The online portfolio of James Williamson, Creative Pro

A poster and direct mail campaign near and dear to my heartstrings. To bring the International Bluegrass Museum Association's annual jam session and awards show back to its rightful home in Louisville, Kentucky. C'mon! What Would Bill Monroe do? (Art Director: Wally Dahman)

I can't say no fifths of Maker's were hurt in the creation of these ads. Regional outdoor for key markets, and print campaign focusing on actual letters received from Maker's Mark ambassadors (and dressed up a little by young copywriters.) The kind of account you'd give your liver to work on. (Art Directors and Liver Givers: Scott Troutman, Lee Bryant)

There are so many moving parts to a successful digital project, so it's a little hard to take complete credit for any of this. But, while someone else did the 1's and 0's, here are a few digital projects where I added to the ABC's.

This campaign launched at about the same time that Britney Spears was the most popular teenager on the planet. I'd like to think Art Director Jeremy Reiss and I did our part to help offset that fact.

All the praise here goes to long-time collaborator and super Art Director, Karl Feige. He had this stuff down. All I had to do was swing.

No doctors in scrubs operating laser scalpels. No flashing sirens. No Very Expensive Machines that Go "Ping!" One of the best healthcare assignments imaginable, and one of my favorite brands to work on, as it stayed relentlessly focused on making patients (and advertising consumers) "feel better." 

A series of direct mail, print ads and environmental graphics for Geek Squad. I haven't had this much fun since the Commodore 64 crashed. Word to your motherboard!

Every year, the good folks at Bourbon Country.com take over the Chicago Midway Airport with a variety of messages to entice travelers to swing on by for a bourbon on their next vacation. This is only a small sample of a very large project, art directed by Patrick Hill.

I've never sold soap flakes for Procter & Gamble, or shoes for Nike, or cars for GM. But, I've had loads of fun working for the little guy. Art direction by Karl Feige.

What's that old saying "write what you know?" Well, if you click around long enough here, you'll see bourbon, baseball bats, bluegrass, and lots of horses. What can I say? I love Kentucky. Art Direction: Bill Connelly.

Okay, random audio on banner ads can be annoying. But I defy you not to smile when mousing over a giggling baby. The interactive banner ads brought you here.

There's a case study of the whole campaign here. 

(Awesome radio and YouTube videos by Scott Klosterman.)

Ahem. Ahem. But enough frivolity, my good man. Let's talk print advertising for the most elite division of a Very Big Bank. Art Director Jon Leon.

If you've only tried the Bourbon, you've got another drink comin'. Branding campaign for Kentucky's original craft brew. There are many craft beers out there, but none are more Kentucky. Says so right on the bottle.

Think global. Drink local. A great local coffee brand with a commitment to do good and taste good. Art direction by Wally Dahman.

Never have so many worked so hard to get a horse laid. Week after week during spring and fall race seasons, art director Wally Dahman was a stud.

Print and poster advertising that attempts to capture the grace, pageantry and excitement of a $2 trifecta box you picked 'cause you know a guy who knows a guy who says...

How to work on one of the coolest brands in the world. 

Option A: Get a job for Crispin Porter Bogusky in their heyday.

Option B: Wait for the first MINI franchise to come to your town, and give them so many ideas they consider renting a Suburban to haul the boards back to their office. Fun stuff.

I don't know your kids enjoyed the exhibits, but the kids in the creative department enjoyed the heck out of them.

If you're an advertising writer in Kentucky, there's pretty much no way to avoid a couple of laps working on horse racing. Unlike when I actually go to the track, I came home with money after doing these.

James, would you like to be a copywriter? (Would I?!?) How do you feel about writing coupon ads for a national chain of oil change centers? (Why, that's about the best thing I can imagine, sir!) 

This is where I first got my hands dirty in advertising, my first real account.

Cars. We know 'em. We love 'em.

Didn't it feel like that late 2000s brought one global calamity after another? (or maybe I watch too much TV news). When mayhem ensued, the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance folks immediately began to organize relief in the form of donations, work teams and prayers. Good people. Print ads, church bulletins and some annual reports crafted by Jeremy Reiss that would make a bishop kick out a stained glass window.

Part of campaign to pass fairness ordinances in "leaning" Kentucky cities. Wrote these in 2011. Marriage Equality is law of the land just 4 short years later. Just sayin'.

My first "fun" assignment in advertising. It's no "Sharknado," but it reminds me of good times.

One or two of this and that, strays and randoms, spec work and real, what have you...