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Creative Leadership
Creative Leadership
Creative Leader, Director & Strategist
Rob debuted his creative talents and conceptual storytelling 18+ years ago and has since been an inspirational leader in the technology, automotive and entertainment industries. His curiosity, insightfulness, adaptability and entrepreneurial spirit have all played significant roles in his successful endeavors. Rob’s approach to innovation and his method of creative problem solving are greatly influenced by collaboration, well-defined strategic goals, his business intuition and pop-culture acumen.
Part brand marketing maven, part product design wizard, Rob’s love and deep understanding of both has given him the unicorn touch—spinning concepts and projects into award-winning campaigns and products. Previously, Rob played a transformative role as VP and Executive Creative Director at Midnight Oil, guiding all creative engagements for blue-chip clients such as Activision, Disney, FOX, Adidas, Ubisoft, and Warner Bros. Under his leadership, the firm was named Game Marketing Awards’ 2014 Agency of the Year.
Rob also served as creative lead at The Designory where he leveraged his automotive background to spearhead a full redesign of the Nissan USA website. The work included fifteen model sections, an expansive shopping tool and a model-specific microsite that earned the Internet’s highest honor, the Webby Award. His experience in product development is equally impressive. As Senior Human Interface Designer for Palm Inc., Rob was among the driving forces behind the launch of the original webOS mobile platform. His creative vision and design efforts for Palm garnered the first ever ‘triple crown’ at CES in 2009; Best in Show, Best Smartphone and People's Choice. Rob’s nearly two-decades experience in the industry has made him a genuine go-to for creative and strategic consultation and mentorship.
Rob holds an undergraduate degree from one of the top-ranked advertising programs in the country, at the University of Illinois. When he wasn’t hitting the books, he was sticking landing as a Fighting Illini Gymnast. While Rob may have retired his gymnastics uniform, his creativity and storytelling continue to inspire the industry by leaps and bounds.
“Rob is an inspiring creative person with a diverse and unique perspective and professional experience. He brings true value to any challenge with his passion and approach to blending art, commerce and storytelling!”
“Rob is one of those unique creatives that you rarely encounter. He is able to deliver rich visual concepts and executions while interpreting the deep strategy of complex business clients.”
“It is rare to find a Creative Director who is simultaneously as strategically-minded, client focused, and creatively outstanding as Rob. He brings thoughtfulness and intelligence to all aspects of his job, whether it be a simple art direction task, a complex creative problem, or a difficult client situation.”
“Rob sets himself apart as a creative professional by being relentlessly driven to come up with big ideas. He has the commitment to strong concepts that is essential in developing solutions rather than just designs.”
Client List
Awards & Accolades
Awards & Accolades
2014
Game Marketing Awards
Marketing Agency of the Year
Gold, Best Retail Marketing Campaign, Skylanders SWAP Force, Activision
Gold, Standout Overall POP Display, Skylanders SWAP Force Walmart Portal Inline, Activision
Silver, Best Cool Sh*t, Kingdom Hearts HD Walls of Awesome Launch Event, Square Enix
Silver, Standout Overall POP Display, Skylanders SWAP Force Toys R Us Pre-Sell Display, Activision
Silver, Best Website for a Product, Saints Row IV Infographic, Deep Silver
Bronze, Best Retail Marketing Campaign, Saints Row IV Retail Marketing Campaign, Square Enix/Deep Silver
Bronze, Standout Overall POP Display, Tomb Raider Character Standee, Square Enix
2013
CLIO | Key Art Awards
Gold, Monsters University Theatrical Character Standee, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International
Gold, The Croods Motion Poster, Dreamworks Animation SKG / Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Bronze, Frozen Theatrical Standee, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Bronze, The Croods Lenticular Poster, Dreamworks Animation SKG / Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Effie Awards
Bronze, New Product / Service Introduction, Rocksmith The Authentic Music Game Introduction, Ubisoft
Game Marketing Awards
Gold, Best Retail Marketing Campaign, Tomb Raider, Square Enix
Silver, Best Retail Marketing Campaign, Skylanders Giants, Activision
Bronze, Best Retail Marketing Campaign, Assassin’s Creed 3, Ubisoft
Silver, Best Trade Collateral, Family Guy Manager Mailer, Activision
Game Connection Awards
Gold, Best Overall Campaign, Skylanders Giants, Activision
Gold, Best PR Campaign, Far Cry 3, Ubisoft
Gold, Best Mobile Marketing Campaign, Tomb Raider Scavenger Hunt, Square Enix
Gold, Best Marketing Team, Midnight Oil
2010
Intel Creative Innovation Awards
IDF 2010 San Francisco
2009
Consumer Electronic Show (CES)
Best in Show, Palm Pre
Best Smartphone, Palm Pre
People’s Choice, Palm Pre
2007
Webby Awards
Official Honoree, Nissan Altima Microsite
2000
Don Belding Award for Creative Achievement
Acura MDX Vehicle Section
Product & Brand
Product & Brand
It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Right.
On the flip side, when I’m designing a digital product like an app or enterprise system, I think about the kinds of emotions this brand will tap. While it’s important to create a practical and usable product experience, there’s added value to making a meaningful connection through brand storytelling. This back and forth process is how I synthesize both product and brand, which has culminated into some of the most groundbreaking and creative work in my professional career. Care to Pong?
How does a product and brand coexist in my world? While a Venn diagram with its overlapping circles and me at the core might be one explanation, the notion fell a little flat. In reality, there are two things continually playing off one another and that’s when it hit me. My love for both product and brand is a game of Pong—constantly in motion, vacillating from one side to the other.
When I’m in a brand state of mind, I’m not only thinking about the stories that bring brand promises to life, I’m also proving the product’s function and value.
My Product Skills
“In our profession, you need to have strength in three areas. Vision, process and people. Given the opportunity, Rob does it all, effortlessly.”
“Rob is great at seeing the bigger picture of the project. Rob isn’t afraid to challenge himself and others to create a better overall product, and you can see the results...”
“Rob is a passionate and motivated leader with a proven track record of conceptual thinking and refined execution. He is an encouraging mentor, thoughtful designer, articulate presenter and effective manager.”
“Robert always puts 100% of his effort into his work, and I’m always extremely impressed with the results. It is a true pleasure working with him and listening to his ideas inspires me to think outside the box.”
My Brand Skills
“Rob has good business sense and brought unique perspective to the executive table. I also appreciate his approach to running creative: Rob is strategic, his vision and creative story is informed by a depth of understanding of client and account.”
“In the fast-paced world of advertising, Rob consistently remains a calm and confident leader. Not only does he have a knack for understanding the big picture with creative storytelling, he also has a keen eye for fine detail.”
“The creative concepts he would come up with were always inline with our clients’ vision, even if he pushed the envelope to go above and beyond their basic requirements. He was also very strong in pitching new concepts along with excellent presentation skills.”
“Rob directed a visually cohesive and aesthetically elegant approach to interactive brand experience. Furthermore, Rob’s excellent communication skills enable him to articulate creative thought and reasoning towards clients and colleagues alike.”
Curriculum Vitae
Curriculum Vitae
Visionary creative leader with a proven track record in brand marketing, strategy and mentorship. Conceptual storyteller with a relentless passion for creating work that connects emotionally through compelling stories and intuitive design experiences. Deep understanding of brand and product and the co-dependent relationship existing between them.
Award-winning portfolio of work spans diverse markets and industries from campaign marketing to retail/shopper marketing for both B2C and B2B. Expert knowledge and experience in the technology, automotive and entertainment businesses.
Exceptional communication skills presenting ideas, stories and experiences to internal teams, clients and larger audiences. Forged strong client relationships that resulted in new and repeat business opportunities.
Entrepreneurial leader who has managed multi-disciplinary teams of 40+ professionals with an unwavering dedication for building and training creative departments across multiple verticals, offerings and channels. Balances leadership with hands-on abilities, working collaboratively with team members and departments to deliver bar-raising solutions from concept to completion.
EXPERIENCE
Creative Consultant | Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago | 1998 - Present
ArcTouch/Grey, Avanade, Backyard Productions, Camp Playa, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Dailey, Global Eagle Entertainment, Sony Connect, Spark Networks, The Cannery, The Haley Miranda Group, Walt Disney Internet Group
VP, Executive Creative Director | Midnight Oil, Burbank, CA | 2012 - 2014
Activision, Adidas, Deep Silver, Disney–ABC Television Group, Disney Store, DreamWorks Animation SKG, Google Play, Lionsgate, Marvel Studios, Microsoft, Paramount Pictures, Radio Disney, Sonos, Sony Pictures, Square Enix, Trinchero, Twentieth Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Studios, Ubisoft, Universal Pictures, Xbox
Group Creative Director | mOcean, Los Angeles, CA | 2011 - 2012
Disney Motion Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures
Creative Director | MRM / McCann Erickson, San Francisco, CA | 2010 - 2011
Intel, Asus - Republic of Gamers, Wells Fargo, Tropicana
Senior Human Interface Designer | Palm, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA | 2008 - 2010
Palm, Inc., webOS
Associate Creative Director | The Designory, Long Beach, CA | 2005 - 2008
Nissan, Infiniti, DirecTV
Interactive Creative Director | Reynolds and Associates, Los Angeles, CA | 2004 - 2005
BAX Global, Schenker, UTI Worldwide, Los Cabos–Mexican Tourism Board
Art Director/Designer | Genex, Los Angeles, CA | 2000 - 2003
Acura, Honda, CitiStreet
EDUCATION
Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago
Media Arts & Animation
- President’s List
- Dean’s List
- Honor’s List
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor of Science: Advertising
- Fighting Illini Big Ten Gymnast