How does a streetwise, hyperactive Italian-American kid from Brooklyn sidestep the family construction business to become one of the advertising world’s great creative minds and a budding TV star to boot? “That’s the story,” says 44-year-old Eddie Evangelista, an executive creative director at JWT. “And it’s a good story.”

A driving force behind such successful recent campaigns as the Diamond Trading Company, Smirnoff, Thermasilk and Rolex, to name a few, Evangelista's dynamic tough-guy-next-door persona is a sure bet to be the breakout star of the upcoming Simon Cowell–produced ABC reality show American Inventor. The show—which will seek out the greatest product ideas in the nation for a $1 million grand prize and subsequent consumer-brand launch—will feature one judge each from the worlds of finance, business, marketing and advertising. So how exactly did Evangelista land the highly sought-after gig? “It was a fluke. I was late for a meeting, going through my lobby, and one of the guys down there said, ‘They’re interviewing for this show, you’d be great,’” he recalls. “And I said, ‘I really don’t have time for this. I could give a s--t. But he said, ‘You gotta go.’”

As for his bullish style of leadership, well, he wouldn’t have it any other way. “My way is a little more direct. I wear my emotions on my sleeve. People know where I'm coming from at all times. I look at it like I’m leading a platoon: The worst thing you can have is chaos and indecisiveness. And I bring that same approach to working on a brand: coming on directly and very truthfully.”

Does that mean we should expect Cowell–style directness from the 25-year industry veteran when dealing with would-be inventors? “Creatives are fragile, and you’ve got to handle them gingerly,” he says. “Unfortunately, I’m not the ‘handle gingerly’ type. Sometimes I might be too harsh, and I realize that. But I think it helps the teams get to a place quicker. You want to get it right the first time.”
And he should know. As an out-of-the-box creative thinker, he has launched many memorable campaigns during his eight-year tenure as an executive creative director at JWT, though he's most proud of his recent award-winning work for the Diamond Trading Company. “I think those ads are able to speak to a type of consumer who looks at work a different way. When you talk to consumers, they’re wired very differently. Men want to solve problems and women want to be romanced.” So he convinced the DTC to launch separate campaigns: a men’s campaign consisting of bold headlines that was “in-your-face yet elegant” and an ingenious “Right Hand Ring” women's campaign. “We found another piece of real estate to exploit, and that’s why it’s one of my favorites.” It’s a favorite of DTC’s, too.

Who needs an MBA when you’ve got keen insight into the real key to success in advertising and product branding: Knowing what you’ve got—and being able to express it in 10 words or less.

“I don’t like to get sucked down into the mire of all these big words and strategies and definitions. Give me one sentence that sets the idea. That’s what it comes down to when you have a brand.”

And now, on the eve of his national television debut, the exec behind many successful branding campaigns is characteristically playing it cool about becoming a household name himself. “I love what I do,” he says. “I just think, ‘Always remember where you come from, and don’t get caught up in the bullshit.’” Though it’s unlikely his wife and two children, Sofia, 9, and Mike, 5, would ever let that happen: They knew he was a star long before he got Simon Cowell’s stamp of approval. “When I told my wife about it, she said to me: ‘It was only a matter of time.’”