Awards
Webby / Honoree / Metro Social
One Show / Bronze / Whopper Whopper
AdFed / People’s Choice / Whopper Whopper
Cannes Lions / Grand Prix / Thighstop
Cannes Lions / 2 Shortlists / Thighstop
D&AD / Graphite Pencil / Thighstop
D&AD / 2 Wood Pencils / Thighstop
D&AD / 2 Shortlists / Thighstop
AICP Next / Best in Show / Thighstop
AICP Next / Winner - Integrated / Thighstop
AICP Next / Shortlist - Influencer / Thighstop
WARC / Silver / Thighstop
One Show / 2 Bronze / Thighstop
One Show / 6 Merits / Thighstop
One Show / 14 Shortlists / Thighstop
Effie / Bronze / Thighstop
Clio / Bronze / Thighstop
ADC / 2 Shortlists / Thighstop
Andy / Shortlist / Thighstop
Webby / Finalist / Thighstop
Addy / 4 Silver / Thighstop
ADC / Bronze / 6ourbon 7ime
ADC / 1 Shortlist / 6ourbon 7ime
Andy / Gold / 6ourbon 7ime
Clio / 2 Silver / 6ourbon 7ime
Clio / 1 Bronze / 6ourbon 7ime
Clio / 1 Shortlist / 6ourbon 7ime
One Show / 2 Merits / 6ourbon 7ime
One Show / 10 Shortlists / 6ourbon 7ime
Addy / 5 Silver / 6ourbon 7ime
D&AD / Graphite Pencil / Wearable Billboards
D&AD / Shortlist / Wearable Billboards
One Show / 4 Shortlists / Wearable Billboards
ADC / 2 Shortlists / Wearable Billboards
Andy / Shortlist / Wearable Billboards
Cannes Lions / 4 Shortlists / Coors Clone Machine
One Show / 9 Merits / Coors Clone Machine
LIA / 2 Bronze / Coors Clone Machine
ADC / 3 Merits / Coors Clone Machine
ADC / 4 Shortlists / Coors Clone Machine
Cannes Cyber Lion / Gold / The Giferator
Cannes Cyber Lion / Bronze / The Giferator
Cannes Mobile Lion / Gold / The Giferator
Cannes Mobile Lion / Silver / The Giferator
Cannes Mobile Lion / Bronze / The Giferator
Cannes Data Lion / Gold / The Giferator
D&AD / Wood Pencil / The Giferator
ADC / Gold / The Giferator
ADC / Silver / The Giferator
Effie / Gold / The Giferator
Effie / Silver / The Giferator
Webby / Honoree / The Giferator
Webby / 4 Nominations / The Giferator
Shorties / 3 incl. Best Meme / The Giferator
One Show / 3 Bronze / The Giferator
Addy / Best in Show / The Giferator
Addy / 3 Gold / The Giferator
Clio / Gold / The Giferator
Clio / Silver / The Giferator
Clio / Bronze / The Giferator
GMA / Silver / The Giferator
GMA / Bronze / The Giferator
OMMA / Winner / The Giferator
Webby / it’s Bubly!
Webby / People's Voice / It’s Bubly!
Clio / Gold / It’s Bubly!
Cannes Lions / Shortlist / Is Pepsi OK?
Effie / Silver / Is Pepsi OK?
Clio / Shortlist / Gameday Morning
Addy / 2 Bronze / Gameday Morning
Clio / Shortlist / Thursday Night Football
Addy / Silver / Thursday Night Football
One Show / Shortlist / U.S. Army
Webby / 3 Nominations / Madden 16
Webby / Honoree / Madden 16
Addy / 4 Gold / Madden 16
Addy / 5 Silver / Madden 16
GMA / Bronze / Madden 16
Effie / Silver / Phillips Distilling
AIGA Show / Boston Scientific Incepta App
AdFed Bronze Pin / Integrated / Derwent
Media & Agency Scrapbook
Museum of Modern Art, NYC - Permanent Collection
Fast Co. Most Creative People
Contagious Magazine / Interview
AdAge / BK's Maddeningly Catchy Jingle
Slate / The Story Behind the Earworm
The Ringer / The BK Whopper Guys
Forbes / How Wingstop Stole the Show at Cannes
AdAge / A-list ‘23 / OKRP
One Show / Agency of The Year / Leo Burnett
ADC / Agency of The Year / Leo Burnett
Clio / Agency of The Year / Leo Burnett
AdAge / Comeback Agency of The Year / GSP
AdAge / Breakthrough Agency of The Year / Heat
AdAge / Marketer of the Year / Pepsi
AdAge / Marketer of the Year / Taco Bell
Super Bowl LIV Ad Blitz Top Spanish Spot
Super Bowl LIV Ad Blitz #6 Comedy Spot
Super Bowl LIV Ad Blitz #7 Overall Spot
Super Bowl LIII Ad Meter Top 10 Ad
Super Bowl LIII’s Most Shared Ad
Twitter’s Most Tweeted LIII Super Bowl Spot
Billboard’s Best LIII Super Bowl Spot
Communication Arts Annual
AdAge / Spot of The Week x12
CA / Website OTD / The Giferator
FWA / Site & Mobile OTD / The Giferator
CA / Website OTD / Concepting With Convicts
Hello,
I’m Ben Pfutzenreuter, and even I don’t know how to pronounce my own last name. Inexplicably, I’m still co-executive creative director of independent agency O’Keefe Reinhard and Paul in Chicago, IL.
Over the course of my career I’ve worked with agencies and clients large and small; independent and publicly held. Along the way, here’s some things I’m especially proud of:
Crafting and clarifying OKRP’s distinct approach to marketing creativity, which helped the agency exceed growth projections by 160% thanks to an 85% pitch win rate.
Building representative working groups that ensure diversity is always an integral part of the creative process.
Immediately posting the best sales in history for Burger King with our infectious inaugural campaign.
Winning the bet that brand-first advertising would help Metro reclaim category leadership in less than a year.
Leading Wingstop from its first awards to a Grand Prix at Cannes—while simultaneously achieving their strongest growth ever.
Growing a single project with Beam Suntory into four AOR relationships, including the world’s largest bourbon brand: Jim Beam.
Pitching, winning, and producing work for Pepsi, the NFL network, and Liberty Mutual at Goodby Silverstein and Partners.
Winning nearly every major international award for EA Sports and Taco Bell while part of Heat and Digitas in San Francisco.
In my first job I was especially proud of naming a catheter “Off-Road.” My boss at the time, less so—they fired me.
All in all, I enjoy advertising today. It’s never meant less to people and more to clients, which is a pretty interesting opportunity. The trick seems to be ideas that are as easy to tell someone about as they are for them to talk about. And since consumers don’t really value subtlety, I don’t either.
Afterall, if capitalism offers us any real choice, the role of creativity is to force a decision.
Email, LinkedIn, Instagram
Currently
O’Keefe Reinhard and Paul, Executive Creative Director, 2022-Present
Previously
Leo Burnett, Creative Director, 2020-2022
DDB, Creative Director, 2019
Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Writer, 2016-2019
Heat, Writer, 2014-2016
DigitasLBi, Writer, 2013-2014
Olson, Writer, 2010-2012
Miami Ad School, Instructor, 2014-2017
Some Clients I’ve Worked With
Burger King, Liberty Mutual, Pepsi, MillerCoors, Metro by T-Mobile, The National Football League, EA Sports, Taco Bell, The United States Army, Sonic, Wingstop, United Healthcare, Target, Frito Lay, eBay.
Education
Miami Ad School, Minneapolis
The University of Minnesota
Outside of Work
I am a mediocre playwright, and an orienteering enthusiast with an ambition to join the Explorers Club through Cultural Anthropology of American Urban Prairie. For the record, I promise I like regular fun stuff, too.