/ greatest hits /
Creative: As a creative director, I oversaw 6 years of IKEA USA’s commercial campaigns, the rebuilding of eBay’s arts & collectibles experience, Nike’s 2009 US Open & Wimbledon creative, 4 consecutive seasons for Nina/Delman Shoes, and institutional rebrands of Widener University, Loyola University Maryland, Rochester Institute of Technology, Woodmere Art Museum and Botto's Genuine Italian Sausage of Mt. Royal, New Jersey.
As a designer, I've made campaigns, catalogs & packaging for American Eagle Outfitters, advertising for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, book covers for Harper Collins, and catalogs for Boyd's Philadelphia. Browse some of this work here.
Strategy: Key engagements have included brand, institutional & advancement strategies for Mount Saint Mary's University / MD, Loyola University / MD, Widener University, Drexel University & The Philadelphia Citizen and membership strategies for WHYY Public Radio.
/ background /
Prior to starting Universal Exports of North America, I served for six years as the Executive Creative Director of Brownstein Group, Philadelphia’s oldest independent advertising agency. Along with creative direction, I was a strategic partner to many of our clients, and as a director, helped run the overall business.
Before Brownstein, I helped establish another agency, 160over90, working to develop their now internationally recognized higher education practice, along with some ace fashion, sports & lifestyle work. While there, my work for Loyola University won Best of Show in HOW Magazine's 2011 International Design Awards competition. I cut my teeth in advertising at what was then Gyro Worldwide (now Quaker City Mercantile) working on sin & sneakers.
In the 90s, I worked in Los Angeles as an art director amidst the collapsing scenery of the pre-Internet music business. Along with 3 partners I formed The Telegraph Company, a record label & media distributor that hummed along quite nicely for the better part of a decade — until the Napster asteroid hit.
In 2009 I tumbled into steady blogging for about 3 years or so, focusing on art, culture & sundry squirrelly obsessions. That led to a year-long relationship with the newly published, National Magazine Award-winning Uppercase Magazine, for which I was a contributing writer.
I am, by trade, a commercial artist. I have remained active as a designer and have been in continuous practice for over three decades. Over the past 15 years I guided 2 working studios, where I had the privilege of being consistently inspired by Philadelphia's most talented young and emerging designers. I also paint, in a pulpy, photo-realist mode, in gouache & watercolor. Some collage work. Occasional photography.
Again, more on me & my work can be found @ shepelavy.com
Thank you.
Before Brownstein, I helped establish another agency, 160over90, working to develop their now internationally recognized higher education practice, along with some ace fashion, sports & lifestyle work. While there, my work for Loyola University won Best of Show in HOW Magazine's 2011 International Design Awards competition. I cut my teeth in advertising at what was then Gyro Worldwide (now Quaker City Mercantile) working on sin & sneakers.
In the 90s, I worked in Los Angeles as an art director amidst the collapsing scenery of the pre-Internet music business. Along with 3 partners I formed The Telegraph Company, a record label & media distributor that hummed along quite nicely for the better part of a decade — until the Napster asteroid hit.
In 2009 I tumbled into steady blogging for about 3 years or so, focusing on art, culture & sundry squirrelly obsessions. That led to a year-long relationship with the newly published, National Magazine Award-winning Uppercase Magazine, for which I was a contributing writer.
I am, by trade, a commercial artist. I have remained active as a designer and have been in continuous practice for over three decades. Over the past 15 years I guided 2 working studios, where I had the privilege of being consistently inspired by Philadelphia's most talented young and emerging designers. I also paint, in a pulpy, photo-realist mode, in gouache & watercolor. Some collage work. Occasional photography.
Again, more on me & my work can be found @ shepelavy.com
Thank you.