gives a scene room to build.

Key Takeaways

● Eric approaches political video like a music video, a mindset that landed him his first campaign job because Beto's team wanted someone without ingrained political instincts.

● "Shoot for the edit" is his guiding principle: knowing exactly what he needs on set saves time both in production and in post.

● The Harris "Freedom" launch felt flat until Eric pitched putting Beyonce's "Freedom" over the cut, and the partnerships team secured the song within an hour of seeing it.

● The Zohran basketball ad's whip pans required frame-by-frame ball tracking and speed ramps to sell each transition, with lens flares covering the clunkier cuts.

● Ads like "Mother" (narrated by Viola Davis) and "We Rise" (narrated by Ron Perlman) are cut and approved before the voiceover is ever recorded, so a star read can't get killed in the approval process.

● Not every political video has to be a hype video: Eric favors slower, scene-driven ads that give a moment room to build, and sees Spanish-language work as an underrepresented, high-potential space.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Garret Brubaker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garret-brubaker-9b481553/

● Eric Bravo Website: https://ericbravo.co/

● Eric Bravo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbravo4/

● Eric Bravo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericbravo

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #EricBravo #PoliticalVideo #VideoEditing #FilmDirecting #KamalaHarris #ZohranMamdani #WhiteHouse #SpanishLanguageAds #CampaignCreative

]]>Garret Brubaker sits down with Eric Bravo, a director and editor who got his start in political video working on Beto O'Rourke's 2019 presidential campaign and has since worked with Joe Biden, the White House, AOC, Kamala Harris, and Zohran Mamdani. Eric brings a music-video sensibility and his Mexican-American cultural perspective to political storytelling, and in this conversation he traces the fast, unrelenting marathon that took him from shooting bands and Jarritos spots in El Paso to directing President Biden in his own library.

The two editors get deep into craft. Eric breaks down the last-minute cufflink shot on the Biden book announcement, the frame-by-frame ball tracking behind the viral Zohran basketball spot, and how the Harris "Freedom" launch video came together in a sleepless three-day sprint after his wife suggested laying Beyonce's "Freedom" over the cut. He explains his guiding principle of shooting for the edit, why the "Mother" and "We Rise" ads gave him rare creative freedom, and how his run-and-gun AOC district doc leaned on car-ride conversations to shape the story.

Eric also opens up about the surreal stretches of his White House work, from filming the Ted Lasso cast bowling to getting swept into the BTS fandom, and why an all-female mariachi group performing on the South Lawn remains one of his favorite projects. He closes with a case for authenticity over formula: not every political video has to be a hype video, and there is enormous untapped potential in Spanish-language ads and in work that gives a scene room to build.

Key Takeaways

● Eric approaches political video like a music video, a mindset that landed him his first campaign job because Beto's team wanted someone without ingrained political instincts.

● "Shoot for the edit" is his guiding principle: knowing exactly what he needs on set saves time both in production and in post.

● The Harris "Freedom" launch felt flat until Eric pitched putting Beyonce's "Freedom" over the cut, and the partnerships team secured the song within an hour of seeing it.

● The Zohran basketball ad's whip pans required frame-by-frame ball tracking and speed ramps to sell each transition, with lens flares covering the clunkier cuts.

● Ads like "Mother" (narrated by Viola Davis) and "We Rise" (narrated by Ron Perlman) are cut and approved before the voiceover is ever recorded, so a star read can't get killed in the approval process.

● Not every political video has to be a hype video: Eric favors slower, scene-driven ads that give a moment room to build, and sees Spanish-language work as an underrepresented, high-potential space.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Garret Brubaker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garret-brubaker-9b481553/

● Eric Bravo Website: https://ericbravo.co/

● Eric Bravo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbravo4/

● Eric Bravo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericbravo

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #EricBravo #PoliticalVideo #VideoEditing #FilmDirecting #KamalaHarris #ZohranMamdani #WhiteHouse #SpanishLanguageAds #CampaignCreative

]]>39581bba-c4df-4c41-893e-9bd506b69248Mon, 27 Jul 2026 04:00:00 -040001:13:48falsefull1111Quinlin Kelly & Alyson Quigley: The Craft, Chaos, and Comedy Behind the Scenes of Political AdsQuinlin Kelly & Alyson Quigley: The Craft, Chaos, and Comedy Behind the Scenes of Political AdsGarret Brubaker sits down with Quinlin Kelly, Director of Video Production at Change Media Group, alongside creative lead Alyson Quigley, for a candid, funny tour through the messy reality of political production. From a childhood cameo in a Senator Durbin ad to a Snapchat that landed a spot on Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, Quinlin traces a path that runs straight through the last decade of Democratic politics, while Alyson brings the perspective of a dance-and-film creative who found her home telling real stories for real stakes.

The conversation is a working clinic in doing more with less. Quinlin and Alyson break down the ads they are proudest of: the "Off the Deep End" spot that required a VFX artist to empty a pool that had to be shot full, the "Wrong Profession" shoot where the gaffer got oiled up to play a mechanic between lighting his own shots, and the "busting your ass" infomercial that only clicked once they made the voter, not the candidate, the hero. Along the way they talk casting non-speaking roles fast, directing 10-month-old babies in two takes, and working with an untrained dog named Charles Barkley.

They also get honest about the hard stuff: the iron worker in Florida who, after a full 12-hour shoot for a Kamala Harris spot, announced he was an undecided voter, and the delicate work of communicating the gravity of an abortion ban through a young girl's bedroom without exploiting anyone's story. The throughline is a philosophy of stripped-down crews, natural lighting, and creative testing that lets a Midwest-based boutique shop take real swings and win.

Key Takeaways

● Political ads compete with TikTok, Netflix, and everything else people watch, so grabbing attention means treating craft and entertainment as seriously as strategy.

● Comedy is one of the hardest things to pull off in political work: the candidate has to be a game team player, and the biggest obstacle is often convincing the client to take the risk.

● Small crews and natural lighting can beat big budgets. On the "Her Room" spot, the hero shot ended up with no lights at all because it simply looked better.

● Casting non-speaking real people means leading with the fact that it is Democratic political work up front, then confirming again on contact, to avoid a shoot going sideways.

● The best on-set moments, a baby looking to camera, a gaffer improvising a wordless gesture, cannot be directed. You build a comfortable set and stay open to brilliance.

● Centering the voter as the hero (rather than the legislator) transformed the "busting your ass" infomercial from a stalled idea into a favorite spot.

● Creative testing acts as a safety net: the consultant-favorite ad is often not what moves voters most, so data gives clients the confidence to take creative risks.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Garret Brubaker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garret-brubaker-9b481553/

● Quinlin Kelly, Director of Video Production, Change Media Group: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinlinkelly/

● Alyson Quigley, https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyson-quigley-4b25b64b/

●Change Media Group: https://changemediagroup.com/

Hashtags

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #ChangeMediaGroup #PoliticalVideo #VideoProduction #CampaignCreative #Directing #NaturalLighting #CreativeTesting

]]>Garret Brubaker sits down with Quinlin Kelly, Director of Video Production at Change Media Group, alongside creative lead Alyson Quigley, for a candid, funny tour through the messy reality of political production. From a childhood cameo in a Senator Durbin ad to a Snapchat that landed a spot on Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, Quinlin traces a path that runs straight through the last decade of Democratic politics, while Alyson brings the perspective of a dance-and-film creative who found her home telling real stories for real stakes.

The conversation is a working clinic in doing more with less. Quinlin and Alyson break down the ads they are proudest of: the "Off the Deep End" spot that required a VFX artist to empty a pool that had to be shot full, the "Wrong Profession" shoot where the gaffer got oiled up to play a mechanic between lighting his own shots, and the "busting your ass" infomercial that only clicked once they made the voter, not the candidate, the hero. Along the way they talk casting non-speaking roles fast, directing 10-month-old babies in two takes, and working with an untrained dog named Charles Barkley.

They also get honest about the hard stuff: the iron worker in Florida who, after a full 12-hour shoot for a Kamala Harris spot, announced he was an undecided voter, and the delicate work of communicating the gravity of an abortion ban through a young girl's bedroom without exploiting anyone's story. The throughline is a philosophy of stripped-down crews, natural lighting, and creative testing that lets a Midwest-based boutique shop take real swings and win.

Key Takeaways

● Political ads compete with TikTok, Netflix, and everything else people watch, so grabbing attention means treating craft and entertainment as seriously as strategy.

● Comedy is one of the hardest things to pull off in political work: the candidate has to be a game team player, and the biggest obstacle is often convincing the client to take the risk.

● Small crews and natural lighting can beat big budgets. On the "Her Room" spot, the hero shot ended up with no lights at all because it simply looked better.

● Casting non-speaking real people means leading with the fact that it is Democratic political work up front, then confirming again on contact, to avoid a shoot going sideways.

● The best on-set moments, a baby looking to camera, a gaffer improvising a wordless gesture, cannot be directed. You build a comfortable set and stay open to brilliance.

● Centering the voter as the hero (rather than the legislator) transformed the "busting your ass" infomercial from a stalled idea into a favorite spot.

● Creative testing acts as a safety net: the consultant-favorite ad is often not what moves voters most, so data gives clients the confidence to take creative risks.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Garret Brubaker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garret-brubaker-9b481553/

● Quinlin Kelly, Director of Video Production, Change Media Group: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinlinkelly/

● Alyson Quigley, https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyson-quigley-4b25b64b/

●Change Media Group: https://changemediagroup.com/

Hashtags

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #ChangeMediaGroup #PoliticalVideo #VideoProduction #CampaignCreative #Directing #NaturalLighting #CreativeTesting

]]>f5f39e2f-6558-4dfc-8c60-700a991d40e5Mon, 13 Jul 2026 05:15:00 -040001:06:55falsefull1010Sara Pearl Kenigsberg: Storytelling Across Newsrooms, Campaigns, Documentaries, and so Much MoreSara Pearl Kenigsberg: Storytelling Across Newsrooms, Campaigns, Documentaries, and so Much MoreGarret Brubaker sits down with Sara Pearl Kenigsberg, Director and Producer at Hardpin, for a career-spanning conversation about what it actually takes to make political video that breaks through. A director, producer, and multimedia creative whose work runs from short films to TV and digital ads to podcasts and social campaigns, Sara has collaborated with top media and advocacy organizations, corporate clients, political campaigns, and world leaders. In this episode she traces a path that starts in journalism and photojournalism and winds through some of the most influential digital newsrooms and presidential campaigns of the last decade.

Sara takes us inside the early days of online video at NowThis and HuffPost, when producers were inventing the rules before Instagram and Facebook even supported video. From there she breaks down life on the inside of two presidential campaigns: the in-house, all-under-one-roof creative engine behind Bernie Sanders and the Not Me. Us. spot, and the locked-down, socially distanced reality of producing for Joe Biden during COVID, including the Michelle Obama closing argument she helped pull off in Martha's Vineyard. She is candid about the tools, the silos, and why keeping paid and organic work in the same shop changes everything.

The conversation widens out to becoming a parent in a young person's industry, the ego check that comes with it, and her current work at Hardpin, telling docu-style, human-driven stories for nonprofits and Democratic clients. Sara also opens up about traveling with the Clintons, her first feature documentary on harm in the mental health care system, her advocacy through Rosie's Farm Sanctuary, and why the best political storytelling still comes down to real people, real stakes, and a little bit of humanity.

Key Takeaways

● The video teams behind both the Bernie and Biden 2020 campaigns were stacked with former digital media producers from NowThis and BuzzFeed, who brought a social-first, make-it-go-viral instinct into political work.

● Keeping paid TV, digital ads, and organic social all in house, as the Bernie campaign did, breaks down silos, shares resources across teams, and stretches every shoot further.

● COVID production meant no rallies, no big events, and a lot of improvisation: driving instead of flying, build days, air-out days, N95s on set, and directors joining remotely.

● Becoming a parent reframed the work. Caring deeply about the mission while accepting that one more ad will not single-handedly change the world is a healthier, more sustainable mindset.

● Hardpin's edge is a documentary, human-driven style that draws out authentic emotion, even inside scripted ad work.

● The fastest turnoffs in political creative are gotcha division, overplayed attacks, blatant AI, and filming a finished spot off a computer screen to fake authenticity.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Sara Pearl Kenigsberg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarakenigsberg/

● Hardpin: https://www.hardpinmedia.com

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #PoliticalVideo #DocumentaryFilmmaking #CampaignCreative #DigitalVideo #Hardpin #PoliticalStorytelling

]]>Garret Brubaker sits down with Sara Pearl Kenigsberg, Director and Producer at Hardpin, for a career-spanning conversation about what it actually takes to make political video that breaks through. A director, producer, and multimedia creative whose work runs from short films to TV and digital ads to podcasts and social campaigns, Sara has collaborated with top media and advocacy organizations, corporate clients, political campaigns, and world leaders. In this episode she traces a path that starts in journalism and photojournalism and winds through some of the most influential digital newsrooms and presidential campaigns of the last decade.

Sara takes us inside the early days of online video at NowThis and HuffPost, when producers were inventing the rules before Instagram and Facebook even supported video. From there she breaks down life on the inside of two presidential campaigns: the in-house, all-under-one-roof creative engine behind Bernie Sanders and the Not Me. Us. spot, and the locked-down, socially distanced reality of producing for Joe Biden during COVID, including the Michelle Obama closing argument she helped pull off in Martha's Vineyard. She is candid about the tools, the silos, and why keeping paid and organic work in the same shop changes everything.

The conversation widens out to becoming a parent in a young person's industry, the ego check that comes with it, and her current work at Hardpin, telling docu-style, human-driven stories for nonprofits and Democratic clients. Sara also opens up about traveling with the Clintons, her first feature documentary on harm in the mental health care system, her advocacy through Rosie's Farm Sanctuary, and why the best political storytelling still comes down to real people, real stakes, and a little bit of humanity.

Key Takeaways

● The video teams behind both the Bernie and Biden 2020 campaigns were stacked with former digital media producers from NowThis and BuzzFeed, who brought a social-first, make-it-go-viral instinct into political work.

● Keeping paid TV, digital ads, and organic social all in house, as the Bernie campaign did, breaks down silos, shares resources across teams, and stretches every shoot further.

● COVID production meant no rallies, no big events, and a lot of improvisation: driving instead of flying, build days, air-out days, N95s on set, and directors joining remotely.

● Becoming a parent reframed the work. Caring deeply about the mission while accepting that one more ad will not single-handedly change the world is a healthier, more sustainable mindset.

● Hardpin's edge is a documentary, human-driven style that draws out authentic emotion, even inside scripted ad work.

● The fastest turnoffs in political creative are gotcha division, overplayed attacks, blatant AI, and filming a finished spot off a computer screen to fake authenticity.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Sara Pearl Kenigsberg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarakenigsberg/

● Hardpin: https://www.hardpinmedia.com

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #PoliticalVideo #DocumentaryFilmmaking #CampaignCreative #DigitalVideo #Hardpin #PoliticalStorytelling

]]>5b69135b-dda3-4a9b-8847-861e5cbabd94Mon, 29 Jun 2026 07:15:00 -040001:14:12falsefull99Todd Hahn: Porn Music, Spielberg, and the Scores Behind Political AdsTodd Hahn: Porn Music, Spielberg, and the Scores Behind Political AdsGarret Brubaker sits down with composer Todd Hahn, the man behind the music of political ads on both sides of every presidential election since 1996. A self-described struggling artist who failed government in high school, Todd stumbled into campaign work through a Washington post-production facility, where a chance partnership with media consultant Mark Putnam convinced him that original scoring could do what needle-drop records never could: deliver the message, dig under the skin, and move a voter to act. He explains why his lack of political knowledge became a virtue, and why music's only real job is to attach itself to the story.

The conversation runs from craft to history. Todd breaks down how he scores a 30-second spot, starting with rhythm on a fast negative ad, listening for the money line, and resisting the urge to clobber the viewer when less is more. He talks about the technology that built his niche, from external sampler racks to everything living "in the box," and how that same accessibility of streaming music eventually changed who picks the track. Along the way he reflects on the esprit de corps of the old edit-house era, when Republican and Democratic consultants shared a lunchroom and a friendly competition.

Todd also shares the stories he is proudest of and the one he can't stop laughing about: the historic Obama half-hour buy that preempted the World Series, the night Steven Spielberg gave musical notes in the edit suite and Mark Putnam respectfully overruled him, and the time a porno-groove score for an opponent's hairstyling footage helped run a candidate out of the race the next day. His closing message to the next generation of political creatives is simple: keep the art in the craft, and never forget that music is an invisible player.

Key Takeaways

● Todd Hahn has scored ads for both sides of every presidential election since 1996, and credits his deliberate independence, personally and professionally, to a belief in the fairness at the heart of democracy.

● His lack of political background was an asset, not a liability. With no agenda beyond doing good work, he could write music that simply served the message.

● Music's only job is to attach itself to something and deliver the message. A dry spot stays informational until the score makes it explode emotionally.

● His process often starts with rhythm, not melody, on fast or negative ads, then builds architecture around the dialogue's "money line" before adding texture, because less is usually more.

● Affordable virtual instruments built his niche by letting him turn around a finished score in under an hour, but easy access to streaming music later shifted song selection back to editors who now cut to music.

● The Obama half-hour ad was a career high-water mark, preempting the World Series across nearly every network, and featured Steven Spielberg offering notes that Mark Putnam politely declined.

Timestamps

00:00 The porn-music ad that ran a candidate out of the race

02:55 A roundabout path from struggling composer to Washington, D.C.

08:42 Meeting Mark Putnam and replacing needle-drop with original scores

15:34 How political scoring has changed over four decades

21:56 Staying independent and working both sides of the aisle

28:50 The historic Obama buy and Spielberg's notes in the edit suite

35:45 Inside the process: rhythm, the money line, and 18 ads a day

46:55 Finding where music pokes through wall-to-wall narration

52:02 Why original music still matters, and the invisible players

Connect

● Todd Hahn: https://www.toddmhahn.com/home

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

Hashtags

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #PoliticalScoring #CampaignAds #MusicComposition #FilmScoring #PoliticalMedia #CampaignCreative #AdMusic #ProTools

]]>Garret Brubaker sits down with composer Todd Hahn, the man behind the music of political ads on both sides of every presidential election since 1996. A self-described struggling artist who failed government in high school, Todd stumbled into campaign work through a Washington post-production facility, where a chance partnership with media consultant Mark Putnam convinced him that original scoring could do what needle-drop records never could: deliver the message, dig under the skin, and move a voter to act. He explains why his lack of political knowledge became a virtue, and why music's only real job is to attach itself to the story.

The conversation runs from craft to history. Todd breaks down how he scores a 30-second spot, starting with rhythm on a fast negative ad, listening for the money line, and resisting the urge to clobber the viewer when less is more. He talks about the technology that built his niche, from external sampler racks to everything living "in the box," and how that same accessibility of streaming music eventually changed who picks the track. Along the way he reflects on the esprit de corps of the old edit-house era, when Republican and Democratic consultants shared a lunchroom and a friendly competition.

Todd also shares the stories he is proudest of and the one he can't stop laughing about: the historic Obama half-hour buy that preempted the World Series, the night Steven Spielberg gave musical notes in the edit suite and Mark Putnam respectfully overruled him, and the time a porno-groove score for an opponent's hairstyling footage helped run a candidate out of the race the next day. His closing message to the next generation of political creatives is simple: keep the art in the craft, and never forget that music is an invisible player.

Key Takeaways

● Todd Hahn has scored ads for both sides of every presidential election since 1996, and credits his deliberate independence, personally and professionally, to a belief in the fairness at the heart of democracy.

● His lack of political background was an asset, not a liability. With no agenda beyond doing good work, he could write music that simply served the message.

● Music's only job is to attach itself to something and deliver the message. A dry spot stays informational until the score makes it explode emotionally.

● His process often starts with rhythm, not melody, on fast or negative ads, then builds architecture around the dialogue's "money line" before adding texture, because less is usually more.

● Affordable virtual instruments built his niche by letting him turn around a finished score in under an hour, but easy access to streaming music later shifted song selection back to editors who now cut to music.

● The Obama half-hour ad was a career high-water mark, preempting the World Series across nearly every network, and featured Steven Spielberg offering notes that Mark Putnam politely declined.

Timestamps

00:00 The porn-music ad that ran a candidate out of the race

02:55 A roundabout path from struggling composer to Washington, D.C.

08:42 Meeting Mark Putnam and replacing needle-drop with original scores

15:34 How political scoring has changed over four decades

21:56 Staying independent and working both sides of the aisle

28:50 The historic Obama buy and Spielberg's notes in the edit suite

35:45 Inside the process: rhythm, the money line, and 18 ads a day

46:55 Finding where music pokes through wall-to-wall narration

52:02 Why original music still matters, and the invisible players

Connect

● Todd Hahn: https://www.toddmhahn.com/home

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

Hashtags

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #PoliticalScoring #CampaignAds #MusicComposition #FilmScoring #PoliticalMedia #CampaignCreative #AdMusic #ProTools

]]>539d3172-511e-45dc-822f-284c28db1989Mon, 15 Jun 2026 04:00:00 -040001:01:32falsefull88Scott Starrett: Creating the AOC Logo and the Philosophy of Political BrandingScott Starrett: Creating the AOC Logo and the Philosophy of Political BrandingGarret Brubaker sits down with Scott Starrett, founder and director of Tandem, the communication design and brand strategy firm behind the original campaign identity for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Scott traces his path from drawing kid and C-SPAN watcher in Kansas, to creative director at an Austin political comms firm, to bootstrapping a New York studio focused on climate justice, advocacy, and public interest work. Along the way he breaks down what it actually takes to build a visual language for a movement, not just a candidate.

The conversation goes deep on the AOC poster: why yellow broke every convention of political design, how the speech bubble and inverted exclamation marks were chosen to feel authentic to Bronx and Queens, why the now famous progressive lean came from a space constraint, and how bilingual typography pushed the team into a tighter, sharper composition. Scott talks about the risk of running a Netflix style campaign poster in a sea of red, white, and blue lookalikes, the moment volunteers started fighting to hand them out, and the strange feeling of watching the design language get copied across the country.

Beyond the AOC story, Scott shares the philosophy behind Tandem's work: design is planning, visual identity is the tip of the iceberg, and the real job is helping organizations stop competing with razor subscription brands and start meeting their actual audience where they are. He gets into schismogenesis, the fluency gap between cause work and business marketing, why distressed fonts usually lie, and why the Buffalo Bills logo is great even though none of it makes any sense.

Key Takeaways

● The AOC identity worked because it broke political convention on purpose. Yellow, a speech bubble, inverted exclamation marks, and a forward leaning typeface treated a Bronx and Queens campaign like a Netflix launch instead of a yard sign blending into the median.

● Designing is planning. A logo is the tip of the iceberg, and without strategy, audience understanding, and narrative underpinning, a slick mark is just a nice facade on a building that is shitty on the inside.

● Every non-incumbent political campaign is a zero sum startup with a hard success or failure date, and the risk averse instinct to look like a politician usually costs progressive candidates the chance to actually stand out.

● Schismogenesis, the idea that cultures form in opposition to each other, explains a lot of why political branding is bad. Tactics get moralized just because the other side uses them, and good ideas get thrown out for tribal reasons.

● Access to the stakeholder is everything. Tandem spent real time with Alexandria before she won, which is why the brand fit her instead of dressing her up as a generic politician.

● A great mark is conditional and contextual. The Buffalo Bills name makes no logical sense, the Browns helmet is not even brown, and both work because they earned a story and stood the test of time.

Guest

● Scott Starrett, Founder and Director, Tandem. Scott Starrett is the founder and director of Tandem, a communication design and brand strategy firm focused on advocacy and public interest work, predominantly with nonprofits. He studied illustration and graphic design and previously served as creative director at a political communications firm in Austin, Texas, with his studio known for creating the original campaign identity for AOC.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Tandem: https://tandem.nyc

● Tandem on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tandem.nyc

Hashtags

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #BrandStrategy #PoliticalDesign #AOC #Tandem #LogoDesign #VisualIdentity #AdvocacyDesign #NonprofitBranding #DesignStrategy

]]>Garret Brubaker sits down with Scott Starrett, founder and director of Tandem, the communication design and brand strategy firm behind the original campaign identity for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Scott traces his path from drawing kid and C-SPAN watcher in Kansas, to creative director at an Austin political comms firm, to bootstrapping a New York studio focused on climate justice, advocacy, and public interest work. Along the way he breaks down what it actually takes to build a visual language for a movement, not just a candidate.

The conversation goes deep on the AOC poster: why yellow broke every convention of political design, how the speech bubble and inverted exclamation marks were chosen to feel authentic to Bronx and Queens, why the now famous progressive lean came from a space constraint, and how bilingual typography pushed the team into a tighter, sharper composition. Scott talks about the risk of running a Netflix style campaign poster in a sea of red, white, and blue lookalikes, the moment volunteers started fighting to hand them out, and the strange feeling of watching the design language get copied across the country.

Beyond the AOC story, Scott shares the philosophy behind Tandem's work: design is planning, visual identity is the tip of the iceberg, and the real job is helping organizations stop competing with razor subscription brands and start meeting their actual audience where they are. He gets into schismogenesis, the fluency gap between cause work and business marketing, why distressed fonts usually lie, and why the Buffalo Bills logo is great even though none of it makes any sense.

Key Takeaways

● The AOC identity worked because it broke political convention on purpose. Yellow, a speech bubble, inverted exclamation marks, and a forward leaning typeface treated a Bronx and Queens campaign like a Netflix launch instead of a yard sign blending into the median.

● Designing is planning. A logo is the tip of the iceberg, and without strategy, audience understanding, and narrative underpinning, a slick mark is just a nice facade on a building that is shitty on the inside.

● Every non-incumbent political campaign is a zero sum startup with a hard success or failure date, and the risk averse instinct to look like a politician usually costs progressive candidates the chance to actually stand out.

● Schismogenesis, the idea that cultures form in opposition to each other, explains a lot of why political branding is bad. Tactics get moralized just because the other side uses them, and good ideas get thrown out for tribal reasons.

● Access to the stakeholder is everything. Tandem spent real time with Alexandria before she won, which is why the brand fit her instead of dressing her up as a generic politician.

● A great mark is conditional and contextual. The Buffalo Bills name makes no logical sense, the Browns helmet is not even brown, and both work because they earned a story and stood the test of time.

Guest

● Scott Starrett, Founder and Director, Tandem. Scott Starrett is the founder and director of Tandem, a communication design and brand strategy firm focused on advocacy and public interest work, predominantly with nonprofits. He studied illustration and graphic design and previously served as creative director at a political communications firm in Austin, Texas, with his studio known for creating the original campaign identity for AOC.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Tandem: https://tandem.nyc

● Tandem on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tandem.nyc

Hashtags

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #BrandStrategy #PoliticalDesign #AOC #Tandem #LogoDesign #VisualIdentity #AdvocacyDesign #NonprofitBranding #DesignStrategy

]]>de5c8521-1810-40f5-8b6f-04a9b36b2cdaMon, 01 Jun 2026 04:00:00 -040001:21:35falsefull77Charlie Goldensohn: An Unexpected New Social Media StarCharlie Goldensohn: An Unexpected New Social Media StarGarret Brubaker sits down with Charlie Goldensohn, political strategist, commentator, and co-founder of Badlands Agency, for a candid conversation about how a former Dianne Feinstein staffer became one of the loudest voices in the left's organic media revival. Charlie walks Garret through the trajectory: Senate office at 21, chief of staff energy at ATTN: in LA, Jill Biden's digital director in Wilmington, Jose Andres advisor, senior advisor and executive producer on the Harris paid media team. Then, after watching the Harris campaign set six figures on fire making 30-second spots that died in testing, he picked up his phone and started ranting.

The conversation digs into what is actually broken inside Democratic creative right now. Charlie breaks down why "we need a Joe Rogan of the left" misreads how Rogan was built, why his audience skews 60% women on purpose, and why authentic, direct-to-camera content from people like Amanda Zurawski outperforms premium scripted ads at a fraction of the cost. He gets specific about the consultant economics that push campaigns toward expensive cable buys, the difference between running on "affordability" and running on free buses, and why the @chez.chuck handle started as a misunderstanding of French.

Garret and Charlie close on the bigger fight: how the left reclaims freedom and patriotism as its own, why Bernie's 2020 town hall video model still works, and what gives a 27-year-old in Florida hope when Zohran wins in New York. It is a tactical, opinionated, occasionally self-roasting look at where political creative goes next from someone making it and critiquing it at the same time.

Key Takeaways

● Charlie's path from Feinstein staffer to viral creator ran through ATTN:, Jill Biden's digital team, Jose Andres, and the Harris campaign's paid media operation, where he watched six-figure ad budgets die in testing rooms.

● @chez.chuck launched on TikTok with privacy settings cranked because Charlie was embarrassed. A shirtless beach video aimed at "MAGA dudes" cracked the algorithm and proved 90% of the battle is getting over the cringe.

● His audience skews 60% women on purpose. When women share his videos with the men in their lives, he reaches the lapsed-Democrat, Theo-Vonn-curious dudes the left keeps losing.

● The "Joe Rogan of the left" pitch fundamentally misreads how Rogan was built. Politics is downstream from culture and Rogan spent over a decade earning trust before he had political power. The fix is investment in digital infrastructure, not a single replacement voice.

● Organic is the smartest, cheapest testing ground for paid. Amanda Zurawski had zero TikTok followers when Charlie cold-messaged her. The two-minute, no-B-roll vertical they cut hit 1.6 million views in a week and put her on the DNC stage.

● Specificity wins. Zohran did not run on "affordability," he ran on free buses and free childcare. Democrats keep losing because they are obsessed with being correct and forgettable instead of memorable.

Guest

● Charlie Goldensohn, Political Strategist, Commentator, and Co-founder, Badlands Agency.

Charlie is a political strategist, producer, and co-founder of Badlands Agency who has built a large political audience online as a social media commentator. He began his career as a Senate staffer for Senator Dianne Feinstein after growing up in a politically active family in San Francisco.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Charlie Goldensohn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chez.chuck/

● Charlie Goldensohn on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chezchuck

● Badlands Agency: https://badlandsstories.com

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #OrganicMedia #SocialFirst #CampaignCreative #DigitalStrategy #PoliticalContent #CreatorEconomy #BadlandsAgency #DirectToCamera #AuthenticMessaging

]]>Garret Brubaker sits down with Charlie Goldensohn, political strategist, commentator, and co-founder of Badlands Agency, for a candid conversation about how a former Dianne Feinstein staffer became one of the loudest voices in the left's organic media revival. Charlie walks Garret through the trajectory: Senate office at 21, chief of staff energy at ATTN: in LA, Jill Biden's digital director in Wilmington, Jose Andres advisor, senior advisor and executive producer on the Harris paid media team. Then, after watching the Harris campaign set six figures on fire making 30-second spots that died in testing, he picked up his phone and started ranting.

The conversation digs into what is actually broken inside Democratic creative right now. Charlie breaks down why "we need a Joe Rogan of the left" misreads how Rogan was built, why his audience skews 60% women on purpose, and why authentic, direct-to-camera content from people like Amanda Zurawski outperforms premium scripted ads at a fraction of the cost. He gets specific about the consultant economics that push campaigns toward expensive cable buys, the difference between running on "affordability" and running on free buses, and why the @chez.chuck handle started as a misunderstanding of French.

Garret and Charlie close on the bigger fight: how the left reclaims freedom and patriotism as its own, why Bernie's 2020 town hall video model still works, and what gives a 27-year-old in Florida hope when Zohran wins in New York. It is a tactical, opinionated, occasionally self-roasting look at where political creative goes next from someone making it and critiquing it at the same time.

Key Takeaways

● Charlie's path from Feinstein staffer to viral creator ran through ATTN:, Jill Biden's digital team, Jose Andres, and the Harris campaign's paid media operation, where he watched six-figure ad budgets die in testing rooms.

● @chez.chuck launched on TikTok with privacy settings cranked because Charlie was embarrassed. A shirtless beach video aimed at "MAGA dudes" cracked the algorithm and proved 90% of the battle is getting over the cringe.

● His audience skews 60% women on purpose. When women share his videos with the men in their lives, he reaches the lapsed-Democrat, Theo-Vonn-curious dudes the left keeps losing.

● The "Joe Rogan of the left" pitch fundamentally misreads how Rogan was built. Politics is downstream from culture and Rogan spent over a decade earning trust before he had political power. The fix is investment in digital infrastructure, not a single replacement voice.

● Organic is the smartest, cheapest testing ground for paid. Amanda Zurawski had zero TikTok followers when Charlie cold-messaged her. The two-minute, no-B-roll vertical they cut hit 1.6 million views in a week and put her on the DNC stage.

● Specificity wins. Zohran did not run on "affordability," he ran on free buses and free childcare. Democrats keep losing because they are obsessed with being correct and forgettable instead of memorable.

Guest

● Charlie Goldensohn, Political Strategist, Commentator, and Co-founder, Badlands Agency.

Charlie is a political strategist, producer, and co-founder of Badlands Agency who has built a large political audience online as a social media commentator. He began his career as a Senate staffer for Senator Dianne Feinstein after growing up in a politically active family in San Francisco.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Charlie Goldensohn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chez.chuck/

● Charlie Goldensohn on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chezchuck

● Badlands Agency: https://badlandsstories.com

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #OrganicMedia #SocialFirst #CampaignCreative #DigitalStrategy #PoliticalContent #CreatorEconomy #BadlandsAgency #DirectToCamera #AuthenticMessaging

]]>05687f57-e466-4cb1-a720-91fd2ec00c53Mon, 18 May 2026 06:00:00 -040001:10:49falsefull66Laura Porat: The Motion Designer Blazing the Future of Political CreativeLaura Porat: The Motion Designer Blazing the Future of Political CreativeGarret Brubaker sits down with Laura Porat, the motion designer and art director who helped shape the visual voice of three presidential campaigns. From Elizabeth Warren's toaster explainer to the high-energy hype reels that defined Kamala Harris's 100-day sprint, Laura breaks down what it actually takes to deliver broadcast-quality animation under campaign-grade deadlines. She gets candid about the red tape, the 18-hour days, the Wilmington housing crunch, and why she fought for better working conditions on the Harris campaign before her team burned out in October.

The conversation digs into craft as much as culture. Laura explains why a single motion designer can replace a designer, animator, and video editor on a tight political timeline, how sports graphics became the north star for Harris campaign creative, and why Cavalry has become her secret weapon for scalable, data-driven animation. She also talks about her work in Blender, the limitations of AI in real production workflows, and the compositing tricks behind those text-integrated Biden videos that made policy feel personal.

Beyond the campaign trail, Laura opens up about being a deaf creative in a visual medium, how disability has sharpened her problem-solving instincts, and why traveling to 40 countries has shaped her color sensibility and storytelling. She shares the origin story of Motion Collabs, her eight-year-old global community of animators, and leaves listeners with a rallying cry: use your animation for good.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Laura Porat Website: https://lauraporat.com/

● Laura Porat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraporat

● Motion Collabs: https://www.motioncollabs.com

Resources

● GOTV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v5RUX6IUS4

● Early Voting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=005Psv73hNc

Hashtags

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #MotionDesign #MotionGraphics #PoliticalCampaigns #CampaignCreative #Animation #Blender #Cavalry #DesignLeadership #AccessibleDesign

]]>Garret Brubaker sits down with Laura Porat, the motion designer and art director who helped shape the visual voice of three presidential campaigns. From Elizabeth Warren's toaster explainer to the high-energy hype reels that defined Kamala Harris's 100-day sprint, Laura breaks down what it actually takes to deliver broadcast-quality animation under campaign-grade deadlines. She gets candid about the red tape, the 18-hour days, the Wilmington housing crunch, and why she fought for better working conditions on the Harris campaign before her team burned out in October.

The conversation digs into craft as much as culture. Laura explains why a single motion designer can replace a designer, animator, and video editor on a tight political timeline, how sports graphics became the north star for Harris campaign creative, and why Cavalry has become her secret weapon for scalable, data-driven animation. She also talks about her work in Blender, the limitations of AI in real production workflows, and the compositing tricks behind those text-integrated Biden videos that made policy feel personal.

Beyond the campaign trail, Laura opens up about being a deaf creative in a visual medium, how disability has sharpened her problem-solving instincts, and why traveling to 40 countries has shaped her color sensibility and storytelling. She shares the origin story of Motion Collabs, her eight-year-old global community of animators, and leaves listeners with a rallying cry: use your animation for good.

Connect

● Creative Caucus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativecaucus

● Studio Brubaker: https://www.studiobrubaker.com

● Laura Porat Website: https://lauraporat.com/

● Laura Porat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraporat

● Motion Collabs: https://www.motioncollabs.com

Resources

● GOTV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v5RUX6IUS4

● Early Voting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=005Psv73hNc

Hashtags

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #MotionDesign #MotionGraphics #PoliticalCampaigns #CampaignCreative #Animation #Blender #Cavalry #DesignLeadership #AccessibleDesign

]]>0bd6497d-ee06-4508-9565-d7183b071dd4Mon, 04 May 2026 01:30:00 -040059:42falsefull55The Pete For America Video Team Reunion: Shooting a Presidential Campaign Like Reality TVThe Pete For America Video Team Reunion: Shooting a Presidential Campaign Like Reality TVOn this episode of Creative Caucus, Garret Brubaker reunites five members of the Pete Buttigieg 2020 presidential campaign video team for a candid look at life inside a presidential primary. Gina Reis, Hussien Salama, Maggie Sullivan, Becca Davila, and Carina Teoh trade war stories about building a rocket ship mid-launch, running reality-TV-style coverage, surviving debate night war rooms, and carrying the Pete playbook into the White House, the Senate, and the governorship.

Guests

● Gina Reis — Pete for America video team; went on to be video director for Mark Kelly's Senate campaign.

Website: https://www.ginareis.com

Instagram: @gina_reis (https://www.instagram.com/gina_reis)

● Hussien Salama — Pete for America video team; went on to Senator Jon Ossoff, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Biden administration.

Website: https://www.hussiens.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussien-salama-b982043b

● Maggie Sullivan — Pete for America video team; went on to the DCCC, Senator Alex Padilla, Governor Josh Shapiro, and now Representative Lauren Underwood.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretesullivan/

● Becca Davila — Pete for America video team; went on to the Biden campaign and the White House.

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/becca-davila

● Carina Teoh — Pete for America video team; went on to Senator Alyssa Slotkin's campaign and Senator Raphael Warnock's Georgia Senate runoff. Instagram: @cteohphoto https://www.instagram.com/cteohphoto

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/carina-t-850b096a

Key Takeaways

● The Pete for America video team treated the campaign like a reality show, shooting everything constantly, which only worked because Pete trusted his team and was the same person on and off camera.

● Most of the team had no political background before Pete. They came from crooked Media, local news, PBS kids TV, New York commercials, and fashion, and got hired through cold emails and Facebook group postings.

● Campaigns are startups you build in a year and tear down in a week. Expect imposter syndrome, no infrastructure, six or seven day weeks, and professional development you cannot replicate anywhere else.

● The video team pitched their own ideas instead of waiting for orders, and the scrappy fundraising videos built in the office often outperformed the polished stuff.

● The jellyfish, a giant physical server tethering every editor to the office, defined their lives and blocked every attempted office move until the pandemic finally forced cloud access.

● Keegan-Michael Key was lined up to endorse Pete before a staffer got cold feet, and the team had a full endorsement video cut and ready to go.

● The Iowa caucus delay cost Pete the momentum the team believed would catapult him to the nomination. To this day they think the outcome would have been very different if the win had been called on the night.

● Lessons from Pete shaped every campaign that followed, from Mark Kelly in Arizona to Ossoff in Georgia to Josh Shapiro's VP stakes run to Biden's monthly White House recap videos.

● Video on campaigns evolves every two seconds. What worked in 2020 will not work in 2028, and the next generation of 24 year olds will be the ones pulling 40,000 step days on no water.

Connect

● Host Garret Brubaker, Studio Brubaker, https://www.studiobrubaker.com

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #PeteForAmerica #PresidentialCampaign #VideoProduction #PoliticalVideo #CampaignLife

]]>On this episode of Creative Caucus, Garret Brubaker reunites five members of the Pete Buttigieg 2020 presidential campaign video team for a candid look at life inside a presidential primary. Gina Reis, Hussien Salama, Maggie Sullivan, Becca Davila, and Carina Teoh trade war stories about building a rocket ship mid-launch, running reality-TV-style coverage, surviving debate night war rooms, and carrying the Pete playbook into the White House, the Senate, and the governorship.

Guests

● Gina Reis — Pete for America video team; went on to be video director for Mark Kelly's Senate campaign.

Website: https://www.ginareis.com

Instagram: @gina_reis (https://www.instagram.com/gina_reis)

● Hussien Salama — Pete for America video team; went on to Senator Jon Ossoff, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Biden administration.

Website: https://www.hussiens.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussien-salama-b982043b

● Maggie Sullivan — Pete for America video team; went on to the DCCC, Senator Alex Padilla, Governor Josh Shapiro, and now Representative Lauren Underwood.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretesullivan/

● Becca Davila — Pete for America video team; went on to the Biden campaign and the White House.

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/becca-davila

● Carina Teoh — Pete for America video team; went on to Senator Alyssa Slotkin's campaign and Senator Raphael Warnock's Georgia Senate runoff. Instagram: @cteohphoto https://www.instagram.com/cteohphoto

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/carina-t-850b096a

Key Takeaways

● The Pete for America video team treated the campaign like a reality show, shooting everything constantly, which only worked because Pete trusted his team and was the same person on and off camera.

● Most of the team had no political background before Pete. They came from crooked Media, local news, PBS kids TV, New York commercials, and fashion, and got hired through cold emails and Facebook group postings.

● Campaigns are startups you build in a year and tear down in a week. Expect imposter syndrome, no infrastructure, six or seven day weeks, and professional development you cannot replicate anywhere else.

● The video team pitched their own ideas instead of waiting for orders, and the scrappy fundraising videos built in the office often outperformed the polished stuff.

● The jellyfish, a giant physical server tethering every editor to the office, defined their lives and blocked every attempted office move until the pandemic finally forced cloud access.

● Keegan-Michael Key was lined up to endorse Pete before a staffer got cold feet, and the team had a full endorsement video cut and ready to go.

● The Iowa caucus delay cost Pete the momentum the team believed would catapult him to the nomination. To this day they think the outcome would have been very different if the win had been called on the night.

● Lessons from Pete shaped every campaign that followed, from Mark Kelly in Arizona to Ossoff in Georgia to Josh Shapiro's VP stakes run to Biden's monthly White House recap videos.

● Video on campaigns evolves every two seconds. What worked in 2020 will not work in 2028, and the next generation of 24 year olds will be the ones pulling 40,000 step days on no water.

Connect

● Host Garret Brubaker, Studio Brubaker, https://www.studiobrubaker.com

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #PeteForAmerica #PresidentialCampaign #VideoProduction #PoliticalVideo #CampaignLife

]]>36a293de-74b3-4199-be5d-9942205c6639Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -040001:10:24falsefull44Kate Conway: The Harris/Walz Creative Director Takes Us Inside the Presidential CampaignKate Conway: The Harris/Walz Creative Director Takes Us Inside the Presidential CampaignIn this episode of the Creative Caucus podcast, Garret Brubaker sits down with Kate Conway, former creative director of the Harris-Walz presidential campaign, for a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to run creative on one of the most unconventional campaigns in modern history. From building a 75-person team in months to executing a full rebrand in under two weeks, Kate reveals the rapid decisions, scrappy problem-solving, and strategic thinking that powered the campaign's creative engine.

Listen as Garret and Kate break down the viral camo hat moment, the debate-night strategy designed to get under Trump's skin, and why the Freedom launch video, never intended as an ad, became one of the campaign's most persuasive pieces of creative.

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #HarrisWalz #CampaignCreative #BrandStrategy #DigitalAdvertising #PoliticalDesign

Featured Ads

Harris-Walz Branding Case Study -https://www.wideeye.co/case-study/harris-for-president-2024

Safety and Security Ad - https://host2.adimpact.com/admo/viewer/9a79bed3-5da4-4ce0-b206-321e2ecb7651/

Debate Design - https://www.laurahardwick.com/harris-for-president

"Think" Spot - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7TNgcGhDVA

"Like Detroit" Spot - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPgQp2VuZwQ

Resources

DCCC Rebrand - https://dccc.org/

Wide Eye Creative - https://www.wideeye.co/case-study/harris-for-president-2024

Connect

Kate Conway

Studio Brubaker

]]>In this episode of the Creative Caucus podcast, Garret Brubaker sits down with Kate Conway, former creative director of the Harris-Walz presidential campaign, for a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to run creative on one of the most unconventional campaigns in modern history. From building a 75-person team in months to executing a full rebrand in under two weeks, Kate reveals the rapid decisions, scrappy problem-solving, and strategic thinking that powered the campaign's creative engine.

Listen as Garret and Kate break down the viral camo hat moment, the debate-night strategy designed to get under Trump's skin, and why the Freedom launch video, never intended as an ad, became one of the campaign's most persuasive pieces of creative.

#CreativeCaucusPodcast #PoliticalAdvertising #PoliticalCreatives #CampaignStrategy #PoliticalMarketing #HarrisWalz #CampaignCreative #BrandStrategy #DigitalAdvertising #PoliticalDesign

Featured Ads

Harris-Walz Branding Case Study -https://www.wideeye.co/case-study/harris-for-president-2024

Safety and Security Ad - https://host2.adimpact.com/admo/viewer/9a79bed3-5da4-4ce0-b206-321e2ecb7651/

Debate Design - https://www.laurahardwick.com/harris-for-president

"Think" Spot - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7TNgcGhDVA

"Like Detroit" Spot - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPgQp2VuZwQ

Resources

DCCC Rebrand - https://dccc.org/

Wide Eye Creative - https://www.wideeye.co/case-study/harris-for-president-2024

Connect

Kate Conway

Studio Brubaker

]]>2009f18b-9493-47d2-a326-1b93398393aaMon, 06 Apr 2026 03:15:00 -040001:11:20falsefull33Devin Gosnell: How a Pickup Game Became a Political AdDevin Gosnell: How a Pickup Game Became a Political AdThis week, on the Creative Caucus podcast, Garret sits down with political creative director and filmmaker Devin Gosnell for a high-energy conversation on what really makes political messaging work.

Devin brings the heat, breaking down why creativity alone won’t cut it in political advertising; you need a sharp strategy to back it up. From campaign goals to audience insight, he shares how the best ads come to life when bold creative ideas are grounded in real political instincts.

Listen as Garret and Devin explore why creative instincts and strategic thinking are what separate good campaigns from unforgettable ones in political advertising.

Featured Ads

Zohran Basketball Ad -https://vimeo.com/1131696461?fl=pl&fe=cm

Zohran Bachelor Ad - https://vimeo.com/1124458686?fl=pl&fe=cm

Nancy Lacore Launch - https://vimeo.com/1163057455?fl=pl&fe=cm

Connect

Workers Productions

Studio Brubaker

]]>This week, on the Creative Caucus podcast, Garret sits down with political creative director and filmmaker Devin Gosnell for a high-energy conversation on what really makes political messaging work.

Devin brings the heat, breaking down why creativity alone won’t cut it in political advertising; you need a sharp strategy to back it up. From campaign goals to audience insight, he shares how the best ads come to life when bold creative ideas are grounded in real political instincts.

Listen as Garret and Devin explore why creative instincts and strategic thinking are what separate good campaigns from unforgettable ones in political advertising.

Featured Ads

Zohran Basketball Ad -https://vimeo.com/1131696461?fl=pl&fe=cm

Zohran Bachelor Ad - https://vimeo.com/1124458686?fl=pl&fe=cm

Nancy Lacore Launch - https://vimeo.com/1163057455?fl=pl&fe=cm

Connect

Workers Productions

Studio Brubaker

]]>3b057e08-51bc-412e-880f-8bbd443fd1baMon, 23 Mar 2026 10:00:00 -040055:16falsefull22Cayce McCabe: Birdman, Deadpool, and the Viral Political AdCayce McCabe: Birdman, Deadpool, and the Viral Political AdIn a crowded media landscape, effective political ads must do more than deliver information. They have to engage, surprise, and connect on a human level.

In the season premiere of The Creative Caucus podcast, host Garret Brubaker dives into the high-stakes, fast-moving world of political advertising with Adwell Group co-founder Cayce McCabe. Cayce shares his philosophy on crafting messages that break through the noise, blending strategic precision with bold creative storytelling. From rapid-response campaign turnarounds to emotionally resonant narratives, Garret and Cayce explore what it really takes to create ads that voters remember and act on.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro

19:12 - Ad Breakdown: MJ Hegar

30:12 - Ad Breakdown: Wendy Davis Ads

32:58 - Ad Breakdown: Pat Ryan Ad

38:03 - Ad Breakdown: Harry Dunn

42:53 - Ad Breakdown: Andy Kim

44:30 - Ad Breakdown: Jasmine Crockett Ad

51:07 - Ad Breakdown: Christian Menefee

01:02:14 - Cayce's Favorite Political Ad: Bruce Poliquin

Featured Ads

MJ Hegar Ads

  1. Doors
  2. Reintroduction
  3. Carpool

Wendy Davis Ads

  1. Connected
  2. Opportunities

Pat Ryan Ad

  1. More Sense

Jasmine Crockett Ad

  1. New Star

Harry Dunn Ad

  1. This Day

Andy Kim Ad

  1. Believe

Christian Menefee Ads

  1. The Fighter That Delivers
  2. The Fighter That Wins

Connect

Adwell Group

Studio Brubaker

]]>In a crowded media landscape, effective political ads must do more than deliver information. They have to engage, surprise, and connect on a human level.

In the season premiere of The Creative Caucus podcast, host Garret Brubaker dives into the high-stakes, fast-moving world of political advertising with Adwell Group co-founder Cayce McCabe. Cayce shares his philosophy on crafting messages that break through the noise, blending strategic precision with bold creative storytelling. From rapid-response campaign turnarounds to emotionally resonant narratives, Garret and Cayce explore what it really takes to create ads that voters remember and act on.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro

19:12 - Ad Breakdown: MJ Hegar

30:12 - Ad Breakdown: Wendy Davis Ads

32:58 - Ad Breakdown: Pat Ryan Ad

38:03 - Ad Breakdown: Harry Dunn

42:53 - Ad Breakdown: Andy Kim

44:30 - Ad Breakdown: Jasmine Crockett Ad

51:07 - Ad Breakdown: Christian Menefee

01:02:14 - Cayce's Favorite Political Ad: Bruce Poliquin

Featured Ads

MJ Hegar Ads

  1. Doors
  2. Reintroduction
  3. Carpool

Wendy Davis Ads

  1. Connected
  2. Opportunities

Pat Ryan Ad

  1. More Sense

Jasmine Crockett Ad

  1. New Star

Harry Dunn Ad

  1. This Day

Andy Kim Ad

  1. Believe

Christian Menefee Ads

  1. The Fighter That Delivers
  2. The Fighter That Wins

Connect

Adwell Group

Studio Brubaker

]]>0c858d6e-cbce-48f9-a9c1-9c42f70b3130Mon, 09 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -040001:09:04falsefull11The Creative Caucus: Political ads are weird. We talk to the people who make them.The Creative Caucus: Political ads are weird. We talk to the people who make them.The Creative Caucus serves as a platform to explore the intricacies of political ad creation, showcasing the brilliance of innovative minds that often go unnoticed amidst the plethora of mundane advertisements. I, Garret Brubaker, invite you to join me as we delve into the compelling narratives and artistic processes that define the making of impactful political ads. This podcast eschews typical punditry and policy debates, instead focusing on the creative stories behind the scenes. We aim to illuminate the significance of creativity in political discourse and the art of persuasion. We encourage you to follow our journey as we prepare to launch our inaugural episode, where the essence of political advertising will be examined through the lens of creativity and innovation.

]]>The Creative Caucus serves as a platform to explore the intricacies of political ad creation, showcasing the brilliance of innovative minds that often go unnoticed amidst the plethora of mundane advertisements. I, Garret Brubaker, invite you to join me as we delve into the compelling narratives and artistic processes that define the making of impactful political ads. This podcast eschews typical punditry and policy debates, instead focusing on the creative stories behind the scenes. We aim to illuminate the significance of creativity in political discourse and the art of persuasion. We encourage you to follow our journey as we prepare to launch our inaugural episode, where the essence of political advertising will be examined through the lens of creativity and innovation.

]]>611f7b0e-153a-42c4-9854-61100502adc5Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -040001:00falsetrailer