"Getting great work from Francis was the only 100% guarantee I ever experienced in all my years as a creative director. He has the rare ability to assimilate information and then create dramatically inspired concepts quickly and reliably -- something very few humans can do. He's the best. And from me, that's a pretty strong statement."
— Dan Rosenthal, Executive Creative Director
"Francis is one of my ad heroes. He's not only a great writer, he's a great thinker and a great mentor. And I've never known a writer
or art director who worked for him that didn't learn from him, respect him, and enjoy working with him."
— Woody Kay, Executive Creative Director
"Long before I knew Francis, I knew his work. Clios, Cannes, the One Show—it was in just about every award show out there. So when he offered me a job, I jumped at the chance. And while I knew I'd be working for a great writer, I had no idea what a fantastic mentor, manager and human being he would turn out to be as well. Francis has the ability to find the compelling truth behind a client and bring it forward for the world to see. (Seriously, the man turned a brief for heavy duty trucker's oil into poetry.) And while we don't work at the same company anymore, there's still no one I turn to more for insight, inspiration and advice. Only now, instead of him paying me, I have to pay him. Which is only fair, frankly."
— Mick Sutter, Executive Creative Director
"I was lucky to cross paths with Francis at DDB Needham. I owe him for helping me launch my ad career. Francis' creative output was constantly in demand. Still, he always made time to help everyone, including this "low-on-the-totem-pole" junior copywriter. He showed me how to make radio spots funnier, create print campaigns and tighten up my copy. Truth be told, I'd be nowhere near the writer I am today without his help. Thanks Francis. You're that rare breed who excels creatively and inspires others to do their best as well."
— Sharna Fulton, Illustrator/Writer
"My team at Discovery worked with Francis on everything from titling assignments to multimedia campaigns. Without his thinking,
we would not have achieved the ratings we had on hits such as Walking With Prehistoric Beasts, Blue Planet, The Real Eve, Unsolved History and Building The Great Pyramid to name just a few. To make certain we were covered, we sought out other writers of his caliber. But we never found one that matched his creative thinking or unflappable temperament."
— Traci Spiegel, Director of Marketing, Discovery Channel
"Francis is a man, a myth, a legend. The Chuck Norris of writers. When a muse looks for inspiration, she channels Francis Sullivan. When
a writer gets writer’s block, it’s because Francis has all the ideas. But unlike Chuck Norris, Francis is nice. Really, really nice. He won’t roundhouse kick you for a bad brief or punch you in the face for a ridiculous timeline. He just dishes out great ideas like Chuck Norris dishes out justice. He’s the real deal."
— Kai Fang, Executive Creative Director
"I met Francis when he joined RGC. In one year, the agency went from three local Addy awards to 21, most with Francis’s name on them.
He energized the department, the agency, and, best of all, our clients. Every award was with long-term clients -- the same ones who had said, “No,” to everything the year before."
— Sheila Campbell, President, Wild Blue Yonder
"I was hired to develop a full-service creative department for Arnold in DC. Within two years that office grew from $4 million in billings
to $96 million. The creative department played a large part in that success. One reason was Francis Sullivan. As a writer and strategic thinker, Francis could work at any leading agency. He helped supervise the department. But what helped the agency’s growth was that Francis always made time to create whenever something unique was needed. In doing so, he raised the bar for the agency."
— Nick Gisonde, Executive Creative Director