Eight Things You Should Know About Our New Jr. Art Director, Nick Imerman

 

#1. He has a healthy obsession with weight-lifting.

He asked that we clarify, in capital letters, that this is NOT CROSSFIT.

 

#2. He eats like a hobbit.

Seconds, thirds, fourths, elevensies… Nick takes countless trips to the office fridge, grazing on small meals throughout the day, just like the creatures from The Lord of the Rings. (Imagine a human-sized Frodo with an Equinox membership). Speaking of which…

 

#3. He is into Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter.

In that order.

 

#4. His wife is even more badass than he is.

Sorry, Nick, but she’s a professional body-builder, and we want to stay on her good side.

 

#5. He likes his scotch neat and his steak rare.

“If you’re going to order your steak past medium rare, just get the chicken,” Nick says.

 

#6. He is a proud father.*

*of a beagle. (The millennial equivalent of parenthood.)

 

#7. He likes old-school video games. Like, REALLY old-school.

His most modern system is a Nintendo 64.

 

#8. His cats have an Instagram.

For cats playing with pom-poms, cats trying to squeeze into too-small spaces, and cats transcending societal conventions to befriend dogs, follow @conna_tibbers.

In addition to having the most funkadelic name in the world (we think she’s a secret agent), Season draws her inspiration from the most eclectic places – local flea markets, dusty book shops and her very own house full of cats. 

As a MACLYN Art Director, Season channels her inspiration into award-winning campaigns. She combines her creative whimsy with her strategic instincts to develop captivating work that gets serious results.

MACLYN’s Creative Director is a pop-culture fanatic, a G.I. Joe junkie, an award-winning creative, and a recognizable, mustachioed face around Des Moines.

As Creative Director, Brian leads our team to victory. He maintains the integrity of our brands, pushes them to bold new places, wrangles all the moving parts – and there are a lot of moving parts – and never, ever, EVER settles for average.  

Beyond MACLYN, Brian is a leader in Des Moines’ advertising, art and cultural community. He launched the American Advertising Federation (AAF) of Des Moines’ student outreach program and helped establish 80/35, the city’s biggest, baddest annual music festival.

 

Everyone knows J.R.

What do you mean, you don’t know J.R.!?

Omg. You’re walking around, doing your thing, and you don’t know J.R.?

Ugh. Alright. We put together a few of the biggest things you should know about our awesome Account Executive, James Raymond Kinney the IV. Read up. Consider this your J.R.-primer.

His life thus far (just the highlights).

Born. Naperville for life. Kirkwood Community College. University of Iowa. Golfer. Turkey trotter. Ireland explorer. Account Executive. And here we are.

His vinyl problem.

“Collecting and listening to records is one of my favorite pastimes. I can spend hours in a record store going through the collection they have. It’s a new adventure every time.”

J.R. in his natural habitat, reeling-in a big catch.

Precisely what kind of nerd he is.

“I am a music-nerd and also a sports-nerd,” he says. “But there are times when I’m just a nerd-nerd.”

His favorite self-titled albums.

Boston by Boston, The Eminem Show by Eminem, and Led Zeppelin II by Led Zeppelin.

The surprising things he eats on Christmas morning.

It is widely known that, on Christmas morning, all residents of the Kinney household eat hot dogs and Christmas cookies for breakfast. J.R. insists there is something magic about it.

“Hands-down the best hot dog I have all year,” he says.

The Kinney family demands fierce loyalty.

Controversial drink preferences.

J.R. enjoys a good old-fashioned and will settle for an Allagash White. However, he insists that “nothing beats a cold Budweiser.”

Fortunately, J.R. has so many good qualities that we like him anyway.

The number of seconds it takes J.R. to pour a Guinness.

119.5

“I learned this when I was studying abroad in Ireland,” J.R. says, very slowly pouring a Guinness.

J.R. belts out a traditional Irish folksong.

Loud people he loves.

“Chance the Rapper, Kid Cudi, Lebron James, and my family.”

That time he went to Westeros.

J.R. once travelled to the real-life castle Winterfell, a location in Game of Thrones where, like all locations in Game of Thrones, lots of horrible things happen and many people/mythical creatures die.

“I stood in the tower Bran fell out of,” J.R. recalls. “Actually, now that I think about it, he was pushed.”

How he was almost famous.

J.R. called Kiss FM Radio and managed to get on-air. It was his big break. So much was at stake – his pride, his reputation, his future. He had to act fast.

“I didn’t know the trivia answer, so I hung up,” he says.

James Raymond Kinney (left) with James Raymond Kinney (right).

Why his career is like a crazy roller coaster (in a good way).

“It’s fast. It’s wild. Plenty of ups and down. But, when I see our work go out in the world and make a real difference… there’s nothing more rewarding than that. It’s my favorite rollercoaster in the world.”

Want to meet J.R.? Swing by MACLYN, and he’ll help you master your golf strokes and Guinness pours.

Black: sophisticated. Yellow: happy. Orange: energetic. Green: prosperous. And red… well… …red means war. Continue reading →

When he’s not seeking harmony in the universe through words, Ian Rigg is creating it onstage. Continue reading →

Inspired by gurus of every universe—especially those of a galaxy far, far away—Tiki is an office mascot with the soul of a sage and the body of a totem. Continue reading →

So, will it be the hipster cat? Or do you prefer the beanie-wearing octopus?

A brand story-teller who considers “alright” a slap to the face, Johnny spends his weekends in the workshop, where he prints surreal designs.

The process is called “screen-printing,” a technique where ink is imprinted on a substrate, except on the areas where an impermeable layer is—well, it’s fairly complicated. But the end result is bold, vibrant and often wearing thick-rimmed glasses.

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Continue reading →

His voice is heard across the office.

His influence is seen around the County.

But it’s his desire to improve the lives around him that makes Ray not only a renaissance man, but a man for the renaissance of others. A founder of MACLYN, Ray has built the fortress from which we fight, and he continues to advocate for all things awesome in his community.