Chief Creative Officer
PROFILE
o Comprehensive experience in the development, launch and management of high-impact, creative advertising programs for worldwide brands.
o Proven ability to create successful promotional strategies for global market penetration.
o Extensive background in team leadership and strategic planning, with the goal of effectively leveraging all aspects of mass media communications.
o Hands-on expertise in business development and team brainstorming.
o Total proficiency in the entire creative development life cycle for a brand, from initial concept to final execution.
o Proven ability to build successful business relationships, identify new opportunities, and consistently expand market share.
o Multi-category experience with clients as diverse as Subway Restaurants, Principal Financial Group, General Mills, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Taco Bell, Mexico Tourism, Shoney's, Ciba, Whirlpool, John Deere, Chicago Tribune and Wolverine Boots & Shoes.
o Proficient at public speaking and executive speech writing.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
o Discovered “Jared” for the Subway restaurant chain and implemented entire creative development and rollout of the program. This creative initiative broke all records in the quick service restaurant (QSR) category, resulting in a 40% increase in same store sales the first week, and a 25% increase in sales the first year.
o Improved sales for Gallo Wines by 20% in Canada with an international advertising campaign that contrasted the romantic aspects of “a nice moment for a glass of wine” with the circumstantial humor that can disrupt that moment.
o Designed and launched highly humorous strategy for ATA airlines, a Chicago/Indianapolis-based lowfare vacation airline.
Problem: How do you make a lowfare, vacation-oriented airline appealing to the business traveler? Solution: Create a “Jackie Gleason” like character who put business people on the spot by asking them how much they paid for their tickets and laughed at them in disbelief. Carrying the tagline “Whadjapay?” it generated immediate talk value, markedly increased sales and was noted and used by both Jay Leno and David Letterman in just two weeks.
o Pioneered an emotion-driven advertising campaign that introduced Johnson & Johnson's Tylenol brand for use in the treatment of arthritis, resulting in a 20% increase in sales.
o Won $100 million in new business in only one year as creative leader for Publicis Groupe's new business team.
o Awarded the prestigious lion at the Cannes film Festival for engineering a television event that jump-started Amway International's successful expansion into Europe.
o Received many other industry awards including D&AD, The Art Director's Club, One Show, Communication Arts, Effie.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Creative Strategist
2004
Currently operating as a consultant to consumer products corporations, improving branding and enhancing effectiveness of mass media advertising.
Publicis Groupe, Chicago, IL
Executive Creative Director, Executive Principal
1998 - 2003
Publicis Groupe is the 4th largest communications group and ranks No. 1 in Europe and No. 3 in the U.S. with a presence in 109 countries and on 5 continents. The creative core is comprised of three global networks--Publicis Worldwide, Leo Burnett Worldwide and Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide.
o Chosen to be a member of the senior leadership team with responsiblity for a creative department of thirty professionals, including all aspects of hiring, budgeting, management and creative development.
o Managed creative development and directed advertising for billings in excess of $400 million. Accomplishments included: The “Jared” campaign for Subway restaurant chain; a national print campaign for Ciba's Freshlook contact lenses inviting teens to wear them “Just for tonight” resulting in a 25% increase in sales; the “Whadjapay?” campaign for ATA airlines; A national print and TV image campaign for the Principal Financial group(the leader in 401k's) under the theme “We understand what you're working for;” The first national TV presence for Charbroil, the world's largest manufacturer of outdoor grills, where we gave them both an advertising theme and a corporate mantra as “Keepers of the flame.”
o Provided creative leadership and inspiration for team that won over $100 million in new
Corporate Voicing, Inc., Chicago, IL
Principal
1995 - 1998
Founded this independent consultancy dedicated to finding and defining the touchstone for corporations. Before mission statements, before anything else in successful corporations, there is a voice. The insightful articulation of that voice defines a touchstone, from which every other form of communications emanates--internal communications, external advertising and public relations.
o Created marketing strategy for Kodak Corporation to define a voice and create esprit within the company during a time of change as they evolved to digital technology.
o Guided the marketing and creative positioning with Traveler's Insurance Company as they acquired other companies and attempted to unify them under their umbrella.
o Developed new ways to promote and execute Ritz-Carlton's credo, which said, "Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen”.
Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising, New York
Group Creative Director
1991 to 1995
As part of the Publicis Groupe, the firm works with over 60 of the top 100 worldwide advertisers and over half of the top 50 most valuable global brands with a presence in 84 countries and over 7,000 employees.
o Provided creative vision for Tylenol brand, tapping into new market for treatment of arthritis, with an emotion-driven campaign resulting in 20% increase in sales.
o Led creative development for a campaign that increased market share for Gallo wines in Europe by 20%.
o Expanded creative platform for General Mills Cheerios brand.
POSITIONS PRIOR to 1991
Hal Riney & Partners, San Francisco, CA
Executive Creative Director
Responsible for business development and creative integrity, leading a team of ten professionals, in the Chicago office of this cutting-edge advertising agency.
o Clients included: Nuveen Investments, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Chicago Tribune, Stroh's Beer, John Deere, Saturn.
Bozell, Chicago, IL
Group Creative Director
o Managed the creative product for Amway International, Wolverine Boots and Shoes, The Illinois State Lottery and Lipton.
o Provided creative leadership and formed task force to help launch the Florida lottery.
Early positions-- Young & Rubicam, Associate Creative Director; N. W. Ayer, Copywriter; Abbott Laboratories, Medical Writer.
EDUCATION: Parson's College, Fairfield, IA
B.S. Degree, Biology and English literature, 1969
AWARDS: Cannes, One Show, Art Director's Club, Communication Arts, D&AD, Effie. |
