Dan Nelken

Senior Copywriter

Nelken Creative

Author of A Self-Help Guide for Copywriters, Creative + Brand Consultant for Hire, Available for talks + workshops.

Author | Speaker | Brand Consultant

Creative Director

lululemon

I've been a bit of a Swiss Army Knife for lululemon. I've acted as a bridge between strategy and creative to help articulate the brand's overall positioning as they take aim at some big, humongous goals. I've been a creative lead on several global marketing campaigns and most recently helped launch them into a completely new category (lululemon selfcare). The work's been great but it doesn't hold a candle to the amazing people the brand attracts and grows. Free fitness classes don't hurt either.

Creative Lead/Copywriter

Arrivals + Departures

Worked closely with the creative and strategic leadership teams to create brand campaigns for their most important clients.

Freelance Associate Creative Director

Grumo Media

During my time at Grumo Media we helped start-ups all over the world, and a handful of Fortune 500 companies, tell their stories in the form of fun, playful animated videos. These videos played a small role in helping so many genius founders raise over a billon (raises pinky to mouth) dollars collectively.

The Goat Farm

Founder + Creative Director

TBWA\Vancouver

Cossette Communication-Marketing

Copywriter

I lead talks and workshops on professional creative development.

This journey started with me writing and then self-publishing the book, A Self-Help Guide for Copywriters, one many call a "modern classic".

In the last few years, I've given talks to several of the world's best creative, schools, ad agencies and brands (lululemon, Mattel, North Face, Arla Foods, Nutrafol, Whirlpool and more).

In 2024 alone, I've been a keynote speaker at CopyCon, the American Writers and Artists Institute, the Frontier Summit, and several others.

My online course, Writing Under Pressure has been taken by over 800+ creatives from the world's top brands and agencies.

“When you need insight, intelligence and inspiration for your creative team—bring in Dan.” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

“A notebook full of notes! Really down-to-earth, easy-to-follow presentation. Wouldn’t mind having him back again” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

"Dan’s course is the difference between “the client wants more options” and “the client can’t pick a favourite. If you suffer from the cramps of crossed fingers or the pinch of prayer beads in your palm, this is how to reclaim your confidence." ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

“The only course I’ve taken and blown through front-to-back. Dan just gets it!!!” - Harry Dry, Marketing Examples.com ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

For talks, creative development for your team, and/or group access to the online course, send me a DM or email dan@nelkencreative.com

Currently working on TV, radio, print and digital advertising for the Pacific Northwest Ford Dealers and other regional Ford dealer associations in California and the Midwest.

Our "Key To Survival" TV campaign was selected by Ad Age magazine as a creativity "Editor's Pick" and received a 2023 Silver Telly award along with 3 Cascadia Creative Awards.

GTB is a division of VML, which itself is a division of WPP. OK?

Freelance

In Seattle, I've worked on print, broadcast, social media, video, digital, and content marketing projects with several advertising agencies and marketing firms, including: 

Hey, Garrigan Lyman Group, Square Tomato, GreenRubino, Doubleknot Creative, Canna Ventures, POSSIBLE, Williams-Helde Marketing Communications, Hammerquist Studios, Starbucks Global Creative, POP, R2Integrated, Worker Bees, mortise + tenon, Vertetude, Venture Arts, Weber Shandwick, Jennergy, Modern Species, and Skerritt Creative. 

I've also worked directly with marketers and businesses including MOD Pizza, Theo Chocolate, UW Medicine, Fair Trade USA, Boeing, Outreach, Committee for Children, Distant Lands Coffee, Kidder Mathews, 98point6, Slalom, Zoka Coffee, and Viacom.

Clients I've worked on since landing in Seattle include:

Avaya, Microsoft, T-Mobile, Amazon, Boeing, Target, MOD PIzza, Philips (Oral Healthcare and Medical Devices divisions), Starbucks, PCC Natural Markets, Theo Chocolates, Holland America Lines, Windstar Cruises, Seattle's Best Coffee, Snoqualmie Casino, Seattle Southside, Mutual of Enumclaw Insurance, Acer, Sonos, CBT Nuggets, Mountain Pacific Bank, Columbia Bank, Committee for Children, Swedish Cancer Institute, Providence Health & Services, MCG Health, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, AllPakTrojan, Trumari, Distant Lands Coffee, Zoka Coffee, Scrape Armor, Washington Energy Services, Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, and 20/20LifeStyles. 

I'm an experienced copywriter with produced work in all media, B2C and B2B. My clients have included global and regional brands in healthcare, technology, banking & finance, travel/tourism, coffee, cannabis, transportation, and other industries and vertical categories.

Freelance Senior Copywriter

Adpulp

AdPulp.com is one of the original advertising industry-related blogs. Until 2016 I was a regular writer, with opinion pieces on ad campaigns, articles on advertising's impact on society in general, profiles of advertising agencies, and reviews of marketing and advertising books.

From time to time, I host the Ad Chatter podcast, asking the questions other podcasters don't ask.

Contributing Writer, Podcast Host

MOD Pizza

Writing about pizza should be fun, and it is at MOD. For this quirky, purpose-driven fast casual restaurant chain, I wrote copy for in-store marketing materials, emails, web content, CRM promotions, and social media advertising. My work helped the brand thrive during the pandemic and achieve year-over-year sales growth with several seasonal and CRM-based promotions.

Often times, the headlines needed to be four words or less. Literally.

Senior Copywriter (Contract)

Talent Zoo 

For 18 years I was the author of a regular column called "View From The Cheap Seats" which was featured on the home page of TalentZoo.com, an advertising employment website. I wrote over 200 columns on nearly every advertising and marketing-related topic you can think of.

In 2011, I took the best of the columns and published them. You can order a copy on Amazon.com in softcover form or for the Kindle.

Advertising Industry Columnist

School of Visual Concepts

Summer 2017: I taught a class called Content Writing Fundamentals. The first lesson was on how much I loathe the vague, meaningless term "content."

In Fall of 2015, I taught Ad Copywriting - Level 1 at SVC. I previously taught this class in Spring 2014. In the past, I've taught two other classes:

Spring 2013: Ad Concepts Lab class with Art Director/Creative Director Jerry Kopec. Taught copywriters and art directors to keep honing and refining their ideas into bookworthy pieces.

Summer 2012: Introduction to Ad Copywriting class as part of SVC's Summer Creative Boot Camp. And I managed to do it without wearing mirrored sunglasses and a whistle around my neck.

Instructor

Partners + Napier (Atlanta)

As the only copywriter in the Partners + Napier Atlanta office, I wrote advertising, digital, direct mail, collateral, sales materials and other assorted B2B and B2C pieces for UPS, UPS Capital, Kodak, Delta Private Jets, Philips, Shared Health, Alaven Consumer Healthcare, Marlow's Tavern, and Ravenswood Winery. Left voluntarily in September 2011 to join my girlfriend in Seattle.

Portfolio Center

When my 1st quarter class asked, "Goodby who?" I knew I had to start at the beginning.

So I taught beginning ad students everything they need to know about the ad industry but didn't learn in Kindergarten--or college, for that matter. The structure of the ad industry, using social media to make contacts, headline & tagline writing, concepting, presentation skills, and anything else aspiring ad professionals need to know.

Various ad agencies, both full-time and freelance

I have written print, radio, and television ads, direct mail, collateral materials, websites and other digital for small and large advertising agencies, and aimed at both consumer and B2B audiences. 

Agencies I've worked for full-time include: 
Campbell-Ewald, Detroit
Wolf Group, Cleveland
Tracy-Locke (TLP), Dallas
The Loomis Agency, Dallas
Bohan Carden & Cherry, Nashville
I have freelanced for many others. 

Accounts I've worked on include: 
Chevrolet; Michelin; UPS; Kodak; 
Dirt Devil; Philips; Delta Airlines; 
Channellock Pliers; Harrah's Casinos; 
The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet; 
Nashville Ballet; Nortel;
National City Bank; Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism;
Furr's Family Restaurants; The Flood Co; 
Shared Health; Forest City Coffee Company

Every ad, every message, and every piece of content is a chance to do something provocative and fun. To get attention and more importantly, results. Over the years, I've proven that.

I've written nearly every kind of advertising and marketing piece, in every medium, for clients big and small. 

• See my work at www.DanGoldgeier.com
• Follow me on Twitter @dangoldgeier
• Author of two books about marketing and advertising, both available on Amazon.

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Dan Nelken

Dan Goldgeier

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