ZAC TIKNIS | CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ART DIRECTOR
Chicago, IL, 60123 • 773-220-8076 • zac.tiknis@gmail.com • linkedin.com/in/zac-tiknis-53a6968/
About me:
Hands-on Creative Director with art direction background and 20+ years of experience leading marketing and advertising projects across many industries. Renowned for concepting big ideas and delivering flawless executions in highly regulated categories. Excels in fast-paced environments with a knack for making people laugh and delivering smart creative that solves complex business challenges.
Drive, inspire, and manage creative teams to ensure they deliver solutions that exceed expectations and advance their careers.
Manage end-to-end creative process, from concept to delivery, guaranteeing projects are on time, on brief, and within budget.
Lead and win pitches, oversee day-to-day creative, and grow accounts organically for agencies and Fortune 500 brands.
areas of expertise:
Creative Direction • Art Direction • Shopper Marketing • Advertising • TV, Print, Radio, and Out-of-Home • Digital • Social Media • Direct Mail • B2C, B2B, and DTC • Promotions • Point-of-Sale (POS) • E-commerce • Packaging • Production • Multi-channel Marketing • Copywriting • Websites • SEO Optimization • Shopper Marketing • A/B Testing
Industries: Alcoholic Beverages, Consumer Packaged Goods, Telecom, Pet Care, Healthcare, Food and Beverage, Personal Care
Career history:
FREELANCE | 1/2024 - PRESENT | CREATIVE DIRECTOR, MARKETING AND ADVERTISING
Manage projects across various categories, including concept, presentation, and production of multi-channel marketing programs, including POS, digital, social, motion graphics, e-commerce, and more. Clients: E&J Gallo, Cratos Manufacturing
E&J Gallo: Wines including Barefoot, Clos du Bois, Louis M. Martini, Smith & Hook, Franciscan Estate, Edna Valley
“Zac is a hands-on Creative Director who can conjure up big thinking, marshal a team, inspire better work out of his peers, or just roll up his sleeves and get the dang thing done himself.” —VP Group Creative Director, Advantage Unified Commerce, 2023 |
• Create brand promotion showcasing breadth of E&J Gallo cabernet, including header cards and comm boxes with insets.
• Develop marketing promotional campaign ideas and executions for Barefoot’s Superbowl LIX national promotion.
Cratos Manufacturing: Battery powered-construction equipment
• Spearhead planning for Q1 2025, educating client on importance of creating relevance for products based on consumer insights.
• Assess website improvements, including SEO optimization, revamping visuals, and implementing best practices to boost traffic.
EDGE MARKETING | 12/2017 - 12/2023 | CREATIVE DIRECTOR • CHICAGO, IL
Led pitches, managed teams, and oversaw some of agency’s largest national accounts, focusing on creating Multi-Channel Shopper and Multi-Channel On and Off-Premise programs, including POS, digital, social, motion graphics, and e-commerce.
Clients: TABASCO • Dole • Family Dollar • Organic Valley • Red Bull • Wells (Blue Bunny, etc.) • Smithfield • Land O’ Lakes • Mariani • SC Johnson • Iovate • Bayer • Bayer Animal/Elanco • Brown-Forman (Jack Daniel's, etc.) • Infinium (Seagrams Vodka, etc.) • Jägermeister • William Grant & Sons (Hendrick’s Gin) • Proximo (Jose Cuervo, etc.) • Pabst Blue Ribbon • Boston Beer Company (Sam Adam’s, etc.)
• Led creative and managed 40+ national accounts over 6 years, overseeing team of 7+ senior art directors and graphic designers, scoped existing accounts and staffed new ones, conducted annual reviews, and ensured team members grew professionally.
• Served as Creative Director on dozens of new business pitches for multi-million-dollar CPG and alcoholic beverage brands with unprecedented win rates and frequently selected to manage creative for accounts post-pitch.
• Grew accounts organically at record pace, with brands such as PBR moving from 1 project per year to 30+ projects annually, resulting in millions of dollars in revenue and high client satisfaction ratings.
• Cross-collaborated with partner agencies to create seamless, strategic integrated campaigns that were on-brief, managed 3rd-party vendors, and oversaw production process of marketing and promotion activations across multiple retail channels.
• Managed project-based staffing and budgeting, built and maintained client relationships from brand managers to C-suite, and worked closely with strategy and account teams to ensure ideas and executions aligned with initial creative brief.
THE INTEGER GROUP | 12/2015 - 12/2017 | ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR • CHICAGO, IL
Helped lead cornerstone multi-million-dollar agency account, working closely with partner agencies, such as BBDO, to create omni-channel brand and promotional campaigns. Clients: Mars/Wrigley (Extra, Orbit, Eclipse, 5, Hubba Bubba, Skittles, Sunkist)
• Teamed up with ACD Copywriter to create engaging regional, national, and global Multi-Channel Shopper programs across POS, digital, social, motion graphics, and e-commerce, delivering millions of impressions and resulting in organic account growth.
• Hit 250K impressions and 100K+ entries, smashing 50K impression projection by partnering with My Fitness Pal for mobile-first app-based promotion with Extra, Orbit, and Eclipse. Client repeated promotion for 3 years due to massive engagement.
• Partnered with Marvel Studios for Guardians of the Galaxy II and Civil War and led creative for 2 national Skittles promotions, including collaboration with NASCAR to design car wrap for Kyle Busch’s No. 18.
• Created regional promotion for Hubba Bubba, partnering with MLB, Kroger, and Cincinnati Reds to hold bubble-blowing contests, and due to overwhelming engagement and entries, client rolled out promotion to other teams.
• Managed multiple 6-figure photoshoots for Skittles and Orbit focused on recipe inspiration, working closely with food stylists, photographers, and talent to ensure final deliverables met brand standards and had maximum appetite appeal.
THE FOOD GROUP | 11/2014 - 12/2015 | ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR • CHICAGO, IL
Created award-winning B2B campaigns that entertained audiences, drove awareness and sales, and led to millions of dollars in revenue. Clients: Del Monte Foods, TABASCO, Kraft
• Sold multiple promotions to Del Monte client, adding $100K of initial revenue, and organically grew account to $250K in 1 year.
• Won Davey Award for best B2B Integrated Campaign for Del Monte work, which client bought and produced from pitch deck.
• Led team that won Del Monte and TABASCO B2B new business pitches, selected to lead accounts post-pitch, and was instrumental in securing promotion for direct Copywriter report, leveling up to Senior Copywriter, to retain top talent.
• Helped win Mars/Twix B2B business, adding $200K of revenue and created B2B promotions for A.1. and Grey Poupon that increased brand awareness, product application and case purchases across QSR, Casual, and Fine Dining restaurants.
TPN | 6/2011 - 10/2014 | ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR • CHICAGO, IL
Developed creative campaigns as Cricket Wireless’ AOR, led new business pitches, and served as idea machine for shopper marketing programs. Clients: Cricket Wireless, Otterbox, Sol Republic, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Gatorade (Super Shake, Recovery Bars)
• Pitched and won Otterbox and Sol Republic accounts, working completely solo, including concepts and executions, building presentation deck, and presenting work to clients. Also contributed to Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Grant’s Whiskey pitches.
• Oversaw Cricket Wireless brand awareness and shopper marketing programs, including look, feel, and tone overhaul, which modernized the brand, increased consideration for Pay Per Minute (PPM), boosted sales, and led to the acquisition by T-Mobile.
• Managed Cricket creative and developed monthly in-store regional-based messaging for 4,500 locations nationwide, expertly executing fast-paced, last-minute changes to messaging and visuals based on market fluctuations and competitor pricing.
• Created ideas and executions to launch new product lines for Gatorade across POS and digital, and designed tradeshow booth.
ADDITIONAL POSITIONS | 5/2004 - 6/2011
• FCB Senior Art Director (2007-2011)
• FCB Art Director (2004-2007)
education:
Bachelor of Arts, Corporate and Advertising Design • Columbia College • Chicago, IL
SOFTWARE:
Microsoft Office Suite • Adobe Creative Suite • Google Suite • Figma • Canva • Zoho