Brian Billow
O Positive
Director
Area of Expertise: Directing, Comedy
Brian Billow is one of today’s go-to directors for the comedy genre. He spent the first part of his career as an award-winning Creative Director at DDB Chicago and McCann Erickson NY, working with brand clients such as MasterCard, Budweiser and Wrigley’s, to note a few. He parlayed his experience as a creative into an award-winning directing style characterized by both strong comedic performance and a cinematic visual aesthetic. An admitted improv junkie—he studied the acting craft at Second City Chicago and New York’s Peoples Improv Theater—Billow’s work also reflects a sixth sense about timing.
Recently, Brian’s ongoing bundling campaign for Geico featuring “Aunts”, “Clogging”, “Ratt” and others has been widely praised most recently with Aunts garnering a Webby. Brian also co-wrote and directed the viral sensation “Abe and Trump being Frank” @abeandtrump which was undoubtedly the deciding factor of the 2020 Presidential election. His viral video sensation BETH—a short film parody inspired by the classic KISS rock ballad, earned rave reviews from media tastemakers ranging from Creativity and Adweek to Vice and Huffington Post and KISS drummer himself, Peter Chris, called the short, “pretty freakin’ awesome.”
Along with these comedic favorites, Billow recently directed a more serious anti-bullying PSA for BBDO and Monica Lewinsky - #DefyTheName, which won a Silver and Bronze Cannes Lion and a Webby Award. It features a cross-section of high-profile people like Quest Love, Lena Dunham, and John Oliver who overcame being bullied as children.
Billow’s efforts have been acknowledged with a number of other industry awards including Cannes Lions, D&AD, One Show, Webby’s, Clio’s and third place at the PIPS table tennis tournament in Brooklyn, NY.