Hello! I’m Director/Producer Joseph Maiocco (mãy-ahhh-kõe). 

During basic training my drill sergeants would yell “Alphabet” during mail call instead of “Maiocco.” I guess with that many vowels and consonants bundled together it only made sense. It turns out it was the perfect nickname – just for a different reason.

It was there that I first learned about the phonetic alphabet – words representing letters in order to communicate complex ideas, so there is zero confusion. Echo. Foxtrot. Bravo. I was fascinated by the precision and practicality of military language. But, simultaneously, I was also becoming deeply interested in language on the other side of the spectrum: storytelling. 

In the Army, I became fascinated by the stories told by those around me. Men and women from all walks of life, all with their own unique story. Those experiences opened my eyes to the power of narrative to entertain, to heal, to communicate, and to relate. 

Through the years, I’ve worked to combine that fascination of efficient language use with my fundamental love of storytelling. And I’ve coupled them with a drive to use media and technology in creative ways. 

Whether it’s branding, graphic design, content, motion, or something made with my own two hands, at the end of the day I’m a storyteller striving to find the synergy between creative execution, business strategy, and our wider world.

Maintaining that balance is crucial. Because, for me, creativity has to be about more than just making “stuff”— it has to be about striving for something greater than yourself.

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A veteran of the U.S. Army, Joseph Maiocco received his BFA in Film and Design from the University of Cincinnati’s Electronic Media Division.  For over 12 years, he has worked to help redefine the purpose of media through projects with some of the biggest brands on the planet.

His current role as Executive Producer at Newsy Brand Studio blends the worlds of advertising and journalism in order to help brands participate in bigger and more impactful stories.