Bob Giraldi was born in Paterson, New Jersey, USA (b. January 17, 1939) and came from a working class Italian-American family. He was educated at Paterson Eastside High School in New Jersey and Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York where he attended on a basketball and baseball scholarship. He graduated Pratt in 1960 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

Upon graduating college, Giraldi spent the next nine years as an art director and creative supervisor at the advertising agency Young & Rubicam, NY.

In 1965, Giraldi began teaching advertising at The School of Visual Arts in New York and was soon appointed as the Head of the Department of Advertising and Design. In 1968, he was promoted to Assistant Director of the school and has been associated with SVA ever since.

In 1970, Giraldi became creative director of the advertising agency DellaFemina & Partners where he created many award-winning campaigns.

In 1973, he formed his production company Giraldi-Suarez Productions with Phil Suarez, which has to-date produced and directed close to 3000 commercials, music videos and short films. Giraldi himself has gained over 500 major industry awards.

His groundbreaking advertising campaigns include the Pepsi-Cola campaigns with Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie. His spot with Jackson is certainly remembered for the infamous incident in which Mr. Jackson's hair caught on fire due to extensive pyrotechnics on the set.

Giraldi is also recognized for the historic, original, long-running "Lite Beer from Miller" spots including Rodney Dangerfield, Bob Ueker, Billy Martin, John Madden, Bubba Smith, Tommy Heinsohn, Mickey Spillane, Dick Butkus, Joe Piscopo, and many others.

Giraldi was also responsible for the memorable original commercials for the Broadway shows "A Chorus Line," "Evita," "Dream Girls," "Sophisticated Ladies," "Sunset Boulevard," "Phantom of the Opera," and "The Full Monty."

In 1983, Giraldi wrote and directed the music video "Beat It" starring Michael Jackson. Over the years, this video has been considered one of the single biggest influences in the music industry. It won a coveted American Music Award, the Billboard Video Award, a 1984 People's Choice Award, and is included in Rolling Stone's top ten of video art at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Other famous videos followed. "Say, Say, Say," with Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney won the 1984 Le Festival du Clip St. Tropez. "Love is a Battlefield," with Pat Benatar won a 1984 MTV Award, and "Hello," with Lionel Richie, won a 1985 American Music Award. Other notable music videos from the 1980s include: "Running with the Night" - Lionel Richie, "Pieces of Ice" - Diana Ross, (more to add??)

Also in 1983, Giraldi wrote and directed the short film "My Hometown" for NBC and the 50th anniversary of The World Series. This film, featuring music by Bruce Springsteen, now has a permanent place in baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

In 1985, Giraldi adapted a short story by Leonard Michaels, and directed the short film "City Boy," with music by Bryan Ferry, for the Playboy Channel. In the same year, he wrote and directed the popular Christmas special "A Christmas to Remember" with Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.

In 1987, Elizabeth Dole honored Giraldi in Washington, DC for his music video and ad campaign "Don't Drive Drunk," performed by Stevie Wonder.

Also in 1987, Giraldi directed the feature film "Hiding Out" starring Jon Cryer and Annabeth Gish, released by the DiLaurentis Group.

In 1991, Giraldi was inducted into the New York Art Director's Hall of Fame, one of the few film directors to be honored.

Also in 1991, Giraldi's spot "Eyes" for the Ads Against AIDS campaign won Gold at the London International Film Festival, Gold at the AICP-MoMA Show, Gold at the Mobius Awards, and won Gold at the Addys.

In 1994, and again in 2003, his alma mater, Pratt Institute, gave Giraldi the Herschel Levit Scholarship Award, honoring excellence in careers and providing scholarships for young artists.

In 1995 Giraldi and Patti Greaney created an original World Wide Web site called STAR CHEFs, featuring celebrity chefs and cookbook authors. The site was declared Best of the Web by US News & World Report and Brills. STAR CHEFS has also been awarded Microsoft's Top Pick Food Site and a New Media Invision Award for Best Online Periodical.

In 1997, Advertising Age named Giraldi "One of the 101 Stars Behind 100 Years of Adverstising."

In 1998, Giraldi's music video for Will Smith's "Just the Two of Us" won MTV's Best Male Video Award, the Billboard Pop Music Video Award, and the Media Project Shine Award.

In 2000, Mr. Giraldi produced and directed the feature film "Dinner Rush" starring Danny Aiello, Edoardo Ballerini, Vivian Wu, John Corbett, Kirk Acevedo, Sandra Bernhard, and Summer Phoenix.

"Dinner Rush" premiered at the 27th Telluride Film Festival, was selected for the prestigious New Directors/New Films Series presented by The Film Society of Lincoln Center and The Museum Of Modern Art. It was featured as a Spotlight Film at The Hamptons International Film Festival, won the People's Choice Award at The St. Louis International Film Festival, and was runner-up for the most popular film at The Sarasota Film Festival. It was released in 2001.

In November 2001, Giraldi was asked by Young & Rubicam and SONY to create a story on HI-DEF tape, and he wrote and directed the short "The Routine" starring Joanna Going. This film debuted at Sundance Film Festival in 2002 and won the Best Drama Award at the 6th Annual Los Angeles International Short Film Festival. The film has also been featured as part of the September 11th Commemorative Program on SHOWTIME Network.

In 2002, Giraldi created a short film that was used by United Architects, one of the seven International design teams that competed in The World Trade Center Design Competition for the right to build on The World Trade Center site.

Also in 2002, Giraldi wrote and directed the short film "Dream Begins" which kicked off the much-heralded presentation that won New York City the United States bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. It has since been added to the permanent collection of the Department of Film and Media at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

In 2005, Giraldi returned and wrote and directed the short film "A Peculiar City" for NYC2012. It was the closing film in New York City's presentation to the International Olympic Committee in Singapore.

In 2003, Mr. Giraldi's "Freedom Center Campaign" won a Gold and Silver Medal, as well as the Grand Award at The New York Festival in the Public Service Announcement category. It was also awarded a Silver Award by the United Nations Department Of Public Information.

Also in 2003, his Ad Council spot, "Main Street USA" won a Gold Addy Award at the National Level in the Public Service Announcement category, and a Silver at the Annual Chicago Television Awards.

Giraldi became a member of the Executive Board of Hamptons International Film Festival in 2004 and he wrote and directed the official trailer that preceded every film at the festival in 2004 and 2005.

In 2005, Giraldi wrote and directed the original short film "Honey Trap" starring Debbie Harry. This film was one of the first shorts ever shot entirely in 4:4:4 Hi Def Film Stream with the Viper camera system. The short won a Gold Remi Award at the 39th Annual WorldFest Houston and screened at Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films, San Diego Film Festival, Raindance in the UK and Hamptons International Film Festival in 2006.

In 2006, Giraldi partnered with director Carlos "Hari" Sama's Mexico City based Catatonia Films to create the multinational production/media company CATATONIA-GIRALDI, representing international directors for commercial and long form content.

Giraldi and Patti Greaney are working with The School of Visual Arts founder Silas Rhodes to create FESTIVAL FOR THE FOURTH SCREEN: CONTENT TO GO, an international festival for content created by students devoted to the new art & technology of wireless delivery systems launching in 2007.

Giraldi is currently casting the feature film "The Lion's Share," a drama slates to shoot in Spring 2007. Patti Greaney and Steven Siebert are producers.

In addition to his copious work in film, Bob Giraldi is also involved in several restaurants:

JEAN-GEORGES, New York, NY - Co-Owner
THE MERCER KITCHEN, New York, NY - Co-Owner
LIPSTICK CAFE, New York, NY - Co-Owner
VONG, New York, NY - Co-Owner
VONG, Hong Kong - Co-Owner
PRIME STEAKHOUSE, The Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas - Co-Owner
GIGINO TRATTORIA, New York, NY - Co-Owner
GIGINO AT WAGNER PARK, New York, NY - Co-Owner
RIINGO, New York NY - Partner
BREADTRIBECA, New York, NY - Co-Owner
DIABLO ROYALE, New York, NY - Co-Owner
THE E.U., New York, NY - Co-Owner