TODD TURNER

I never should have listened to my 10th grade English teacher.*

I told her I wanted to be a writer.

She told me not to forget my art.

So I studied graphic design. I found advertising a bit later thankfully. Lo and behold, advertising is the beautiful slurry of words and pictures I was made for.

I cut my creative teeth at out of home media companies. Everything between the sales contract and the installation is up to the designer — discovery, strategy, concept, copy, art, and production. One Show annuals were my post-grad education, and Hey Whipple, Squeeze This was my mentor.

Now I’m a hybrid creative director.

I’m adept at copy, design, concepting, and strategy. I’ve created digital, social, print, OOH, and TV. I’ve been a one-man show and led teams of 2, 12, 23, and 48.

*I have nothing but love for Mrs. Askins. She was my favorite teacher of all time.

Work Experience

2022-present
Charlotte, NC
Forging my own path as Up To Something, a creative OOH agency
Notable clients: Whitefish Credit Union, Discovery Place Science Museum, Manifesto Agency, Orca Creative
2021-2022
Remote
Refreshed brand identity with a specific tone of voice and visual language to match
Led team of two designers to create social media content, digital ads, landing pages, user tutorials, and self-promo OOH campaigns
2020-2021
Nashville, TN
Concept to execution for advertising (TV, OOH, print, digital), brand identity, websites, social media content
Worked with diverse clients in public utilities, tourism, healthcare, and B2B
2019-2020
Chicago, IL
Oversaw 12 art directors and designers in central US markets
Strategy, concept, and execution for OOH and digital advertising for local and national clients in the Chicago area
Notable clients: The CW, Eli’s Cheesecake, Carrier, Cheba Hut
2014-2018
Charleston, SC
Creative leadership and recruitment for 48 art directors and designers in markets across the US
Mentored creative teams to do their best work ever and use their creativity to grow revenue
Motivated local sales teams to improve creativity with local clients
Pitched creative OOH concepts to national clients (Sun Drop, Johnsonville, Snapple to name a few)
Oversaw the company’s brand and marketing
10-20 OBIE Award finalists, silvers, and golds each year
2004-2014
Charleston, SC and Madison, WI
Created award-winning OOH ad campaigns for local and regional clients
Earned millions in revenue for the company by pitching concepts to potential clients
Happy clients: McDonald’s, Sonic, and Bojangles
Best of Show at 2015 OBIE Awards for Sonic “Slushes” campaign – the first and only time an outdoor media company has won the top award

Extracurricular Activities

I created Wash-a-Pig, a creative training game, to help my design team at Adams practice copywriting I conceived it in 2015 and birthed it in 2019. It’s now a walking, talking real product.