Pierce Thiot, Maximum Effort’s head of creative for brand and entertainment, has died aged 40 from a pulmonary embolism at his home in Orem, Utah. His death is significant within advertising and entertainment because he helped shape campaigns designed to function as popular culture rather than conventional commercials.

Thiot spent almost five years at Ryan Reynolds and George Dewey’s Maximum Effort, creating work for brands and projects including DoorDash, Mint Mobile, Lay’s, L’Oréal, the Michael J. Fox Foundation and Coyote vs. Acme. Earlier roles included campaigns for Apple, Nike, Gatorade, Coca-Cola, Netflix and Beats by Dre; he also contributed to the Emmy-winning Underdogs documentary series. He is survived by his wife, Stacy, children Adelaide, 13, and Jackson, 10, and longtime creative partner Kathleen Swanson.