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Chip SHEEAN
Chief Executive Officer | THEORY SF
Chip is the Chief Creative Officer and cofounder of Theory SF, a creative agency located in downtown San Francisco . He is responsible for reinventing and evangelizing the power of “brandvertising” and how a creative concept that is fully loved and properly executed can reward any brand with a lust-worthy following. Prior to Theory SF, Chip has won numerous awards across a broad spectum of mediums and has held senior creative positions all along the left coast including: M&C Saatchi, Secret Weapon Marketing, Deutsch LA, FCB West and Goodby Silversteen just to name a few. Currently Chip lives in Marin with his wife, two children and an angry cat.
questionnaire
1.) What was your very first job? When I was 9, every morning at 4:30 am, I would wake up and deliver newspapers with my mom so she could go back to school and get her college degree. My reward was seeing my Mom achieve her goal and a giant apple fritter at the end of the route.
2.) Please describe, in your own words, what your job is and what work it entails. I work with our creative teams to dissect brands and explore creative opportunities for our clients to amplify their "essential truth” - that certain something that makes them uniquely different and separates them from their competitors.
3.) How did you discover that the creative world was right for you? Was there a time in your life that you credit to this discovery? What was there train of events that brought you to where you are today?
In 5th grade, I started making these bad ass No. 2 pencil, one-off tattoo logos that I would lick and stick on peoples arms. It was my first experience in branding (with saliva), I was instantly popular, and I was hooked ever since.
4.) In your constantly growing and expanding industry, how do you find inspiration to keep your work fresh, innovative and relevant? Instead of Fantasy Football, I play “Fantasy Agency” with a few select friends. We share various pieces of creative, who the top creative players are, where they are moving to, and what work is being recognized globally as being effective and game-changing. I’m seriously addicted to this business and coffee. Yes, lots and lots of coffee.
5.) If you had to pick one piece of work or project that you are most proud of, more for the creative work and innovation it required, rather than its recognition or industry “success,” what would it be?
While at Deutsch LA, we were pitching Dr Pepper and they asked us to somehow get the consumer to drink it slower to savor the 23 flavors. Rather than focus on a :30 Super Bowl spot or a digital solve, Josh Rose and I asked the question, “what if we made a smaller hole on the bottom of the can with a sippy straw and everyone turned the can upside down.” It was a disruptive idea that would engage the consumer in a big, big way, execute on point exactly what the client was looking for and get a lot of attention on the street. This insanely simple idea was super loved by the client, and we won the pitch. Lesson: It doesn’t always have to be an ad but, rather a memorable engagement that engages and moves the needle.
