Creative Director Core Strengths

• Offer a documented track record of producing multimillion-dollar Creative Leadership

retail impact, working with such industry leaders as GSW, Best-in-Class Catalog Design

Longaberger, Abercrombie & Fitch, Bob Evans, Disney, and Big NFL, NCAA, & Disney Licensing

Lots to catapult brand identity and influence. Adept in managing Client Relationship Management

multiple projects and internal/external teams concurrently. Healthcare, Pharma, & Retail Industries

• Provide strong direction to creative teams, serving as a “working” Print Project Management

creative director able to personally produce award-winning Interactive Project Management

designs. Coach staff to deliver consumer-centric creative

solutions that influence consumer behaviors, drive sales, and

reflect consistent verbal and visual brand communications

Experience & Contributions

Senior Art Director

Gerbig, Snell/Weisheimer & Associates (GSW) [2010-present]

Joined GSW in Senior Art Director role in order to gain critical healthcare/pharma experience vital to being “sold” to clients as an

industry expert with the expectation of receiving promotion to senior leadership and creative director role akin to level of responsibility

enjoyed during the past 5+years with The Longaberger Company and SBC Advertising.

Serve as a key member of the Core Creative Team, working with global clients Abbott, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Lilly, Salix, Stryker,

and Takeda to fuelconcept development, campaign execution, and deliver branding solutions on strategy across all media. Generate

breakthrough ideas and strive for innovation while developing new business pitches and

serving in a highly diverse and fluid position. Demonstrate understanding of clients’ marketing needs and consumer

attitudes while managing a plethora of creative projects spanning identity development, brochure layout and design,

trade shows, websites, MOA video direction, and digital interactive experiences.

• Set the tone for a global brand and new pharmaceutical product from Gilead, through efforts directing a

photography campaign from creative concept through completion, including management of a 7-day

photo shoot in San Francisco.

• Played a key role in capturing new business from Salix generating $3M in Q4 2010 and expected to drive $5M

in 2012, serving as the largest account in the group.

• Expanded business with existing clients, creating the concepts and pitches to acquire new product lines;

recently worked on a pitch resulting in winning a key contract with the 2nd largest knee replacement company

with a 3rd product in discussion.

• Work in close concert with the Creative Director to ensure optimal quality and timing, collaborating with creative

partners to develop and express ideas that meet clients’ needs and secure competitive contracts.

Creative Director

The Longaberger Company [2007-2010]

Championed branding, marketing, advertising, and creative strategies to extend brand awareness, reposition products to reach a new

target demographic, and continue to grow a $250M business. Allocated a $1.5M budget, managing the strategic direction of all creative

projects to ensure adherence to brand messaging, deliverables, and deadlines. Spearheaded the design, development, and/or

management of a biannual 64-page full-color catalog, collateral, monthly flyers, direct mail pieces, sales publications, e-commerce

and web presence, event and retail signage, photo shoots, and logo and online messaging.Played a key role in product development,

selection, and presentation, providing senior leadership with verbal and visual catalog outlines for upcoming seasons. Coached and

managed the performance of a team of 12 internal creative professionals in addition to external resources including photographers,

illustrators, and designers serving as a hands-on manager with the ability to personally design print materials for all brand

touch points.

• Instrumental in driving increased sales through a strategic brand realignment, taking Longaberger’s products from being

“collectible” to “functional” and, in that, engaging a key demographic through a change in artistic and creative direction.

• Generated $435K in annual savings on a $1.5M budget by bringing key functions in-house; restructured the department

to increase efficiencies, reduce dependency on freelance contractors, and maximize utilization of in-house talent.

• Conceptualized, explored, and captured lucrative licensing agreements with the NFL and collegiate sports teams, generating

$280K in the first 3months of launch with expected revenue of $2.8M in 2010.

• Aligned internal resources to optimize synergies, provide on-demand access to art files, and enhance security of marketing

initiatives, by establishing a central server with a tape backup and eliminating desktop-based storage.

• Built, branded, and launched a sales force incentive program to serve as an engagement tool for Longaberger’s 45,000

home consultants marketing home and lifestyle products anchored by the company’s handmade artisan baskets around

the U.S.

Experience & Contributions, Continued

Associate Creative Director [02-07]; Senior Art Director [00-02]; Art Director [99-00]

SBC Advertising [1999-2007]

Drove the creative strategy, brand building, e-commerce, website development, packaging, and national and international promotional

campaigns for key agency clients including Disney, Bob Evans, Bed Bath & Beyond, Big Lots, The Kroger Company, Wayne Dalton,

Herald Printing, Sterling Commerce, Key Bank, Subway, KB Toys, and more. Worked with clients to control consumer experiences from

beginning to end through visual communications. Collaborated with and supervised a team of four art directors and one copywriter,

handling an immense workload requiring multidisciplinary skill sets. Attended the Kids Marketing Conference annually.

• Saved the $650K Bob Evans account and turned it into a $1.25M client, by strengthening the relationship,

delivering consistency in messaging, providing award-winning creative direction, and securing television

and radio contracts.

• Joined forces with a cross-functional team of architects and designers to create Big Lots’ store of the future

concept, working with internal and external stakeholders to define the desired consumer experience and create

supportive visual messaging.

• Gained entry into Lowe’s and Menards for Wayne Dalton, driving an 80% spike in sales, by leading a team on

package development to highlight the company’s garage doors in an accessible manner for the big-box retailer.

• Developed engagement strategies to yield repeat website visits for Baldwin Brass, creating an educational

experience that provided visitors with commentary from key industry subject matter experts to augment

e-commerce capabilities.

Senior Graphic Designer [97-99]; Graphic Designer [95-97]; Freelance Graphic Designer [94-95]

Abercrombie & Fitch [1994-1999]

Played a pivotal role in the direction of A&F’s Creative Department, convincing the President to bring design in-house versus

outsourcing to a New York based agency, and co-creating the entire in-house Graphics Department. Joined forces with another

designer to design next-in-class graphics for all merchandise, marketing, and retail signage, developing some of the bestselling

products in company history. Designed the department footprint to maximize efficiency of workflow with the addition of new

Design Team members.

• Conducted bimonthly research in the NY and LA fashion markets to bring ideas and influence to the A&F brand,

focusing on identifying unique and vintage themes to inspire top-selling collections which drove explosive growth in

the late ‘90s.

• Gained greater control in the direction of the brand by bringing creative development in-house, securing significant

cost savings, unmatched efficiencies, and the ability to better respond to emerging market indicators.

• Originated and launched the Women’s and Girl’s Design Department, leading a team of 4 designers in developing

seasonal directions and conveying through style boards, merchandise graphics, POP signage, and the

in-store marketing experience.

• Developed a signature t-shirt graphic that generated $3.1M in sales, demonstrating an uncanny knack for

creating themes and concepts that appealed to the target consumer while building a sustainable brand identity.

Additional experience as a freelance commercial sculptor, working with such clients as the MGM Grand Hotel,

FAO Schwartz, Highland Hills Water Park, and Sangjie of Korea to create innovative sculptures and animatronics

for business and consumer audiences. [90-06]

Education

Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD)

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communications & Commercial Sculpting

Awards

Addy Award - Enigma Direct Mailer - Sterling Commerce

Regional Gold Addy Award - Herald Printing Brochure

Addy Award - U.S. Sportsmen’s Brochure

Addy Award - Herald Printing Direct Mail

Addy Award - Elmer’s Glue Direct Mail

Technical Inventory

CS6 Illustrator Photoshop InDesign QuarkXPress Bridge MS Office Suite

4820 Woodhaven drive, Galena, Ohio 43021 • 614-***-**** • portfolio: rodvrancken.format.com • acfg86@r.postjobfree.com

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