With 56 years experience in advertising, Big Al Gruswitz has held staff positions as an art director and associate creative director at several major agencies including Campbell Ewald (Chevrolet) and Saatchi & Saatchi (Duncan Hines, Tide, Crisco Oil and Shortening, Pert Shampoo, Tylenol, Slim Fast, Dexatrim, New York Life, and others).
While at Saatchi & Saatchi, Big Al started the Consumer Division at their medical agency, Klemtner Advertising (now Saatchi Healthcare) where he won the inaugural account, Rogaine. He was responsible for the consumer, medical, and international launch of that brand. Other brands of note at Klemtner include ProStep nicotine patch, Pravachol, and The Epilepsy Foundation of America (public service campaigns). He has won numerous awards for creative excellence and high readership.
Because Big Al was an art director and associate creative director in NYC prior to becoming an illustrator, he thinks like an art director. To meet and exceed the art director’s expectations, it takes getting into the AD’s head by asking lots of questions and making sure that you are both on the same page. Big Al comments, “I love it when an art director says, ‘Big Al thinks just the way I do!’ I take great pride in getting the job done right the first time. That takes working as a member of the agency’s team and keeping the agency informed every step of the way so there are no surprises.”
Big Al’s illustrations have won numerous awards including being selected by Lürzer’s Int’l Archive for the 2013 and 2021″200 Best Digital Artists” Annual.
Read more about Big Al’s love of the advertising industry in his blog entitled “Why am I still working at 75?“
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