WRITER/ECD
-creative director with a passion for brandcraft
-Fluent in all media for a consistent brand story
-adept at every stage of the consumer journey
Russell combines storytelling with strategic insights to help people connect with brands. Mostly through advertising, digital and non-traditional campaigns. Yet he began his career, not at an ad agency, but at Hallmark Cards, creating ads, writing Shoebox cards, and reading screenplays for Hallmark Hall of Fame.
After a couple of years, he returned to his native Texas to join DDB/Dallas, and later GSD&M in Austin to work on Southwest Airlines, Land Rover and AT&T. Later becoming a global creative director for BMW, steering campaigns for the ultimate driving machine in 22 countries around the world.
Over his career, he's led a diverse roster, including Kohler, Pepsi, Tostitos, Marshalls and the PGA Tour. As the creative head for AT&T, he ran the brand's relaunch in 2008.
Russell has garnered awards and recognition from Cannes, One Show, CA, Adweek and Creativity, and was most recently working in New York with friends at McGarryBowen as ECD on Verizon, Chase, Maserati and Droid, an entire brand conceived within the agency.
A drummer since he was 12, Russell likes to imagine he still has it.
Specialties
Creative direction, writing, brand storytelling, client rapport, presentation, production, unnecessary travel, indie music venues
On being restless:
A culture of excellence feeds excellence, but sometimes you have to light the fire. Not just in those who work for you but more importantly, in those you work for. Clients need to be inspired. Like most people, they can get caught up in the problem staring them in the face. So you have to break through that mindset. You have to deliver on what they're asking for AND on what they're not asking for. I learned from ad veteran, John McGarry, the art of being gracious and tenacious. You have to deliver the brief, and then some. By bringing a big idea they're not expecting. As soon as they know you've heard them fully on their initial ask, you can follow up with an earthquake idea that can transform their industry. That's when they're ready to listen. When you get them excited about a fresh idea's potential, big things happen. And any creative department in the world jumps at the chance to believe in something big.
On media fluency:
I've spent much of my career leading big clients while part of the AOR. I've learned the only way to really drive the process is by steering the entire campaign, including the integrated agencies. But it's one of the most challenging things you can face, organizing 14 different agencies with different cultures. To do that you have to really listen to each agency and understand each media component. So once you arrive at a big organizing idea, you should be able personally draw the line between the idea and the goals of each media if necessary. If you can lead by example, the results are worth it. By demonstrating that you care about each part of the story and each media in the mix, you build a stronger team and better outcomes.
On building campaigns:
Once you have an understanding of what you have to solve for the client, you just have to roll up your sleeves and dig. The goal is to find a really sticky idea that can gain traction easily. Then you ask teams to prove that the idea actually works. Across any media. And when you evaluate each piece from each team, you have to make sure it delivers on the strategy AND gets you excited. Before long you have a wall of ideas. And it starts to feel real. But it needs organization. That's when you need to pull them all together into a story. And this is crucial. You have to look at the ideas. Find the flow. The bigger story. How it launches, informs, engages, and spreads. Once you have that story in place, you're bullet-proof. You can then walk into any room with a ton of confidence. And make something truly great happen.
On culture:
I learned a lot about culture from Roy Spence at GSD&M in Austin, TX. And he learned a lot about culture from Herb Kelleher at Southwest Airlines, one of his first clients. They knew the way you get people to work together on a high level is when they actually like working together. When going to work is actually a pleasure. It's not just about having fun. It's about wanting to be there for each other. Finding joy in the process. Wanting to not let each other down. We all spend so much of our lives at work. If you don't make it a positive experience with people you like, you'll never be happy. Finding the right people is hard. But it's always worth it.
Contact: russelllambrecht@gmail.com