About
About Me
Marty Kelso
Creative Director/Copywriter
Ad people are problem solvers. If you’re a creative, you should solve problems creatively. The thread through my career is my ability to find that balance – keeping business objectives in plain sight while finding the emotion at the heart of any meaningful communication.
I’ve progressed from copywriting to creative direction with a healthy curiosity about the business (mine and my clients’) and a consistent enthusiasm for what’s next.
It comes down to finding a client’s voice and letting it be heard across every channel. Fully integrated, multi-disciplinary, whatever you call it, my goal is to understand and embrace the convergence of traditional and new media and help my teams do the same.
I like being there on the front lines, digging into content and marketing strategy, creative brief development, interpretation of research, and brand positioning. When the creative flows from a sound structural platform, teams are free to turn ideas into brands with personality and purpose. Problems are solved, and ideally, minds opened.
This is an exciting time to be in advertising.
So how did I get here?
English degree from the College of William & Mary. Headed out to Hollywood to work in script development, and learned from the likes of Pierce Brosnan, Jessica Lange, James Spader, John Cusack, Donald Trump and Charlie Sheen (can't say exactly what I learned in some cases).
Decided not to raise a family on the west coast. Began advertising career with a baby girl bouncing and giggling next to my computer desk. Learned time management (i.e., there isn’t any) in radio production.
Built a successful freelance business by writing for clients like Bank of America and Dodge Sprinter Vans. Moved into agency life as a senior copywriter, then group creative director. Earned awards and an Adweek profile, plus a multi-year streak snagging the office Halloween prize for "Most Likely to Get Fired" (see Gallery section).
Continue to love the challenge of uncovering what’s interesting and irresistible in tires, drywall, investment accounts and healthcare consulting. Have come to understand that nurturing creative talent comes with the joy and melancholy of watching your child go off to college. It’s also the only way to get better at what you do.
Love my wife and kids, my work, Jimi Hendrix, Alfred Hitchcock and David Ogilvy, in that order.
Marty Kelso
Creative Director/Copywriter
Ad people are problem solvers. If you’re a creative, you should solve problems creatively. The thread through my career is my ability to find that balance – keeping business objectives in plain sight while finding the emotion at the heart of any meaningful communication.
I’ve progressed from copywriting to creative direction with a healthy curiosity about the business (mine and my clients’) and a consistent enthusiasm for what’s next.
It comes down to finding a client’s voice and letting it be heard across every channel. Fully integrated, multi-disciplinary, whatever you call it, my goal is to understand and embrace the convergence of traditional and new media and help my teams do the same.
I like being there on the front lines, digging into content and marketing strategy, creative brief development, interpretation of research, and brand positioning. When the creative flows from a sound structural platform, teams are free to turn ideas into brands with personality and purpose. Problems are solved, and ideally, minds opened.
This is an exciting time to be in advertising.
So how did I get here?
English degree from the College of William & Mary. Headed out to Hollywood to work in script development, and learned from the likes of Pierce Brosnan, Jessica Lange, James Spader, John Cusack, Donald Trump and Charlie Sheen (can't say exactly what I learned in some cases).
Decided not to raise a family on the west coast. Began advertising career with a baby girl bouncing and giggling next to my computer desk. Learned time management (i.e., there isn’t any) in radio production.
Built a successful freelance business by writing for clients like Bank of America and Dodge Sprinter Vans. Moved into agency life as a senior copywriter, then group creative director. Earned awards and an Adweek profile, plus a multi-year streak snagging the office Halloween prize for "Most Likely to Get Fired" (see Gallery section).
Continue to love the challenge of uncovering what’s interesting and irresistible in tires, drywall, investment accounts and healthcare consulting. Have come to understand that nurturing creative talent comes with the joy and melancholy of watching your child go off to college. It’s also the only way to get better at what you do.
Love my wife and kids, my work, Jimi Hendrix, Alfred Hitchcock and David Ogilvy, in that order.