Chuck Bennett, 44

Clay Williams, 35

Creative Directors

TBWA Chiat/Day

When Clay Williams and Chuck Bennett were eating soft-shell tacos at their favorite Mexican food place in Venice several months ago, a chihuahua streaked by the window hell-bent on some mission. As the two creative directors at TBWA Chiat/Day laughed at the dog, an idea was born and parlayed into one of America’s leading ad campaigns for Taco Bell.

Williams and Bennett are considered the hottest ad team in town right now, buoyed by the success of the Taco Bell chihuahua. They also worked on the attention-getting Nissan ad campaign that features the eccentric Mr. K and his dog. With these pop icons in their back pocket, the advertising industry is saying “Yo quero Williams and Bennett.”

“These guys create cultural icons,” said Kirk Souder, creative partner of the Santa Monica agency Ground Zero, who has worked with both men. “But more importantly, they’re a rare commodity in that they combine breakthrough creativity with strategic plans to best position their client.”

Bennett and Williams met each other about four years ago at L.A. advertising agency Stein, Robaire, Helm. They struck such a strong partnership that Chiat/Day hired them both as creative directors in 1994.

“Chuck is calmer than I am,” Williams said. “I’m more explosive, and have a tendency to just run forward.”

While they may disagree on who’s more “out there,” both men emphasize the importance of carefully observing the world.

“We keep it fresh by being a keen observer,” Bennett said. “Something simple about the human condition can strike a chord and be really funny.”

Bennett graduated from the Colorado Institute of Art, where he had an emphasis in commercial design. That degree carried him to United Airlines in Denver, where he designed a series of instructional manuals and created a series of training films. From there he went on to advertising.

Williams graduated from UCLA with a degree in history. On the eve of his graduation, he rejected the idea of law school and entered advertising his grandfather’s and father’s profession. He started out in the traffic department at the Shalek Agency in Santa Monica, until he “conned (his) way into the creative department and rose through the ranks.”

Bennett and Williams, who usually work 10 hours a day, six or seven days a week, look forward to a continued and lengthy partnership.

“I’m just happy at what I’m doing,” Williams said. “Where else can you turn a chihuahua into a cultural hero?”