A Partnership
Thirteen Years in the Making

3 MIN READ

Thirteen years ago, an up-and-coming copywriter named Bart Hirneise was freelancing at Agency Creative. Recently on the market and looking for his next opportunity, Bart liked the vibe of the agency, the clients and, in particular, the CEO, Mark Wyatt. The two quickly formed a bond around their straightforward, no-bull approach to producing great creative.

“I saw something special in Bart’s work, his work ethic and his ability to work under pressure,” Mark said. “He was a natural leader, and I really wanted him on our team.”

Mark made Bart an offer to join the Agency Creative team, but just as he was ready to accept, something very unexpected happened: twins. Bart got the news that he and his wife were expecting twin girls.

“I had a couple offers on the table, including Mark’s,” Bart said. “But I was thinking more about doctor visits and diaper bills, so I ended up going with a bigger agency that I felt offered a few more benefits.”

Regardless of what might have been, the decision’s turned out OK for both parties. Bart rose up the ad ranks to Group Creative Director and ultimately, Executive Creative Director at D3 Studios in Dallas. Agency Creative didn’t do too bad either, growing into one of the top Dallas advertising agencies.

“We kept in touch through the years,” Bart said. “I think we both knew that at some point, working together was inevitable.”

That point came this June when Agency Creative began a search for an Executive Creative Director. Mark knew exactly where to start.

“There was no doubt who I wanted for this role,” Mark said. “Bart’s got traditional media experience, he’s got digital, he’s social media in spades. And he’s a genuine guy who fits our culture perfectly.”

The call came as Bart was driving his twins, now 13, to a volleyball game.

“Mark asked me how old they are now,” Bart said. “When I told him, we both laughed and it was like, OK, 13 years is about long enough. Let’s do this.”

Bart’s first order of business at Agency Creative will be to work closely with President & Chief Digital Officer Mike Scannell to amp up the digital firepower to build stronger, more engaging integrated campaigns.

View the press release

RECENT ARTICLES