Blue Chip Names Joel Walker ECD

Blue Chip, the creative marketing agency whose clients include Procter & Gamble, E.& J. Gallo, Goodwill, and Splenda, has elevated Joel Walker to executive creative director. Walker has been instrumental in building the agency’s creative department since serving as the lone copywriter 20 years ago, during which time he has done award-winning work for P&G, Merrell, and Daisy Sour Cream. Previously VP/group creative director, he has been a key member of the Blue Chip executive leadership team since 2019.

“Joel has made us a smarter, more creative agency,” said Stanton Kawer, CEO of Blue Chip. “He sees how brands can be expressed powerfully throughout the consumer journey, so what we make produces significant results.”

Since its founding 40 years ago with a focus on shopper marketing, Blue Chip has become a stalwart creative marketing agency. In the past two years, Walker has more than doubled the creative team, and recently has attracted such big-brand talent as former Digitas creative director Chris Gedris – with deep experience across McDonald’s, Maytag and Kleenex – and creative director Kendahl Damico, a veteran of such brands as Under Armour, Gatorade and Sara Lee. Walker also replaced the conventional creative manifesto with a new approach where the team brings clients concise idea propositions – an idea supported by a specific creative approach – that speeds the generation and approval of producible concepts.

Importantly, Walker started his career in 2004 as a Blue Chip account coordinator. That account management grounding informs a creative team that’s especially sensitive to the entire consumer journey and all the integrated disciplines that go into propelling it for client brands.

“We create meaningful change for everyday brands that reach well beyond 30-second spots,” said Walker. “So, we’re making sure we bring the same level of emotional engagement and entertainment to a digital or instore campaign that we do to TV. I’m proud of our ability to keep the full spectrum of communications in mind with everything we create.”

As a result, clients increasingly count on Blue Chip to develop creative that’s equally compelling on broadcast TV, social media, and retail channels. Walker’s team recently repositioned the Splenda brand, introduced a novel digital holiday calendar for Apothic wine, and won a 2022 Effie Award with Merrell Footwear.