I’m passionate about creating strong, emotional relationships between brands and the audiences we want to love them.
On my journey I’ve worked with really great teams on many of the brands we all know and love… Diet Coke, Heineken, Amstel Lite, Eddie Bauer, Coinstar/Redbox, GoDaddy, Chevrolet, Lego, CoverGirl, Coffee Mate, Noxema, Lipton, Estee Lauder, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Sony, Osmotics Cosmeceuticals, UW Medicine, Bally’s, Hard Rock, Sugarbush Ski Resort, Denver Nuggets, Keystone Ski Resort Stokes Chile, New York State Tourism and many more.
The deep dives into these brands and categories has helped me become a 360º thinker with the ability to clearly articulate compelling visions and strategies that engage audiences. All confirmed by the growth of every product I’ve worked on, client satisfaction, NPS and recognition by W3, Telly, Art Directors Club, and many other industry awards.
I bring with me the experience to successfully lead creative and marketing teams— clients too. And with it the ability to effectively communicate with C-suite folks, and develop solutions that engage and motivate audiences.
My breath of expertise and competency runs from vision and strategy through concept and execution, across all crafts— art direction, design, copywriting, broadcast, editing, photography, UI, UX, SEO, SEM, and CRM. And while most of my career has been lived on the creative side of the fence, I’ve had a successful life in marketing as well— as a founder and VP, Sales & Marketing for the start-up Osmotics Cosmeceuticals, as Director of Marketing for Passport Music Distribution and as VP, Marketing/Creative for the start-up ReelSonar and the iBobber. You’ll also find that I’m just as successful being fiscally responsible, shepherding budgets from itty-bitty to ginormous.
Work with me and you’ll find I love mentoring teams to create unexpected solutions that get folks to engage and drive brands forward.
After all the time I’ve spent in this business, I’ve reached three conclusions… the first and second best jobs in the world have to do with being a dad and a husband, and nothing beats working with people who never leave home without their sense of humor and humanity.
Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to roam around, see some of the ideas I’ve helped bring to life.
PS. Here’s a little more about me…some kind words from some folks I’ve been lucky enough to work with.
“I had the opportunity to work with David on several high level assignments at Commonhealth. I relied on him for his creativity and courage to challenge the status quo. I felt that David always brought intriguing ideas that were well thought through and compelling. He also had a very good sense of client management, making sure to work with them to get the very best work. I would recommend David for a senior creative position. I wish I still had him work with me now.”
>> Scott Watson • EVP, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy Commonhealth
“I had the great opportunity to work with Dave at Coinstar/Redbox. Dave is a real “roll up the sleeves” kind of a guy who brings the rare combination of strategic intellect with a keen street smarts to know how to best get the job done. I witnessed time and time again Dave working closely with his team to make sure key deliverables were met while not sacrificing the integrity of the creative process. Dave truly is an ‘A’ player and someone whose leadership skills and artistic drive immediately infuse an organization with world class integrity.”
>> David Pelter • Sr. Director, Head of Product & Category Management, Coinstar
“Dave brings an unmatched level of passion and brilliance to everything he does. His creative ideas abound and he leads his team to consistently deliver work that is insightful, compelling and grounded in consumer understanding. During his time at Coinstar, he helped relaunch the Coinstar brand, redefining the brand strategy, voice and visual identity. As a peer, I valued Dave’s partnership, strategic outlook and intense commitment to the business.”
>> Tricia Montgomery • Sr. Director, Marketing, Coinstar
“David is one of the best strategic thinkers I have had the opportunity to partner with. His approach to his work is rooted in developing insightful creative solutions balanced with the real-world practicality of his clients’ business challenges. Working with David is always a pleasure.”
>> Ann Friedman Ryan • SVP, Managing Director, CRM and Digital Strategy, Ogilvy Commonhealth
“During my time at Coinstar, I had the great pleasure of working with Dave. He truly is one of the most creative people I’ve met, and the Coin line of business is so much stronger as a result of his significant talents. He joined a team of talented individuals as a consultant, but quickly establshed himself as a visionary leader who guided them to develop a truly unique brand identity for a business that previously lacked one and would continue to be viewed as an afterthought without it. During the time that I knew him, no one worked harder, or with greater passion for the business. He is also a great person and champion of his team and colleagues, always ready to lend vocal to support their ideas, even when they do not get the full support of upper management. If you are looking for a brand champion with unmatched creative acumen and emotional intelligence to manage a diverse group of individuals, I highly recommend Dave Ross.”
>> Greg Yahn • Director of Category Management, Coinstar
“A steady hand on the tiller, David’s love for words, head for solid conceptual ideas, and dedication to getting it right is a combination you’d do well to put to work. I worked with him briefly at Eddie Bauer (he in-house, me as up-and-coming writer at Mullen, their then agency), where we were laboring over language for a new brand platform for the company. David “got it,” and was among the few at the company who really understood where the company needed to be in the minds of consumers. The back-and-forth of our copy collaboration was among the most memorable of my time at Mullen; it was great to have such a partner in the trenches. Solid, thoughtful, and tremendously experienced. Get him on board your boat.”
>> Chris Wooster • VP/Assoc. Creative Dir. Interactive, Mullen Advertising
“David has a keen strategic mind and is passionate in his pursuit of outstanding creative ideas. He developed big campaign ideas that exceeded norms in pre-market testing and exceeded expectations in the market.”
>> Shelagh Paul Brooke • EVP, Chief Strategic Officer, Ogilvy Commonhealth
“I had the unique opportunity to work with Dave Ross at Coinstar, where he filled the role of creative director during a time of dynamic growth and creative exploration. Dave’s industry experience allowed him to step in and make an immediate impact, as he looked to provide needed guidance, structure, and direction to a team comprised of designers, interactives, and copy writing. During this time of growth Dave successfully managed a considerable workload amongst his team while continuing to meet increasing expectations from executive management. His direction helped establish the current brand voice and visual identity that will be used by Coinstar for years to come. If your company is in need of a passionate creative manager with an aptitude for exploration and vocabulary to match then I recommend Dave Ross.”
>> Marcus Pape • Interactive Art Director, Coinstar / Redbox
“I had the pleasure of working with Dave and the creative team he built. I’ve seen his ability to attract great talent to his creative teams. He champions his team and their work, leading with deep design and copy expertise. Above all, he has a knack for making things right, whether it is a matter of visual composition or word choice. I appreciate Dave’s breadth and depth of experience that is ever-evolving and always has a unique twist.”
>> Liz Hembree • Principal, Hembree & Partners, LLC.
“David can write, think, add perspectives, and make everyone laugh while doing so. He’s not only smart but a pleasure to brainstorm with and can solve just about anything. I’d have to say his best attribute is taking complex and often subtle nuances and crafting them into words with poetic elegance and concise thought. And he’s a wonderful dinner guest too!”
>> Brett Froomer • Director @Radical.media
“David is a creative, passionate and dynamic writer and leader. His incisive ability to reach his target audience with the client’s core message is invaluable; and his range of voice—from witty to informative and authoritative—offers exceptional versatility. He is a true creative and a great asset to any team.”
>> Colin Berg • Copy Director, Eddie Bauer
“David is a forward-thinking Creative Director who strives to build and grow strong relationships internally and in the marketplace. He leads with a definitive vision and strategy and over the years the teams that he has assembled has come to trust, and respect his leadership.”
>> Gregory Curry • Sr. Account Executive, Ogilvy Commonheath
“David is one of those rare creatives who involves himself in acquiring a deep knowledge of the client’s business, consumer and category, and from this vantage point his creativity comes to life. He just get’s it! David is a truly remarkable advertising/marketing creative thinker and writer-creative director.”
>> Loren Smith • Producer
