Who we are
No one ever told us we were small.
Clients come to us for big agency ideas. Big agency branding. Big agency creative. Big agency execution. But what they love about us, is that while our campaigns are big, the experience is much more intimate. When we take on a project, we treat a client’s brand and budget as if it were our own. We internalize their objectives and do the “heavy lifting” – creating strong branded campaigns and assets that can be executed either by us, or by clients’ in-house team, across all media.
Each client works with a lean, mean award-winning creative team, led closely by agency principals, whom have created campaigns for products ranging from diamonds and mega-yacht marinas to beer and body spray. From hospitals to hedge funds. And from retail to real estate. If you’re Target, Apple or Coca Cola, we may not be big enough for you. But if you want to be, give us a call.
Amy Falk Gross
Principal & Creative Director, Art
Amy Falk Gross joined WSAA as a partner in 1997. Prior, she was a VP/Creative Director at Bozell Worldwide on Mass Mutual Insurance, Elizabeth Arden and the Children’s Welfare League. Previous to that, she was the youngest VP/Associate Creative Director in McCaffrey McCall’s history, where she oversaw the blue box campaign, choosing the color that is synonymous with Tiffany’s today.
Amy is a co-founder and executive board member of Pink Aid, a charity that provides compassionate and financial support to breast cancer patients.
Amy graduated from Parson’s School of Design with a BFA in Communication Design after spending her first 2 years at University of Michigan. She is the proud mother of Will, Katie and Maggie. Her passions include working out to loud music, reading historical fiction, trying new recipes while sipping wine and spending time with her family.
Renée Mandis
Principal & Creative Director, Copy
After getting fed up with the massive mergering of the New York City ad scene in the 1980’s, Renée Mandis founded the antithesis, the world’s SMALLEST ad agency in 1989. The founding principle – to offer big agency caliber work of the highest creative standards with boutique service and greater budget control – still holds true today.
Prior to WSAA, Renée was a Sr. Copywriter at Ammirati & Puris and before that at Backer & Spielvogel, where she wrote award-winning copy for clients including Club Med, Miller Lite, Hyundai, Schweppes, Chiquita and Coalition for the Homeless.
Renée is a co-founder, founding grants chair and board member of Pink Aid, a charity that provides compassionate and financial support to breast cancer patients.
Renée graduated Binghamton University with BA’s in English and Spanish Lit and studied copywriting at the School of Visual Arts. She considers her sons Jordan and Jackson to be her finest creations ever and spends much of her free time cooking, doing the New York Times Crossword Puzzle and trying to catch up with friends and TV shows.
David Cushman
Creative Director, Interactive
David joined wsaa in 2007. Previously, David was Design Director at Gartner in Stamford, and an Art Director at various agencies throughout Connecticut.
David graduated in 1995 from the Hartford Art School, University of Hartford, with a BFA in Visual Communications. Very active in the state’s creative community, David has donated his time and design services to the Connecticut Art Directors Club, AIGA Connecticut and Ad Club of Connecticut.
When not at wsaa, David can be found spending time with son Evan, daughter Sydney and wife Lori.