Today we’d like to introduce you to Doug Hanshaw
Hi Doug , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve always liked advertising, even in my earlier years. Making fake commercials for school projects, taping bad infomercials on TV, or humming jingles—all of this was par for the course. I was able to translate that interest once I was in college and working as the Production Manager at the University of Texas student radio station, KVRX. I found joy in creating the underwriting and show promos and the freedom that it allowed.
Coincidentally, around the same time, a good friend of mine had a new roommate who was in the advertising program there. Once I caught wind of what that entailed, I immediately applied for the graduate program. Two years later, and with a Master’s in Advertising under my belt, I decided to hoof it to NY, given that I knew a few people there I could crash with, and well it was NY, and it had the most opportunities.
I ended up getting hired by Ogilvy and worked there for 5 years learning the ropes of how a big agency in a big city works. Then, I moved around to Dentsu Creative and then Saatchi & Saatchi. It wasn’t until I started working at 77 Ventures Creative that I found a great group of smart, kind people that I could settle in with. The owner of the company lived in Nashville, and after five or so years in NY, I was able to move down there with the same job to help grow this office location.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The earlier years of my career felt like I was constantly playing catch-up. There’s a lot you can’t learn about the industry from your cozy, albeit exhausting, bubble in college. The learning curve kicked my butt, but I liked what I was doing so I didn’t mind the struggle. Learning what the hell a “manifesto” was, how to set up a deck, sourcing imagery (as an Art Director, this consumed about 50% of my time)…they throw you in the deep end but it’s all for the better.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an Executive Creative Director for an advertising agency, 77 Ventures Creative. I started out as an Art Director, which is still my main focus, but I’ve slid over into copywriting over the years as well. I work primarily in Photoshop and InDesign with a bit of Illustrator and, most recently, Midjourney. While I try to make all of the final art for a commercial or ad, sometimes I just need to do some digging and find some inspiration for a client. Then, it becomes less about what I make and more about what else someone can make given the resources.
What am I most proud of? I’d have to say our work we did for the NASCAR 75th Anniversary. Such a fun process with a great director, and talented producers and team. Jobs like that come across once in a blue moon and when they do, they are just an absolute pleasure to be a part of. Outside of that, I also did one of the safety videos for United Airlines. That got me around the globe for about five weeks and was shown to, literally, a captive audience.
As for what sets me apart, I’d have to say my pragmatism. I’m a very linear thinker. Someone who sees an assignment and then tries to solve the puzzle with the tools at hand. Often time those tools are limited by time and money, so being realistic about an assignment is important to me. Of course I can go and come up with some super over-the-top idea that costs millions of dollars to make and weeks to produce, but that’s often not the ask. I thrive on being put in a corner and finding a way out of it. Often, that’s when I’m happiest at my job.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Remote work works, but it has to be built on trust with everyone involved. I am very fortunate to work for a company that entrusts me to get the work done, wherever that may be. Often, it’s from home, sometimes it’s from the office, and occasionally it’s in Spain where my wife is originally from. The pandemic showed us that a body and mind are just as, if not more, productive when allowed to thrive in its own unique environment. For some that means needing to be in an office. For me, it’s a bit of column A and B.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://doughanshaw.com
