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Kevin Kearns
Creative Director
Company Name: Duke Medicine; Duke University Medical Center
I
was a graphic design major in college (Miami University in Oxford, Ohio) and
had a chance to be involved with a program called Laws, Hall & Associates,
a student run ad agency that serviced real, paying clients. I loved it so much,
I took the class three times, and ended up becoming President my senior year.
After graduation, I packed my portfolio and drove to Chicago to interview at
DDB Needham for an internship in the direct mail department (back then the
basement of advertising). I landed the internship and took every opportunity
that came my way, and three months later, I was hired full-time as a junior art
director.
An
important opportunity was when Nancy Rice (legendary creative director who, in
2006, was inducted into
the Hall of Fame by the New York Art Director's Club) asked me to join her group which was producing national print and TV
for Discover Card and Tyson Foods. I learned from a lot from Nancy, but the
most important was realizing the dedication and passion needed to be successful
in advertising and learn how to draw inspiration from everything and everyone
around me. I worked at DDB for over twelve years, the last seven being spent on
Anheuser-Busch (Budweiser and Bud Light), McDonalds and Cars.com creating
commercials, some of which ran on the Super bowl.
I
moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, in 2005 to become the Creative Director of a
small marketing agency (23 people) with the goal of growing the client base and
competing on a national scale. I really wanted to be a part of the next Chiat
Day, or CPB. But, after 18 months I got frustrated with the owners not wanting
to move fast enough to capitalize on opportunities, and left to freelance in
the local market. I found Duke Medicine as a client and helped develop an
internal campaign for them. After the project ended, they asked me to join the
group as Creative Director, and I’ve been there since.
I am currently also an Adjunct Professor at
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) where I teach advertising
art direction and integrated campaign development.
What is the best thing about working in house?
I have the
ability to continuously refine and develop one brand. You don’t develop a brand
campaign with the thought that it will stay that way forever. A brand evolves
and changes, and I get the chance to position our brand with what’s going on
around it culturally, politically, and creatively.
What types of projects does you department do?
We
work on pretty much everything. In the last year, we’ve added environmental
design, interior design, and experience design to our mix of print, television,
web and publications work. We just finished (it’s never really finished) our
Brand Standards, and are looking at all the online and social media
opportunities to push our brand.
What keeps you motivated and inspired in your job?
I am inspired
by new challenges and opportunities. And when you work for a large healthcare
company like Duke Medicine, a day doesn’t go by without a new creative
challenge. I also enjoy bringing creative people together. We have participated
and sponsored several events in our area that attract in-house and agency
creatives, where the discussions focus on various topics, such as creative
process, staying inspired, management strategies, and others.
What do you consider the biggest success of your in-house career?
That I am still
effective (and needed!) in helping to create strong ideas that connect with our
audiences. I would have thought that the corporate creative world would have
become boring, make me a rank-and-file creative. But it hasn’t. It has done the
opposite. I come into work (most days) filled with new ideas and am excited to
share them and the group.
What are you currently reading, watching and listening to?
READ:
Just
finished Outliers by Malcom Gladwell
Celebration,
U.S.A. by Douglas Somebody and Catherine Somebody
NYTimes
Sunday
happy-thought.co.ik
americancopywriter.typepad.com
http://joshspear.com/
adsoftheworlds.com
wwtdd.com
(guilty pleasure)
WATCH:
So
You Think You Can Dance
Whatever
my wife got from Netflix
The
Daily Show with John Stewart
LISTEN:
NPR
CNN
(Sirius)
Howard
Stern
The
new Black Eye Peas
Becky Livingston, Associate Director of Communications, KPMG LLP
Laurie Brammer, Vice President – Marketing Communications Group, M&I (Marshall & Ilsley Corporation)
Andrew R. Brenits, Associate Director of National Design, KPMG, LLP
Marty Lenger, Director of Communication Services, Gordon Food Service
Barry Sanel , Principal, Barry Sanel Packaging Advisors
Wyeth Corporate Graphics, Glenn Arnowitz – Director, Creative Services, Wyeth
Gail Gonzales, Creative Services Manager, Asset Marketing Systems
Update With Tim Cox, Director of Creative Services, Publix Super Markets
Kristin Seeberger, Director, Marketing Communications, T. Rowe Price
Andre Paquin, Principal, Andre Paquin Associates
Brigette Sullivan, Creative Services Manager, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
Emily Cohen, , Consultant to Creative Professionals
Mary Birman, Fusion Brands Team Lead/Design Manager, AstraZeneca
Richard Kushnier, Manager, Graphics Lab, Becton Dickinsen
Steve Benfield, Marketing Creative Director, SAS Institute Inc.
Sondra Adams, Senior Supervisor, Graphic Design, Pfizer
Tim Cox, Director of Creative Services, Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Nicole Paksoy, Director of Creative Development, AAA
Doug Richards, Educational Consultant (Multimedia Designer/Developer), Sprint