SUMMARY
I am a writer/strategist/conceptualist who enjoys generating brand-building ideas for all available marketing communications from legacy to digital and interactive media. Over twenty years at BBDO have instructed me in the power and practice of vision, collaboration, creativity, perseverance, listening and learning. Generating successful campaigns for Bayer and Roche, has shown me the potential for creativity available to external agencies in marketing healthcare and pharmaceuticals, while respecting regulatory requirements. Managing creative communications at AbbVie has developed my understanding of pharma from the client side. I enjoy building client and team relationships. I relish and respect all forms of writing, from concept generation, to print, collateral, film, television and radio, retail promotion, digital, web content, SEO, internal and external corporate marketing communications, development of meeting and convention theme materials and collateral, global corporate communication, and public affairs. I am experienced in transferring the conceptual power of consumer advertising to all form of communication, including speechwriting for corporate leadership. I love strategy, ideation, mentoring, persuading, presenting, listening, learning, developing long-term relationships and, of course, writing. I learned to play guitar upside down because I’m left-handed and most guitars are strung for right-handers. In business as in life, adaptation is everything. View advertising portfolio at: www.garytneul.com. Additional updates available upon request.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
ABBVIE, Lake County, IL
2013- Present
Manager | Creative Communications | AbbVie Ad Agency
•Manage writing staff at internal ad agency for leading pharmaceutical company; collaborate with account and client teams, art directors and designer teams; generate concepts, strategy and execution for internal and external advertising, branding, and marketing and public affairs communications,
•Creative, medical and technical writing for medical professional and consumer materials, events, internal and external campaigns, and corporate communications including the AbbVie external launch advertising campaign as it emerged from Abbott in 2013.
•Internal marketing and sales communications, across video, print, electronic and emerging media
•Speech writing for C-Suite senior leadership/Public Affairs writing
•Global internal communication campaigns and global leadership communications
•Create communications for long range corporate planning and change management
•Concepts and content to drive internal campaign launches across all media
•Content and communication for medical, pipeline, regulatory, OEC, sales training, internal/external communications
•Collaborate with senior management across Marketing, Medical Regulatory, IMHC, corporate and other internal functions
ABBOTT/ABBVIE, Lake County, IL
Consultant Advertising/Marketing Communications Writer2011-2013
-
•Leadership and executional responsibilities of Manager | Creative Communications position above
ADVERTISING & MARKETING CONSULTANT, Evanston, IL2009-2011
•Consultation, concepts and copywriting for marketing, consumer and professional advertising, promotion, sales promotion, internal and external corporate communications
oAbbott PPD Ad Agency/AbbVie Ad Agency
oAbbott Creative Network
oBrella Production Services (Consulting to Abbott & AbbVie)
oCIT (Healthcare and Hospital)
oFathom (Navistar/Pepsico)
oMonogram Group (SEO)
oPr%f: Jim Beam Global Advertising
oTPN (retail promotion and general advertising/Jockey)
oTri3ct (retail promotion: ConAgra/DeVry)
Energy BBDO, Chicago, IL1987-2009
Part of the world’s most awarded (and 2nd largest) agency network.
Senior Vice President Creative Director/Writer(2000-2009)
•Contributed to an estimated $1.2 billion billings by creating and presenting campaigns for new business wins. (Estimated $15MM Dominicks; $20MM DCCA Illinois Tourism, $5MM Jim Beam Brands, $150MM LaSalle Bank. Estimated $880MM+ for Bayer.)
•Created Aleve Liquid Gels launch campaign that exceeded sales expectations by 67%, within an exceptionally short deadline, and supervised filming and production of testimonials.
•Over ten years of experience in OTC pharmaceutical advertising and promotion
•Rebranded Bayer Diabetes Care by creating the global positioning line: “Simple Wins.”
•Trouble-shooting creative and copywriting on One-A-Day Vita Craves, resulting in a campaign that drove the success of this new product launch, increasing sales from $90K/month to $800K/month.
•In flat nutritional market, created advertising and language that drove the One-A-Day Weight Smart launch to reach the total year sales forecast of $20MM in 3 months, and reach $70MM sales in the first year, adding 5 share points to the One-A-Day brand.
•Created the category-changing “I am a diabetic” campaign for Roche Accu-Check meters.
Vice President Creative Director/Writer (1993–2000)
•Increased billings for Energy BBDO by an estimated $480MM over a 12 year period by creating a campaign for Bayer Actron whose success led to the assignment without review of the Bayer Aleve business to Energy BBDO, while working full time on other agency businesses.
•Increased agency revenues by an estimated $400MM in billings over a 10 year period by winning re-assignment without review of One-A-Day Multivitamins to Energy BBDO as a reward for success in growing Bayer Aleve business by 2 share points.
•Added two share points (estimated $60MM) to Aleve sales by creating two commercials with compelling messaging in a media where Aleve was outspent and competitive claims are strictly regulated. Ultimately grew Aleve to a $300MM/yr business.
•Consistently achieved above-norm test scores and sales by creating advertising that communicated compelling competitive benefits in product categories where allowable claims are strictly regulated.
Associate Creative Director/Writer (1988-1993)
•Created the advertising concept behind the most successful Wrigley gum introduction of its time by inventing the innovative ‘hot 98.6 degree mouth’ problem for cooling Winterfresh gum to solve.
Copywriter (1987-1988)
EDUCATION
Masters of Science/Advertising, Medill Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
(Renamed Medill Integrated Marketing Communications)
(GPA: 3.9. Graduated with Honors)
(Full scholarship for academic performance)
BA, English, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
ACCOUNT EXPERIENCE
Abbott. AbbVie. Alberto Culver. Allied Domecq. Androgel. Arby’s. Associates Financial. Baskin-Robbins. Bayer Actron. Bayer Aleve. Bayer Aleve Cold and Sinus. Bayer Aspirin. Bayer Diabetes Care. Banister Shoes. Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Borden Dairy Products. Jim Beam Brands Brach’s Candy. Canteen Services. Centel Telecommunications. Chicago Park District. Cleveland Clinic Hospital. Colgate-Palmolive. ConAgra. DeVry. Dial Soaps. Dominick’s Grocery Stores. Donnelley Directory Yellow Pages. Economist. Galaxy Carpets. GE. Hormel. Humira. Jockey International. Mrs. Grass Foods. Kemper Insurance Corporation. LaSalle Bank. Midol. Mindscape Gaming. Museum of Broadcast Communications. National Boulevard Bank. Navistar. Neocon. One-A-Day Nutritionals. The Off-the-Street Club. Pharmaceuticals. Rid. Shedd Aquarium. Soft-And-Dry deodorant. Spring Air Mattresses. Standard Federal Bank. Syracuse China. U.S. News & World Report.Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.: Doublemint; Juicy Fruit; Big Red; Winterfresh; Freedent gums; Crème-Savers.
AWARD CATEGORIES
CA Annual. Cleo Finalist. London International Advertising Awards finalist. Chicago International Film Festival. Mobius. Cresta Finalist. Addys (Chicago). Chicago Publicity Platinum Trumpet. A.I.R. Best of Show. Creativity. Governor’s Award. Tellys. DTC Advertising Gold. DTC Bronze Multi-Cultural. Communicator Crystal Award of Excellence. Medical Marketing and Media Best TV. President’s Award/AbbVie
ADDENDUM
University of Life/Advertising Preparatory School:
Supervised an asylum ward. Cooked in restaurants. Bartended. Fought forest fires. Repaired railroad track. Hitchhiked around the United States. Worked in a foundry. Joined Teamsters. Manufactured construction equipment. Managed magazine sales and production. Staffed for corporate executives in legal publishing. Manufactured luggage. Worked on a police force.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Company Sponsored Training and Programs:
Six Sigma for Strategy and Advertising Development Process on Bayer Brands
Advertising Strategy, Creative Briefs and Creative Development Lab/ BBDO University
Breakthrough Motivational and Collaboration Seminars
Catching the Big Idea/Creative Development Seminar
Presentation Skills Seminars
Abbott/AbbVie Training: Certifications in Compliance Training for Medical, Regulatory and Legal, Commercial and Promotional issues specific to the U.S. Pharmaceutical Industry
PRO BONO MARKETING AND ADVERTISING
Executive Club of Chicago
Wildlife Trust
Off The Street Club
