the

book Of

david.

This is a story best told in verse — 3 of them, in fact.

Chapter One is story of the Advertising copywriter, creative director, ad junkie, over-caffeinated idea-obsessed creator. Mentor. Leader. Perusing these pages would reveal I’ve worked at agencies big and small, won awards grand and inconsequential, and ran brands ranging from major banks and luxury cars to pickles and fresh fish. I’m in the Modern Museum of Art and display a framed and signed commercial script from Johnny Cash. It was the first work I ever produced.

Chapter Two of the tale turns to a more interesting (and historic) time in American culture. This yarn is about a (still) over-caffeinated idea guy who saw an opportunity to reinvent himself by taking the helm of the creative work for NBC News. We’re talking the #1 morning show, nightly news broadcast and Sunday politics show, not to mention every news show on the second-fastest growing network in all of cable (MSNBC) during the most unprecedented news-cycle in history — the 2016 election and the absurdity formerly known as “political discourse” that ensued. To form this chapter, it took some doing. I learned an entirely new lexicon (Chryon, anyone?), adjusted to delivery times in hours as opposed to days, and acclimated to the subtle but vital differences in tone of TODAY, Megyn Kelly Today, Nightly News with Lester Holt, and Meet the Press. Not to mention I oversaw a 30+ staff largely comprised of members of the Writers Guild of America. In a word: Challenging.

Which brings me to Chapter Three — a winding narrative with twists and turns this protagonist never sees coming but somehow manages with alacrity. This is my Jared Jewelers story — a yarn about elevating an iconic brand to speak to a more luxurious guest. My part in this story is about creating a new brand identity, serving as the creator of ads, branded content and TV spots in lieu of an agency of record for this $1.5B business (in FY25, I saved Jared >$500K in agency/production fees). The role also carries Purpose which took me to Botswana, Africa with Academy Award-winning director, Luc Jaquet, to create a film about Jared and a first-of-its-kind diamond tracing experience that will not only elevate Jared but the entire natural diamond industry. It’s the old fable of Mother Earth withstanding Father Time. It’s a family love story at its core.

This site offers a glimpse of my story and aims to showcase the tales of all three careers. If you'd like to know more, email me at mcmillannyc@gmail.com.