Creative Director Rachel Carlson Joins Seattle Creative Agency World Famous

Creative agency World Famous has hired Rachel Carlson as partner/executive creative director, CEO Alan Nay announced today. She began on Nov. 1st.

In her new role, Rachel will work alongside Nay and Chris Volckmann, partner/managing director to continue building a new type of agency that’s more beneficial to clients and creatives because it sidesteps traditional-model bloat caused by decades of old processes.

Carlson came to World Famous from Mekanism, where she was creative director. While there, she created a spot featuring the first lactating breast seen on network TV for personal breast-care brand Frida Mom, which aired during the Golden Globes. And for Alaska Airlines, she returned the brand to its comedic roots by revisioning Men Without Hats’ appropriately themed new wave song 'Safety Dance' as a flight crew training video in which choreographed workers recited new Covid-19 safe flying measures as the lyrics. 

She worked several years as a freelance CD/copywriter and full time at Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Doner LA, and Deutsch LA. She has received awards at Cannes, One Show, AICP, D&AD, London International, and the Webbies for her work as a creative director and writer.

“Within minutes of first speaking with Rachel, I knew she was the creative leader we’d been searching for,” Alan said. “Her vision for how to grow a great creative company aligned perfectly with ours: nurture the creative culture, take really good care of people, and help brands get to smart creative solutions quicker by keeping the process simple, flexible, and collaborative.”

World Famous began as a production company in 2005 and evolved to meet the rapidly changing needs of modern advertisers. Far from a traditional agency weighed down by endless billable layers and peripheral add-ons a client doesn’t need, World Famous aims to shorten the distance between brands and effective creative. Recent work includes an ongoing brand campaign for Amazon Web Services titled “Curiosity Kids”—an out-of-home campaign for Keep Music Live that took home a Judge’s Choice award at the ADDYs—as well as campaign work for REI, Equinox, Fire TV, Rover, and Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“When Alan and Chris told me the vision for World Famous—a creative agency without the complications of the old guard—I was sold,” Rachel said. “The traditional model isn’t working for everyone—so we’re simplifying it. Creatives get to create, and our clients will reap the benefits.”