Wray Ward has hired Aaron Thornton as vice president and creative director, bringing an insightful and award-winning leader to the agency to help guide and inspire a growing creative group.

“Aaron has a great breadth of experience in developing exceptional creative campaigns that engage audiences and generate results, and we’re thrilled to bring his creative talent, strategic thinking and relentless pursuit of excellence to our creative team,” said Jennifer Appleby, president and chief creative officer of Wray Ward.

Thornton joins Wray Ward from The Richards Group in Dallas, where for 10 years he served as senior art director and group creative director on some of the most recognizable consumer brands in the country, including Jeep®, Dodge®, Ram®, Patron® Tequila, Advance Auto Parts, Mizuno Footwear and TGI Friday’s®. In the past two years, three Jeep and Dodge broadcast TV spots directed by Thornton aired during the Super Bowl, in which commercials typically are as anticipated as the football game.

Prior to joining The Richards Group, Thornton was a senior art director with Huey Paprocki Advertising in Atlanta. A testament to his talent and creativity, his work has received national recognition with ADDY Awards, the Effies, ShowSouth, Communication Arts and Graphis.

Thornton, who has nearly 20 years of experience as an art director and creative director, understands how people look for and react to information in today’s fast-paced, disruptive world.

“Customers should feel as if you’ve pulled a chair up to their table, not the other way around, and the key to establishing that connection is good storytelling,” Thornton said. “I want to help our clients have meaningful conversations with their customers through strategic, thoughtful creative.”

A North Carolina native, Thornton earned his B.F.A. in Graphic Design from Western Carolina University between the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina., and he spent several years early in his career at Wray Ward. He moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 1996, when he started as an art director at Luquire George Andrews before joining Wray Ward. He worked with agency clients including Velux skylights, Irwin Industrial Tools and Springs Global’s Wamsutta and Springmaid brands. While he was at Wray Ward, his work won a variety of awards, including an ADDY Best of Show.

“It’s good to be back in North Carolina and at Wray Ward with a really great team of creative, innovative thinkers,” Thornton said.

Thornton joins Wray Ward Vice President & Executive Creative Director John Roberts in leading a team of more than 30 designers, developers, writers and producers. The agency provides creative marketing solutions to companies including Glen Raven and its Sunbrella® brand, VELUX® skylights, Dal-Tile® and BRITAX®.

“Aaron’s experience with national broadcast television and sophisticated video production is an especially strong fit for our full suite of in-house video production services, and his creative drive will ensure we continue to raise the bar on work that effectively tells stories and generates results,” Roberts said.

About Wray Ward
Wray Ward is the home of passionately creative thinkers. The creative marketing communications agency serves clients in categories from home to healthcare and automotive to energy, with a specialty in building brands that elevate the style, comfort and function of the American home. With a deep integration across service offerings, including insights, strategic brand planning, media planning and buying, advertising, digital, public relations, video production and search, Wray Ward delivers intelligent, engaging and results-driven work.

The agency’s clients include Cooper Lighting by Eaton, Dal-Tile Corporation, Duke Energy, Electrolux, Huber Engineered Woods, Glen Raven Inc. and its Sunbrella® brand, La-Z-Boy Casegoods’ Kincaid Furniture, Mohawk, TUUCI®, VELUX® skylights and WIX® Filters. wrayward.com | @wrayward