My name is Dan Marvin. I'm a creative director and writer who loves what I do. Not many people can say that about their career, and I don't take that for granted. Sometimes my job feels more like a hobby that I take really seriously. I'm into weird, original thinking that's grounded in a concept and built on an insight. Small budgets don't hold me back from big thinking. Because we should aim for newsworthy work that makes the most of any budget.

This ad life has taken me from Raleigh-Durham to Chicago to Detroit to Austin and back to Detroit. Somewhere along the way, my wife and I had two amazing kids. Besides spending time with my family, I write children's books. (Here's one and here's another.) My author site is danmarvin.com.

I love basketball. I try to play my role as a creative director like a point guard – looking to get others shots while still looking for my own, but never letting those two goals interfere. (I love basketball metaphors, too.)

I have a useless talent where I can tell you instantly how many letters are in any word. ("Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" is 34 letters, smart-ass.) I have to be able to spell the word, but I won my 5th grade spelling bee (true story), so, you know, I wasn't very popular in 5th grade.


Jimmie Johnson Tribute

Jimmie Johnson Tribute

We gave fans a way to be there for Jimmie Johnson during his final NASCAR season, because retiring during a pandemic year meant he wouldn’t get the farewell tour he deserved from his fanbase. We put out the call for #JimmieTributes on Instagram and Twitter, then created micrography art from those heartfelt words. The art made its way onto a full-page USA Today ad, a billboard, a video, multiple social executions and a NASCAR.com takeover. All of this work will be displayed soon.

GMC Yukon Pitch

GMC Yukon Pitch

My partner Dave Muller and I went to Dubai to work on a pitch for GMC Yukon in the Middle East. With the help of the talented team at FP7 McCann, we came up with the two directions that went to clients, one of which won the account. Classical Arabic Poetry is an art form practiced by many in the Middle East. Many poets actually write about their vehicles. We found that GMC Yukon devotees had written many odes to its power and luxury. This inspired us to use that truth, those words, as the basis for our campaign idea. Below you'll find the pitch video that won the account followed by what it evolved into when the FP7 McCann team produced the launch spot.