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Vinny Warren

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Vinny Warren
Born (1966-04-05) 5 April 1966 (age 58)
NationalityIrish, American
OccupationAdvertising creative director
Known forCreating Whassup? advertising campaign

Vinny Warren (born 5 April 1966) is an Irish-born American advertising creative director, most notable for his iconic "Whassup?" campaign for Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch).[2][3] Warren was inducted into the Clio Awards Hall of Fame in 2006.[4] He is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Early life

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Warren was born in Galway, Ireland in 1966.[1] Warren attended the National University of Ireland, Galway,[5] and moved to London in 1988, where he studied design and art. In 1990, Warren won a US Diversity Immigrant Visa lottery[6] and moved to New York, where he briefly worked as a horse and buggy driver in Central Park,[1] before being hired by advertising executive Ed McCabe in 1992.

Career

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Warren worked as a copywriter at McCabe & Co. Advertising from 1992 to 1994. In 1995, Warren moved to Chicago,[1] where he continued to work as a copywriter before being hired as a creative director by Doyle Dane Bernbach in 1998, where he worked extensively on developing advertisements for Budweiser.

In 1999, Warren developed the "Whassup?" campaign along with art director Chuck Taylor,[7] based on the short film True by Charles Stone III, who also directed the Budweiser variant.[8] The ad was a success, winning an immense number of advertising industry awards, including a Cannes Lions Grand Prix,[9] a Grand Clio,[10] and others. In 2006, the advertisement was inducted into the Clio Awards Hall of Fame.[4]

In 2006, Warren started his own advertising agency, The Escape Pod. Warren served as executive creative director[11] of The Escape Pod until 2021, when Warren left the agency and became a freelance creative director.

Personal life

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Warren has a wife and children, and lives in the suburbs of Chicago.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Lee, John (September 13, 2021). "Vinny Warren - WASSUP with this Irish ad legend?". Irish Stew. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  2. ^ Lauro, Patricia Winters (February 16, 2001). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; Whassup? America's Asking". The New York Times. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  3. ^ Baar, Aaron (November 6, 2006). "Creative Director Warren Exits DDB in Chicago". Adweek. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  4. ^ a b "WASSUP?, BEAR, FOX, INDUCTED INTO CLIO HALL OF FAME". Campaign Brief. May 15, 2006. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  5. ^ Murphy, Judy (August 20, 2013). "Vinny's 'Wassup' moment became worldwide slogan". Connacht Tribune. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  6. ^ Burn, David (December 4, 2009). "The AdPulp Interview: Vinny Warren". AdPulp. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  7. ^ Clark, Kendra (June 14, 2022). "World's best ads ever #15: Budweiser simply asks, 'Wassup?'". The Drum. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  8. ^ Elliot, Stuart (April 16, 2000). "Responsible Party: Charles Stone III; A Buzzword Rises From an Inside Joke". New York Times. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  9. ^ "Day 26 - Cannes winners remembered - Budweiser "Whassup"". CampaignLive. June 13, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  10. ^ Lazarus, George (May 26, 2000). "THE ANSWER TO `WHASSUP': BUDWEISER SALES". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  11. ^ Warren, Vinny (October 31, 2017). "BIG BEER FINALLY SOBERS UP". AdAge. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  12. ^ Burn, David (December 4, 2009). "The AdPulp Interview: Vinny Warren". Retrieved December 12, 2022.
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