An account guy, a writer, and a designer walk into an agency…
Havas Helia Baltimore Grows by Three
New year, new talent. Say hello to Ben, Dov, and Callan (left to right), three fresh faces building brands in Charm City.
Drop the short-lived New Year resolutions and raise a tall glass. Three new brains have entered the building in Baltimore and they're primed with 2020 vision for the year ahead.
“At Havas Helia, we continue to double-down on digital talent to meet the increasing demands of our clients.”
-Michael Kaushanky, President Havas Helia
So, how do we introduce these new, fine folks? With a little background bio, a silly but psychologically revealing questionnaire, and a steamy black and white photoshoot.
Here, we, go.
Dov Hoffman, Account Director
Dov (pronounced “dōv”) is no stranger to the ad game. Since 2008 he’s been rubbing elbows with marketing aficionados in and around Baltimore, and now, Havas Helia is the latest stop on his marketing odyssey.
But the journey hasn’t soured his spirit a bit. If anything, Dov’s experiences have bolstered his passion for creating powerful, emotive, meaningful ads. He consciously fights against the cliche dronings of cynical advertising lifers, and against lazy beliefs like, “consumers hate all ads, so what’s the point?”
To Dov, that’s where the challenge lies: making content that forces everyday Janes and Joes to give a f*&k. “People don’t hate advertising,” he points out, “they hate bad advertising, disingenuous advertising.”
PREACH, Dov, preach.
Needless to say, the bold passion he brings is welcomed with open arms in Baltimore. That said, reports concerning his strong tendency to call out grammar mistakes are running rampant — so watch your copy, writers.
We sat down with Dov over water (because he is not a coffee person):
Name a movie that accurately describes how you eat.
[INSERT NAME OF SLOW MOVIE] I tend to be a pretty slow eater so any slow movie would represent how I eat.
What song do you currently have on repeat?
123456 by Fitz and the Tantrums. Looking forward to seeing these guys at The Anthem.
Who do you transform into when you’re hangry?
The same person I am when I’m not hangry. I can’t remember the last time I let myself get hangry.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Typos. I’ve been nicknamed “Eagle Eyes” so watch out.
Favorite ad campaign?… don’t say Dove Beauty or anything Bud Light.
Levi’s “Circles” campaign. The video represents when we come together, we dance in circles. We move as one, and celebrate the individual who takes the center. In this day and age, when it sometimes feels like there are more differences than similarities across individuals and cultures, it’s important to remember the message from this Levi’s campaign that unity and individuality come alive when we’re all connected.
What’s one thing wrong with the ad industry?
There’s a stigma that people hate ads. It’s important to go beyond just a compelling ad and ensure that it’s relevant while providing the viewer with something of value.
What’s one thing you kinda dig about the ad industry?
With technology, the industry has evolved in many different ways — content formats, personalization, relevancy — all which provide an improved user experience, but also have a positive impact on brands and agencies for better performance to achieve business goals and objectives.
Which TV/film character would make the worst creative director?
Mr. Burns from The Simpsons.
Ben Gajus, Copywriter
Hailing from the land of bad sports teams and worse chili, word nerd Ben Gajus and his gingery face have joined Havas Helia.
Raised in Cincinnati, he was introduced to the world of advertising on accident in a ploy to skip school. That day, he shadowed his cousin at her ad agency and, as they say, the rest is…
Fast forward through the haze of exams and shenanigans that was his college experience, and Ben enrolled at Chicago Portfolio School. This was a pivotal time. Here, he actually learned about creative advertising, which, surprisingly, wasn’t a big topic of discussion while he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising, Journalism, and Visual Communications.
Today, five years into his ad career, Ben is a huge fan of pot roasts and riding scooters around Baltimore with his girlfriend Melanie and their two cats. Do the cats actually ride the scooters, you ask? We’ll leave that up to your imagination.
We sat down with Ben over coffee (coffee lovers unite!):
Name a movie that accurately describes how you eat.
Supersize Me
What song do you currently have on repeat?
Louis La Roche did an incredible, bouncy remix of Michael Jackson’s Human Nature. Check it out. :)
Who do you transform into when you’re hangry?
Patrick Bateman.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Loud eaters.
Favorite ad campaign?… don’t say Dove Beauty or anything Bud Light.
I’m not sure how many people have seen it, but the “Wasting Water Is Weird” campaign was the perfect mixture of substance and silly for me.
What’s one thing wrong with the ad industry?
Pretentious, self-aggrandizing egos.
What’s one thing you kinda dig about the ad industry?
The people, especially here at Havas Helia (not even brown-nosing, I promise). If you have to be in the trenches, it’s better to be surrounded by talented friends.
Which TV/film character would make the worst creative director?
Tywin Lannister
Callan Silver, Designer
Filled with east side pride and a bit of California love, Callan Silver has officially brought her design talents to Havas Helia Baltimore.
The formerly bi-coastal ad maven relocated to the area for educational purposes, but really, she crossed the country far and wide to pursue her passion for the arts.
At Maryland Institute College of Arts, Silver studied photography, receiving her bachelor’s degree while honing her craft and finetuning her eye. It was enough to make her fall in love with the community of artists she found herself embedded in — she’s been in Baltimore ever since.
But that’s not where her story ends…
Flash forward and Silver is a card-carrying masters graduate of the University of Baltimore. Here, she studied publication design and overall went boss-mode in school. It was perfect timing. Not long after, Callan made her first masterpiece: a baby girl named June, only to be followed by her second: Cora.
Now, you can catch her taking poignant photos of Baltimore’s less-traveled locales, always pushing her craft and looking for inspiration in all the right places.
We sat down with Callan over coffee (just one very big cup a day—black):
Name a movie that accurately describes how you eat.
When Harry Met Sally.
What song do you currently have on repeat?
Cosmo Sheldrake: Wriggle
Who do you transform into when you’re hangry?
One of those big-eyed cat paintings.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
People who don’t use their turn signals.
Favorite ad campaign?… don’t say Dove Beauty or anything Bud Light.
Anything by Wieden + Kennedy.
What’s one thing wrong with the ad industry?
When ad agencies take themselves too seriously.
What’s one thing you kinda dig about the ad industry?
Innovation in everything.
Which TV/film character would make the worst creative director?
The Witcher from The Witcher.
