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STEVE SPENCER

Matter

Kansas City  2020 - present

Creative Director, partner

Sandbox

Chicago / NYC / Toronto / KC / St. Louis   2016-2020

SVP, Executive Creative Director

 

Two West

Kansas City  2014-2016

EVP, Chief Creative Officer

Barkley

Kansas City  2000-2014

SVP, Group Creative Director

VP, Creative Director

Temerlin McClain

Dallas  1993-2000

Associate Creative Director

Senior Copywriter

Bozell 

Dallas, TX   1990-1993
Copywriter 

J.C.Penney Company

Dallas   1988-1990
Copywriter

Jobs Before Advertising

Surgical Orderly

Stereo Salesman

Zoo Reptile House

Record Store Clerk

X-Ray Developer

Beach Club Valet

Furniture Warehouse

LA Hilton Front Desk

Waiter

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(like you care)

Bands

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ToeJam                                   Dub Republic

Old Band Wallace                   Code Red

The Chupacabrahs                Darbo Shankahhh 

LAST 6 YEARS

CLIO, Archive, National Addys, New York Festivals, London International, Telly, Adweek Best Spots, Print, Mobius, NAMA , Who's Who in Shopper Marketing: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

AGENCY HIGHLIGHTS

SANDBOX

In June 2016, Two West became Sandbox, and shifted from a local Kansas City retail agency ($20 million revenue, 60 employees) to a full-service integrated agency with seven offices across North America ($60 million revenue, 350 employees).

 

Highlights:

  • Helped structure and execute a unique creative model based on cross-location collaboration.

  • Developed the creative org chart, creative vision and beliefs, and all processes that combined seven independent creative departments (in seven different geographical markets) into one single collaborative team.

  • Member of the Sandbox Senior Leadership Team (top 5% of company) and was a key contributor to the development of the new company mission, vision, and culture credo.

  • Key contributor to both new business growth and organic growth for existing clients. 

TWO WEST

Joined Two West, LLC  as Chief Creative Officer.

Highlights:

  • Over an 18-month period, re-tooled and restructured the creative department (25 people), raised the creative bar, significantly improved the agency's creative reputation, and mentored what became one of the most competitive and consistent creative teams in the market.

  • Shifted the agency’s creative capabilities from retail collateral to branding, activation, live-action video and above-the-line content.
     

  • Established a renewed agency culture of high creative standards, open creative thinking, trust, collaboration and inter-agency cooperation. 

  • Helped position the agency for a healthy acquisition, managing creative output for $20 million agency revenue and serving as a member of the executive leadership team. 

CLIENT SUCCESS

LG Electronics

Since 2014, led creative that grew LG revenue by over 125%, including securing business as shopper agency of record for home electronics through two mandatory (procurement) agency reviews, and scaling business to become a strategic and creative partner to the home electronics brand team and home appliance team.

LG Electronics

Led creative for the largest marketing launch in LG’s history. Launched their OLED TV in retail, leading to significant increase in sales, and surpassing Sony to reach the #2 premium TV brand in North America.

Sprint

Since 2014, led creative that helped grow Sprint's revenue by 50%, scaling the partnership from retail and brand collateral materials to retail agency of record and strategic brand partner.

Blue Bunny

Led creative that resulted in +68% sales and +89% profit growth over a 14-year span in a declining category helping Blue Bunny become the 3rd largest ice cream brand in America with over $1.2 billion in sales. 

Blue Bunny

Led creative that enabled Blue Bunny ice cream to capture an 84% national brand awareness (equivalent to Nestle' and Unilever) while being outspent 12 to 1 and with less than half the ACV (distribution).

Blue Bunny

Led the Blue Bunny Champ Cone New York City launch that achieved more than 73 million impressions for less than $150,000 total spend.

Donutology

Led the team that sent a donut 97,000 ft into the upper stratosphere via weather balloon (6 months 23 days before the infamous KFC chicken sandwich flight). Entire trip was documented with two 4K GoPro cameras. The "Space Donut" is still on display to this day.

Missouri Lottery

Led creative that enabled Missouri Lottery to generate and transfer over $3.3 billion in profits to Missouri educational programs between 2000 and 2014. 

Marmot

Led creative initiatives that increased Marmot's total sales by  200% in less than 3 years.

Subaru

Was an integral part of the creative team that helped drive Subaru from the edge of bankruptcy to become the number one all-wheel drive car company in the world.

Super Bowl TV

Slick 50 Engine Treatment - 1997

TBD

                         ...

From my last CEO:

"In my 20 years of hiring and managing exec-level CDs, I have to say Steve ranks at the top of my list when it comes to both creativity and creative leadership. A writer by background, he's a natural conceptual thinker who knows how to expand good ideas into big ones. As importantly, that genius comes with zero ego, which makes him an incredibly effective partner both inside and outside of the agency. As a creative leader, his genuine love for the art of advertising is infectious and inspiring to his people. It's also his superpower when it comes to charming clients and attracting talent. 

 

Bottom line, Steve is a creative's creative who also understands we're in the business of business. He's a rare combo and someone who would make any growth-minded agency better."  -- E. Whitehill

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AWARDS

CLIO, Archive, Effies, National Addys, New York Festivals, London International, Telly, Adweek Best Spots, Print, Mobius, NAMA , Who's Who in Shopper Marketing: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

EDUCATION

Pepperdine University  Malibu, CA   BA Communications

Ad Center portfolio school - Los Angeles, CA

Oklahoma University  Norman, OK   MA Journalism
 

ACCOUNT EXPERIENCE

TRAVEL / HOSPITALITY
American Airlines
American Eagle
Windstar Cruises

Las Vegas Hilton
Kansas City Tourism
Airshare Jets
Paramount Parks
Kansas City Chiefs
Sporting Kansas City
Dallas Mavericks
Hollywood Theaters
AMC Theaters

FINANCIAL / TECH
American Express
Bank of America

First National Bank
Community America
Nationsbank
NCNB
Sprint
Cellular One
Revol Wireless
GTE
 

CONSUMER GOODS
Subaru
LG Electronics
Nationwide Insurance
Quaker State
Citgo
Missouri Lottery
Kansas Lottery
Marmot
Coleman
Zebco
Rawlings
Adam’s Golf
Payless Shoes
Long John Silver’s
Sonic Drive-Ins
Donutology
7-11
Mapco
Casey’s General Stores
John Deere
Make-A-Wish Foundation
KCPT Public Television
Terminix

Trugreen-Chemlawn
Stockyard's Brewery
Stearn's Lifejackets
Build-A-Bear Workshops
Bennigan’s

Bayer
Elanco
Union Gas (Canada)

Nikon (Canada)

CPG
Blue Bunny Ice Cream
Cadbury Ice Cream
Yoplait Frozen Yogurt
2nd Street Creamery
Weight Watchers Ice Cream
Marley Coffee
Roasterie Coffee
Habitue Coffee
Pace Picante Sauce
Muller's Pasta
Minute Rice
Success Rice
Three Dog Bakery

PHARMA/MEDICAL:

Abbott Nutrition
Spoonful One
MannKind
Pearle Vision

Montefiore Hospitals
UT Southwest Medical Center
Saint Francis Health System

Some think I'm a hard read.

I made this to help them out.

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