DAVID CRAWFORD

Chief Creative Officer

Grew up in the mountains of North Carolina and went on to earn a BFA in Graphic Design, from Western Carolina University.

Started my career with McKinney & Silver in Raleigh, North Carolina, where I became an art director, learning the craft from some of the best in the business. Worked on accounts including Piedmont Airlines, North Carolina Tourism, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Karastan Carpets, and Fannie Mae over six years.

Moved to GSD&M in Austin, Texas, managing and creating work for brands such as Southwest Airlines, Don’t Mess With Texas, RC Cola, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Texas Monthly, Pebble Beach Resorts, Rock the Vote, Kohler, Land Rover, American Legacy Foundation, Rolling Stone, and BMW. Named an Adweek 

Creative All-Star. Growing through the ranks, I served as Senior VP/Managing Group Creative Director and was part of the agency’s leadership team, helping shape its reputation over 25 years.

Before joining The Richards Group, I served client side as Executive Creative Director/CCO for the Kohler Company in Wisconsin, overseeing all their global brands. Currently, I am the Chief Creative Officer at Zimmerman Advertising.

Partnering with creatives, account teams, and clients to deliver the best creative solutions is one of my greatest joys; mentoring and sharing what I’ve learned is an even greater one.

Honored to have judged The One Show, The Art Directors Club, The Kelly Awards, The National Addys, The AICP Show, and The Effies. I’ve been fortunate to work alongside some of the best people in the industry and to win numerous awards across all the major shows.

I love spending time with my family…and their dogs. 

And I still miss those mountains.