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Juror Spotlight
Mark DingmanCreative Director,Millenium Agency
With over two decades of design and leadership experience, Mark Dingman is a seasoned Creative Director known for blending imaginative design prowess with strategic business acumen. His flair for innovation and eye for detail have spearheaded creative solutions and driven forward-thinking marketing initiatives.
Mark’s expertise includes art direction, design ideation, brand development, website architecture, lead generation, talent cultivation, and project orchestration.
As Creative Director at Millennium Agency, Dingman ignites transformative creativity that is aligned with clients’ objectives. Delivering impactful concepts, he ensures a strong creative strategy leads to industry innovation. Beyond creativity, Mark has championed agency collaboration to drive sustained growth, supported complex national pitches, and fostered excellent rapport amongst clients.
We sat down with him to hear more about his experience, his brainstorming rituals and his early 2000s college student with “Dad Flair” personal style.
When you look at your phone in the morning, what do you open first?
The first thing I open on my phone is Outlook to check my calendar. This way, depending on the calls I have scheduled, I know if it is a dress-down day or a dress-nice day. Thanks, remote work.
How would you describe your personal style?
My style is early 2000’s college student with Dad flair. No more bagginess, but lots of hoodies, button-downs, and New Balance, but not the dad white NBs of the 80’s and 90’s.
What was your first job?
My first job was as a floor attendant at the largest arcade in the world. I would fix coin jams and make change. It was a crash course in customer service, especially on rainy summer days in a heavily tourism-based area.
What was a milestone project for you?
While not a large project, I was fortunate to work on arena halo graphics (the LED boards that wrap around arenas) for one of our clients at TD Garden in Boston. The first time I turned on a post-game show and saw the animation in motion on National TV was very rewarding and showed me the reach I could have with my work.
Do you have any brainstorming rituals?
My brainstorming ritual is to get away from my desk. Most useful ideas come when I am not thinking about work at all. If I do need to brainstorm in a group or at my desk, my ritual is to get get it all out there. Good ideas, bad ideas, crazy ideas, all of it. Usually, it’s the crazy idea that will spark the direction to move forward.
What are you looking for in entries to the Davey Awards?
I am looking for something different. How can you take something that has been done in all the predictable ways and do it in a way that I didn’t see coming? Create the 8th story plot instead of using one of the seven basic plots.
When you enter your projects into the Davey Awards, they land on the desks of accomplished AIVA jurors like Mark. The Final Entry Deadline is this Friday, July 26th. Enter now before time runs out!