Chicago advertising agency hires award-winning MIAD alum

Wingstop | Thighstop New product launch campaign featuring Rick Ross. Matt McNulty, Creative Director, Leo Burnett – 2021
Chicago-based advertising agency O’Keefe Reinhard & Paul (OKRP) recently hired MIAD alum Matt McNulty, Communication Design ’13, as a Group Creative Director for Burger King. McNulty teams up with Ben Pfutzenreuter on the account, a creative partnership which began several years ago at Leo Burnett Worldwide. While there, the duo collaborated on Wingstop’s award-winning “Thighstop” campaign in response to the 2021 chicken wing shortage.
Working with big brands is nothing new for McNulty and Pfutzenreuter, whose experience spans companies from Progressive Insurance to Pepsi and whose work has been featured in Super Bowl and Grammy campaigns. “I manage lots of creatives in my job,” says McNulty, “and I believe MIAD equipped me with the perspective to be able to work with lots of folks with differing styles and preferences.”
McNulty also offers insights for young creatives looking at a future in art and design: “The truest form of art and expression will always be what’s most connected to you, and that’s something people can feel,” he says. “Creativity is a personal journey, and you are enough… MIAD has always been a space of welcoming and uplifting people for their own voice, and I think that’s a really nice energy to bring to our community.”
Stay up to date with Matt’s work, check out Ben’s website, and read more about McNulty and Pfutzenreuter’s new position. You can also read more about McNulty’s success in MIAD’s new catalog.
News
2026 First-Year Exhibition showcases professional growth
An annual tradition at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design from late March through September, the juried First-Year Experience Exhibition celebrates students’ yearlong personal and professional growth.
Meet Carmen Briones and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Echo
Carmen Briones ‘26 (Product Design) is a President’s (Honor) List student from Cambria, Wis., president of the MIAD IDSA student chapter and an intern at SI Jacobson Manufacturing. Briones designed a device called “Echo” that removes ovarian cysts without surgery.
Meet Eeshaan Dutt and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Indra Supreme
Eeshan Dutt ‘26 (Illustration) is a President’s (Honor) List student from India and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. Dutt’s work centers on visual storytelling through sequential art, where he explores how narratives can engage and connect with audiences.
Poster designs boost professional skillsets, children’s nonprofit
Continuing an annual tradition begun in 2010 at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), Illustration juniors worked with Cramer-Krasselt and Penfield Children’s Center to design posters for the center’s Annual Croquet Ball fundraiser.
MIAD Task Award: Alum pays it forward with generous mentoring
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) alum Amy Cannestra ’06 (Communication Design) believes in giving back, in mentoring and in the supportive nature of the Milwaukee art and design community. By founding Task Creative and the MIAD Task Graduate Award, the incredibly busy creative exemplifies all three beliefs. The Task awardee, Ashley Osorio ’26 (Fine Art + New Studio Practice), will receive five consecutive days to use the Task Creative space for a project of their choosing this summer.