<![CDATA[The Creative Caucus]]>366e9f52-c43c-5147-9028-87a89e4b5b0aMon, 20 Apr 2026 13:56:39 +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.fmfalseepisodicnopodcastThe 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