KEY PROFILES

As both a creative director and copywriter, Robin has contributed to some of the world’s most well-known brands. His work has earned dozens of awards in both traditional and digital media including Clios and Cannes Lions. While at Chiat/Day in the 1980's, he created the NYNEX Yellow Pages "Human Cartoons" campaign, voted one of Adweek’s 25 Greatest Ad Campaigns. Today Robin is putting his energies towards helping shape social change by focusing on “citizen brands.” 2007 sees the launch of Citizen, a spin-off of Collaborate, the San Francisco agency he co-founded in 1999, with clients such as Amnesty International, Pabst Brewing Company, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), and Wal-Mart (sustainability program).

Through Collaborate, Robin led the development of integrated campaigns for Franklin Templeton Investments, Gore-Tex, Logitech, Rock the Vote, and Seagate (Forbes Magazine “2005 Company of the Year”). In addition, his “Imagine” campaign for Amnesty International based on John Lennon’s classic song ran in more than 65 countries. Previously, Robin also founded DAWG (Digital Artists & Writers Group), a creative boutique specializing in digital media for clients such as Coca-Cola, Microsoft, General Motors, Mastercard, and PBS, as well as Carroll Raj Stagliano, New York with clients such as Citibank and Guinness Brewing Company. Earlier, he also worked at Foote Cone and Belding and Hal Riney & Partners, San Francisco, creating campaigns for AT&T, Blitz-Weinhard Brewery, Levi's, Coors, Gallo, and VISA. In 1990, Robin was named to AdWeek's Creative All-Stars list.

Tu is a classically trained copywriter and web director with a particular fondness towards new media. At Citizen, Tu serves a variety of clients including the United Nations, Amnesty International, Cisco WebEx, Mezzetta Foods, Pabst Brewing Company, Associação Portuguesa de Cortiça, USA Network, and the University of California. Some of his web work has helped Citizen earn such accolades as a Webby Award, two Internet Advertisting Competition Awards, and a Guinness World Record.

Previously, Tu worked at Yahoo's Brand Creative Group, working on an array of print, interactive and general brand work. He's also been a creative at Swirl, Time Advertising, Collaborate and Ticketmaster working on such clients as Franklin Templeton Investments, Gamespot, Panda Express, Ticketetweb, and TV.com. Tu received his masters at the Academy of Art University where he currently teaches Interactive Advertising and other graduate level courses.

Ken Mandelbaum is a multi-talented creative and strategist, and is serving as a creative director on various projects for Citizen.  Ken started his advertising career when he was 17 years old. Since then, he has won every major advertising award, become the youngest person ever inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement.

Along the way, he has created advertising campaigns for some of the world’s best-known brands.  As an award-winning copywriter at Ally & Gargano in New York, he created campaigns for Federal Express, Timberland, Polaroid and Dunkin’ Donuts. In 1986, he moved west to join Hal Riney & Partners in San Francisco, working on accounts that included Gallo, Union Bay Sportswear and Anheuser-Busch, before co-founding Mandelbaum Mooney Ashley, named one of the “West’s Hottest Agencies” by Adweek magazine, with accounts such as The North Face, Blue Shield of California, Arrow Shirts and Seagram.
In 1999, Ken was named Chief Creative Officer for BBDO/West and was responsible for overseeing all creative work including VISA, Charles Schwab, M&M/Mars, Best Western and Earthlink.

In 2003, Ken started Greenland Creative so he could return to a more hands-on role with his clients and has worked on select projects with Citizen founder Robin Raj over the years through the present.

With over 20 years of agency experience, David oversees strategic and account management related activities for all Citizen clients. Since joining the Citizen team in 2007, David has lead the agency’s efforts for Amnesty International, University of California, and development of social action plan focused on promoting tolerance and diversity for USA Network. David has worked on a wide variety of client categories and maintains a strong strategic focus and dedication to building lasting relationships.

Previously, David was Chief Strategist and head of account management at Maiden Lane in San Francisco for six years, overseeing that agency’s involvement with all of their clients. Before that, David was Director of Client Service for Katsin/Loeb, also in San Francisco, where he spearheaded activities for a number of brands, most notable, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Group, an account relationship he managed personally for 5+ years. Before moving to San Francisco in 1998, David was vp/group account director at Cole & Weber in Seattle where he oversaw specific account activity for Westin Hotels and Resorts, primarily directing activities for The Westin’s of Canada and system-wide new product launches; and Pyramid Ales and Lagers.

Kirsten brings her bright, elegant and refined sense of visual aesthetic to the Citizen team. She has worked on an array of design projects from print, packaging, identity, web design, illustration and photography.  Since joining Citizen, Kirsten has spearheaded design work for a range of clients including Amnesty International, Cisco WebEx, Cancer Prevention Institute of California, Lonesome George, San Francisco School Alliance, Save Our Species (SOS) Mighty Leaf Tea, Mezzetta Foods, and World Wildlife Fund to name but several.  Kirsten graduated from the Academy of Art University where she received her BFA in Graphic Design. Prior to joining the Citizen team, she interned for Williams Sonoma, worked as a photographer’s assistant and provided freelance design for a variety of clients.

Tamsin Smith is a social entrepreneur who works with non-profits, brands, and philanthropists to architect good ideas that matter to the world, and is currently developing special projects with the Citizen team. Tamsin is skilled at building creative collaborations and consumer movements that empower people to realize global impact. Through her company SlipStreamStrategy, she has led the development of public engagement campaigns for the United Nations Foundation and the Family Violence Prevention Center, and a national poetry sharing initiative in assisted living communities.

Previously, Tamsin served as president of (RED), the for-benefit brand that harnesses private-sector ingenuity and influence to activate the buying power of the public in the fight against AIDS in Africa. She was recruited by (RED) founders Bono and Bobby Shriver to launch the program internationally and build an organization to sustain its rapid growth.  Tamsin helped expand (RED)'s corporate partnerships to include Converse, Gap, Motorola, Emporio Armani, Apple, Hallmark, Dell, Microsoft, Starbucks, American Express (UK only), and the publication of Vanity Fair's Africa issue. At the time of her departure, (RED) had generated over $180 million for HIV and AIDS programs internationally.

With a background in economic development, political engagement, and corporate social responsibility, Tamsin has helped drive trade ties with lesser-developed countries and is a champion of building sustainable business opportunities for entrepreneurs and workers. Prior to joining (RED), she shepherded Gap Inc.'s public-policy strategy to create and lead the company's government affairs department for nine years. She began her career with six years on Capitol Hill. Today Tamsin’s syndicated blogs appear on the Huffington Post and other sites regularly.

Ian is a recent West Coast transplant who has spent the majority of his career working in New York. He's a graduate of The School of Visual Arts and a veteran of work for clients ranging from Jaguar, Target, Cadillac, IFC, Atari, and Audi. His work has been recognized by The Art Directors Club, Communication Arts, I.D. Magazine, Graphis, and the Poynter Institute. He has also collaborated on projects under the moniker of Public Service Bureau, including, notably, such projects as “Behind The Candidates” for the 2008 presidential election and “Remember Hope” for the 2010 mid-term election. On the off hours he enjoys everything the Bay Area has to offer from landscape photography to learning the intricacies of Northern California craft beer and wine appreciation.

George Perlov is a social marketing and communications consultant based in New York City who helps nonprofit, government and corporate clients improve their impact in addressing a host of social and health-related issues.

He was previously Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation at the Advertising Council, the largest provider of public service communications campaigns in the United States. In this position he was responsible for advising the planning and research process for the Council’s public service campaigns, monitoring and measuring of donated media, evaluating campaign effectiveness, proprietary research the Council conducts on public service directors and social issues, international issues, as well as special strategic initiatives.

Prior to Ad Council, he spent over 10 years in the commercial advertising world, in the areas of account management and strategic planning. As a public speaker, he has addressed audiences at the Advertising Research Foundation Conference, the Independent Sector Conference, the Academic Educational Research Association Conference and the National Community Service Conference. He is a two-time recipient of the EFFIE award for effective advertising, awarded by the American Marketing Association. George lived and worked in Japan in his early career days and has traveled to and consulted in over 50 countries worldwide.