John Bollinger
Executive Creative Director
VMLY&R HEALTH
Iconic Campaigns from Industry to Industry
One hallmark of John Bollinger’s work and career is the ability to create meaningful human connection. While that can be found in his many award-winning campaigns it is also apparent in the way that everyone, from creatives to client engagement to strategy to production, wants to work with John.
His own creative teams appreciate the spark to do something breakthrough he brings to every assignment. His strategists adore the insight and human truth he implements to lens every brief. His account friends know they can count on John to gain the trust of challenging clients with continuously innovative thinking. Producers praise his can-do collaborative approach to getting each job done in the most efficient and inspirational way possible. And his many, many clients all trust that he will inspire their audiences while protecting the integrity of their most valuable brands.
Most recently, John has been leading creative efforts for many of VMLY&R’s health and wellness brands. For Chantix, John led the charge for the Lions award-winning “Slow Turkey” campaign credited with helping millions of people stop smoking and breaking through in a very dramatic way. For Xeljanz he and his team created the “Unjection” campaign, an icon that helped the brand set the autoimmune category bar for non-injectables to compete against the dominance of Humira.
Prior to his Rx work in health, John was part of the team that produced the iconic MetLife “Snoopy” campaign used across life, auto and home, and health insurance businesses. It helped fuel that company’s growth for close to 20 years. For Groupe Danone, John’s work led to several best practices now employed across the client’s global network. The launch of Danone Activia, a probiotic yogurt aimed at the 50-plus target, was the most lucrative launch in that category’s history. For Campbell’s, John was part of the team that reinvented the “Could’ve had a V8” campaign, which resulted in several years of double-digit growth for a 75-year-old brand.
Over the past 25+ years, John’s work has been recognized by all the major awards shows including ADDY, ANDY, CA, The One Show, Effie, and Cannes.
