About
Who’s Arlo?
Since 2002, Arlo Oviatt has been Executive Creative Director of B-R, one of the nation’s top ten independent ad agencies. He has a passion for leading highly collaborative creative teams to develop memorable, strategic marketing solutions, particularly in integrated traditional:new media.
Arlo’s brand resume includes Bayer Advantage and K9 Advantix, PetSmart, Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, Time Warner Cable, USAA, Skittles, Twix, Whiskas, Coca-Cola, Sprint, Blockbuster, Budweiser, Hallmark and Tropicana, to name a few.
His work and the work of his teams has been featured in Communication Arts, Mercury Radio Awards, London International Advertising Awards, The New York Festivals, Yahoo’s Purple Big Idea Chair Award, National ADDYs, Creativity magazine, Archive magazine, Print magazine, U.S. Ad Review, Adweek’s Best Spots, and honored with SHOOT Magazine’s Agency of the Year designation.
Committed to sharing his creative wisdom and vision with the heart of a teacher, Arlo is also an award-winning former assistant professor of journalism at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas, and the Founder and Executive Director of Camp Portfolio, the Kansas City-based workshop in creative portfolio development for aspiring advertising art directors and copywriters.
Established in 1964, B-R continues to leverage insightful imagination to build some of the world’s best-known brands, turn them into household names and inspire consumers to act. Often cited as the agency that created the Happy Meal for McDonald’s, B-R helped changed the game for Ray Kroc and other entrepreneurial clients like Henry Bloch of H&R Block, Wayne Huizenga of Blockbuster and Sam Walton of Wal-Mart. Go to b-r.com and check out the agency’s current and award-winning work. B-R’s interactive group promotes Interactivism™ which builds strong brands through building strong bonds, offering digital experience planning, strategic services and interactive execution. Learn all about it at b-r.com/interactivism.
Arlo on Onward?
“Onward” is how I’ve signed off most of the emails to my creative department for as long as I (and they) can remember, because it always seems I’m communicating to them about some form of change, of trying to move forward. When I asked what they thought would make a good title for this blog, well, there didn’t seem to be any other choice. I believe an advertising agency is at its best when it’s a force that initiates forward-focused thinking. This space is meant to explore the creativity, culture and craft that I consider myself lucky to be surrounded by every day. It’s about creative thought, creative execution, creative craftsmanship and creative people that I find inspiring. I hope you do, too.
Arlo on 11 Things?
The idea behind 11 Things was conceived by Sean Berger (he’s also the mastermind behind the functionality of this blog). I wanted a way to feature the talented people I have the pleasure of working with. Sean invented a weekly micro-blog within Onward that is driven by those creative brains as a way to learn more about their individual creativity and what stirs it. Why 11 Things? As Sean puts it, the number 11 is “awkwardly prime.” I agree. It means that the person sharing during that week has to push him or herself to find 11 Things that are both illuminating and inspiring. The result is a neat little engine that provides fresh content for the site every day. Special shout-out, by the way, to Sarah Nelsen for her interactive design talents and Chris Riebschlager for helping to manage this blog.
