Sam Shepherd

Sam Shepherd currently serves as the Chief Creative Officer at Uncommon Creative Studio in New York City.

Before joining Uncommon, Sam held a distinguished tenure at Leo Burnett Chicago, where he achieved global recognition as D&AD's most awarded Executive Creative Director. In less than two years, Sam propelled Leo Burnett to Agency of the Year accolades while securing prestigious global account wins with Powerade and Maker's Mark. With two D&AD Black Pencil awards, an Emmy nomination, and 12 Grand Prix victories to his name, Sam's groundbreaking work for Change the Ref, titled "The Lost Class," stands as one of the most celebrated ideas in advertising history. Throughout his career, Sam has collaborated with leading companies worldwide to elevate their brands and pioneer industry-first concepts. His innovative approach seamlessly blends strategy, technology, and data to fearlessly tackle his clients' toughest challenges.

In 2017, Sam and his partner Frank Cartagena undertook the mission of transforming 360i New York into one of the most innovative and integrated agencies in the U.S. Recognized as one of Campaign's Agencies of the Year, Sam's leadership resulted in 360i's first-ever Cannes Grand Prix win for the groundbreaking HBO's Westworld "The Maze" activation, a pioneering immersive gaming experience with Amazon Alexa.

Prior to his tenure at 360i, Sam made significant contributions at Deutsch New York, where he led the agency to its inaugural Cannes Titanium Lion for the revolutionary 'Krylon's Pinterest Yardsale' project, which redefined brand partnerships and platform functionality with the launch of Pinterest's buyable pin feature. His outstanding achievements earned him recognition as a two-time Business Insider 30-under-30 winner.

Sam commenced his illustrious career at DDB New York, where his impactful work for the charity WaterIsLife garnered the agency's first Cannes Lions in over a decade. His innovative project 'The Drinkable Book' was recognized as one of TIME Magazine's best inventions of the year.

In addition to his professional endeavors, Sam is deeply committed to supporting worthy causes. His advocacy through projects like Change the Ref and Water Is Life has shed light on critical issues such as gun violence and the global water crisis, driving awareness and generating life-saving donations.

Before embarking on his advertising career, Sam pursued his academic interests at the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in communications and design. A two-sport Division 1 athlete, Sam earned recognition as an All-Ivy League recipient in Track and Field.