I’m Zac Spector, award-winning copywriter, creative director, storyteller and naming guy.

_To my daughter, I’m Daddy

[more about me]

_Award-winning creative director, problem solver and storyteller with 20 years of experience creating and writing impactful, strategy-driven content, both paid and owned. “Big picture” visionary who leads the development of creative campaigns through every step of the creative process, to ensure a consistent brand story across all channels. I make work so compelling, it leads people to change their buying habits, alter their food choices and consider new perspectives. They join movements, stop smoking, save water and even take meaningful action to combat climate change; in short, my words make a dent in culture.

_TV, Digital, Social, Mobile, Experiential, OOH & Print Advertising
_TV, Video, Digital, App, Print, Radio & OOH Production
_Casting & Talent Coaching
_Voiceover & Voiceover Coaching
_Integrated Branding & Advertising/Campaigns
_Art Direction

[experience]

Freelance | Detroit + wherever you are                       2020 – present
Creative Director / Copywriter
_Ideate, write and execute advertising campaigns, branding initiatives, naming projects and new business pitches for all manner of clients, media and platforms ● Clients: Apple, Ford, Dunkin’, NextEra Energy, Groupon, Dave & Buster’s, Give Wrapped, Yakult, AlloSource, The Lundquist Institute, Uncle Frank Energy Services, Westerra CU, Shea Properties, Denver South ● Agencies + In-House: Apple, FCB Chicago, Magnit, Give Wrapped, gtb, Sukle, LRXD, OffsiteAgency, D+i Creative, Golden LA

The Climate Reality Project | Michigan + the rest of Earth            2020 – present
Climate Reality Leadership Corps
_Part of a global community of changemakers leading the fight for just climate solutions across the planet ● Completed an extensive live training course led by Chairman and former US Vice President Al Gore + eminent environmental policy leaders ● As a member of the Greater Detroit Chapter, we help promote sustainability & environmental justice through education, legislation and economic policy

Apple | Cupertino, CA                                                    2022
Long-term Freelance Creative Director / Writer
_Responsible for writing script, presenting, shooting, editing and guiding Today at Apple’s leadoff episode for Season 2 of Creative Projects, from conception to production to publishing ● Conducted interviews and coached talent throughout pre-production, production and post ● Collaborated with directors and producers to create storyboards and shot list ● Developed YouTube video description copy for all Season 2 episodes of Creative Projects ● Episode garnered 3.2 million views on YouTube

FCB | Chicago                                                               2021
Long-term Freelance Creative Director / Copywriter
_Conceptualized, wrote, presented and executed integrated media campaigns for NextEra Energy (NEE), the world’s largest provider of clean energy solutions ● Rewrote landing page and website for NEE ● Led creative team in making :60, :30 and :15 TV & digital content aimed at influencing policymakers in Washington, DC, from conception through production & post-production ● Conceptualized, wrote and presented merchant campaign to attract new businesses to use Groupon ● Clients: NEE, Groupon

GTB | Detroit                                                                   2016-2020
Creative Director / Associate Creative Director (ACD) / Copywriter
_Served as lead creative team for Ford’s Brand Content & Alliances, Content Studio + new vehicle launches for Trucks and SUVs ● Created 360º, contextually relevant concepts and content for Ford’s integrated branding campaigns ● Worked on every aspect of Ford’s advertising business and communication, including Ford Content Studio, Ford Trucks, Ford SUV, Ford Digital, Ford Social, Ford Sustainability, Ford Pass, Ford Retail, Ford Service, QuickLane and Ford owned / digital channels ● Coached high profile voice talent including Bryan Cranston, for TV, digital and radio scripts ● Client: Ford

Leo Burnett | Chicago                                                    2014-2016
Creative Director / ACD / Copywriter
_Generated concepts and copy for integrated campaigns, from strategy and ideation to all facets of production & post-production ● Led creative teams for Fifth Third Bank and Eggo Waffles ● Coached numerous high profile voice talents for TV, digital and radio scripts ● Clients:  Fifth Third Bank, Samsung, Kellogg’s, Eggo Waffles, Planters Nuts, Brooks Running

Freelance | San Francisco + Chicago                            2013-14
Creative Director / Copywriter
_Ideated, wrote and executed advertising campaigns, branding initiatives, naming projects and new business pitches across wide range of omnichannel work and platforms ● Clients: The North Face, Amazon, Jim Beam, Grove Collaborative, Central Garden & Pet, Lenovo, Intel, Brawny Paper Towels, Schwab, MTV VMAs, Pepsi NFL (Super Bowl Halftime Show), Virgin America, Corning, Meineke, Fifth Third Bank, Muscle Milk, Kellogg’s ● Agencies + In-House: Grove Collaborative, Butler Shine Stern + Partners, Leo Burnett, Cutwater, AKQA, Mekanism, Eleven, Doremus+Co, Division of Labor, Sukle, Stellar Elements, Mythic

Goodby, Silverstein & Partners | San Francisco          2011-2013
ACD / Senior Copywriter
_Conceived, wrote and executed integrated advertising campaigns across all major channels and platforms ● Created Cheetos’ first-ever mobile app, the Cheetos App of Massive Distraction, from strategy to copy & creative assets to game design & UX to every aspect of production & post-production  ● App cracked the Top 10 of ALL free apps in the App Store ● Developed second-screen video game for Cheetos Mix-Ups that garnered more than 8.5 million views on YouTube—and was one of the most successful product launches in Cheetos history ● Won new business pitch for TD Ameritrade ● Lead creative team on TD Ameritrade, Cheetos + Comcast / Xfinity accounts ● Coached numerous high profile voice talents including Matt Damon, for TV, digital and radio scripts ● Other clients: Corona Light, NBA, Chevrolet, SONIC Drive-In, Sprint, Ruffles, Doritos, Adobe, Peet's Coffee, Cracker Jack

Sukle | Denver                                                              2008-2011
ACD / Senior Copywriter
_Generated creative concepts & copy for integrated campaigns, from strategy to production & post-production ● Transformed culture of water conservation in Denver with award-winning Denver Water campaign that helped reduce residential water consumption by more than 22% ● Led creative for Whole Foods Market (WFM), WY Dept. of Health, Denver Water, UNICEF Tap Project, GoLite + SCARPA ● Won new business pitches for UNICEF, GoLite, Good Times, LiveWell Colorado, SCARPA + first national launch of WFM ● Other clients: LiveWell Colorado, Elements Therapeutic Massage, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Good Times

Crispin Porter + Bogusky | Boulder                               2007-2008
Copywriter
_Created 360º, contextually relevant concepts and content for integrated branding campaigns, from strategy and creative concepting to completion ● Secured new business at 100% success rate, winning AOR pitches for Domino’s Pizza, Best Buy + Microsoft—generating $850 million of new media spending for the agency ● While there, CP+B won Advertising Age Agency of the Decade + Boards magazine's Agency of the Year ● Other clients: Volkswagen, Nike, Miller, Sprite, Bell Helmets, Giro, Burger King, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Geek Squad, AMEX, Reddi-Wip

Fort Franklin | Boston                                                 2004-2007
Copywriter
_Ideated, wrote and executed advertising campaigns, branding initiatives and new business pitches across a wide range of media and platforms ● Clients: ESPN, NHL, OLN, Burton, Speyside Scotch, Stora Enso, Cambridge Savings Bank, RCN, Magic Hat Brewing Co

Chimera Securities LLC | New York City                        2000-2002
Equity Trader
_Invested in NASDAQ and NYSE securities, with intraday buying power up to $500,000

[education]

The Creative Circus, Atlanta. Portfolio School - Copywriting
Adhouse, New York City. Portfolio School - Copywriting
University of Georgia, Athens. M.M.C. in Journalism. Photojournalism Minor
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. B.A. in English Literature

[awards]

_One Show, ADDY, OBIE, Radio Mercury, Communication Arts, Webby, FWA, Google Creative Sandbox, Luerzer's Archive, Creativity, Telly, Hatch, Denver 50

International Corrugated Packaging Design Competition, 2005
_Judges’ Choice Award for 2005 Speyside Gift Set ● Widely considered Nobel Peace Prize for corrugated cardboard

Creative Circus Student Show
_Best Copywriting, 3 Golds, 2 Silvers + Rising Star Scholarship

Camp Seagull, 1985
_Best Naturalist, Camp II ● King of the land at a seafaring camp, due to irrational fear of jellyfish

Chastain Horse Park, 1982
_7th Place out of 7 in quarterly Chastain Park Horse Show ● Effectively ended my equestrian career

[additional relevant skills]

Proficient in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Squarespace, Acrobat, Canva, Figma, Lightroom, Snapseed, Word, Pages, Slack, Teams, WebEx, Zoom, Dropbox, Box, Google Docs, Google Slides, Instagram, Facebook, BeReal, TikTok, Twitter/X, Snapchat, Keynote, PowerPoint, Etch-A-Sketch, Typewriter

[yippee!]

Camping/Hiking, Trail Running, Skiing, Soccer, Road Trips, Cooking, Drums, Frisbee, Bocce, Backgammon & Photography

Favorite Architects: Antoni Gaudí, Zaha Hadid, Norman Foster, Rem Koolhaas, Frank Gehry, Howard Roark

Artists: Richard Serra, Man Ray, Edgar Degas, John Singer Sargent, Jack Dowd, Yayoi Kusama

Kitchen Utensils: Melon baller, Silicone spatula, Spoon

Screwdriver: Flathead

Movie Directors: Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Alexander Payne, Edgar Wright, Martin McDonagh, Alfonso Cuarón, Brad Bird, Wes Anderson, Sidney Lumet, Pedro Almodóvar, Jason Reitman, Stanley Kubrick, John Lasseter, Coen Brothers, Orson Welles, Clint Eastwood, David Lynch, Christopher Guest, Judd Apatow, Spike Jonze, Christopher Nolan, Milos Forman, Stephen Frears. 

Movie Villains: Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw), The Sting; 
Harry Waters (Ralph Fiennes), In Bruges;
"Big Ern" Ernie McCracken (Bill Murray), Kingpin;
Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest;
Zé Pequeno (Douglas Silva/Leandro Firmina da Hora), City of God;
Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey), The Usual Suspects;
Marquise De Merteuil (Glenn Close), Dangerous Liaisons;
Bill the Butcher (Daniel Day Lewis), Gangs of New York;
Tsotsi (Presley Chweneyagae), Tsotsi

Literary Characters: Tom Bombadil (Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings); 
Lady Brett Ashley (Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises);
Philip Marlowe (Chandler's whole oeuvre);
David Brower (McPhee’s Encounters with the Archdruid);
Addie Pray (Brown’s Paper Moon);
George Hayduke (Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gang);
Will Lightbody (Boyle’s The Road to Wellville);
Wolf Larsen (London’s The Sea-Wolf); 
RP McMurphy (Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest); 
Ignatius Reilly (Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces);
Austin Popper (Portis's Masters of Atlantis);
”Fast Eddie” Felson (Tevis’s The Hustler and The Color of Money);
Murray Jay Siskind (DeLillo’s White Noise);
Ray Midge (Portis’s Dog of the South)