Founder, mcgarrybowen
As a founder of mcgarrybowen, Gordon Bowen heralds one of the most diverse and celebrated careers on Madison Avenue. His powerful storytelling helped amass an impressive list of iconic clients, including American Express, The Walt Disney Company, Pfizer, JP Morgan Chase, The Hallmark Company, Intel, Verizon, Marriott International, and Proctor & Gamble. His belief in idea-led, data-driven, tech-enabled platforms made mcgarrybowen one of the fastest growing agencies in advertising history. In under a decade after its founding, mcgarrybowen was named “Agency of the Year” three times and expanded into all major global markets. Gordon continues to oversee the many of dentsu’s creative efforts and has added substantially to their client list with accounts, such as Lowes.
Prior to founding the agency that bears his name, Gordon held Chief / Executive Creative Director positions at McCann Erickson Worldwide, Ogilvy & Mather and Young & Rubicam. During this period, he also led AT&T from “Worst Advertiser of the Year” to “Advertiser of the Year” in just 12 months.
As Creative Director for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, he continued his success by writing the theme line, “Light the Fire Within” and teamed to create the Opening and Closing ceremonies. The games were nominated for 7 Emmy Awards. Prior to that, he held the same title for Robert Redford’s Sundance Entities; The Film Festival, Channel, Catalogue, and Resort.
Time Magazine labeled him a creator of “emotional blockbusters.” His legendary “Membership Has Its Privileges” campaign for American Express, shot by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, was named Advertising Age’s “Campaign of the Decade.” His work for various clients has been selected as the number one spot in the Super Bowl three times, and in 2018 the agency’s campaign for Intel garnered the Grand Prix at the Cannes Lion Festival.
Gordon currently serves on the board for Breitling and Ballet West and acts as an advisor to The End Fund, Charity Vision, Rising Star Outreach, The University of Utah, Utah Valley University, The Great Salt Lake Trust, and other charitable and religious organizations. Gordon was the creative director for the Olympic games in Salt Lake City. He is also currently producing the “Grace for the World Ceremony” on behalf of his Holiness Pope Leo XIV marking the 2025 Jubilee Year.
When not globetrotting, he splits his time between New York City and Holladay, Utah to spend time with the greatest loves of his life – his daughter Lily (25) and his son Caleb (22). A filmmaker by trade, he finds inspiration knee deep in the Greatest Snow on Earth and shoulder to shoulder on the Great White Way.
Gordon’s greatest passion is to create emotional bonds. Whether for an iconic brand, charitable cause, art and educational institution or environmental concern, his greatest desire is not to just make “work that works” but work that matters in the world.
