CO-FOUNDER/PARTNER + CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER
THIRD STREET
CHICAGO IL
At Third Street, David has led his team to Addy and Clio award-winning work for brands such as Learning Resources, Optimum Nutrition, SunFed Ranch and Cabot Wood Stain. His efforts have also resulted in numerous shiny lucite and metal offerings from The Art Director’s Club, Addys, Effies, and The Webbys. His work has been featured in Communication Arts, GDUSA, D&AD, The New York Times, and The Chicago Tribune.
Before founding Third Street, David served as a Creative Director for 15 years at Foote, Cone and Belding (FCB) in Chicago, most recently as its Executive Creative Director of Emerging Platforms. He has created advertising campaigns across all mediums for Coors, Kraft, Gatorade, Illinois Lottery, KFC, Taco Bell, and Discover Card.
David is also the doodler, writer, creator of “Ad Land,” his advertising-centric cartoon that has been hailed as a “must read” and “screamingly funny” by both himself and some of advertising’s biggest players. Lastly, David never writes a bio without mentioning his alarmingly cute twin daughters Eloise and Olivia, and his impossibly lovely wife, Dawn.
Looking forward, are you optimistic about the role of graphic design in business and society?
To design or create in and of itself is an act of optimism. To believe you can go from a white piece of paper to something that will convey an idea or solve a problem takes faith. Good design can triumph over just about anything.
Have the challenges of the past two years changed the way you approach your work?
The last two years have absolutely changed both my approach to work and the expected reception to it. We’re all still relatively cooped up, looking for things to occupy, inspire and excite. But now that we’ve binged on all the fluff, we expect more substance. Before was the empty “Emily in Paris”. Now we want to watch a 17-hour long Beatles documentary.
