Our agency founder fell for Advertising at the age of 15 and never looked back. From the high school paper, to the Ad School at the University of Illinois, to creating advertising that’s pushed billions of dollars of product off the shelf. Sue believes in finding the simple truth about a product, and she’s brought that truth to life for global brands like Alcon, Medtronic, McKesson, the American Society for Plastic Surgeons, Siemens and more. Her latest truth? Simply adjusting to her newly empty nest.
Shawn brings nearly 20 years of agency experience to his role as VP/ Group Creative Director. During his career, he has developed campaigns and creative for a diverse group of clients. His healthcare work includes brands like Similac® and PediaSure® for Abbott Nutrition, and eye care category defining brands like Systane®, Opti-Free®, Clear Care® and Dailies Total1® for Alcon. He’s worked on massive CPG brands from The Coca Cola Company, Frito-Lay, and Proctor and Gamble and during his time on P&G, he developed multi-brand commercial programs across beauty brands, and led creative teams working on Tampax® and Always. Other past clients include Sprint, McDonald’s, Motorola and GMC. Shawn believes in the power of ideas and their ability to drive consumer behavior and is dedicated to unearthing ideas that help businesses grow.
Our resident renaissance man has worked in every nook and cranny of the industry: as a creative, a producer, an account person, in media, doing digital…the list goes on. Mark even founded the award-winning Lure Music where he built a client base that included Dove, Johnnie Walker, Miller Coors, and Kellogg’s. Since joining Norton, he’s launched over 15 brands from early commercialization to final campaign execution. The only thing more impressive than Mark’s journey is the one he creates for brands and their consumers.
Some people build skyscrapers. Some build roads. Ever since graduating from Arizona State University with a B.S. in Economics, Kirsten has been busy building strong bridges for major brands that span the globe. She’s been our go-to on clients like Alcon, CIBA VISION, James Hardie Building Products, Mars Botanical and more. In her precious little time off, Kirsten loves to travel—especially to warm, exotic places with limited cell phone access. Luckily for us, cell access is more and more far reaching.
Celebrating 30 years at Norton, Anthony is one of the original members of the Norton family. With a double major in Business and Fine Art, Anthony is well equipped to wear his many hats—from account service to creative. You’ll see his unique imprint on every major account at Norton. He’s also touched the lives of countless talented designers and writers he’s mentored over the years. He’s one of our original members—and also a true original.
Originally hailing from the Motor City, Amy studied Advertising at Michigan State University and eventually headed for Chicago in pursuit of digital opportunities. She developed integrated marketing campaigns for Jim Beam Brands, Ford Automotive, Terlato Wines and Harrah’s Entertainment before landing at Norton, where she continues to spread her enthusiasm for blazing new creative trails for our clients. Outside of work, Amy continues to create (and saw and solder), applying her fashion and design skills to her stylish jewelry line.
A well-rounded academic resume is the foundation of Karl’s Business Management acumen. He holds a Political Science degree from Millikin University, as well as an MBA and a Masters in Marketing from Franklin University. Between degrees, he lived in the Dominican Republic, where he taught English for a time…and appreciated the local selection of Caribbean rum. Perhaps that rum influenced his run of beverage clients—from Bacardi to Grey Goose and Martini & Rossi.
Brian’s often referred to as “Dr. Quinn” by our clients. With 20 years’ experience at Norton alone writing highly technical medical copy, he deserves the honorary degree. His deep understanding of science and human physiology has lent itself to countless agency projects, for clients like Alcon, Philips, Abbott and Siemens Nuclear Medicine Group. As a Marquette University grad with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, he’s well-versed in bringing any brand to life with the written word.
With six years of agency experience at the likes of TracyLocke, AbelsonTaylor and Leo Burnett, Jake brings big thinking from working on big brands. SC Johnson’s Ziploc, Glade and KIWI to name a few, as well as Allergan, Amgen, Takeda, G1 Therapeutics, and Greenwich Biosciences. Jake’s eclectic expertise in both CPG and pharma make him a valuable asset to our Strategy & Planning Team. Also of note: his work on Allergan’s “Unfriend Chronic Migraine” campaign helped win PM360’s Social Media Campaign of the Year Award. It hangs on his wall right next to his degree from Second City’s Music Conservatory. Yes, he moonlights as a playwright—and if you’ve been to one of his kickoff meetings, it all makes sense. A strategist armed with storytelling. The perfect combination.
With a successful artist for a father, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Scott’s early creativity developed into a passion for photography, which he studied, along with Design, at Columbia College in Chicago. He freelanced as a photographer before honing his design skills and finding his niche in high-end retouching at leading production studios around the city. For years, Scott enhanced the image of advertisers like P&G, Miller/Coors and Kraft. Today, he brings all of his skills to all our clients at Norton.
Nobody has ever referred to Justin as the Tarantino of marketing writers, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. Drawing on a lifetime of far-flung influences, this University of Illinois grad—English major, so you know he’s for real—has written pharma campaigns for the likes of Genzyme, Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline. Justin’s healthcare expertise knows no bounds, with years of specialized experience in biotech, medical devices and marketing therapies for rare diseases. He really wanted to end his bio with a Pulp Fiction quote, but the profanity-free lines proved rarest of all.
John is an old-school kind of guy: he drives an ’86 Ford Station Wagon (in all its wood-paneled glory) and owns a functioning VHS player. This former Mizzou J-schooler boasts a diverse copywriting background, with experience in CPG, food & beverage, healthcare, and even professional sports. As a Senior Copywriter at Norton, he lends his verbal skills to all manner of brand strategies, international campaigns, and cutting-edge digital tactics. Not bad for an old-school guy. And speaking of “old,” John is the oldest of nine siblings. Nine.
Jonny graduated from the Creative Center Arts College in Omaha, Nebraska, where students are fully immersed in the day-to-day operations of an actual advertising agency from day one. Jonny emerged with a Top 5 portfolio and a hunger to expand the potential for artistry in the digital space. His talented work on brands like Fairlife and Wells Fargo led him to the Norton Agency, where he’s pushing the technology envelope and expanding his proven track record of successful digital campaigns.
Erin may hail from a small town in Upstate New York, but she brings larger-than-life ideas to the Norton Agency. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Elmhurst College, she’s created powerful designs for clients like Ray-Ban, Alcon, Kraft, James Hardie, FreshLook and Causegear. And her creative eye even extends beyond the office—after hours, you’ll often find her immersed in her latest drawing or snapping photos with her husband, Thang, and her Pitbull-Lab mix, Miles.
To keep up with the ever-changing digital landscape, Sam’s your man. A graduate of the University of Dayton with a major in Visual Communication Design, he’s crafted every facet of integrated digital campaigns for automotive, medical, beverage and casino gaming brands. He takes our teams ideas and gives them life in the digital space. The only question is if the virtual world can keep up with Sam. He’s constantly pushing himself physically, gearing up for another marathon. Always ready for the daily marathon of your digital demands.
A Southern California native, Alexis broke the mold and spent way more time speed-reading than surfing. On the shores of Lake Michigan, she graduated from Loyola University and rapidly ascended the client services ladder. With a focus on digital work over the last decade – she’s made an indelible mark on Hospitality & Entertainment, Automotive and Home Appliance businesses, with clients as diverse as Maytag and Penn National Gaming. Now, we’re lucky to have Alexis fostering client relations here, with her California warmth and a wit as quick as her reading speed.
Originally from Germany, Juliane always has her finger on the pulse of the European market. After earning a degree in Marketing from Otto-von-Guericke-Universitat, Juliane started working at Serviceplan—one of the largest owner-operated advertising agency groups in Europe. In Munich, she managed multiple accounts including the German Federal Ministry of Defense, the German Federal Pension Fund, Stabilo and Mattress Firm. Juliane brings her vast international experience to Norton, and loves opening new doors for our clients across the US and EMEA.
As a Division-1 athlete through all four years at Butler University, Allie has never been one to shy away from a challenge. There, while swimming competitively, she earned dual degrees in Marketing and Management Information Systems. Today, Allie brings a true competitor’s spirit, perseverance and speed to new product launches for global brands—deftly navigating the waters of different consumer markets. Allie may be a fast swimmer, but she’s an even faster learner.
When former Norton intern Caitlin Blum decided to join us full-time as an Account Executive, we were beyond thrilled. Our excitement might have had something to do with her experience in healthcare marketing, or her degree in Business Administration…or maybe we were just hoping to get ahold of her family’s world-famous meat sauce recipe. We’ll never tell. Originally from Elmhurst, Caitlin has been living in the city since 2019, and she spends her newly-found city life volunteering at PAWS Chicago, rooting for the Cubs and running. Did we mention she was a top 7 DIII varsity cross country runner? Talk about the total package.
Account Executive Bridget Cato lives by the motto, “Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day.” Wise words, indeed. A graduate of Butler University, Bridget joins Norton after a stint at BucketListers – where she helped adventurous Chicagoans find the best things to do in their city. As an avid runner, Bridget has completed two full marathons, eight half marathons and 3 sprint triathlons. As an advertising professional, she believes that the flexibility to pivot and adapt are key traits needed to be successful. To prove that point we’ll pivot… from her running and her philosophy to her favorite food, tacos! Because possibly the greatest reason to do all that running? Tacos waiting at the finish line.
A University of Nebraska alum, Ann found her calling in Advertising and PR. She immediately excelled in the field, creating several campaigns while still a student, including one for Lincoln Public schools that was chosen as the winner of her class Capstone Project. A welcome addition to Norton’s client services team, we rely on Ann to help ensure our clients’ projects all go the distance. She’s definitely up to the task; she’s always on the move for our clients, and this avid runner logs over 500 miles per year.
Whether she’s scouting a shoot location or reviewing directors’ reels, it’s no surprise Julie is always able to connect Norton with just the right resources to perfect any project. It’s what she’s done her entire career. A veteran of Schawk (Retail Marketing Division), Gaston Advertising and Ambrosi & Associates, Julie has a history of picture-picture results for clients ranging from Sears Holdings to Ulta Beauty to Citi Financial Services.
Silvia brings a wealth of international agency experience to her work at Norton. Previously, as a Design Specialist at Panasonic, she worked directly with their China team to ensure consistency with global brand standards. Tradeshow design and new product logo development were also among Silvia’s specialties there. Prior roles in publishing garnered Silvia multiple industry awards for graphic design, and her work is prominently displayed at her alma mater’s Media Arts and Graphic Design Museum. From construction to technology to healthcare and beyond, Silvia’s vast experience empowers every brand entrusted to the Norton Agency.
The fact is, nobody wears as many hats for Norton as PJ does, whose full first name is…(sorry, we promised not to tell). He’s worked on countless big-name brands in his career, including Kraft, Motorola and ESPN in his days at Ogilvy. All with an unparalleled level of tact and tenacity that always produces great work. As might be expected from a multi-tasker, PJ has multiple interests as well, including fine art, photography and playing the blues guitar. Howlin’ Wolf, preferred.
With a last name pronounced like “bear” it’s only fitting that Ryan is a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan. As a senior production artist and supervisor, Ryan has managed teams of PAs and refined campaigns for clients ranging from Kraft and Corona to Motorola and SC Johnson. After rounding the bases at 141 Worldwide, Ogilvy and RPM Advertising, Ryan came home to Norton, ready to swing for the fences on every campaign.
With a degree in Journalism from the University of Nevada, Michele combined her love for sports and writing as an editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She later earned an MBA from Texas Christian University and made her mark at Alcon, where she worked as an in-house marketer focused on internet retail customer marketing, marketing communications and later contact lens brand management. At Norton, Michele combines all of her varied work experience to manage quality assurance and regulatory compliance on all of our projects.
Ivan first learned the fine art of organization as a three-sport high school athlete who also excelled in academics. At DePaul University, he studied accounting and interned at an ad agency and later earned his Project Management Professional certification at Northwestern University. Six years into working at a Chicago agency on the Chicago Bears and White Sox, ComEd, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and more, Ivan jumped at the chance to join Norton and supervise cutting-edge project management programs.
Tom knew he loved advertising at a very young age. As the story goes, his mother found him re-enacting pasta cooker commercials to an audience of elderly women at a mall when he was 5 years old. The rest, as they say, is history. Since those days, Tom has been busy. While attending University of Colorado at Boulder, Tom learned even more about his love of advertising through his intense coursework and a prestigious internship. In his free time he loves snowboarding, traveling and cooking. He has a “work hard, play harder” philosophy, and believes that telling meaningful stories can lead to meaningful change.
Visit our careers page to view all our open positions.
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Shawn Farrell
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For most of my career, I worked at larger agencies. I’m talking 500-plus people. Many floors. Different departments. A mail room, even.
But twice in my life, I’ve worked at smaller agencies. The first time was when I was about 4 years into my career – still fairly junior and new to the industry. The other time? Now.
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The statistics are impressive on how consumers interact with promotional messaging, especially videos. Studies have shown that 55% of internet users watch social media videos daily, and videos tend to get three times more interaction and clicks than static text posts. Our brains crave video content because we can process it 60,000 times faster than static posts.
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