Mark Taylor has spent his career making groundbreaking creative work, having been involved in iconic campaigns such as Mini Cooper’s ‘Let’s Motor,’ ‘Subservient Chicken’ for Burger King, and ‘Lamp’ for Ikea. Now, California-based agency MeringCarson has landed Taylor as its chief creative officer.
The 100-person California-based agency has offices in Sacramento and San Diego, and clients include Visit California, The Islands of Tahiti, Merlin Entertainments (Legoland), Pebble Beach Company, and San Diego Tourism Authority, among many others.
Not only has Taylor worked on some of the most prominent campaigns in advertising history, but he also served as the lead on multiple accounts, driving business results and revenue across every category for brands such as the US Air Force, American Express, Bayer, BMW, Brawny, Bud Light, GMC, KFC, S.C. Johnson & Son, Marshalls, Nestlé Waters, Norwegian Cruise Line, Southwest Airlines, Windows Phone, and Wrigley Company.
Taylor spent a good chunk of his career at Crispin, Porter + Bogusky (CP+B) where he was responsible for creating some of the agency’s most iconic work, such as the reincarnation of the King for Burger King and the ‘Small Business Saturday’ work for American Express, which won 10 Cannes Lions, including two Grand Prix awards.
“The most exciting moments in my career revolved around developing creative platforms that used bold brand purpose and action to drive consumer engagement,” said Taylor. “So, I was naturally drawn to MeringCarson because of its similar focus on using experiences and social movements to achieve business results. (Founder) Dave (Mering) and I are aligned in our belief that it isn’t enough to simply be a good storyteller. In order to truly become a brand engrained in culture, you need to stand for something and consistently express it in everything you do.”
MeringCarson founder and chief executive Dave Mering said: “It isn’t often that you find someone with Mark’s marketing and creative chops, who is also humble. During the process, it was clear that he will not only add value to our clients’ businesses but that he will also help me continue to provide our employees with an outstanding place to do incredible work.
“Mark stood apart from other candidates because he lined up with our intention to expand our client roster and footprint in the US. We believe Mark’s work across multiple categories will attract marketers in key growth areas and that he will expand our profile outside of the California market. This is going to be an exciting time for our company and I am thrilled he will help us lead the agency over the next many years.”
Taylor most recently ran his own firm, Mark Taylor LLC, where he worked with agencies including BBDO, Digitas, FCB, Leo Burnett, mcgarrybowen, Publicis, VMLY&R, and others, leading campaigns or new business pitches for brands such as 3M, Blue Bunny, Ford, GMC, Goose Island, Indeed, Intel, Jeep, and Kia.
Prior to his own firm, Taylor served as executive vice-president and chief creative officer at Energy BBDO. During that time, the agency developed award-winning work including Bud Light’s ‘Up for Whatever’ campaign and the ‘Real-Life Pacman’ Super Bowl commercial, along with Extra’s ‘Sarah & Juan,’ an internet sensation that racked up 74 million views in its first week online.
Taylor replaces Greg Carson, who recently became partner/chief creative officer at Crown & Greyhound.