After Launching his own design business in Israel, Ilan started his international career in the early 1980s when he joined Ogilvy & Mather as Design Head and Creative Director in Johannesburg, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Later he held senior creative positions with Leo Burnett and Frankel & Co. (now ARC Worldwide) his other positions were: VP Exec. Creative Director at Kragie/Newell (now Integer) Des Moines, and VP Creative Director Gage Marketing, Minneapolis. He currently runs Ilan Geva & Friends, a brand communications consultancy in Chicago.
Throughout his career, he developed and created Corporate Identities, Advertising Campaigns, In-Store Displays, Packaging Design, Direct Marketing, Sales Promotion, Web Sites, and every imaginable strategic branding solution for many of the worlds largest corporations, as well as for numerous smaller enterprises. His work has won over 100 creative awards around the world including CLIO, ADDY, TELLY, POPAI, CAPLES, ECHO, SUMMIT and many others for advertising, TV, direct marketing, and graphic design.
Some of his most recognized branding work included: United Airlines, Korean Air, Alitalia, McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Visa, Ford Trucks, The Chicago Tribune, SA Breweries, Panasonic, Nestle, American Express, Unilever, VW-Audi, Kodak, HP, Seagram, Shell, Sears, Citibank, and many more.
Ilan has a BFA from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem and a Masters degree from DePaul University in Chicago. He also graduated from the Damelin College of Marketing in Johannesburg with a diploma in Marketing Management. Additionally, he studied Video, Painting and Drawing at the School of The Art Institute of Chicago.
He currently teaches Branding at the University of Chicago, and Introduction to Design at the School of Hospitality Management at Kendall College. He taught Integrated Marketing Communications, interactive advertising and International Advertising at Columbia College Chicago, Copywriting and Advertising at DePaul University, Brand Planning & Message Strategy at Roosevelt University and Packaging Design at the School of The Art Institute of Chicago.
Ilan judges some of the most prestigious industry award competitions in the US and abroad. He conducts seminars, training sessions on branding, and other marketing topics for Advertising Agencies, Trade Associations and Educational Institutions. In 2006, Ilan was the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award from the University of Chicago. In 2007 Ilan was selected a faculty member of the In-Store Marketing Institute.
Contact: ilan@ilan.andfriends.com