Aaron Gresham
Senior Creative Officer at o2 Ideas
ajgresham@gmail.com
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Summary
Everyday I am thankful for how fortunate I have been. I am one of the lucky few; doing what I love. To some degree, it’s in my blood- I grew up in the business of advertising. My mom is an art director and my dad is a writer. What choice did I have? Advertising has never felt like a job, it’s a passion. With the constant introduction of new technologies and the daily evolution of the business; I can’t imagine a more exciting time to be doing what I do. There seems to be no end to the possibilities and variables. I grew up with a strong blue collar work ethic. There simply is no replacement for hard work and doing your research. You may out talent me from time to time, but you will be hard-pressed to out work me.
Specialties
I am a creative director with the analytical mind of a strategist and the processes of an account director. I believe my job isn’t my title, it is the responsibilities I have to my clients and my team. I have had the honor of working with and learning from some of the smartest people in the business. In my mind nothing matches guiding a person from intern to National ADDY winner. Unlike many creative directors, I remain very hands on; I prefer to lead by example and instruction.
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Experience::
Senior Creative Officer at o2 Ideas
January 2001 -Present (8 years 8 months)
When I joined o2ideas in January 2001, we had 35 employees and $14 million in capitalized billings and at that time, I was a senior art director. Through a lot of late nights and big new business wins, we grew to 115 employees and over $100 million in capitalized billings in 7 years. Of course I can not take all the credit for this outstanding growth, but for my part, I was rewarded with the title of senior creative officer. Through this journey, I have had the opportunity to work beside and for some truly brilliant individuals and they have taught me so much about the industry, from strategy to execution.
Highlights:
• Winning the BI-LO Supermarkets business, which led to wins for the GIANT/Stop & Shop
business as well. Where I helped developed creative and presented the work.
• Winning the Captain D’s business. Where I played a key role in the entire RFP process, including creative development, client meetings and the final pitch presentation.
• Recruiting, training and helping build a top creative shop in a market that is tough to bring talent into. Which includes building a talent pool database that made it easy to grow responsibly and maintain a high quality of work. By reaching out and connecting with regional university programs through speaking engagements and portfolio reviews, we gained an inside track on top area talent.
• Building an interactive department from scratch, using a combination of training, reallocating internal talent and recruiting outside the market. We went from outsourcing sites to building complex e-commerce database sites, flash sites, e-marketing solutions and SEM /SEO plans all in less than 6 months.
Clients
Verizon Wireless, The Home Depot, Giant / Stop & Shop, Toys“R”Us, BI-LO, Captain D’s, Books-A-Million, Border’s, ServisFirst Bank, Alabama State University, Intuit, Kaplan, Nissan USA, Honda Manufacturing
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ACD-Agency side (o2ideas) at Captain D's
2004 -2006 (2 years)
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Senior Art Director at Intermark Group
January 1997 -December 2000 (4 years)
I had worked for a local ad agency in Auburn, Alabama (Ellis-Harper Advertising), for 2 years while I was finishing school. Which really helped me get an idea what the business was like on a small scale. Gillis Advertising (which became Intermark Group) was my first job out of school. I went from Junior Designer to Senior Art Director in 3 tough years. The learning curve was steep, but I gained a passion for this business that only seems to grow.
Clients
Bridgestone/Firestone, NAPA Auto Parts, US Pipe, Toyota, Motion Industries,
St. Vincent’s Hospital, Birmingham Airport, Red Diamond (coffee + tea)
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Education
Auburn University
BFA, Advertising and Design, 1993 -1997
Activities and Societies:
Cardinal Key Honor Society
AIGA Student Chapter
Graduated Cum Laude (3.73 GPA)
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Honors and Awards
District ADDYs (26)
Regional ADDYs (8)
Published in Logo Lounge 2,3,4
One Show
(6) 2009 CEA Awards (including 3 Grand Prix)
Published in Big Book of Logos 4
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Recommendations
Aaron Gresham
Associate Creative Director at o2 Ideas
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"The best minds in business know that you never wait for a job to be given to you. Do it first, and responsibility will follow. Aaron has always operated under this assumption, and it has served him, his co-workers and o2ideas well. Even as an art director early in his career, Aaron had the ability to organize, delegate and get even the most chaotic projects done on time. And even though his organizational skills are impeccable, they’re not his best. He has the design chops that every art director aspires to have. He hones in on strategic insights and is an amazing problem solver. He can cram 200 pounds of body copy into a translite, skyscraper or direct mail card and still make it look hot. Aaron can send a copywriter back to the drawing board 12 times until the copy is right. And, he’s an excellent evaluator of talent. But, still, these aren’t his greatest strengths. Aaron’s best quality is his ability to mentor those around him, and not just those beneath him. I was privileged enough to witness him teach and lead his peers, direct reports and superiors to their own benefit. And he does it without you ever knowing it. The reason I list this as his most developed and valuable skill is that I have been a significant beneficiary of it. Aaron helped mentor and develop me while I was an intern. He focused me as a copywriter. He challenged me as a senior writer. And he supported, encouraged and believed in me as his superior. Much of what I am able to accomplish today I can see Aaron’s hand in my development, and for that I am always grateful to him. He’s an invaluable asset to my team and the glue that holds a creative department together."
— Mark Ervin, Creative Director, o2ideas, managed Aaron at o2 Ideas
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"Aaron is the kind of talent you stumble across very rarely, and then spend years patting yourself on the back for discovering and developing. I had the honor of hiring Aaron at O2 and would say it was among the most rewarding decisions of my career. He is a blend of powerful opposites. He has the business acumen to embrace the larger strategic goals and the hot-shot creative talent to bring it to life beautifully. He is passionate and confident, but he is also possessed of the humility required to champion an idea even if it is not his own. He knows when to lead and when to follow and he knows how to coach others or get it done himself. Unrelenting when it came to pushing himself, fair-minded and patient when developing others, Aaron's practical mind and approachable attitude earned him respect at all levels of the organization. He can shift between blue sky and brass tacks seamlessly. He is wildly conceptual and highly detailed. In addition to being a leader with our clients and in the creative department, Aaron was also a valuable resource and important voice for shaping and enacting internal, organizational initiatives. If I owned an agency, I would hire him immediately and put him in charge of the hairiest and scariest challenges I faced."
— Sam Burn, EVP creative director, o2 ideas, managed Aaron at o2 Ideas
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"This is the guy you want in the bunker with you. In the seven years that he worked for me, he was an invaluable resource to the creative department. He is a meticulous problem solver with a tenacious work ethic and a passion for creating great work. Aaron is an incredibly creative guy, and he’s detailed oriented in a way that would make accountants proud."
— Ford Wiles, EVP, Director of Creative, o2 ideas, managed Aaron at o2 Ideas
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"I was fortunate enough to work with Aaron for six years at o2 ideas. He possess a unique blend of strategic management skills along with a superior creative ability that would often deliver exceptional results. Aaron's art direction background can be best described as precise and exact. Everything he creates has a functional purpose and a clear objective. When Aaron collaborates with other creatives the resulting ad campaign or marketing project can easily compete against the work of any ad agency in the country. His intelligent leadership and in-depth knowledge of the industry combine as the ideal match for a top creative position in the industry."
— Edward Munro, Group Account Director, O2 ideas, Inc., worked directly with Aaron at o2 Ideas
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"Aaron consistently delivers incredible work. Not just on par work, not good, not great, incredible. But the best part -he not only brings the goods to the client's table every single time, Aaron helps get the best work out of others as well. One day, I predict Aaron will be at a University professing design theories for all to consider; but until he does, he'll be improving the work in a creative department near you -probably best to make sure it's yours!"
— Karla Wiles, SVP, Dir. of Client Services, o2 ideas, managed Aaron indirectly at o2 Ideas
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“Aaron is a very bright young man who will go far. He's an art director who writes great copy, yet thinks like an account guy. Whenever he walked into the room I always thought: his being here is going to make what we do that bit better, and we're going to enjoy the process a little bit more. When that happens at 11pm the night before a pitch, that is really worthwhile.”
— Jim Fraser , Brand Planner , Unwin Wittering & Zigo Ltd
was a consultant or contractor to Aaron at o2 Ideas
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