Sam Shepherd is Chief Creative Officer at Uncommon New York
Since opening the studio’s first US office just a year ago, Sam has helped Uncommon become Fast Company’s #1 Most Innovative Agency In The World. In addition, the studio was named AdAge Agency A-List and is a nominee for Campaign Agency of the Year. His work for SiriusXM was named AdAge #1 Music Campaign of the Year, and he created the most notorious viral anomaly of the year in RATBOOT, an art piece earning more views than the Super Bowl with zero dollars spent.
Sam has devoted his career to creating things people in the real world care about and are glad exist; famous work that’s meant to live outside our industry bubble and become a cultural reference point in ten years time.
Prior to Uncommon, Sam was ranked the #1 Executive Creative Director in the world by D&AD and OneShow.
Fluidly moving across every genre and media, some of Sam’s most pioneering work to date includes “The Drinkable Book”, named TIME Magazine’s Invention of the Year; “The Krylon Pinterest Yardsale” winning Titanium at Cannes; “Westward The Maze” winning Grand Prix at Cannes; and “The Lost Class” for Change the Ref, which is one of the most awarded ideas of all time.
In a past life, Sam attended the University of Pennsylvania where he majored in communications and design. As a two-sport division 1 athlete, Sam was an All-Ivy League recipient in Track and field.
Fast Company World’s Most Innovative Agency - #1 - Uncommon Creative Studio - 2024
AdAge Agency A-List - Uncommon Creative Studio - 2024
Campaign US Agency of the Year Nominee - Uncommon Creative Studio NY - 2024
AdAge Music Campaign of the Year - #1 - SiriusXM - 2024
ADWEEK CREATIVE 100 - 2024
#1 Ranked ECD - Globally - D&AD - 2022
#1 Ranked ECD - Globally - The OneClub for Creativity - 2022
#1 Ranked ECD - Globally - The Drum - 2022
Agency of the Year - Leo Burnett Chicago - D&AD, The Clios, One Show, Art Directors Club - 2022
Business Insider - Rising Stars of Madison Avenue - 2020
Business Insider 30 Under 30 - 2015 & 2016
One Show - Ones to Watch - Winner - 2015
Jury Member - AICP - 2022
Jury Member - London International Awards - 2021
Jury Member - New York Festivals - 2019
Jury Member - The Webbys - 2019
Jury Member - One Show - Young Ones Competition - 2017
Jury Member - Cannes Young Lions - Print - 2016
Speaker - D&AD - 2022
Speaker - ON Strategy Showcase - 2022
Speaker - American Advertising Federation - 2017
Teacher - Miami Ad School NYC - 2015 - 2017
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Uncommon Creative Studio
Chief Creative Officer
New York, NY
2023
Leo Burnett
EVP, Global Executive Creative Director
Chicago, IL
2020 - 2023
360i
Executive Creative Director
New York, NY
2017 - 2020
KBS+
Group Creative Director
New York, NY
2017
DEUTSCH
Creative Director
New York, NY
2014 - 2017
DDB
Associate Creative Director
New York, NY
2011 - 2014
MOTHER
Art Director
New York, NY
2011
OGILVY
Art Director
Sao Paulo, Brazil
2010
SAATCHI & SAATCHI
Art Director
Moscow, Russia
2010
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MIAMI AD SCHOOL
Art Direction
2010-2011
THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Communications, Design
2005-2009
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
samk.shepherd@gmail.com