Iain's Portfolio
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Disruptive Creative Leader. Brand Storyteller. Content Creator.

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I wanted to be a computer programmer and got my start with Compuware in 1998 (on-staff at Ford Motor). In 2000, I made the transition to marketing and advertising as a Digital Producer at Campbell Ewald. I became a Creative Director in 2006. Through 2015, I helped Campbell Ewand win, grow and retain business; built many high-powered creative and digital teams; and produced award-winning, innovative and memorable campaigns and digital applications along the way.

In August 2015, I accepted an Executive Creative Director position at Weber Shandwick, with the goal of building a creative practice within a traditional PR agency. After quickly adapting to the culture and mindset of PR, we won new business (including social media), transformed a production team of seven into a powerhouse creative team of 40+ across multiple locations, produced award-winning stories and campaigns, and helped to shift the culture. 

In October 2021, I made the transition client-side to help Ford Motor Company build the Ford Pro brand to electrify commercial business fleets with a combination of software, charging, service and financing. Backed by an industry leading lineup of commercial vehicles. I oversee all brand creative and content working alongside in-house teams and helping to direct our agency roster that includes Weiden+Kennedy, VMLY&R, VaynerMedia, BCW Global, Jackson Dawson, Latcha & Associates, One Magnify and more.

To date, my work has been recognized with 140+ awards across multiple functions and industries. Having led agency creative in digital, traditional advertising, social media, branding and PR — and in-house across CX, sales, dealer, corporate, and experiential teams — I've developed a unique ability to truly look at ideas through multiple lenses, helping to drive strategic and creative integration across channels and functions; while also being able to adapt my pitch to a variety of audiences ranging from product and marketing managers to tech and sales teams to C-Suite.

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If you need help thinking through an idea, coming up with new ideas, organizing a presentation, mapping out a digital or social media strategy, or creating some cool sh!t, shoot me a note.

I will help uncover hidden opportunities and insights, find the true potential of your ideas, provide leadership and mentorship for your teams, create an execution roadmap, package it all in a well-crafted (easy-to-understand) presentation, and oversee final creative and technical development for your campaign or product.

In recent years, I stepped into new territory by immersing myself in the tech entrepreneurial community of Detroit – igniting various conversations and developments amongst key community stakeholders. I also spend time collaborating and consulting with various startups, incubators/accelerators and venture capitalists.

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​Skills:
Creative Leadership, Creative Direction, Brand Storytelling, Copy Writing, Content Creation, Change Management, Public Speaking, Creative Strategy, Creative Ideation, Creative Thinking & Problem Solving, Operations Management, Corporate Restructuring, Advertising, Digital Advertising, Digital Strategy & Marketing, Digital Creative, Social Media, Branding, Public Relations, Web Design & Development, Application Design & Development, Information Architecture & Content Strategy, User Experience/UX Design, SEO, Google Analytics, CRM, Sports Marketing, Technical Writing, Business Requirements and Functional Specifications
Career Journey:
2021-Present: Ford Motor Company (Dearborn, MI / Remote)
  • Head of Brand Creative & Content, Ford Pro
​2015-2021: Weber Shandwick (Detroit, MI)
  • Executive Creative Director
2000-2015: Campbell Ewald (Detroit, MI)
  • 2011-2015: Group Digital Creative Director
  • 2007-2011: SVP, Digital Creative Director
  • 2006-2007: VP, Associate Digital Creative Director
  • 2004-2006: Sr. Digital Producer
  • 2002-2004: Digital Producer
  • 2000-2002: Associate Digital Producer
1998-2000: Compuware Corp. (staffed at Ford Motor Company)
  • 1998-2000: Business Analyst
  • 1998-1998: Technical Support Analyst

Career Achievements:
  • GM Story Bureau: Implemented an on-site creative team at General Motors, working directly with PR/Communications clients to develop media strategies and content for Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC and GM brands; as well as internal, executive and investor storytelling
  • CE Digital Studio: Developed a creative team comprised of UX architects, UI designers and front-and-back end developers responsible for technology-driven solutions, responsive websites/email, app design and more
  • CE Labs: Created an open-space program at Campbell Ewald (2014), strategically placing Detroit-based tech startups and entrepreneurs among the agency's creative and digital teams
  • Visionary Leadership: Led restructuring efforts at Campbell Ewald and Weber Shandwick, aligning creative and storytelling teams to improve integration and relationships; also implementing process improvements to increase quality and efficiency
  • Press: Interviewed by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, FastCompany, Advertising Age, Branding Magazine, Business Insider and more
  • Speaker: 2014 "We're Moving to Detroit, and So Should You" SXSW Interactive Festival, 2014 "Detroit Reboot" Cannes Lions, 2013 "Your Agency as Urban Pioneer" VCU Brandcenter
  • Awards: Over 140 industry-recognized awards and shortlists including Cannes Lions, The One Show, CLIO, PRWeek Awards, Effie Awards, Adweek People’s Choice Buzz Award, Webby Awards, Shorty Social Media Awards, Shorty Social Good Awards, The Drum Social Buzz Awards, MMA Smarties, N.A. SABRE Awards, IN2 SABRE Awards, The FWA, Detroit Music Awards, MediaPost OMMA, WMA WebAwards, IAC, DMAD Target Awards, The Tellys, Mobius Awards, HSMAI Adrian Awards, General Motors Supplier of the Year, General Motors Torque Awards, Adcraft Detroit The D Show & Caddy Awards, and 2007 Campbell Ewald Creative of the Year
  • Accounts/Brands: Led digital, advertising, PR and social media creative efforts for brands such as Chevrolet, Cadillac, General Motors, Ford Pro, Pure Michigan/MEDC, U.S. Navy, Carhartt, Alltel Wireless, OnStar, Spectrum Health, Priority Health, OwensCorning, Kaiser-Permanente, Carolinas Healthcare System, Chicken of the Sea, McKesson, United States Postal Service (USPS), Detroit Lions, Consumers Energy, Detroit Eastern Market, The District Detroit (Ilitch Holdings) and more
  • Entrepreneurship: Named to Techweek Detroit’s Top 100 Leaders in Technology, 2014 & 2015 (appointed to the Techweek Advisory Board; Techstars Mobility Mentor (#1 Startup Accelerator in the world)
  • Loyalty: Advocate and ally for anti-racism, gender equality, LGBTQ+ and the City of Detroit​

What's the point of doing the work, if you're not going to put in the work.


HIGHLIGHTS

CASE STUDIES

WEBSITES & APPS

HONORS

BACKSTORY

Iain Lanivich  |  Executive Creative Director  |  [email protected]  | View Resume