Gary Koepke

Gary Koepke is a creative director and co-founder of the Boston-based creative and communications agency Modernista!^[1]

Early career

Koepke began his career working with a number of major publications and brands. He served as founding Creative Director of Vibe magazine^[2] and produced award-winning works including 26 magazine for AGFA,^[3] the design of Musician magazine^[4] and Benetton’s Colors magazine, World Tour for Dun & Bradstreet Software, and SoHo Journal for SoHo Partnership. He served as Creative Director for both J.Crew and Wieden+Kennedy Portland, where he helped open that agency’s New York office.^[5] Koepke designed David Byrne’s book of photography, Strange Ritual;^[6] directed the “Slow Burn” music video for David Bowie;^[7] and directed the U2^[8] video “Window in the Skies,” which was named Best Video at the Los Angeles Film Festival.^[9] He also worked with DJ Paul Oakenfold to create the visuals for his 2008 World Tour.^[10]

Modernista!

Koepke founded Modernista! with Lance Jensen in 2000.^[11] Jensen left the agency in December 2010.^[12] Modernista! is an independent agency with clients such as Sears, Product (RED),^[13] the National Park Foundation,^[14] Nickelodeon, Food Should Taste Good, Chug, Sophos, Jack Wills, Boulder Digital Works,^[15] Doc to Dock, Stop Handgun Violence,^[16] and the Art Institute of Boston.^[17] In the past, Modernista! has created marketing campaigns for clients such as General Motors,^[18] Palm, Showtime^[19] TIAA-CREF,^[20] Napster, Gap, Anheuser-Busch, MTV, and Converse.^[21]

Modernista! was named Regional Agency of the Year by AdWeek in 2004^[22] and has won many other industry and creative awards. One version of its website was a finalist in the Webby Awards and the SXSW Web Awards.^[23] The website was also selected for the Communication Arts Interactive Annual^[24] and the ID Design Annual and was recognized by the D&AD Awards.^[25] In addition, Modernista!’s redesign of BusinessWeek magazine took first place at the International Design Awards.

In the final years, Modernista! moved aggressively into digital marketing and communications and social media, although it stresses that it remains medium-agnostic. One of its more interesting final projects was an alternative reality game leading up to Season Five of the Dexter TV show.^[26]

In the spring of 2011 Modernista ran out of money and was forced to close.^[27]

SapientNitro

Fifteen months after the Boston-based Modernista shut down, founder and executive creative director Gary Koepke, joined SapientNitro as global ECD of brand content innovation where he is focused on building the firm's "craft," adding creativity and story systems to digital and non-digital experiences.^[28] In May 2013, Gary was appointed Worldwide Chief Creative Officer where he now provides creative leadership and inspiration across the company and sets the standard for creative excellence as SapientNitro establishes itself as a new breed of agency focused on the always-on connected consumer.

Honors and Awards

Personally, Koepke has garnered gold awards at all the major design/advertising shows. His work has been shown at the DNP Gallery in Japan,^[29] which has named him one of America’s top designers. It is also in the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Koepke sits on the boards of Stop Handgun Violence and Boulder Digital Works at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is a member of the Clinton Global Initiative and the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. He has also served on the Communications Task Force of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and he was chairman of the American Photography Annual from 1998 to 2003.^[30]

Koepke is an avid musician and painter.

References