As a final order of business for this stellar year, specialized creative agency Leviathan's Chief Executive Officer Chad Hutson and Chief Creative Officer Jason White are honored to announce the addition of Creative Director Cody Tilson, and the promotion of Executive Creative Director Kyle Shoup. Both appointments are effective immediately.
Most recently an associate creative director for Digital Kitchen in Chicago, Tilson has now been living his dream as an artist and designer for over 15 years. His heartfelt devotion to design, illustration, and all other creative disciplines is readily apparent in every project he led for DK – and for Blast Radius and Designkitchen through his previous posts as senior art director for both companies. Combined, that impressive slate includes innovative developments for such notable clients as Blizzard Entertainment, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, HBO and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, to name but a few. Over the years, Tilson has also illustrated hundreds of book covers, gig posters and other projects on the side.
All these achievements build upon Tilson's original claim to fame as senior designer – and later, art director – for Playboy Magazine, from 2006 to 2012. Working alongside the world's finest illustrators and photographers, Tilson also contributed illustrations, ran photo shoots, and designed scores of provocative and visually inventive feature stories for the legendary publication. Chicago born and bred, Tilson studied design and illustration at Columbia College.
"Cody's conceptual art traverses power and beauty, whimsical storytelling paired with contemporary design," White confided. "Already we're seeing the impact of his magical touch on the digital experiences we're building together."
ECD Kyle Shoup's diverse range of portfolio projects spans from broadcast work for clients such as HBO, MTV, SPEED Network, Sundance TV and VH1, to commissioned video installations, music videos, video games and groundbreaking experiential installations. Having joined Leviathan in late 2013 from Foundation Content, he has been a vital contributor to many of the company's most acclaimed experiences, including installations for Airbus Americas, Art Institute of Chicago, Jabil and MSI Chicago. Highly skilled across the disciplines of identity/branding, environmental wayfinding, motion, interactive and experiential design, Shoup earned his BS in Graphic Design from the University of Cincinnati.
"I have no doubt that Leviathan has a very exciting future ahead," Shoup began. "The proof comes in the kind of clients who are knocking on our door: We've graduated from single projected events to full innovation experiences, executive briefing centers, and airport terminals. We now also have the support and talents of our sister companies within the Envoy Group, making it possible for us to work across an even broader spectrum of design than ever before."
Since launching Leviathan in 2010, White had served in the ECD role now occupied by Shoup. Addressing these changes, he explained, "Kyle and I share a collaborative bond that spans over a decade, resulting in some extraordinary projects and a solid relationship. His design talent, entrepreneurial spirit and creative leadership are already essential in Leviathan's work."
White continued, "The explosive growth occurring here has resulted in a reinvention of my role as well. Moving forward as Chief Creative Officer, I will be focusing on the direction of our brand, culture and relationships with our growing universe of phenomenal collaborators."
To learn more about Leviathan, please visit http://www.lvthn.com.
About Leviathan
A key component of cross-discipline design and innovation consultancy Envoy Group, Leviathan (http://www.lvthn.com) is a specialized creative agency working at the nexus of design, digital media, and interaction. By bringing phenomenal narrative content and emerging technologies into physical environments, Leviathan transforms ideas into exceptional experiences for brands and creative collaborators worldwide. Established in 2010, Leviathan's innovation has been recognized by top-tier publications including Communication Arts, The Creators Project, Fast Company, Forbes, The Verge, Vox and Wired, among many others.
