Hi, I’m Ron.
I create fresh, customized ideas for branding, promotions and marketing, and I'm known for turning outdated marketing into work that stands out. Catalogs, brochures, e-commerce, email, 360 campaigns, ads, social and TV commercials: concept through final production, including my own retouching.
Career
Plus many other clients over the years. Too many to list.
-
BI Worldwide
2010–nowArt director and production artist, freelance
Marketing strategies that boost sales, employee engagement and client retention. Art direction for POP, print and web production for Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai, Kia, GM and Honda, plus animation, websites, photography and video for product launches.
- Created and managed a new brand, website, logo and all the merchandise sold through its e-commerce site.
- Retouched hundreds of 2020–2021 Kia images to replace the old logo with the new one on vehicles and clothing.
- Devised a Kia web banner campaign that drove more sales.
- Turned low-res photos into hi-res through research and retouching.
-
Laguna Tools, Irvine
2018–2019Marketing and art director
Rebranded the company. Directed influencers, photographers and videographers on sets and videos, designed logos for the machines, and produced collateral for web, trade shows, POP, magazines and UK sales campaigns.
- Employee of the Month for negotiating contracts that cut publication costs by thousands.
- Reshot every machine for consistent angles, lighting, shadows and height.
- Found new markets for the machines and built package pricing with advertising partners.
-
Faraday Future, Gardena
2016Art director, freelance
Launch show video, email marketing and custom graphics for the website. As new information came in we produced new content fast, and earned plus paid media generated millions of views for a product that didn't exist yet. We did in three months what would take a year in the traditional model.
-
Innocean, Huntington Beach
2009–2010Art director and production artist, freelance
Print, magazine and web banner ads for Hyundai.
-
Designory, Long Beach
2008–2010Designer, freelance
Print collateral and web design for IndyMac Bank and the Nissan website.
-
Vans, Cypress
2008Designer, freelance
Illustrations, retouching and color correction for catalogs and the website, and redesigned layouts for women's dresses and swimwear.
-
Y&R Brands, Irvine
3 years, full timeArt director
Led an eight-person production team on national branding and marketing for Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Sony and Mattel, overseeing photography, TV and print. Saved clients thousands by shooting products myself.
- Nationwide sales-event campaigns that lifted Jaguar sales 63%. “Unwrap a Jaguar” increased sales 115% and “London Calling” 31%.
- Effie Award for Jaguar “London Calling.”
-
TBWA\Chiat\Day, Los Angeles
FreelanceDesigner
Print production and art direction for national campaigns for Sony, Infiniti and Nissan USA.
-
Saatchi & Saatchi, Torrance
FreelanceArt director
TV and national campaigns for Toyota.
-
Indika Entertainment, Hollywood
FreelanceArt director
Art direction, layout and retouching for Charlotte's Web magazine and newspaper ads.
-
Sportfolio, Malibu
Creative directorCreative director
Hundreds of mechanicals for car air fresheners and greeting cards for NASCAR, NFL, NBA, Avis and Cadillac, plus the company's website and brand identity.
-
O'Leary & Partners, Irvine
FreelanceArt director
Kawasaki and Francisco International breads.
-
G&M Plumbing, Manhattan Beach
FreelanceArt director
Advertising campaigns for THQ video games.
Brand experience
Automotive
Faraday Future, Toyota, Nissan, Lexus, Kia, Hyundai, Land Rover, Lincoln Mercury, Jaguar, General Motors, Cadillac, Peterbilt, Sonic Automotive
Toys, sports and entertainment
Mattel, Kawasaki, Vans, Pacific Sunwear, Sony, PlayStation 3, PSP, THQ, Sportfolio, Charlotte's Web, Sports 3D, Echobuzz, DownBeat Jazz Magazine
Food and wine
Francisco International, El Pollo Loco, Boston Market, TGI Fridays, Rainforest Cafe, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Kendall-Jackson, Italianni's, Hometown Buffet, Daysago, Coco's, Subway
Financial, real estate and telecom
UPS, PropPoint, Liquiddium, Roosevelt Lofts, Sprint PCS, Grubb & Ellis
Medical
CVS Pharmacy, Biogen Idec
Manufacturing
Laguna Tools, Accurate Air Engineering
Recognition and education
Honors
Effie Award, Y&R Brands, Jaguar “London Calling.” Scholarships to Savannah College of Art and Design and the Rhode Island School of Design. I chose the American Academy of Art.
American Academy of Art, Chicago
Four years of advertising, illustration and graphic design, with a specialized graphic design degree and a minor in illustration. The school was across the street from the Art Institute of Chicago, and I went every Tuesday, when it was free, to sketch from the masters.
College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn
Airbrush, painting, package design, sculpture and life drawing, while loading trucks at UPS at night when I was 19. Yup, I still have my airbrush, and I paint cars once in a while. I sold some of my sculpture to the president of the American Academy of Art.
Tools
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, After Effects (basic), Dimension, Animate, Character Animator, Fuse, Acrobat, Keynote, iMovie, Microsoft Office, Basecamp, Monday.com, and AI tools for text-to-image, image-to-image and text-to-video.
Recommendations
From creative directors, account leads and colleagues across Y&R, Saatchi & Saatchi, Innocean and beyond.
“Ron has worked with me and for me at 6 different companies including my own consultancy. There is no amount of work that Ron can’t accomplish. My work is often quick turnaround and netting the most out of a budget. Ron has been and continues to be one of my ‘go-to’ guys. He is sure to become your ‘go-to’ guy as well.”
“When I led the Jaguar and Land Rover national retail business, Ron Salvo proved to be a significant creative team asset because of his ability to adapt to the rapidly changing needs of the dealer body. Ron’s approach to creative problem solving can best be described as inventive, resourceful, and innovative. Definitely one of those guys that makes you say, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’”
“In addition to a strong design sensibility and expert program proficiency, Ron has that rare sense of creativity that can make or break a campaign. As a copywriter, it was a pleasure to have Ron add his visual thinking to a campaign we worked on together. He brings concepts to the next level and makes them look great.”
“Ron worked with me on a variety of accounts at Y&R including premium brands such as Land Rover and Jaguar. Ron is one of those Art Directors you can hand a creative brief and know he just gets it. You know you’re going to see some incredible thinking.”
“I liked working with Ron a lot on Land Rover. He was key to our brand. A strong thinker with a great design sense. And a super nice guy. Very fun and a great collaborator for the team. He always cheered us up with his great sense of humor.”
“Ron was a real workhorse at Y&R, one of the engines that drove the Jaguar national retail business (pun intended). He’s not a prima donna when it comes to art direction, he’s hands-on. He rolls up his sleeves and is there until the job is finished and cares that it is done right!”
“Ron is an experienced hands-on Art Director. He is creative and can handle everything from concept thru production. He even does his own retouching. He has a great personality and is a pleasure to work with.”
“I have known Ron for over 10 years and he has been a great help to me with several projects. He is highly skilled in Adobe software and Photoshop.”
Off the clock
Where the eye comes from: my mother's paintings, the Art Institute of Chicago, travel, a very good dog, and a T-shirt shop.
Shirl Salvo, 1945–2017. My greatest influence in art.
My mother was the “picture lady” at my grammar school. Once a month she brought paintings to class and talked about perspective, and about designing a composition to lead your eye. She won multiple awards in the Addison Art Guild. My father is very talented too. I'm lucky to have had great parents.
These are a few of her works.
My second influence: the Art Institute of Chicago
At the Academy we joked that the School of the Art Institute would take anyone, while our program held a higher bar. The Academy made sure every student could really draw before anything else.
- Ivan AlbrightPicture of Dorian Gray
In my top ten favorite artists. He has amazing detail in his work.
- Edward HopperNighthawks
- Vincent van GoghThe Art Institute has 18 of his works
One of my favorite artists. I've been to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Anne Frank House. Go to both, just look out for the bikes.
- Georges SeuratA Sunday on La Grande Jatte
- Grant WoodAmerican Gothic
- John Singer SargentPortraits
One of my favorite portrait painters.
- Peter BlumeThe Rock, commissioned for Fallingwater
My favorite architect is Frank Lloyd Wright. One of my first jobs was in his district in Oak Park, and I walked it all the time. So inspiring.
- Claude MonetThe Beach at Sainte-Adresse
- Rembrandt van RijnOld Man with a Gold Chain
- Katsushika HokusaiUnder the Wave off Kanagawa, from Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji
- René MagritteTime Transfixed
- Salvador Dalí40 works at the Art Institute
- Pablo PicassoA huge influence in Chicago
- Georgia O’KeeffeStudied at the School of the Art Institute
- Jackson Pollock“Jack the Dripper”
- Andy WarholPop Art
- Mary CassattThe Child's Bath
- Edward KemeysThe lions guarding Michigan Avenue since 1894
Out with the camera
Travel, concerts and Zeppelin. Where I've changed the color or the sky, I say so.
