ALEXANDER REA

Fast forward to today and I’m a New York City-based creative professional, with almost 20 years of advertising, production, design and development experience. A creative problem-solver at heart, my intricate knowledge of the consumer digital landscape lends itself to projects of all shapes and sizes and allows me to craft experiences from the ground up. My early roles as a developer combined with my passion for design and presentation enables me to move between typically more left and right-brain teams. Creating digital products that enhance not replace existing human behavior. Guided by a star that will take me to my goal of changing someone’s life through an immersive eye opening digital experience.

Years before it was called “the Web”, I cut my teeth on the earliest consumer facing networks on the Internet. (Nearly two decades before the first iPhone would be released which ushered in the era we know today.) Using dial-up on a 2400 baud modem when the only social networks had names like CompuServe and Prodigy. Swept up in the dot-com wave, I became involved in Advertising in the late 90s, and ever since he’s been working to integrate the role of a technologist within traditional creative agencies. A methodology that has been applied over the years to award-winning projects for a diverse array of internationally recognized brands, across multiple categories, including Marriott, Macy’s, CVS, Chrysler, Budweiser, Sony Music and Lockheed Martin. Including the award-winning Field Trip to Mars group VR project which has won nearly 50 awards across the industry, including the most awarded campaign at the 2016 Cannes International Festival of Creativity.

While my creative technologist career was booting up, I worked as security at music venues and nightclubs and I even produced an aerial circus showcase. Then there’s the entirely other career as a musician for studio sessions, touring bands and musical theater.

I joined DDB New York as the Creative Technology Officer in October 2016. This updated role of a CTO in a creative agency, is responsible for providing technology leadership and oversight for all of the agency’s projects and directs the technology strategy, development and execution. Acting as the client’s trusted advisor on technology strategy, trends and best practices and collaborating with other teams in the network to continue to evolve experiences for brand’s consumer digital touchpoints.

Active in the digital community as a mentor, I’ve worked with R/GA’s accelerator program since it’s inception, along with NYC BigApps. I’ve taught or guest spoke at advertising programs including Miami Ad School and you could find me presenting my craft at industry events such as New York Media Festival, Maker Faire and TEDx. I live in Brooklyn with his wife, creative director Nicole Miller, son Elliott and rescue dog Charlie.