Meet AcrobatAnt Creative Director Bryan Cooper,
creative dynamo and multitalented authority on all things design. The most laid-back and consistently upbeat person you’ll ever meet, Bryan has been driving our creative process and product for years.
How has previous career and/or academic experience prepared you for your work here?
My time as a waiter during art school taught me to connect with people by listening and reading body language. This skill enhances my agency work, making meetings more productive. Also, I spent four years creating promotional graphics for a petroleum company, learning to make even dull products like oil bottles exciting. Later, in a corporate telecom job, I saw how too many decision-makers can lead to confusion and complex solutions.
In 2002, I joined AcrobatAnt for more meaningful projects, emphasizing straightforward solutions. This focus has guided my work for 21 years.
Why did you get into this wacky business?
I grew up in the agency world. My dad was creative director at one of Tulsa’s largest agencies back in the ‘80s. I had other plans, though. My dream was to become a heavy-metal star. I grew out my hair, played bass guitar, and formed a band that never quite made it to the big leagues. It soon dawned on me that what I really loved was creating the band’s logo, T-shirts, CD covers and music posters. So, I headed off to art school and the rest is history.
Give us three to five fun facts about you:
- I love concerts, especially when I can get to the front row. So far, I’ve high-fived Billy Joel, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, and Bon Jovi, and I managed to get Sting’s setlist.
- When I worked in the telecom biz, my employer selected me to be in an international TV spot where they made fun of my dancing.
- I collect vintage photography from the late 1800s.
What would you be doing if you weren’t in the advertising world?
Outside of design, I have a love of sculpting. My sculptures usually center around antique clowns, skulls, or anything “vintage kitschy.”
