Like most agencies, the last year has been pivotal for our full-service experiential marketing agency. We have bolstered our technology and digital capabilities, built out our in-house production and technology teams, and incubated the launch of our sister company, Think TRUE—a black-owned and minority-led marketing agency focused on helping brands develop initiatives centered on engaging diverse and historically underrepresented communities. Now, as live events begin to bounce back, we have taken our next, unconventional, and progressive move towards investing in our company culture. We are excited to announce that we have appointed Kevin Carroll as Creative-in-Residence, tasked with driving creativity across our accounts, including Nike and Facebook.
The newly created role positions Carroll as a “Creative Catalyst (Katalyst),” working with our teams on coaching, strategic brainstorming, and direction. Further, he will focus on creative performance training, treating creativity as a sport. According to Carroll, he considers creatives and marketing professionals “athletes,” and his mission as “thinker in residence” is to help our athletes score in diverse ways for our company and clients.
Carroll is a distinguished author, TEDx Talk pro, and boasts a background in sport, communication and performance, culture, and community impact, and this is his first position at a traditional agency. He has a long history of helping turn creative ideas into reality for brands like Starbucks, Adidas, Walt Disney, Target, Procter & Gamble, Columbia Sportswear, Mattel, and Nike, where he designed the brand’s Creativity Performance Center. He was also previously the Head Athletic Trainer for the Philadelphia 76ers. His secret sauce is a spark he calls “catalytic energy,” which he uses to ignite and inspire teams.
At OBE, we believe diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences are vital to our success. This year, we have constantly evolved and proactively invested in our people, and bringing on a voice like Kevin’s is another step in the right direction.