Portland-based independent agency Borders, Perrin Norander or BPN has signed veteran art/creative director Bill Karow as its newest CD. Coincidentally, BPN is the same agency at which Karow started his career in the halcyon days of the very early ’90s.
Before joining BPN, Karow spent nearly eight years as a freelancer whose work touched that of multiple agencies and included campaigns for such clients as Apple, Volkswagen, Nike, Adidas, Miller and many more. (Portfolio here.)
His most significant position before that move was a stint with Wieden+Kennedy Portland, where he served as senior art director and worked on campaigns for Old Spice, Coca-Cola, Amazon, etc. He also served as art director at San Francisco’s Hal Riney & Associates and worked as AD/GCD during two separate stints at Portland’s Cole & Weber.
Mark Waggoner–a Razorfish/Publicis/Wieden veteran who joined Blast Radius as ECD in 2011 and rose to the level of CCO before leaving for BPN in 2014–“hand-picked” Karow to fill the new position. Before the hire, Karow directed art on a recent BPN ad for the Oregon Lottery, and in the past he worked with Waggoner at both W+K and Cole & Weber.
Waggoner writes:
“Bill’s deep brand experience and undeniable creative talent will be a huge asset to BPN’s clients. I’m stoked to have Bill’s help in pushing our concepts and art direction to the next level while mentoring up-and-coming creative teams.”
In his new role, Karow will help lead creative on the Lottery account as well as other BPN clients like K&N and Forest Park Conservancy.