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Albany Calls

Christopher Sealey wonders what the New York State Senate was thinking when it hired him as its first creative director.

Published May 24, 2009

(Photo: Jake Chessum)

I’m a little shocked that the government would want someone like me. I’ve spent a lot of time working in the music and marketing industries—D.J.-ing for Prince and Mick Jagger and living this expense-account life of New York City luxury. I’d never been interested in politics. But there’s a point in life when sneakers and nightclubs stop mattering as much. When Malcolm Smith, the new majority leader of the New York State Senate, invited me up to Albany to consult on a marketing project, I came away impressed.

You look at Obama, and he created nothing short of a brand for himself. We’re not trying to create a brand (we’re already elected), but we do want better communications techniques. I’m in charge of the design, photography, and multimedia that comes out of the Senate. We’ve brought in designers who have worked for Nike, Spike TV, and HBO; we just launched a new website; and we’re getting in touch with people on Facebook and Twitter.

These days, I spend half of my time in Albany. More than one person there has nominated me as best dressed. I’m definitely the only one that D.J.’s.

Sealey is now launching the identity campaign “Your New York Senate.”

As told to Emma Rosenblum.

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