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John Gabor Szalay

Creative Director + Art Director

  • About
  • Work
  • Resume
  • Contact

HANES

Hanes had an innovative new product and knew they needed to target a younger audience. So we created Hans to bring a higher consciousness message regarding the nether regions.

GEICO

Everyone knows GEICO can save them money. What they don't know is that they do way more than that, homes, pets, RVs, etc. How can people find out more? Simple, by taking a closer look.

truth initiative

As the in-house CD at truth I learned quickly that getting jaded ad-adverse Gen Z to pay attention is a tall order. We hit on some potent insights about how the nicotine in a vape can effect your life. What better way to bring those insights to life than the actual culprit, your vape. To resonate we chose an animation style that echoed Gen Z's content consumption and style.

tic tac

We won the tic tac business with a simple tagline, “go little.” It worked in two ways. Celebrating the little things in life and a supportive rallying cry to all things little.

WALMART

The Conveyor Belt Campaign was the opportunity for the Martin Agency to do what it does best. We made the world’s largest retailer warm, real, and most of all funny. All based on a simple, relatable, shopping truth, every cart tells a story.

Tens of millions of likes, sales up for the 1st time in 2 years, and a bunch of awards.

Truth Social & Influencer

At truth reaching our audience where they live & connect was imperative, creating affinity and relevance. Our work with beauty influencer Emily Mazza was so effective over 22,000 people signed up to "this is quitting" and reduced our Cost Per Enrollment from $100 to $58, making me a believer in what the right influencer can accomplish for a brand.

Little Adventures

To prove how bold little can be we went big and shot some videos for social media and pre roll. To get these sold I grabbed some co workers & shot a proof-of-concept, the client liked it so much they found money to make these.

PENSKE

Penske is literally everywhere, getting stuff we use everyday all over the country for huge brands and retailers. They wanted a bold tone that felt proud without being boastful.

THE GECKO

Ahhh, the Gecko in all his green glory. It is an honor to be picked to bring this iconic character to life.

TIAA

TIAA believes everyone has the right to retire with dignity. For more than 100 years, they have provided pensions, insurance, and investment services, to those in education, healthcare, and nonprofit. Insuring a more secure financial future for all and for generations to come.

Intel VPro

I.T. people are the rarely lauded behind-the-scenes heroes who keep organizations working. So we chose outer space as the perfect place to visualize their heroics, coupled with the power of Intel’s VPro platform.

Miami Ad School

I've been teaching a Miami Ad School class called “Head to Head". I guide students in preparing for the D&AD Young Blood & One Show Young Ones student competitions. Helping new talent win some hardware to launch their careers is pretty rewarding. Here are some of my favorites that have won D&AD pencils, One Show pencils & shortlists, + ADDYs and Webby’s.

Hanes

Hanes had been at Martin Agency for just about 20 years. We were a new team & wanted to try something different. We locked arms with our clients to try a new direction, and ended up with a musical anthem. We got some pretty cool press around our position on men’s body positivity & acceptance.

Millennial Gecko

We knew that millennials were aware of the Gecko but he didn’t resonate because they don’t watch TV. So we put him where their eyeballs are, on their phones. Embedding him in nostalgic games & offering up quick tech tips, making the Gecko relevant in social media posts & pre roll.

MUSEUM OF SEX NYC

The Museum of Sex was a pro bono account I ran at LOWE. These posters were 24x30 for purchase in the gift shop and ran as wild postings. We commissioned different designers & artists so each piece was unique. The posters were honored in D&AD & The One Show.

THE GEICO APP

GEICO wanted to show off their best in industry app. Basically a product demo. But it had to be done in a GEICO way. So we created these for Pre-roll and Social. Pirates, sloths, lazy humans with kitty laser pointers, and unicorns, all using the GEICO mobile app to take care of claims on their cellphones? Easy peasy.

HANES

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GEICO

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truth initiative

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tic tac

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WALMART

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Truth Social & Influencer

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Little Adventures

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PENSKE

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THE GECKO

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TIAA

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Intel VPro

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Miami Ad School

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Hanes

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Every Bod

Millennial Gecko

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MUSEUM OF SEX NYC

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THE GEICO APP

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