Barbara Newman’s storied career has left an indelible mark on  brand culture—her award- winning campaigns have built iconic brands around the world. She has brought her creative and strategic expertise to everything from perfume to peanut butter, and through a deep understanding of the emotional connection between brand and consumer, propelled global businesses into category leaders.

While EVP Group Creative Director at Grey Group, Barbara’s thinking for clients such as Proctor and Gamble, Unilever, Fruit of the Loom, and Kraft– built Slim-Fast, Jif, and Dove into top global brands. She wrote “Milk, It Does a Body Good” for the Milk Board, “It’s Magic” for The Disney Corporation, “Choosy Moms Choose Jif” for P&G, and the long-running anthem “We Fit America” for Fruit of the Loom.  A lover of lyric and song, she’s written many jingles for major brands including Barrelhead Root Beer, Jil Sander Perfume, and Disney, and has brought her magic to Macy’s.

As worldwide Creative Director on Slim-Fast, she spearheaded its growth from a $220 million dollar weight-loss product into a $1 billion global lifestyle brand–in just 4 years.The “Get Healthy” and the “It’s Your Life. Feed it Right” campaigns became models for the industry. She launched the brand in France, Italy and the UK, and introduced the first and most successful meal-replacement bar in the category. She also strategized the development of the first interactive health and wellness digital community.

Barbara was the key driver behind the successful branding of The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center—UPMC— a $10 billion-dollar world-renowned healthcare system, with 29 hospitals and 50,000+ employees. She helped implement a long- term strategy that has put UPMC into the national spotlight and changed the perception of an entire city—attracting new business partnerships that continue to be the catalyst for economic growth.

Barbara created the award-winning sports medicine campaign where the Pittsburgh Steelers shared the field with the Pittsburgh Ballet and Symphony, wrote “Where You Belong” for the UPMC Health Plan, “New Vision New Tomorrow” for the G-20 Summit, and led “Hope Takes Flight,” a gala event which raised $9 million for the Hillman Cancer Center.

As founder and Creative Director of Brandvisioning, Barbara co-developed a proprietary ideation and consumer insight mining process that uses deep relaxation to tap into the sub- conscious mind– where brand imprints, associations and emotions are stored. The work informs brand strategy, positioning, and product innovation. Clients include: SC Johnson, Estee Lauder, Dannon, Mondelez, and FIS where she also  wrote their campaigns.

Barbara loves a good startup, and is drawn to developing brands that inspire health, well-being and quality of life in the supplement, skincare and food categories. She co-created I O Nour and Phytofy, and Sazi, a hemp based snack company.

Barbara is on the board of the Berkshire Film & Media Collaborative, the Berkshire International Film Festival, Youth for  Climate, and is a founding Advisor and Ally for Empower Gen Z, which focuses on the mental health of this generation. She was also part the think tank for the inception of The Fred Rogers Center for Education and Children’s Media.

Recently, Barbara launched her award-winning novel, The Dreamcatcher Codes. This young adult eco-fantasy builds cultural bridges, unity and hope while illuminating two critical issues of of times: the climate crisis and girls finding their voices and vital place in the world.

She is a storyteller for brands, causes, and entertainment.