By Isabella Cook
The world of advertising is changing fast, and keeping up-to-date with the latest industry trends is essential for those at the forefront of content creation. This past fall semester, Ross Patrick, founder and creative director of Xtra Bold, joined Academy of Art University’s School of Advertising (ADV) as the director and creative lead. Patrick will lend his vast industry experience to students, helping them learn the necessary skills to flourish professionally. His goal? To equip the future generation of creatives with an education that goes above and beyond the modern business standard and to illuminate the ever-changing demands of advertising in society.
“Advertising was more like ‘Mad Men’ back in the day—years ago—but it has really evolved. Instead of a big army of people you’re controlling, now it’s smaller groups, more intimate, and fast-moving,” said Patrick. “It’s a lot more exciting to work this way, instead of spending a million dollars on one TV spot, and it’s done. These little content nuggets are more interesting since you’re creating things helping brands get established.”
Patrick studied at Gonzaga University, where he pursued painting and printmaking. He then attended ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, where he graduated with a degree in graphic design and packaging design. Afterward, Patrick began his career as a graphic designer at Nike.
“I got to meet so many creatives throughout my career and, ironically, a lot of them live in the Bay Area now,” said Patrick. “Networking is such a big deal, and when students are thinking about their careers, they don’t tend to think about that. They don’t realize the person sitting next to them in class may be sitting next to them at work years later.”
After four years at Nike, Patrick moved on to work at Capitol Records as Director of Advertising. He played a significant role in designing content such as tour posters, advertisements, and album covers for legendary musical icons, including Paul McCartney, Foo Fighters, and Radiohead (to name just a few). Afterward, Patrick worked as Senior Vice President and Design Director at Deutsch LA, handling noteworthy brands DIRECTV, Mitsubishi, and Old Navy. Later, as the Global Creative Director for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Patrick was in charge of brand and advertising communications across all forms of media for over 28 countries. During his time as Executive Creative Director at DDW in San Francisco, Patrick worked with household name brands such as Campbell’s Soup and Starbucks. With the help of his creative team at DDW, Patrick brought award-winning advertising campaigns and branding to the company and its clients.
“I’m a creative director, and I’m also a content creator, a little bit like the conductor of an orchestra because I have a lot of creatives contributing to the work,” explained Patrick. “Even working with influencers, I create brand guidelines for them and teach them how to display a product, give them talking points, and edit their videos. I am a curator of content.”
During the pandemic, Patrick founded his own business, Xtra Bold, a leading-edge social media advertising agency specializing in TikTok and eCommerce integration, which will inform the educational direction of ADV.
“I think brands have to act and behave differently now that the digital and eCommerce world has become a bigger part of our consumer behavior,” said Patrick. “So, how do we train a new group of creatives in the relationship between the digital and creative/consumer world? A lot changed during the pandemic, and these students are going to become the content creators of the next generation.”
Patrick previously collaborated with the Academy’s School of Graphic Design (GR) as a guest lecturer and portfolio reviewer. He has hired interns and graduates from both ADV and GR and has a son who attended the Academy. As the ADV Director and Creative Lead, he felt it was the obvious next step to educate students in the future of retail.
“We’re looking to expand the vision of the advertising department—to look at what is currently happening so that our graduates can be hirable to the agencies,” explained Patrick. “Our goal with the Academy is to lead the charge and define what quality content is going to be and be a viable resource for agencies. They’re all looking for the same thing: people who understand this new digital landscape and who know advertising, especially since the definition of advertising has changed. I’m excited to be with the Academy of Art. I wasn’t aware that all the departments were so intertwined, and that’s related to what I’ve been seeing in my career these past few years. It’s all going to the metaverse, and the Academy is at the forefront of connecting all the dots.”