Welcome To My Desktop.
Feel free to play around. You'll find most of what you're looking for in my resume folder.
Summary
Award-winning Creative Director who has led teams of up to 40 and built integrated campaigns across healthcare, CPG, retail, insurance and nonprofit. Work spans brand campaigns, shopper marketing, radio, experiential and digital, from Super Bowl-era national brands to fast-moving regional clients. Recognized by Cannes Lions, the Effies, the Radio Mercury Awards and the ADDYs. Co-founded and ran a Chicago food business, bringing a client-side view of what actually moves sales.
Core Competencies
Creative Leadership · Integrated Campaigns · Brand Strategy · Concepting & Copywriting · Healthcare Marketing · CPG & Shopper Marketing · Retail Activation · Radio & Broadcast · Digital & Social · Experiential · Team Building & Talent Development · Client Relationships · Workflow & Resource Management
Versatile Creative Director with experience across all facets of advertising, from content creation and shopper marketing to Super Bowl commercials. A strategic thinker skilled in leading teams, developing impactful campaigns, and crafting compelling brand narratives. Open to freelance or full-time opportunities, driven by innovative, results-driven creativity.
That’s the AI-generated, SEO-Optimized version of my career. But really, I just like working with smart, talented people who care about the work. I’ve led teams, built brands, and made things that actually moved the needle — sometimes even on purpose. I believe great creative comes from collaboration, curiosity, and knowing when to kill your darlings (gently).
Experience
Freelance Creative Director | 2023 – Present
Healthcare marketing via True North Custom
– Campaign concepts and copy for hospital systems including Sentara Health, John Muir Health and MaineHealth.
– Independent project: designing and building Juke Joint, an iOS app for guitar call-and-response practice (in development).
Impact | Executive Creative Director | 2021 – 2023
– Led a 40-person creative team serving 100+ clients, improving workflow and utilization.
– Streamlined collaboration between account, strategy and creative teams while maintaining a strong culture.
– IPHCA Covid vaccine campaign: reached 7,000+ hesitant residents of Southern Illinois and drove 5,000+ more to a campaign site; nearly 20% of the target audience asked to learn more.
Loud Mouth Food Bikes | Co-Founder | 2018 – 2021
– Co-founded Chicago’s first food bike business, serving gourmet sausages from bikes posted up around downtown.
– Built the brand from scratch and evolved it from sausages to seafood, growing from bikes to a permanent stall at the Politan Row food hall.
– Lobster roll became the best seller and was named one of Chicago’s 12 Best Sandwiches by Better Magazine (2019); featured on Fox 32’s Good Day Chicago.
FCB Chicago | Creative Director | 2013 – 2018
– Helped lead creative for Cox Communications, the agency’s largest client.
– Created Mining for Mercury, an in-house radio writing program that grew from 4 writers to 30+ volunteers across disciplines.
– Program work won 4 Cannes Lions and 3 Radio Mercury Awards.
Earlier Experience
Ogilvy Action | Executive Creative Director
– Led a team of about 40 in shopper marketing for S.C. Johnson and Kimberly-Clark brands, including Glade, Raid, Ziploc, Huggies and Kleenex.
Saatchi & Saatchi X | Creative Director
– Led the Frito-Lay shopper marketing team for Walmart, Target, Walgreens, CVS and Kroger.
Strategic America | Associate Creative Director / Copywriter
– Work for Principal, Iowa Farm Bureau, Wendy’s, Kum & Go and Boy Scouts of America.
DDB Chicago | Associate Creative Director / Copywriter
– Work for State Farm, Anheuser-Busch, Morton Salt and Midas.
– State Farm NowWhat.com drove a 14% increase in young adults buying policies and earned the brand’s first Cannes Lion and Effie.
Impact - Executive Creative Director - Led a 40-person creative team, serving 100+ clients while optimizing workflow and utilization - streamlined collaboration between account and strategy teams while maintaining a strong culture.
Impact was a blast. Helping scrappy companies without marketing teams gave us real creative freedom. Hardest part? Reining in wild ideas. Favorite that almost worked: a Beggar’s Pizza on Lake Michigan. A fun reminder of how much power we hold as advertisers.
FCB - Creative Director - Helped manage Cox Communications, FCB’s biggest client, while launching Mining for Mercury - a unique, inspiring writing program for creatives looking to sharpen their skills, resulting in 4 Cannes Lions and 3 Radio Mercury Awards.
Mining for Mercury started as a small experiment—four writers chasing a dream to win. A year later, after it started winning awards, it was a full-blown movement: 30+ people from all disciplines, showing up, pitching in, volunteering time. It was a proud moment.
Ogilvy Action - Executive Creative Director - Led a team of about 40 in Ogilvy’s Shopper Marketing arm. Worked with partner agencies to create integrated campaigns for all brands under S.C. Johnson (including Glade, Kiwi, OFF!, Pledge, Raid, Ziploc, Scrubbing Bubbles, Shout) and Kimberly-Clark (including Huggies, Kleenex, Kotex, Andrex, Cottonelle, Scott, Depend, and Poise).
My boss hired me without clearing it with his bosses. He didn’t last long. I stayed and led a team of 40, working on household names—many of them under your sink. Between S.C. Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, and partner agencies, there were plenty of people with opinions about the work. My job was to turn that into ideas worth making. Not the smoothest onboarding, but plenty of practice figuring things out.
Saatchi & Saatchi X - Creative Director - Deep dive into shopper marketing, where strategy leads the way. Successfully brought bold creative ideas into a highly analytical space, balancing strategy, insight, and impactful execution to drive sales. I led the Frito-Lay team primarily for Walmart, Target, Walgreens, CVS, and Kroger.
I got into shopper marketing to get closer to the moment of truth—where people actually decide to buy. I expected insights and smart, impactful work. Instead, strategy sold, but execution rarely did. Lots of hard work and great ideas died due to differing opinions from different retailers. Silver lining: I met my wife there. So, technically, the best ROI of my career.
Selected Work
Additional B2B, healthcare and retail work available.
IPHCA – Covid vaccine campaign
Nearly 1 in 5 of a vaccine-skeptical audience asked to learn more. First Place, Best of NAMA Region IV.
Radio Flyer – “Imagination on Wheels” radio
Best in Show, Radio Mercury Awards; Bronze Cannes Lion.
Meredith’s Miracles – Colon cancer awareness radio
Best in Show PSA, Radio Mercury Awards; Cannes Lions shortlist.
Kum & Go – “Pop vs. Soda”
Gold Regional ADDY.
Boy Scouts of America – Annual report
National Gold ADDY.
State Farm – NowWhat.com
14% increase in young adults buying policies. Silver Cannes Lion, Gold Effie, Bronze Art Directors Club, Gold Hugo.
Education
VCU Brandcenter (formerly VCU Adcenter) – Master of Science, Communications
The Second City – Writing Program
The University of the South (Sewanee) – Bachelor of Science, Geology
Education
VCU Adcenter - Master of Science, Communications
Fenske, Jelly, and Coz. If you know, you know.
Second City Writing Program
My jokes are mostly intentional.
The University of the South - Bachelor of Science, Geology
I'm published in the U.S. Geological Survey. It hasn't come in handy.
Strategic America - ACD/Copywriter - Moved to a smaller market, where we were more connected to the results. That hands-on approach pushed us to do smarter, sharper work—and it paid off, taking the agency to a national stage. Clients included Principal Insurance, Iowa Farm Bureau, Wendy’s, Kum & Go.
Strategic America dreamed of being the next Fallon—just based in Des Moines. I was skeptical. But I ended up working with some of the most talented people of my career. We didn’t become Fallon, but for a while, we were the hands-down best shop in town and the best small agency in the Midwest. And that felt pretty damn good.
DDB - ACD/Copywriter - First job in advertising working on State Farm, Anheuser-Busch, Morton Salt, and Midas Brakes. It was a crash course in how to come up with great ideas that worked across all platforms. It was back when one agency controlled all facets of the campaign. So everything worked together seamlessly.
Walking the same halls as the team behind Real Men of Genius and decades of Super Bowl #1 ads felt like entering a shrine to great advertising. That energy was everywhere. I worked on State Farm with some of the smartest, funniest, most genuinely creative people. We even brought home State Farm’s first-ever Cannes Lion and Effie.
Grey Ingram
773.972.2241 · greyingram@gmail.com
The other file is the client version of my career.
It’s accurate, it’s optimized, and it’s been through legal.
This is the creative version. Same career, fewer bullet points, more of what actually happened.
Versatile Creative Director with experience across all facets of advertising, from content creation and shopper marketing to Super Bowl commercials. A strategic thinker skilled in leading teams, developing impactful campaigns, and crafting compelling brand narratives. Open to freelance or full-time opportunities, driven by innovative, results-driven creativity.
That’s the AI-generated, SEO-Optimized version of my career. But really, I just like working with smart, talented people who care about the work. I’ve led teams, built brands, and made things that actually moved the needle — sometimes even on purpose. I believe great creative comes from collaboration, curiosity, and knowing when to kill your darlings (gently).
Experience
Freelance 2023 – Present
These days I write for hospitals, mostly through True North. Healthcare is where every word gets read by three lawyers and maybe a doctor, so every word has to earn its place. Turns out that’s good discipline for a copywriter.
Impact Executive Creative Director · 2021 – 2023
Impact was a blast. Helping scrappy companies without marketing teams gave us real creative freedom. Hardest part? Reining in wild ideas. Favorite that almost worked: a Beggar’s Pizza on Lake Michigan. A fun reminder of how much power we hold as advertisers.
Loud Mouth Food Bikes Co-Founder · 2018 – 2021
I spent my whole career telling clients how to sell things. Then I tried it myself. We launched Chicago’s first food bike business, started with sausages, ended up with a lobster roll on Chicago’s 12 Best Sandwiches list, and got on TV with Walter Payton’s daughter. It also taught me the most expensive lesson of my career: great marketing doesn’t always move the needle.
FCB Chicago Creative Director · 2013 – 2018
Mining for Mercury started as a small experiment — four writers chasing a dream to win. A year later, after it started winning awards, it was a full-blown movement: 30+ people from all disciplines, showing up, pitching in, volunteering time. It was a proud moment.
Earlier
Ogilvy Action Executive Creative Director
My boss hired me without clearing it with his bosses. He didn’t last long. I stayed and led a team of 40, working on household names — many of them under your sink. Not the smoothest onboarding, but plenty of practice figuring things out.
Saatchi & Saatchi X Creative Director
I got into shopper marketing to get closer to the moment of truth — where people actually decide to buy. Strategy sold, but execution rarely did. Silver lining: I met my wife there. So, technically, the best ROI of my career.
Strategic America ACD / Copywriter
Strategic America dreamed of being the next Fallon — just based in Des Moines. I was skeptical. We didn’t become Fallon, but for a while, we were the hands-down best shop in town and the best small agency in the Midwest. And that felt pretty damn good.
DDB Chicago ACD / Copywriter
Walking the same halls as the team behind Real Men of Genius felt like entering a shrine to great advertising. I worked on State Farm with some of the smartest, funniest, most genuinely creative people. We even brought home State Farm’s first-ever Cannes Lion and Effie.
Selected Work
I know your time is short, so here’s my favorite work. If you need more (B2B, healthcare, retail), I’ve got plenty.
IPHCA
Covid vaccine campaign
Nearly 1 in 5 of a vaccine-skeptical audience asked to learn more. First Place, Best of NAMA Region IV.
Radio Flyer
“Imagination on Wheels” radio
Best in Show, Radio Mercury Awards; Bronze Cannes Lion.
Meredith’s Miracles
Colon cancer awareness radio
Best in Show PSA, Radio Mercury Awards; Cannes Lions shortlist.
Kum & Go
“Pop vs. Soda”
Gold Regional ADDY.
Boy Scouts of America
Annual report
National Gold ADDY.
State Farm
NowWhat.com
14% increase in young adults buying policies. Silver Cannes Lion, Gold Effie.
Side Projects
So You Got Yourself a Penis
A humor book for new brides, written as an owner’s manual for their new husband. It’s a parody of pet care guides: feeding, grooming, house-training. HR suggested I leave it off the other resume.
Juke Joint
An iPhone app for guitar call-and-response practice, in development. I’m building it myself, which has taught me a lot about product design and a lot more about patience.
Education
VCU Adcenter
Fenske, Jelly, and Coz. If you know, you know.
Second City Writing Program
My jokes are mostly intentional.
The University of the South
I’m published in the U.S. Geological Survey. It hasn’t come in handy.
Impact - Executive Creative Director - Led a 40-person creative team, serving 100+ clients while optimizing workflow and utilization - streamlined collaboration between account and strategy teams while maintaining a strong culture.
Impact was a blast. Helping scrappy companies without marketing teams gave us real creative freedom. Hardest part? Reining in wild ideas. Favorite that almost worked: a Beggar’s Pizza on Lake Michigan. A fun reminder of how much power we hold as advertisers.
FCB - Creative Director - Helped manage Cox Communications, FCB’s biggest client, while launching Mining for Mercury - a unique, inspiring writing program for creatives looking to sharpen their skills, resulting in 4 Cannes Lions and 3 Radio Mercury Awards.
Mining for Mercury started as a small experiment—four writers chasing a dream to win. A year later, after it started winning awards, it was a full-blown movement: 30+ people from all disciplines, showing up, pitching in, volunteering time. It was a proud moment.
Ogilvy Action - Executive Creative Director - Led a team of about 40 in Ogilvy’s Shopper Marketing arm. Worked with partner agencies to create integrated campaigns for all brands under S.C. Johnson (including Glade, Kiwi, OFF!, Pledge, Raid, Ziploc, Scrubbing Bubbles, Shout) and Kimberly-Clark (including Huggies, Kleenex, Kotex, Andrex, Cottonelle, Scott, Depend, and Poise).
My boss hired me without clearing it with his bosses. He didn’t last long. I stayed and led a team of 40, working on household names—many of them under your sink. Between S.C. Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, and partner agencies, there were plenty of people with opinions about the work. My job was to turn that into ideas worth making. Not the smoothest onboarding, but plenty of practice figuring things out.
Saatchi & Saatchi X - Creative Director - Deep dive into shopper marketing, where strategy leads the way. Successfully brought bold creative ideas into a highly analytical space, balancing strategy, insight, and impactful execution to drive sales. I led the Frito-Lay team primarily for Walmart, Target, Walgreens, CVS, and Kroger.
I got into shopper marketing to get closer to the moment of truth—where people actually decide to buy. I expected insights and smart, impactful work. Instead, strategy sold, but execution rarely did. Lots of hard work and great ideas died due to differing opinions from different retailers. Silver lining: I met my wife there. So, technically, the best ROI of my career.
Education
VCU Adcenter - Master of Science, Communications
Fenske, Jelly, and Coz. If you know, you know.
Second City Writing Program
My jokes are mostly intentional.
The University of the South - Bachelor of Science, Geology
I'm published in the U.S. Geological Survey. It hasn't come in handy.
Strategic America - ACD/Copywriter - Moved to a smaller market, where we were more connected to the results. That hands-on approach pushed us to do smarter, sharper work—and it paid off, taking the agency to a national stage. Clients included Principal Insurance, Iowa Farm Bureau, Wendy’s, Kum & Go.
Strategic America dreamed of being the next Fallon—just based in Des Moines. I was skeptical. But I ended up working with some of the most talented people of my career. We didn’t become Fallon, but for a while, we were the hands-down best shop in town and the best small agency in the Midwest. And that felt pretty damn good.
DDB - ACD/Copywriter - First job in advertising working on State Farm, Anheuser-Busch, Morton Salt, and Midas Brakes. It was a crash course in how to come up with great ideas that worked across all platforms. It was back when one agency controlled all facets of the campaign. So everything worked together seamlessly.
Walking the same halls as the team behind Real Men of Genius and decades of Super Bowl #1 ads felt like entering a shrine to great advertising. That energy was everywhere. I worked on State Farm with some of the smartest, funniest, most genuinely creative people. We even brought home State Farm’s first-ever Cannes Lion and Effie.
