Brian Franks of Where Eagles Dare on American Eagle, Five Below and Walmart

Pulling from culture to find a fresh way in

With over 25 years of experience leading creative and strategy for major consumer brands, Brian is founder and CCO at independent agency Where Eagles Dare. Clients include American Eagle Outfitters, DSG, Midas, Five Below, Brigit and more.

We spent two minutes with Brian to learn more about his background, his creative inspirations and recent work he’s admired. 

Brian, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I grew up in Erie, Penn., spending a month every summer in North Carolina with my dad. Those two very different places shaped me. Today, I proudly call Pittsburgh home.

How you first realized you were creative.

When I was a kid, my aunt and uncle gave my brother and me a subscription to Childcraft encyclopedias. I became obsessed with doing every project. In grade school, I remember an art teacher, Mrs. McGregor, who encouraged me. That was probably the first time someone singled me out as having talent, and when my creative confidence journey began.

A moment from high school or college that changed your life.

My first concert. Eighth grade summer, when the Beastie Boys came through Erie on the Licensed to Ill tour. I was at a sleepover, and my friend’s older sister took us along. It completely blew my mind in all the right ways. The music, style, set design, people in the crowd and overall experience left me fully energized, curious and craving more. 

Your most important creative inspirations, and some recent stuff you love.

I obsessively consume movies, series, music, books, art. In college, I worked the graveyard shift at Blockbuster Video and logged an encyclopedia’s worth of films that still live rent-free in my brain. Lately, I’ve been loving the work Oz Perkins is making, and my creative director, Zam, is constantly building playlists that inspire new thinking. Follow Zamantha Lee on Spotify and thank me later.

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on.

There’s a special kind of reward when something you create becomes part of the cultural conversation. While at American Eagle Outfitters, I collaborated with College Humor on an April Fools’ campaign called “Skinny Skinny,” which unexpectedly went viral.

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A recent project you’re proud of.

We designed the branding and packaging for a private-label summer inflatable collection for Five Below called “Let’s Go.” The goal was simple: take a true-value product and make it feel fun, elevated and special—without losing accessibility.

Someone else’s work you’ve admired lately.

Walmart’s “Who Knew” campaign. It’s smart, confident and does exactly what great brand work should: It invites people to take a fresh look at something they thought they already understood.

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Your main strength as a creative person.

I tend to see ideas before they’re fully formed and I’m good at connecting dots and pulling from culture to find a fresh way in.

Your biggest weakness.

Perfectionism. It can occasionally tip into micromanaging, something I’ve learned to recognize and manage better over time.

A mentor who helped you navigate the industry.

Two stand out. Michael Leedy, American Eagle CMO during the early years, hired me out of school and helped me understand the craft, art and science of branding. Thanks, Michael. Kathy Savitt, CMO during the later years, taught me to start every project by visualizing the ideal end-state first, then building creative that solves toward that vision. Thanks, Kathy. 

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.

My wife is an interior designer, and we’ve had a lot of fun renovating homes, working on real estate projects and imagining spaces. If not advertising, I’d probably be designing and renovating environments where people actually live.