RICK EVANS

Who I Am
To grow in a volatile world, brands need people who can operate across it. I've spent nearly two decades building exactly that kind of range, moving across innovation, strategy, and marketing roles, on both agency and brand side, and through different categories and cultures, so I can pull from unexpected places to solve entrenched problems.The result is someone who breaks down silos, makes connections others miss, and gets to the heart of what matters faster than most. A Cannes Lions win conceived in three hours. A membership platform reimagined for 100 million+ customers. A podcast featured by Apple. Clients keep coming back because the perspective I bring is genuinely different; shaped by curiosity, sharpened by range.Current Project
Leading strategy for a creative campaign to bring a new medical procedure to market to help one out of every two U.S. adults with Koto.

Expertise
Brand strategy, Cultural strategy, Integrated marketing, Partnership marketing, Consumer insights, Membership & loyalty strategy, Sustainability & circular economy, Creative collaboration, Team leadershipBrands Supported
Visa (EMEA), American Express, Barclays, IKEA, Airbnb (EMEA), Dove, Unliever, Bayer, YouTube, Andreseen Horowitz, McDonald's, Sanderson Design Group, Ben & Jerry's, ASICS, Cazadores Tequila, Michelin, (RED), STA TravelAgencies Collaborated With
R/GA (UK), Ogilvy (UK), Saatchi & Saatchi (UK), 20(SOMETHING) (UK), OLIVER (US), Day One Agency (US), Virtue (Vice Media - US)Honors Earned
Cannes Gold Lion in Creative Effectiveness for #TurnYourBack, PR Week Most Innovative CommunicatorEducation
BA in Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill with Additional Coursework in Luxury Strategy, Adaptive Resilience, Sustainability and Sustainable Foods Systems, Understanding Artificial IntelligenceThought Leadership
Created and led a panel at Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity of the intersection of creativity and nature; Published pieces in WARC, Campaign, Muse by Clios and Foundr.

Example ProjectsAirbnb (2023/34)
I unified fragmented European audience data into a single "source of truth" that optimized regional marketing strategy and media efficiency.AI & Dove at Ogilvy (2023)
I defined Dove’s strategic stance on AI through expert research, ensuring the "real beauty" mission evolved alongside emerging technology.TikTok & Dove at Ogilvy (2023)
I led a grassroots TikTok strategy to counter deceptive filters, driving brand trust and securing a Cannes Lions Gold in Creative Effectiveness.
(View the Case Study Video)Unilever at Ogilvy (2023)
I led a behavioral-science-backed influencer strategy to launch a collective action brand, reaching nearly 1 billion people with sustainable living hacks.
(View the Step Zero website)IKEA Family at R/GA (2021/22)
I reimagined the IKEA Family program by shifting from transactional discounts to a relationship-driven value system, directly shaping the global roadmap for new sustainability and rewards initiatives.Additional work project examples