Essentials: Harry Bee

The Internet, with its unrelenting pace and fickle attention span, quickly sorts the most creative and capable individuals from the rest with unwavering efficiency. One such individual who has ended up on the right side of the Internet divide is Harry “Bee” Bernstein, who founded digital creative agency The 88 in 2010 and has proceeded to plow ahead with innovating the influencer-led marketing model that has since become de rigeur in advertising agencies the world over.

Born in Queens, New York, Bernstein grew up at the center of the vibrant arts, design, and street culture scene of pre-Giuliani era New York City during the ’80s and early ’90s, before making a name for himself at agencies like Ogilvy & Mather and Berlin Cameron, where he was creative director. With the advent of social media, Bernstein sought to capitalize on the market potential of the new web with The 88, which he grew exponentially since its launch thanks to his uncanny ability to identify trends in consumer behavior and align brands with them. What started as a three-person team in a barebones office in SoHo, the now thriving 50-strong professional agency can boast a resume that includes campaigns for adidas Originals, Bloomingdale’s and Coca-Cola, as well as personalities like A$AP Rocky, Alexander Wang, Jeremy Scott, Casey Neistat and Phillip Lim.

Here, Bernstein presents his Essentials for work and play, the centerpiece of which, of course, is his infant son Lorenzo. For more in our Essentials series exploring the everyday objects of the individuals defining and reshaping our culture, click here.