Folks often ask, 
“What’s your story?”

MY STORY >

AND WHAT THEY MEAN IS

Where are you from?

And this would be my answer had you asked.

I grew up on a small island in South Carolina.

My father was a newspaper man and my mother an english teacher, and they taught me that when someone says something perfectly, don’t try to recreate it, let them say it.

So I turn the next paragraph over to Pat Conroy, who transcribes the area I call home in beautiful detail in his book The Prince of Tides.

“To describe our growing up in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, I would have to take you to the marsh on a spring day, flush the great blue heron from its silent occupation, scatter marsh hens as we sink to our knees in mud, open you an oyster with a pocketknife and feed it to you from the shell and say, “There. That taste. That’s the taste of my childhood.” I would say, “Breathe deeply,” and you would breathe and remember that smell for the rest of your life...”

To this day, I haven’t read anything more true.

If you weren’t into gallivanting through the marsh with me in search of oysters, I’d understand. But, I would insist on taking you to my favorite restaurant where we could belly up to the bar and have some served to us, already shucked, alongside a slice of mud pie that you’d dream about for the rest of your life.

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

What
do you do?

And this would be my answer had you asked.

For the longest time, I had no idea what I wanted to do.

Throughout high school and college, all I knew was that I loved Photoshop. So I took all the classes and electives that allowed me to be in front of a computer. And I’m sure my parents worried for me.

By the grace of an ex-advertising professor, I found The Creative Circus. There I was able to marry my raw technical talents with freshly squeezed conceptual ones.

Since then, I’ve lived and worked in Boston, New York, and many other cities working with clients and for agencies you’d recognize. While my title has changed over the years, what I do has remained the same, with added responsibilities, like mentorship and earning the trust of clients. Both of which I love.

More specifically, I help brands find its voices when it’s lost it or help create new ones from scratch if it’s never had one. I help customers find a brand they didn’t know they loved, and I help brands return the same love to their customers by showing up in human forms rather than a logo. I also believe buying isn’t nearly as valuable as buying in. And most often, I do this from my home in Austin, Texas.

But that’s enough about me. What’s your story? And what new ones can we tell together?

Burke Lauderdale — Creative Director. Art Director. Story Collector.

RESUME >

And if they like the cut of my jib, they’ll ask for my resume.

AGENCIES & BRANDS >

I’ve been very fortunate in my career — I’ve sat next to and worked under a lot of talented folks and I hope we can cross paths again.

Freelance Creative Director
2021 — Today

+ Sennheiser
+ Crispin Porter Bogusky
+ SS+K New York
+ Spot

Group Creative Director
2019 — 2021

+ N/A Collective New York / Austin

Freelance Creative Director
2016 — 2019

+ Disney
+ 72andSunny LA
+ Wieden+Kennedy Portland
+ R/GA New York
+ GREY New York
+ Elephant New York
+ Deutsch New York
+ the community Miami
+ MKG New York
+ N/A Collective New York / Austin
+ Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners New York
+ The&Partnership New York
+ Baldwin&

Traveling the world
2015 — 2016

My wife and I put all of our belongings in storage and traveled the world together. All because we didn't want to be old and grey and wish we would have.

+ Uganda
+ Tanzania
+ Namibia
+ South Africa
+ Nepal
+ Vietnam
+ Laos
+ Cambodia
+ Indonesia
+ Singapore
+ Malaysia

Looking to see more? Take a journey to our travel site. No passport required.

What in the world?

Associate Creative Director
2012 — 2015

+ McKinney Durham / New York

Freelance Art Director
2010 — 2012

+ Mother New York
+ Droga5 New York
+ BBH New York

Art Director
2007 — 2010

+ Arnold Worldwide Boston

SELECT CLIENT EXPERIENCE >

While I have experience in nearly every category, my heart is most at home close to my personal interests — in the sport, outdoor and technology spaces.

Sport / Outdoor

+ Nike
+ Saucony
+ Under Armour
+ NCAA
+ FootJoy
+ Titleist
+ Mizuno
+ Jaybird
+ Peloton
+ Spot

Technology / Electronics

+ Google
+ Facebook / Meta
+ Twitter / X
+ Verizon
+ XPrize
+ Spot
+ Sennheiser
+ Panasonic
+ Virgin

Food / Drink

+ Johnnie Walker
+ Tanqueray
+ Seagram’s
+ Coca-Cola
+ Krispy Kreme
+ Sour Patch Kids

Travel / Hospitality

+ Disney
+ Visit Iceland
+ Hilton
+ Travelocity

Health / Wellness

+ Advil
+ Preparation H

Insurance / Finance

+ Progressive
+ Nationwide
+ Citizens
+ Huntington

INDUSTRY RECOGNITION >

While my work has been recognized by nearly every press outlet and publication, the below is a curated list for my own published materials, podcasts and online portfolio.


+ Working Not Working Featured Article
How Quitting Your Job Can Make You A Better Creative

+ Strange Alchemy Featured Article
Sometimes The Best Way To Recharge Your Career Is To Get Away From It

+ Working Not Working: Profiles of the Week

+ Don't Get Me Started Podcast: Episode 199

INDUSTRY RECOGNITION >

It always feels nice to have your work recognized by your peers. But, the ones I'm most proud of are the Effies — since they stamp that it was great work that worked.

+ Communication Arts Interactive Annual
+ AdAge's Ten Most Effective Holiday Ads
+ Gold IAB MIXX Award
+ Grand Effie Finalist
+ Gold Effie x 3
+ Silver Effie x 4
+ MITX Award
+ Webby Finalist
+ Gold Hatch Awards x 4
+ Silver Hatch Awards x 5
+ Bronze Hatch Awards x 6
+ The Leica Meet: Photo of the Month
+ The Creative Circus Awards: Golds
+ The Creative Circus Awards: Silvers
+ Gold Cannes lion found in a trash can

EDUCATION >

Man, I love these two places with all my heart.

The Creative Circus

+ Advertising, Art Direction

University of South Carolina

+ Advertising, Sociology

CREATIVE DIRECTOR. ART DIRECTOR. STORY COLLECTOR. >

Burke Lauderdale is a freelance Creative Director, Art Director who hangs his hat in Austin, TX.
He works anywhere planes fly and there is a solid wi-fi connection.

SKILLS >

+ Team Leadership
+ Creative Direction
+ Art Direction
+ Brand Storyteller
+ Brand Development

+ 1/2 of a great high five

CONTACT >

burkelauderdale@gmail.com



Thanks for stopping by.

© Burke Lauderdale, 2024