Neil Powell is a graphic designer and creative director. He founded the now-defunct firm We Are Gigantic, and currently works at the London based Beattie McGuinness Bungay (BMB) outpost in NYC.

Kentucky native Powell started his career in Minneapolis working as a graphic designer at Fallon. In 1985, the firm's chairman, Joe Duffy, tapped Powell to open a New York office; five years later he was named president and executive creative director. In 2001, Powell went off to found an eponymous company that "wasn't an ad agency and wasn't a design firm." Four years later, the Canadian advertising holding company MDC acquired the company and merged it with another one of its holdings, Margeotes Fertitta & Partners, which George Fertitta ran at the time. (He left in 2006 to become NYC & Co.'s tourism czar.) Powell was appointed executive creative director at the merged agency amid hopes that his youthful energy and creativity—combined with MFP's long track record in the biz—would make for a perfect marriage. Alas MDC's plan, which was orchestrated by the company's hard-charging CEO Miles Nadal, didn't pan out: After a culture clash, Powell was airlifted out of the wreck and set up with now-defunct firm We Are Gigantic under the MDC umbrella. Unfortunately for Powell, the company lost a major trademark infringement case against fellow ad company Gigantic—you can guess why. Powell now acts as Executive Creative Director of BMB.

Powell is an adjunct lecturer at the School of Visual Arts. He's also on the board of the Art Directors Club. His oft-changing hair colors/styles and hip outfits make him a standout among boring ad execs—lives in New York with his wife, ad world publicist Rachael Powell. They have a son, Calder and a dog named Al Franken.

[Image via gdusa.com]