M&C Saatchi Sydney has bolstered its creative (and comedic) stocks with the hire of BBDO New York Associate Creative Director Mike Condrick as Senior Copywriter.

Prior to his two years at BBDO, Mike was Associate Creative Director at Razorfish New York which followed a three-year stint at Tribal DDB New York as Senior Copywriter.

The Boston native’s work has appeared in big award shows: Cannes, the One Show, Addys, Webbys and the New York Festivals.

Although a self-confessed “big tech nerd”, Mike considers himself “more an ad guy than a digital guy”.

In his spare time he wrote and performed in the sketch comedy troupe Party Central USA which performed live in New York and at festivals across the country. Their web videos have been viewed more than 2 million times.

One of the sketches aired on Comedy Central “at about 2.30am, and was watched by about 12 people”. He has also performed stand-up in various “poorly attended venues”.

“Sketch comedy can be helpful for an ad guy’s resume. Like advertising, it’s all about telling stories quickly in a very engaging way.”

Sydney first caught his eye when he honeymooned here three years ago.

A keen surfer, the new Manly resident admits he is still getting to grips with: how “staggeringly beautiful” Sydney is, how helpful its residents are and how “astonishingly blasé they are about the real threat of being devoured or poisoned by a horrible animal”. Oh, and how everyone gets up so early here.

“They say New York is the city that never sleeps, but it definitely sleeps in.”

M&C Saatchi Executive Creative Director Ben Welsh said he just had to have Mike on board.

“What clinched it for me was Mike’s pre-recorded Skype interview. Genius”.

Welcome aboard Mike.

Check out how mild mannered M&C Saatchi Account Executive by day Max Bryden morphs into mad mixing DJ Max Smart by night.

By the time Friday evening kicks around the signature bow tie is adorned and the transformation to Max Smart begins.

Following an introduction to electronic dance music at 17 a glorious love affair flourished which has seen me turn from music collector and avid fan into a blogger, DJ and in more recent times, producer.

I began DJing after high school in 2007 trying to fill a performance void that was left by leaving the orchestra a couple of years earlier.

The hobby quickly turned into an obsession which saw me spend hours not only perfecting my mixing skills, but also poring over thousands of websites in search of the latest and freshest tunes.

I am pleased to say that this obsession transpired down two paths which have ultimately been very successful, as DJing at friends house parties got me noticed by the right people and led to a full-time gig as resident tune-meister of many Sydney clubs.

While gaining more and more work across Sydney, I began to muck around with editing and bootlegging some of my favourite songs and quickly found I was thirsting to go beyond the simple edit to full-fledged remixing.

I soon found a bevy of mix masters willing and able to teach me the craft of music production.

After many long weekends and nights after work in my bedroom, which now doubles as a music studio, I was pleased to have my first official release on an independent record label 8 short months after I had first began producing.

I have an addiction to hardware synths and processers, which makes it an expensive hobby.

I’ve completed 5 remixes witn bands from Australia, USA, UK and Germany and have countless other remixes and originals in the works.

Chances are if MC Saatchi staffers see me bobbing my head or dancing around the agency it’s because I’m thinking of what I can make on the weekend.

Check out some of my work here and here.