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IAIN'S PORTFOLIO
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Bold ideas. Energized teams. Detroit roots.

Iain Lanivich performing stand-up comedy at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle in Royal Oak, MI.
I’m an Executive Creative Leader with a passion for building brands, shaping culture, and inspiring teams to do the best work of their careers. Across advertising, digital, PR, content, social, and experiential, I’ve led creative organizations that deliver work people actually care about.

Over the past two decades, I’ve helped launch global brands, transform legacy brands, and bring bold ideas to life for some of the most iconic names in automotive, tech, travel, health, and entertainment. Along the way, I’ve built high-performing creative teams, modernized agency capabilities, and partnered with clients to solve complex business challenges through storytelling and innovation.

My work has been recognized with 145+ awards and featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Billboard, Fast Company, Adweek, Wired, and others. I’ve had the privilege to present my work at SXSW, Cannes Lions, and the TikTok #ForYou Summit, and have directed content with world-class talent—from Hollywood actors to NFL legends.

At my core, I’m obsessed with creativity that moves people, culture that empowers teams, and leadership that creates opportunity. And because life is more than work, I’m also a married father of three, a local comic, a Detroit Lions superfan, and a longtime rock band vocalist.
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If you’re building something meaningful and need a creative partner who brings energy, ideas, and impact—I’d love to connect.​

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Iain Lanivich with his wife and three kids.
Career Achievements:

BRANDING: Created the Detroit Lions’ One Pride brand, embraced by fans, recognized at the NFL Owners Meeting, and active for more than 12 years.

BRANDED MUSIC: Led the Pure Sounds of Michigan album for Pure Michigan—ranked #9 on Billboard’s New Age Album Chart and winner of a Detroit Music Award for Outstanding Electronic/Dance Recording.

BRANDED FILM: Served as creative lead on REVOLUTION: The GMC HUMMER EV, a feature-length documentary which premiered on the HISTORY Channel and earned PRWeek and Webby Awards.

BRANDED SOCIAL: Shattered TikTok performance benchmarks with the My Chevy Truck social campaign featuring viral country/hip-hop artist Breland—delivering breakout engagement, cultural momentum, and a major lift among younger, creator-driven audiences.

BRANDED INFLUENCER: Led Cadillac’s It’s Time to Let Go Super Cruise influencer campaign, showing celebrities driving hands-free to inspire trust in the 2021 Escalade. Delivered 101M+ impressions, 62M YouTube views, 5M+ earned reach, 109 content pieces, and coverage in pop-culture outlets like ExtraTV and Dujour.

BRANDED EXPERIENCE: Drove the creative that made the Chevy Suburban the first-ever inanimate object to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, generating 2.3B earned media impressions.

BRANDED PARTNERSHIP: Teamed with Warner Brothers and The LEGO Movie 2 on Chevy’s Master-Building the All-New Silverado social campaign, winning Best in Show (AdCraft Detroit) and Best in Automotive (Shorty Awards).

PRO BONO: Presented at SXSW Interactive during Detroit’s bankruptcy, highlighting the city’s entrepreneurial momentum and potential—resulting in significant positive national press.

AWARDS: Recipient of 145+ industry awards and shortlists including Cannes Lions, Effies, The One Show, Clio Awards, Webby Awards, Shorty Awards, PRWeek Awards, SABRE Awards, Adweek People’s Choice Buzz Awards, The Drum, Telly Awards, FWA, OMMA Awards, MMA Smarties X, Adrian Awards, WTM London, Detroit Music Awards, Campbell Ewald Creative of the Year, and more.

MEDIA RECOGNITION: Work featured in Wired, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fast Company, Business Insider, Billboard, LA Times, ABC News, Ad Age, Adweek, Little Black Book, The Drum, Branding Magazine, Screen Magazine, and recognized in the Techweek 100 (Detroit).

TALENT COLLABORATION: Directed film/audio content with Elizabeth Banks, Sofia Vergara, Chris Pratt, Tiffany Haddish, John Cusack, Jeff Daniels, Jonas Brothers, Joe Manganiello, Craig Robinson, Patrick Warburton, Barry Sanders, Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chase Elliott, Ryan Newman, Lee Corso, Paul Rabil, Ty Pennington, Breland, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, Allison Holker, and more.

LEADERSHIP / TEAM RESULTS: Helped Weber Shandwick earn General Motors Supplier of the Year honors for the first time—and repeat the following year.
​Career Journey:

HEAD OF BRAND CREATIVE & CONTENT
Ford Motor Company (Ford Pro)
Detroit, MI / Dearborn, MI (Hybrid)

2021 – Present


In October 2021, I transitioned client-side to help define, launch, and grow the Ford Pro global brand. Our mission is to make small business, commercial, and government fleets more productive and efficient through an integrated suite of software, charging, parts & service, and financing solutions—supported by Ford’s industry-leading lineup of connected commercial vehicles.

Within the marketing function—and in partnership with PR/Communications, Sales, Product, and Global Brand teams—I lead and direct the creative process internally and externally, ensuring a consistent brand image and narrative.

I oversee a diverse roster of in-house and agency partners including Wieden+Kennedy (brand), VML (digital advertising), VaynerMedia (social), Civic Entertainment Group (PR), Burson (PR/editorial), Razorfish (web), Imagination (experiential), Jackson Dawson (trade shows and training), Latcha & Associates (sales enablement and training), One Magnify (CRM), VML Map (CRM), and others.

I also collaborate with Ford’s technology teams to explore and test AI solutions that enhance marketing and content development efficiency.


EVP, EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Weber Shandwick (Interpublic Group/IPG)
Detroit, MI / Birmingham, MI

2015 – 2021


In August 2015, I was tasked with building a creative practice within the Detroit office of a traditional PR agency. My goals were to energize the office, strengthen creative excellence, expand case-study storytelling, leverage the global Weber Shandwick network, and elevate the quality of creative strategy and execution.
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Over six+ years—starting with an intern designer and a six-person video team—we grew into a 40+ person, full-service creative and content development group across multiple locations, including Canada. We embraced the mindset of PR, delivered award-winning campaigns (PR, social, digital, and national advertising) integrated across paid/owned/earned channels, won significant new business, and helped reshape the culture of the office.

  • Brands: General Motors (Cadillac, Chevrolet, Team Chevy Motorsports, Buick, GMC, OnStar), Pure Michigan/MEDC, Spectrum Health, Priority Health, ExxonMobil, BASF, Delphi/Aptiv, The Henry Ford, and more.
  • Innovation: Built the GM Story Bureau--an embedded content studio within GM’s PR/Communications team, creating media strategies and content solutions across all brands.
  • New Business Wins: Chevrolet Social Media, Chevy Motorsports Social Media, Chevrolet Communications, General Motors Story Bureau, Spectrum Health, Priority Health, Pure Michigan/MEDC, AutoZone Social Media, The Henry Ford, and Kellogg Foundation’s BCVision.


GROUP DIGITAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Campbell Ewald (Interpublic Group/IPG)
Warren, MI / Detroit, MI

2000 – 2015


I began my marketing and advertising career at Campbell Ewald as an Associate Digital Producer in the agency’s newly formed digital department, advancing to Creative Director in 2006. My responsibilities expanded to leading creative across a broad portfolio of brands in advertising, digital, and social media.

Across 14+ years, I helped the agency win, grow, and retain major accounts; built high-performing creative and digital teams; and delivered award-winning and innovative campaigns and digital experiences.

  • Brands: Chevrolet, Cadillac, U.S. Navy, Carhartt, Alltel Wireless, Detroit Lions, OnStar, General Motors, USAA, Chicken of the Sea, Zipcar, Owens Corning, Dow Chemical, University of Michigan, Eastern Market, District Detroit, Michelin, Kaiser Permanente, Ghirardelli, Federal Student Aid, Motor City Casino, Delta Faucet, Taubman Centers, and more.
  • Innovation: Founded CE Labs in 2014—an innovation program that embedded Detroit-area tech startups and entrepreneurs inside the agency to accelerate ideation, experimentation, and understanding of emerging technologies.
  • New Business Wins: Cadillac, PIMCO, U.S. Navy, USAA, Chicken of the Sea, Detroit Lions, Zipcar, Owens Corning, Dow Chemical, University of Michigan, Eastern Market, and District Detroit (Ilitch Holdings).


BUSINESS ANALYST
Compuware (Staffed at Ford Motor Company)
Dearborn, MI

1998 – 2000


I began my career providing first-level technical support on Ford’s global help desk, which handled 6,000–6,500 calls per week. After six months, I transitioned into a third-level support role for Ford’s hourly payroll systems across all U.S. and Canadian plants.

In this role, I conducted quality assurance testing, coordinated plant application launches, led training initiatives for plant personnel, and earned a Ford Consumer-Driven Quality Award for redesigning the team’s website—saving the company an estimated $2.4M annually.


SKILLS​
Creative Leadership • Creative Direction • Brand Storytelling • Integrated Marketing • Integrated Campaigns • Copywriting • Scriptwriting • Video • Content Creation • B2C • B2B • Public Speaking • Executive Presentations • Creative Strategy • Content Ideation • Creative Problem Solving • Branding • Advertising • Digital Creative • Digital Strategy • Digital Media • Social Media • Public Relations • Web Design & Development • Application Design & Development • Information Architecture • Content Strategy • UX Design • SEO • SEM • CRM • Email & Direct Marketing • Sports Marketing • Motorsports • Experiential & Event Marketing • Trade Shows • Sales Enablement • Consumer & Dealer Training • AI-Driven Content Creation • Technical Writing • Business & Functional Requirements • Operations Management • Change Management • Corporate Restructuring • Adobe Creative Cloud • Microsoft Office • Microsoft Teams • Slack • Webex • Figma • and more.​

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


HIGHLIGHTS

BACKSTORY

HONORS

CASE STUDIES

WEBSITES & APPS

Iain Lanivich  |  Executive Creative Leader  |  [email protected]  |  View Resume  |  View LinkedIn​  |  View Indeed