Most design work is created with one of two goals in mind; to either unite or disrupt. Regardless of its goal, Aaron believes in meaningful design. Design with purpose that demands we feel something.
It is with this purposeful mind that Aaron led the ideation, art direction, and vision on all brands at the agency, including that of the agency itself, from 2008 to 2019.
For his reputation of mentoring and highly recognized work Aaron was chosen to participate in the prestigious One Show China Award & Competition festival in 2018. He led a team of 50 students on a live brief to compete against other teams from the greater China area and was a guest speaker showcasing “You, Me & Us”; a talk detailing how tech is born from our behavior and therefore we can control it. He also was a presenter and judge for the final awards show, where his team won the coveted “Clients Choice Award”.
In 2016, Aaron’s work contributed to J. Walter Thompson Worldwide’s most successful year at Cannes Lions in over three decades with Tribeca Film Festival’s “ReActor” and the North American launch of J. Walter Thompson Brazil’s “Donate the Bars” campaign, bringing in a collective 8 Lions and 8 shortlists.
Aaron was acknowledged in Adweek’s 2015 Creative 100 list as a top 30 Copywriter, Art Director or Creative Director whose Smart, Funny and Innovative Work Keeps Advertising Interesting.
In 2014, Aaron and his team re-launched Puma as a performance brand with “Forever Faster” embodying Puma and their unique athletes. He led the concept and execution of the brand that was adapted globally throughout traditional, digital and activations.
While helping brands to find their voice Aaron has also focused on guiding and developing young talent to grow beyond their potential. In honor of his demonstrated support, he was named Mentor of the Year by the 4A’s Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP).
In 2010, Aaron was a key member of the J. Walter Thompson team behind the Human Rights Watch "Burma" campaign, an interactive installation that called for the release of 2,100 political prisoners. The campaign won five Lions at Cannes and a Black Pencil at the D&AD Awards.
Collaborating with J. Walter Thompson Peru, Aaron designed a glow-in-the-dark book intended to teach kids about the importance of saving electricity as part of the CSR efforts for the Peruvian electric company EnerSur. The book earned a Bronze Lion at Cannes in 2012.
Aaron also spearheaded the “Cardboard Apartment” and “After the Parade” campaigns for Services for the UnderServed, which led J. Walter Thompson to be named Corporate Honoree of the Year by SUS in 2012.
Prior to joining J. Walter Thompson, Aaron spent three years at Saatchi & Saatchi, winning a Grand Prix for Tide Ultra at the 2007 Cannes Lions Festival; that same year the shop was named Cannes Agency of the Year. Prior to Saatchi & Saatchi, Aaron spent 5 years working at Fallon/Duffy NY working in various roles to help bridge the gap between art direction and design.
His portfolio includes projects with PUMA, Starbucks, Energizer, Smirnoff, General Mills, Jet Blue, Virgin Mobile and more. His work and thought leadership have also been showcased in numerous industry publications, including Adweek, Fast Company, The Economist, Campaign, Business Insider and Creative Interviews.
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a.padin@padin.net
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