THE PROFILE:
Julie Halpin Anderson '84

By Michael Reardon

Julie Halpin Anderson literally grew up in the shadow of O’Kane Hall. Her father, Jim Halpin, was director of admissions from 1963-91, so Halpin Anderson was as familiar with the Holy Cross campus as she was with her own home. Naturally, when it was time to consider where to go to college, she admits she “looked everywhere else” but the college on the hill.

Exploring several institutions, Halpin Anderson was drawn to Amherst College because of its outstanding dance program. Despite her interest in the school, she eventually came to the conclusion that there was no place like home.

“I was flattered to be accepted at Amherst,” Halpin Anderson says, “but I didn’t feel the same kinship with the Amherst student body that I did at Holy Cross. After looking at a lot of schools, I felt so much more at home and excited by Holy Cross. I ended up being very happy there.”

At Holy Cross, Halpin Anderson majored in French because of her love for the language—as well as for the art, literature and culture of France. As a dancer, she also had a love of theater, leading her to take part in a number of shows at the College as a performer and a choreographer.

“I never considered it seriously as a vocation,” Halpin Anderson says of dance. “I still do it for fun.”  

Today, as the founder and chief executive officer of The Geppetto Group, a marketing communications firm that targets the youth and teenage market, Halpin Anderson is considered one of the most powerful voices in her field. Geppetto employs 27 full-time staff and 25 part-time freelance consultants. Prior to opening Geppetto in 1997, she earned respect throughout the industry as a founder and general manager of Saatchi & Saatchi’s Kid Connection.

At Geppetto, Halpin Anderson has for clients some of the most recognized names in the world, including Major League Baseball, the National Football League, Lego, Samsung, the Library of Congress, Kids Footlocker, Pepsi-Cola, Walmart, and many others.

Holy Cross, according to Halpin Anderson, was a place of intellectual and artistic discovery. The first person in the history of the College to earn credits for dance, she learned that she liked to look at familiar subjects from new and different angles. A class called “Theology of Liberation,” which explored the intersection of politics, human rights and theology, was a particular favorite.

This interest in looking at the familiar in a unique way is partially what makes her such a successful advertising executive. At Geppetto, Halpin Anderson, her staff and freelance consultants work hard to understand what appeals to children and teenagers—and then to use this knowledge to build new products or talk about existing products in new and exciting ways.

The company recently worked with Samsung to help that company develop an MP3 player to compete with Apple’s i-Pod. As a result of intensive ethnographic research, Geppetto discovered that for 16-24 year olds, music is a social experience, a way to connect and share, while the i-Pod is a solitary experience.

“Our idea was to build an MP3 player with built-in speakers so that young people can listen to and share their music,” Halpin Anderson says. “The K-5 was introduced last summer from Samsung as the very first one in the market with speakers.” 
  
Halpin Anderson addresses the inevitable question about the morality of marketing to children from the perspective of both a business executive and a mother.

“We’re helping clients create new products for kids that are healthy and good for them,” she says. “Companies have a responsibility to do what’s right for kids. I’m happy to be part of that.”

Q&A:

Is there anyone you particularly admire?

J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books—because of her ability to bring a truly fresh voice to children’s literature in a way that is as commercially successful as it is entertaining and exciting—exactly the same thing I endeavor to do at Geppetto.

What is your favorite movie, book or theater event?

The most powerful theater experience I have ever had was seeing Rent when it was still in workshop in a small 100-seat theater in the West Village. I felt as if I were in the presence of brilliance. I had goose bumps throughout the show.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

My master’s degree and interest in religion. My master’s in comparative religion looked at different religious traditions to understand the role of women and feminine religious symbols and images. If I could have another life, I think I would become a priest. 

What is your proudest personal accomplishment?

My son. Everything I’ve done pales in comparison to being a mother. It’s a treat beyond my wildest imagination.

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