Hi. I'm Will McKeand, and I'm a recovering finance major. I've been clean for over 19 years. I hit rock bottom during my first and only 14-hour day of cold calling and regret right out of college. I quit, shook it off, and applied for a copywriter internship that night. It was a smile and jump moment. Over the next three days, I put a book together and went in for my interview. I’ve been happily motivating people to talk, click, share, buy and evangelize at agencies like The Integer Group / TBWA, Wunderman / Y&R, Go East Design, Geometry Global and running my own freelance business ever since. I'm currently looking for a group of like-minded problem solvers who also aren't afraid to smile and jump and do some good in the process.
GIST
Award-winning copywriter, conceptor and integrated creative leader
19 + years of experience solving tough problems through branding, retail, experiential, digital/mobile, promotions and every combination in between
43 + years of experience learning from my experiences, being curious, open minded, inventive, reinventive and fun loving
BRANDS I'VE HELPED SUCCEED
THE HITS
Launched the new Geometry Global office in Minneapolis helping it grow from 6 to 65 people in just over a year
Led and won new business pitches for The North Face, Hostess, Wonder Bread and Timex
Key player in winning new business pitches for Snickers, Keystone Light, Shell Petroleum, Airwalk, Outback Steakhouse and United Airlines
Helped drive over 15 straight quarters of growth for Coors Light, growing it from the #3 to the #2 premium light beer in North America
Earned the Alzheimer's Association of Colorado record-breaking donations
Generated over $3,000,000 of new/incremental business for Wunderman Chicago
PHILOSOPHY
We-deas > Ideas
You get what you give. Over deliver and improve the world around you whenever and wherever possible.
"What if?" with abandon.
AWARDS
The One Show, PROMO PRO Awards, Effies', ADDY's, The Denver 50 and several client-takes-all-of-the-credit "honors"
I love solving problems. This one was 125' tall.
I also love music, be it listening, writing/composing, or playing with other musicians. There's not much better out there than making music with friends, even when you're fingers are freezing like mine were here.
FAVORITE QUOTES
“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Henry Ford
“Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity.” Albert Einstein
"If you have to make the logo bigger, the idea isn't big enough." Unknown art director/philosopher
"You have two ears and one mouth. Listen twice as much as you talk." - Unknown
"May you always be able to explain why you did what you did, and have work compelling enough that no one asks you to." - Lee Clow
OTHER MILDLY INTERESTING FACTS
I’m a loving husband, father and wacky uncle
I’m a musician and songwriter
I love the outdoors. I’m an avid snowboarder. I love fishing, water skiing, camping, mountain biking, rock climbing, and white water kayaking.
And I can recite the alphabet backwards in under 3 seconds.