Brandon Shaw, a former Disney public relations executive, frequent marathon runner, and noted Bruce Springsteen fanatic, has joined nonpartisan communications firm Seven Letters as a partner. The company acquired his B. Shaw Communications single and named him head of its new entertainment and media division in Los Angeles.
Shaw will run the Los Angeles office with Seven Letter partner Casey Hernandez, who previously served as Herbalife’s head of global communications and as press secretary to former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Hernandez plans to relocate from Washington, D.C., to the West Coast later this year.
Seven Letter is also opening a new office in New York City, with Marley Hamburger serving as paid media strategist and director, and Holly Jackson returning full-time to Huntsville, Alabama after an overseas stint. Additionally, Camille Cherney has been appointed to support the growth of the existing Boston office.
Shaw is a popular figure in the entertainment industry and has a proven track record of working in communications for several major companies over the years. Prior to working independently at B. Shaw Communications, he represented companies and executives in the entertainment, technology and media sectors, and last year served as Vice President of Communications for Disney Entertainment Television. There, she led corporate communications for Hulu Originals and advised Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group. Although Shaw directed many high-profile projects at Disney, his crowning achievement was his work on Tom Zimny’s documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, where he served as lead liaison to the talent team and filmmakers. The project complemented Shaw’s reputation as an avid Springsteen fan. Asked how many times he had seen the “Born to Run” singer’s concerts, he was a former contributor to the defunct fan magazine Backstreet and said recently, “I had to stop counting.”
Shaw previously served as vice president of global corporate communications for WME and director of corporate and executive communications for ICM Partners. Prior to working in the entertainment industry, he began his career in Barack Obama’s advance team and in the White House Presidential Communications Office.
Shaw is also a great writer. In addition to Backstreet, his byline has appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and perhaps most notably, Variety. As a guitarist and singer, he releases music with his band Brandon Shaw and the Embargoed Releases.
“The business that Brandon has built is a perfect fit for Seven Letter’s approach and sensibility,” said Eric Smith, Founder and CEO of Seven Letter. “Brandon’s model is based on creating impactful, story-building corporate communications campaigns, guiding executives through times of major change, and crafting winning messages, all rooted in his expertise. This is the work we do across multiple industries, and the work we look forward to growing in Los Angeles with Brandon and Casey.”
“I have long admired Eric and the Seven Letter team’s approach to providing expert-led strategic advice, and I look forward to strengthening the team in both the Los Angeles market and the entertainment industry,” said Shaw. “The Seven Letters team, like me, is a rare combination of people who truly enjoy what they do and do everything they do with a focus on the perfect culture. To use my favorite metaphor of durability, Seven Letters has been fully engaged for 26.2 days on behalf of our clients, and we are thrilled to be able to add their vision and broad suite of services to our existing offering.”
