Marketing Legend Tim Ellis on the NFL, VW and More

Early on, he worked as an actor, English teacher and au pair

A 30-year marketing industry veteran, Tim is the NFL’s celebrated chief marketing officer. He is also this year’s recipient of The Clios Lifetime Achievement Award. That prize will be bestowed at tonight’s Clio Sports Awards ceremony in NYC.

We spent a few minutes with Tim to learn more about his background, his creative inspirations and what keeps him excited about the industry. 

Where you grew up and where you live now.

I grew up in Stockton, Calif., and live in the West Village in New York. My wife and I also have a home in Malibu and a condo in New Orleans.

How you got onto the path of marketing and advertising.

I didn’t even think about jumping into advertising until I was 30. I spent my 20s working various jobs around the world. I was a stage actor in California. I worked as an au pair and English teacher in Paris. I drove tractors on a farm in the Middle East. I worked as a bartender for a luxury cruise line. I worked in Tokyo as an actor and model. I built oil platforms in the fjords of Norway. Then, I decided to return to the U.S. and go to journalism school, thinking I would be a foreign correspondent. But I fell in love with advertising after an internship and never looked back.

Who inspired you creatively early on?

I was a musician and actor early in my life. I also loved photography and art and film. So, I have always been an artist. When I experienced great advertising at Goodby Silverstein & Partners in the mid-90s, I learned what greatness looked and felt like. I learned how to use human insight to identify big, bold ideas, and then craft the hell out of the work. From then on, in my career on the agency and client side, I always went to companies that allowed me to do great creative.

Your all-time favorite ad that you worked on.

Has to be “The Force” with VW. That ad is not only one of the most iconic Super Bowl commercials of all time, but I had to fiercely fight to keep it alive—and then decided to run it on YouTube at a time when that went against conventional wisdom. Everyone fought me on the decision, but it turned out to be the right way to go. That spot went viral, and it essentially won the ad war before the Super Bowl began. After that, all brands began to release their spots before the game. Time Magazine wrote an article about it, entitled, “The Ad That Changed Super Bowl Commercials Forever.”

Play

Your all-time favorite sports ad that you worked on.

“The 100-Year Game.” This was my first NFL ad that celebrated our 100-year anniversary. We included over 65 current and former players, and it was the No.1 ad on the USA Today Ad Meter. It laid the foundation for our current strategy—embracing youth, culture and humanity.

Play

What wisdom would you impart to marketers in this evolving landscape?

Continue to believe in the power of emotional storytelling, and connect with your audience in a human way. Use data and technology to help you be more relevant and insightful, but not as a crutch or as proof of performance. Also, have the courage to take risks and believe in the power of creativity.  

We continue to have myriad choices to engage our audiences with insightful thinking and emotional storytelling. I love finding new ways to connect with people and I work hard to bring my teams and partners along for the ride.

It’s about embracing the love of innovation and creative exploration, and about trusting in each other. And with the emergence of the creative economy, I’m enjoying collaborating with makers in new mediums and channels. It has never been harder to be a marketer, but also never so much fun.