Chris Cullinan is a versatile Art Director, Designer, and Writer capable of leading teams, directing and creating exceptional advertising and design communications, as well as writing engaging narrative and promotional content. He is a savvy, articulate, concept-thru-production artist with broad commercial experience and VCU Art and Film degree. 

Chris has years of professional experience as a graphic designer, writer, art director, and creative director for traditional and internet-oriented corporations, higher education, advertising agencies and design studios, and associations and institutions. 

His projects include design and advertising for print, TV, OOH, and radio; publications, promotions and print materials; branding programs; web graphics, banners, ads, and page design; new product packaging and launch materials; illustrations and photography; and environmental graphics. 

In addition to extensive studio and project management skills, he has business sense, client-facing acumen, and agency and client-side experience. A consistent producer of imaginative, effective communications.

Portfolio-
www.creativehotlist.com/ccullinan

Versatile Creative Director capable of leading teams, directing and creating exceptional advertising and design communications as well as writing engaging narrative and promotional content. Creative, savvy, articulate, concept-thru-production Designer and Writer with broad experience and VCU Art and Film degree. Consistent producer of imaginative, effective communications.


Experience-
Art Director, Designer, Writer 2016-
CCCreative
Corporate and agency clients. Concepts, art direction, design, illustration, copywriting.

Art Director, Designer 2000-2016
University of Virginia, Advancement Communications.
Designed, developed, managed, and produced creative marketing, student recruitment, and fund-raising communications including collateral, annual reports, cases, direct mail, advertising, identity, graphics, and special presentations. Art directed photographers/videographers, vendors, talent, and production. Managed multiple projects and vendor relations for a variety of internal clients. Contributed award-winning work to $1 billion and $3 billion Campaigns for Virginia. Recommended production, process, creative, content and asset management systems and improvements which were instituted in the development and advancement communications and editorial and design departments.

Associate Creative Director, Advertising 1998-2000
Value America, Inc., etailer/catalog retailer
Hands-on copywriting, art direction, design, and production for national print advertising, direct-mail, and catalogs; TV, video, and online ad concepts, scripts, and storyboards. Directed two designers, two production artists, two writers, two web promotions team designers/developers, and photographers/videographers. 

Art Director, Designer, Writer 1995-1998
CCCreative
Corporate, institution, agency clients. Concepts, art direction, design, illustration, video art; print, radio, TV writing.

Advertising Manager 1991-1995
Circuit City Stores, Inc., Recruitment Advertising.
Responsible for startup, development, and management of multi-million dollar in-house national recruitment advertising agency, including creative, production, media, and operations. Hired, trained and managed creative and operations staff including two designers, two production artists, a media manager, and an administrator/data coordinator, and partnered with phone team. Achieved six-figure annual contract savings and increased production efficiency by 50%. Developed creative strategies; designed, wrote, and produced print, radio, and outdoor campaigns; directed photography/video; designed collateral, direct-mail, video, and event displays.

Advertising Designer 1990-1991
Circuit City Stores, Inc., Retail Advertising.
Designed national ads and formats, store displays, graphics, direct-mail; new creative for major appliances, consumer electronics, mobile audio.

Graphic Designer  1987-1990
Chesterfield County, Comprehensive Planning   
Responsible for publications, graphics, displays, presentations, photography/aerial photography, and print supervision.


Media-
Print, radio, TV, mail, environmental; video, multimedia - concepts, art direction, scripts, storyboards, production

Computer Skills-
Adobe CS - InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat; Quark; Microsoft Office - Outlook, Word, Powerpoint; others

Education-
Bachelor’s degree, cum laude, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
Arts - Cinematography/Photography/Art History

Professional Affiliations (past and present)-
Richmond Ad Club
MacUsers
Virginia Production Alliance (film/audio/video)
American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) National Board of Advisors
Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)
College Communicators Association (CCA)

Certifications-
University of Virginia: Center for Leadership Excellence - Communications track
Circuit City Stores, Inc., corporate: Managing Through People - Management training

Awards-
Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) design awards (26)
Printing Industries of the Virginias (PIVA) awards (2)
Printing Industries of the Mid-Atlantic (PIMA) awards (1)
American Marketing Association (AMA) awards (2)

Interests-
Film, art, photography, travel, sports