Mary Carol Sullivan
215-760-9360
http://www.marycarolsullivanportfolio.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
By staying current with the latest marketing technology and trends while keeping her creative teams motivated,
Mary Carol brings leadership, fresh creativity, experience and personal strength to each project — from concept to
delivery. She currently owns and is the creative director for Arachne Design. Years previous she worked as art
director for a Philadelphia-area advertising agency, and as in-house as corporate creative director for a
manufacturing company.
360 Experience makes her especially qualified to understand and effectively meet client needs with attention,
timely response, creative problem solving and sensitivity; AND gives her a unique point of view to take on strategy
from all sides. She has strong communication skills, solid management experience and extensive knowledge of the
current ever expanding and changing technology. Combine all this with her BFA from Carnegie Mellon University
and it is clear Mary Carol is not just another creative.
Demonstrating artistic flexibility, strategy development, and creativity, Mary Carol puts B2C and B2B brand
messaging, concepts and programs together for health & wellness, food, grocery, health care, retail, consumer
goods,
media
and
technology.
She
is
leader
when
presenting
to
and
working
with
C-level executives and clients; with creative peers and vendors; or when mentoring junior staff. She’ll be the first to
tell you she loves what she does!
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RELATED SKILLS & EXPERTISE
Adobe Creative Suite
Brand Creation, Compliance
and Reinvention
Brand Messaging
and Consistency
Budgeting and Estimating
Client Management and
Relationship Building
Concept Development
and Strategy
Concept Presentation
Collaboration with Account
Management
Content Marketing
Corporate Branding
Creative Briefs
Creative Team
Management
Creative Writing/Editing
Cross Channel Marketing
Graphic Design
and Typography
Grocery Programs
Health and Wellness
Promotion
Integrated Marketing
Programs
Lead and Engage
Brainstorming Sessions
Mentor, Motivate, Lead Staff
MicroSoft Office
Packaging and POS Design
Photography Art Direction
and Styling, Casting
Print and Web Design
Publication Design
Resource, Hire / Purchase,
Direct Freelance Talent
Social Media
Staff, Vendor and
Media Relations
Sweepstakes and
Incentive Programs
Trade Show Creative
Up-selling and Cross-selling
Website Design
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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Creative Director/Proprietor, August 1995 to Present
Arachne Design, Doylestown, PA 18902
A marketing and graphic design studio designed to support companies and organizations looking to grow through
marketing solutions.
Selected Accomplishments:
• Health & Wellness Promotion
Developed and designed a profitable promotional grocery dietitian program that was
successfully sold and custom implemented in grocery corporations throughout the
Mid-Atlantic United States region. Programs became quick profit centers for the grocery
retailers and advertisers alike — average sales lift for participating advertised products was
40% to 62% based on the same items being sold at the same sales retail. Advertising
became source of revenue for grocery corporations, which lead to strong funding for the
programs. The Grocery “Health & Wellness” programs (as they became known as) became
the model used through out the grocery industry.
Creative Direction, design, production and creative management of programs. (12 years)
• Brand Rejuvenation, Miss America Organization
Working with the Miss America Corporation, pageant officials, recruiters, and board of
directors in Atlantic City, NJ hired Arachne to give a voice and expand the accomplishments
of the National contestants through the annual publication. This lead to a six-year
relationship with the MAO and grassroots campaign to rejuvenate the brand from the local
level up — resulting in notable increases in sponsorship involvement, recruitment, scholarship
funding, volunteerism; the participation with Make-A-Difference-Day; and renewed MAO
national interest.
Creative Direction, design, production, and marketing including: hiring of photographers,
writers, location scouting shoot and stylists, photography direction, design and production of
128 page magazine style annual national publication; design, advertising coordination, funding
and production of state supplement publications and multiple recruitment materials followed.
(6 years)
• Freelance In-House Creative Director
Lead the creative marketing department for a start-up on-line staffing corporation.
Hired support creative staff, recommended equipment and program purchases, established
marketing and vendor relationships. Creative Direction, branding, strategy, budgeting and
design of all initial marketing materials and website needs. (1 year)
Art Director, May 1994 to August 1995
Criterion Communications, King of Prussia, PA 19406
A multi-media advertising agency founded by healthcare giant US HealthCare specializing in new media
communications.
Selected Accomplishment:
• Collaboration with Account Management and Client Relationship Building
The creative teams were talented, but came from the in-house staff of US HealthCare and
were unfamiliar with communicating with clients. As the agency’s only CD hired from outside
US HealthCare I worked with account representatives to mentor and help the creative staff
learn to better communicate with the sales teams and clients.
Creative Director, May 1988 to May 1994
York Luggage Company, Lambertville, NJ 08530
America’s 3rd largest luggage company, after Samsonite and American Tourister; specializing in designer and
licensed brand name luggage and travel accessories.
Selected Accomplishment:
• Brand Compliance and Promotion
Working with many licensed brands and with several different types of retailers I was
charged with maintaining the brand specification, marketing goals and packaging needs of
each product line while adhering to individual marketing and sales needs/goals. I was also
challenged with creating consumer retail sweepstakes and employee sales incentive
programs through out the year that reflected the brand message of each designer.
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TECHNOLOGY
Adobe Creative Suite (CS5: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat), QuarkXpress, MicroSoft PowerPoint,
MIcroSoft Word, MicroSoft Excel
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EDUCATION
Carnegie Mellon University, BFA 1986