By PLUS Communications
Trent Wisecup, who has been a partner at PLUS Communications (PLUS) since 2019, has been named creative director of our firm. Trent has decades of experience writing and producing ads for political candidates, ballot initiatives, Fortune 100 companies and issue advocacy campaigns.
Trent’s ad for a prominent trade association won the Reed Award for Public Affairs TV Ad of the Year in 2025. His advertising for a ballot initiative campaign funded by DraftKings and FanDuel to legalize sports betting in Missouri won the Gold Pollie for Best Ballot Initiative Television Campaign last year.
“Trent has played a big role in growing our public affairs business at PLUS,” said Founding Partner Danny Diaz. “He knows how to drive a message, manage a crisis and bolster the reputations of our corporate clients. Trent brings creativity, high-stakes experience and a strong work ethic to the table.”
Here’s a lightning round Q&A with Trent Wisecup.
Fresh out of college, I took an internship in the Capitol Hill office of Michigan Congressman Joe Knollenberg. By the summer of 1994, I was the Congressman’s press secretary. It was exciting to be on the Hill when Newt Gingrich unveiled the Contract with America and ended 40 years of Democratic control in the House of Representatives. Those were heady days to be a young Republican. Yes, I just dated myself, but I proudly own every one of 54 years.
Our managing partners have built a great company. We have a talented team and execute big campaigns for elite clients. I love learning about new issues. I have especially enjoyed my work for the tech industry. I am fascinated by artificial intelligence (AI), the tech race against China and what this new technology means for our future. AI is the issue of our time and PLUS is deeply involved in communicating its benefits to opinion leaders and policymakers.
This year, I wrote and produced ads for the Invest in Education Coalition to help secure passage of the Educational Choice for Children Act. This legislation, which was signed into law in July, will provide school choice scholarships to one million students across the nation. It is the first federal school choice legislation in American history. In the ad campaign, we featured stories of parents and kids who had benefited from school choice. I enjoyed this campaign because the advertising was supported by the full range of PLUS services. We had an aggressive earned media campaign and grassroots activities. We used Speak4, an advocacy platform incubated by PLUS and managed by Partner Joe Mansour, to drive letters into Capitol Hill offices. Led by Partner Corry Bliss, this integrated advocacy campaign for the Invest in Education Coalition was a team effort that is going to improve educational outcomes for many kids.
We are rapidly moving into a digital-first world. More people watch YouTube now more than all the Disney properties combined. As live sports move into streaming in the years ahead, linear television will continue to lose share. I have made a commitment not to be a television guy hanging onto the past. I am all in on learning how to use digital advertising to win campaigns. I am driven to master the latest AI video tools to keep our advertising at the cutting edge. PLUS is an innovative company. Our digital team, led by Chris Georgia, Joe Mansour and Chandler Bair, is doing important work. AI is becoming an essential part of our culture. I am learning something new every day. It is an exciting time to be a content creator, and I want to ensure PLUS rides this technological wave to greater success.
I listen faithfully to Bari Weiss’s “Honestly” podcast. She hosts incredible guests and focuses on AI, technology, culture, history, foreign affairs and politics. I feel smarter every time I listen. I am also deeply impressed with what Bari Weiss has accomplished with The Free Press. She is a brilliant journalist and one of America’s leading thought leaders.
I just finished a biography of Clint Eastwood. What an American icon. From the spaghetti westerns to the Dirty Harry movies to his directing of classics such as “Unforgiven,” “Mystic River” and “Million Dollar Baby,” no one has had a greater impact on Hollywood over a longer period than Clint Eastwood. As a Michigan native, I loved his halftime in America Super Bowl ad for Chrysler.
It is the 50th anniversary, so I am going to say “Jaws.” Quentin Tarantino is right: “Jaws” is the perfect movie. The very first summer blockbuster, Steven Spielberg terrified America with a mechanical shark and a haunting score. Respect.
Peking Gourmet in Seven Corners is the best Chinese food I have ever had. It was President George H.W. Bush’s favorite restaurant. It is a hangout for Pentagon and Central Intelligence Agency types. The walls are adorned with pictures of famous generals and celebrities. It is a great place. Try the Kung Pao Chicken with the garlic sauce and, if you are with a big group, get the Peking Duck to share.
Ted Williams. Hitting a baseball is the toughest thing to do in professional sports. You can fail seven out of ten times and still make the Hall of Fame. Ted Williams was the greatest hitter ever. If his career had not been interrupted by his service in the Marines during World War II and the Korean War, his statistics would have been extraordinary.
I will give you two. I walk an average of twenty thousand steps a day. My evening walks are when I listen to podcasts and think about ideas for ads. My record is 52,456 steps on a Saturday. That is more than 26 miles.
My three teenage daughters love Taylor Swift. I attended the Eras Tour in Detroit with my wife and daughters and then watched the concert movie. I guess that makes me a Swiftie. Taylor Swift is the most important cultural icon in America. I have deep respect for what she has achieved with her music and the impact she has had on her fans.
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