WHO IS THIS GUY?

I realized advertising was my thing in college when I made a simple discovery: the eight fraternity brothers who sat to the right of me in my Elements of Advertising class were cheating off of me.  That was a revelation, indeed.

After graduating from the University of Kansas – “Beak ‘em, Hawks!” – with a BS in Journalism, I immediately went to work for a small boutique agency in Kansas City…for a commensurately small salary.  Though I was underpaid, fortune had, none the less, smiled on me by handing me The Stetson Hat Company as an account.  I rose to the challenge and birthed the “Never Steal a Stetson” concept.  

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In the years since, I’ve equaled or bested this ad a few times, but I’m still proud as heck of it and put it in the pantheon of my finest work – at least the headline and the concept – the art direction… not so much. 

The Stetson poster, by the way, helped land me a job at a more prestigious boutique agency in Chicago on Michigan Avenue – 500 North Michigan - to be precise.  I stayed there for 5 years, then, decided I wanted a slower, more peaceful, less narcissistic way of existence and I moved to Louisville. 

Since 1994, I have worked for a number of Louisville agencies, which gives my portfolio real breadth.  I can write funny, dark, warm &  fuzzy, quirky, with attitude, with humanity - whatever is required.  But always with love.

Rich Machin