Mark Allen

When an agency has 10 days to win a piece of new business, they don't need another generalist. They need an art director who's done this before, fast, at a senior level, with the craft to back it up.

That's the work I do.

I've spent 20 years as a Creative Director (Art) in healthcare and pharma advertising, and for the last two, I've done it exclusively on a freelance basis — parachuting into agencies to lead new business pitches, launch campaigns, and rebrands under real deadline pressure. I currently do creative for 12-16 competitive pitches a year with 4 wins last year for agencies including Klick, FCB Health, Area 23, InVivo Communications, and BGB.

Before going independent, I spent nearly a decade as part of The Bank, FCB Health's senior conceptual group — the team agency leadership called in for high-stakes new business and flagship creative. That work included the nationally recognized "My Way" campaign for Cologuard, a Manny Award-winning philanthropic campaign for the TB Alliance, and an MM&M Gold Award-winning consumer site for Stiolto.

What I bring to a pitch:
→ Concept-to-presentation speed, without shortcuts. I've integrated AI tools like Midjourney into my process to move ideas from brief to polished visualization in days, not weeks — while keeping the strategic thinking a winning pitch actually requires.
→ Range across the full pitch deliverable set: TV, digital, HCP and DTC campaigns, CRM, social, print, and experiential.
→ Comfort at every altitude — concepting solo, working with my writing partners, leading multidisciplinary teams under a compressed timeline, and presenting directly to client leadership when the business is on the line.

I'm based in Connecticut outside of NYC and available remote or hybrid for freelance engagements — new business pitches, launch campaigns, or creative leadership gaps that need to be filled now, not next quarter.

If your agency has a pitch coming up and needs senior firepower, let's talk.

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WHERE I’VE WORKED

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freelance   [NYC] 2024-present Freelance Creative Director 

The senior creative resource agencies call when a pitch is due and the stakes are high.
→ Lead creative development for 12–16 competitive new business pitches annually
→ Build launch campaigns for newly acquired pharmaceutical brands, from strategic concept through final execution
→ Create HCP and DTC campaigns across TV, digital, social, print, and CRM
→ Use AI-powered workflows, including Midjourney, to move from concept to client-ready presentation in days, not weeks
Clients: Klick, InVivo Communications, FCB Health, BGB, Area 23

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FCB HEALTH [NYC] 2014-2024 Associate Creative Director/The Bank. 

Nine and a half years in FCB Health's senior conceptual group — the team pulled in for agency-wide new business, rebrands, and the assignments too important to hand off.
→ Created "My Way," the nationally recognized Cologuard television campaign
→ Led creative for TB Alliance, winning a Manny Award for the resulting philanthropic campaign
→ Built the MM&M Gold Award-winning consumer website for Stiolto
→ Directed integrated consumer campaigns for Stiolto, Spiriva, and Prolia across TV, digital, social, email, banners, and print
→ Managed multidisciplinary creative teams and freelancers while serving as primary client contact

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EXTROVERTIC   [NYC] 2012-2014 Associate Creative Director → Led integrated advertising and digital campaigns for Pfizer and EMD Serono
→ Supported agency new business initiatives alongside day-to-day account work

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DRAFT/FCB & OGILVY [NYC&NJ] 2010-11 Freelance Creative → Developed creative for competitive new business pitches, brand redesigns, and television/print campaigns, including Symbicort

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GSW WORLDWIDE [NYC] 2009-2010 VP, Associate Creative Director → Led creative for Bayer Women's Health brands, including Yaz and Mirena
→ Directed HCP campaigns across print, digital, email, and sales materials while supporting agency-wide new business
→ Extended creative leadership to Covidien, Novartis, and Ethicon

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DIGITAS HEALTH [Philly] 2008 VP, Creative Director → Owned all consumer TV and print advertising for Crestor
→ Managed account creative staff and maintained day-to-day client relationship

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OGILVY HEALTHWORLD [NYC] 2007-2008 VP, Art Supervisor → Led HCP creative for Concerta Pediatric and contributed to the winning pitch for Concerta Adult
→ Created integrated campaigns, physician-directed communications, microsites, and product branding for Wyeth and Allergan, including logos for Relistor, Qivius, Biensa, Luvox, and TSEC

 

AWARDS

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Gold MM&M best consumer site and brand launch (Stiolto)

Gold And Silver New York Addy (Norelco, tv)

Gold D.C. Addy (Pepco, print)

Gold Effie (Connecticut Tax Amnesty, tv)

Ad Club Of Connecticut (Connecticut Lottery, tv)
Connecticut Art Director’s Club (SunSail, print)

Rx Club [Crestor tv]

Gold DTC awards (Egrifta, email campaign)

Best pro bono Manny (TB Alliance).

 

SCHOOL

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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH | Design Major

 

ORANGE COAST COLLEGE | AA Graphic Design

 

FLATIRON SCHOOL | Front End Development