Hello

Kristen Gaerlan is a writer of ads, essays, and memoir. Her home is in Brooklyn, her roots are in the Bronx, and the roots to her roots are in the Philippines.

 

A Lil About Me

Native New Yorker • Filipina • Last of Her Name • Advocate for WOCs • Protector of the Side Part • Defender of the Oxford Comma • Gemini Apologist • Travel Enthusiast • Lover of Tasting Menus & 2am Chalupas Alike

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For 10+ years, I’ve enjoyed creating strategic, conceptual, and award-winning campaigns. I’ve enjoyed leading teams, mentoring creatives, and building culture even more.

My creative nonfiction has been published in outlets, such as the Rumpus, Bustle, and McSweeney’s. As both a writer and a CD, my favorite thing to do is unearth tiny truths and transform them into big, bold stories.

Feel free to hit me up if you have a project in mind. I’ll never turn down an good opportunity, destination, or dish.

 
 

Experience & Clients

 

Creative Director, DeVries Global (2023 – Present)

Associate Creative Director, Lippe Taylor Group (2019 – 2023)

Sr. Copywriter / ACD, Freelance (2018 – 2019)

Sr. Copywriter, Publicis (2015 – 2018)

Copy Lead, Situation (2014 – 2015)

Sr. Copywriter, Patients & Purpose (2012 – 2014)

Jr. Copywriter, Freelance, FLY Communications (2012)

Check out my full resume >

Waiting to see if I’ll complete the alphabet one day: Abbvie • Allergan • American Psycho • Ancestry • ASEAN Tourism • Astepro • Bayer Aspirin • Beautiful – The Carole King Musical • Biogen • Bio-Oil • Bravo TV • Bristol-Myers Squibb • Cartier • Cinderella on Broadway • Citi Bank • Claritin • Diesel • Differin • Dos Equis • Exuviance • Ferrero • Flintstones Vitamins • GEMS • Genentech • Godiva • Gold Bond • Go Green • Greenwich Biosciences • Heineken • Honeymoon in Vegas • InstaLift • Jergens • Johnson & Johnson • Kiss My Face • Les Misérables • Let’s Plott • LG • Lotrimin • Lubriderm • Marks Paneth & Shron • Merck • Midol • Mucinex • NBCUniversal • Neutrogena • Nestlé • NFL • Nioxin • Norman Ambrose • One A Day • On the Town • On Your Feet • OPI • PBS • Pfizer • P&G • Rolling Stone • Sanofi • Skyway Lifts • Spectrum • S&P Global • Terry Fator • Thinx • Unilever • USA Network • Us Weekly • Volkswagen • Walmart • Wella Pro • Wendy’s • Westchester Tourism • We TV • Wild Turkey • Xeomin

 
 

Honors & Awards

 

2023 PRWeek Awards Nominee: Best in Creative Excellence

2023 PRWeek Awards Nominee: Best in Healthcare

2023 CHPA Winner: Best Product Launch Campaign

2023 CHPA Winner: Best Overall Social Media

2022 SABRE Winner: Top 10 Global Campaigns of the Year

2022 SABRE Winner: Best Earned Media

2022 Portfolio Reviewer at Where Are All the Black People

2022 MM+M Winner: Best Use of Social Media

2022 MM+M Winner: Best Use of Public Relations

2022 MM+M Finalist: Film or Video Short-Form

2022 PRWeek Awards Winner: Best in Broadcast/Film/Video

2022 PRWeek Awards Winner: Best in Healthcare

2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee

2021 Best American Essays Nominee

2020 James E. Burke Marketing Award at Johnson & Johnson

2019 Reader at the Brooklyn Book Festival

2019 Reader at KGB Bar via New York University (x2)

2018 DTC Finalist: Best Disease Education Digital/Social Media

2018 DTC Finalist: Best Multicultural Print Campaign

2017 MM+M Shortlist: Digital Initiative for Consumers

2017 MM+M Shortlist: Disease Education Campaign

2017 MM+M Shortlist: Multichannel Campaign

2017 MM+M Shortlist: Use of Social Media

2017 DTC Finalist: Best Disease Education Website

2017 DTC Finalist: Best Disease Education Digital/Social Media

2015 Speaker at BinderCon: Beyond Mad Men & Copywriting for the 21st Century

2014 SSCG Style Award at CDMiConnect