Brand Innovators Winning With Playful Moments

Simon Au
Executive Creative Director, The Kitchen North America

Condiment king: Kraft Heinz’s internal creative agency The Kitchen is one of the world’s largest, led by Simon Au. In 2025, the company released Mustard x Mustard, a smoky chipotle-flavored twist on the condiment, and enlisted DJ Mustard as Chief Mustard Officer.  

Hot potato: His team also mobilized at lightning speed when they heard BYU basketball player Richie Saunders say his great-grandfather invented the Tater Tot—a perfect opportunity for Ore-Ida, arriving right at the start of March Madness. After signing Saunders and deeming him “Heir Richie,” they went on to sell out Tater Tots across Utah and earn 3 billion earned impressions—despite not having an official sponsorship.

Tyler Rutstein
SVP of Global Brand Marketing & Americas, Under Armour

In the lab: New to the fitness brand since 2025, Tyler Rutstein is charged with delivering a clear and cohesive narrative across the Americas. He’s also executive producer of Under Armour’s in-house studio, Lab96, which launched in September with the short film We Are Football. Featuring athlete-driven stories told through quick social clips, docuseries, and originals, the studio is churning out content that blends competition, creativity, and culture. 

In the field: When he’s not crafting the next great sports story, Rutstein is giving back to the community: as a professor of sports branding at the University of Florida and on the board of Envision, a nonprofit with a mostly blind or visually impaired workforce.