I'm very good at creating and selling compelling, evocative, unexampled advertising ideas and other persuasive communications. I think strategically and write in all media, even those that don't exist yet.

I am now:

  • Communicaterer

I have been:

  • Chief Creative Officer at Maddock Douglas (03-05)
  • Communicaterer (93-03)
  • Part time instructor at Columbia College (91-03)
  • On Call Creative Director at Beyond DDB (94-03)
  • Co-Creative Director and ACD at Sturm Communications Group (88-93)
  • Senior Writer at FCB (85-88)
  • Writer at Tatham (81-85)
  • Monthly columnist for Screen (97-02)

I continue to win enough awards to reassure those who think they're meaningful; won 10 of 12 new business pitches featuring campaigns I co-created; pioneered the concept of “image radio”; founded the Free Ad Mission and gave birth to two running teams (the Foote C's at FCB and Das Foot at Sturm). I've been happily married for 30 years despite 20 years in this business. I still love advertising.

Family. Running. Music. White Sox. Hippos. Left-handed.

jim@communicaterer.com

 

APPARENTLY, I’M A JOY TO WORK WITH.

“Jim Morris is the renaissance man of communication. He can concept and write for any medium -- from matchbook covers to TV commercials. And he doesn’t just do it well, he kicks proverbial advertising ass. So much so that clients revere his work as the standard to which they want all their marketing communications to measure up. His patience, highly creative spirit and fresh perspective (on life as well as ads) make it not only a pleasure, but an enlightening experience to work with him.” — Dennis O’Connell, Executive Vice President and Director of Beyond DDB Chicago

“A real pro and a pleasure to work with. Above and beyond providing the content for our website, which was the assignment, Jim wrapped his head around my business, creating a new name for my company and the perfect tagline. In short, he succinctly, eloquently defined our brand, something we had not previously been able to do. And this in a very complex, emotionally delicate area of healthcare.” — Nazca Fontes, President, ConceiveAbilities

“As a creative director, I enlisted Jim’s help when in a personnel or time jam. He has always come through. Jim is a brain. Time and time again, he produces copy that not only answers the assignment, but often stuns me. And always dead on strategy. What a pleasure to present work like his to a client.” — J. Darch Clampitt, Creative Director, ChoicePoint Direct

“Jim is one of those rare writers who handles all media with great deftness and no complaints -- terrific television, superb print, radio and collateral, as well as excellent body copy in a number of different “voices.” In addition, he’s unquestionably the best tagline writer with whom I’ve ever worked.” — Mike Cafferata, Vice President and Creative Director, Sturm Rosenberg Cafferata

“Our meetings with Jim were most enjoyable. He quickly was able to understand
what our core business was and produced a truly amazing list of possible
taglines. Our investment of time and money was extremely well spent. I'm
looking forward to enlisting more of Jim's aid in the future.” — Dan Wiczer, President, WICO Information Technologies

“His ability to conceptualize and then write ad copy (in virtually any medium) is astonishing. [He’s] the best commercial writer I’ve ever read.” — Larry Cobb, Larry Cobb & Associates

“The best writer I've ever worked with” — Mike Maddock



Ad Agencies For Which I’ve Freelanced

Allen-Martin (Louisville)
BBDO
Beyond DDB
Coil Counts Ford & Cheney
Eicoff
Fairman Schmidt & Capelli
FCB
FullHouse Media
Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
JWT
Ketchum Directory Advertising
Laughing Dog Creative
Maddock Douglas
Marketing Out-of-the-box
Public Response Group
Queue Creative
Rapp Collins Worldwide
Sturm Rosenberg King
thinktank
Williams/Labadie
Y&R


Other Companies For Which I’ve Freelanced

As You Like It
Castalian Music
Columbia College
ConceiveAbilities
Dr. Marshall Dickholtz
Glacier Beef
Golin Harris
Happy Chocolate Company
Id Music
Ketchum Public Relations
Porter Novelli
RR Donnelley
Reckless Records
Stuart Brent Children’s Book Club
TeacherCare

Am I Experienced?
Have I ever been experienced?
Well, I have.

Food
Brachs Candies
Buddig Sliced Meat
Chilli Man Chili
Glacier Beef
Morton Salt
Tyson Chicken

Drink
Bols Liqueurs
Bud Light
Farm Rich Non-Dairy Creamer
Miller Light
Miller Genuine Draft
Water Joe

Restaurant/Retail
Baker’s Square
Boston Chicken
Cub Foods (pitch)
Frame n Lens
JCPenney
Just Tires
Lechmere
Mark Shale
McDonald’s
Razny Jewelers
Reckless Records
Stuart Brent Children’s Book club
True Value

Telecommunications
Ameritech
BellSouth
MCI
Motorola
SouthWestern Bell
U S WEST
Qwest

Tech/hard goods/Industrial
Amoco
Carrier
Chevron
Cilco
Emerson
Peg Perego
RR Donnelley
Xerox
Zenith

Entertainment/travel
Busch Gardens
Grand Victoria Casinos
Odyssey Cruise Lines
Park Hyatt Hotels
SeaWorld

Financial Services/Insurance
Bank One
Discover Card
FirstChicago
First Union
Household Bank
Private Issue
Schwab
State Farm

Healthcare
St. Jude Children’s Hospital
A dozen regional hospital systems
(Locally: Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s, Advocate, Lutheran General)
Olsten Home Healthcare

Pharmaceutical/OTC/Medical
Actenol
Align Technologies
Cholest-Off
Detrol
Darvocet
Lomir
PermEssentials
Prozac
Salagen
Sinemet
Triaminic
Triple Flex

Other Services
A Dog’s Life
Ameritech SecurityLink
As You Like It
Beyond DDB
Stuart Brent Children’s Book Club
Classic Residences By Hyatt
Crain's Chicago Bullurs'
Dateline by DMI
Fast Signs
Id Music
JCPenney Life Insurance
Laughing Dog Creative
Marketing Out-of-the-box
OAG
Peapod
ServiceMaster
TeacherCare

Benevolent Organizations
Non-profits
Academia
Bellarmine College
Columbia College
I Decide (anti-drug initiative)
Lions Clubs International
Make-A-Wish Foundation
Metropolitan Chicago Health Council
Nevada State Education Association
Partnership for a Drug Free America
Providence St. Mel High School
United Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
YMCA