Kelly Beck-Byrnes

Creative Director, Writer, Art Director

When Kelly was ten years old she was the second fastest 100 meter backstroker in the world in her age group. From that point on, her life took a downward spiral as she didn’t swim more than a few seconds faster over the course of the following ten years, achieving the longest known plateau in the history of swimming. The good news is she’s been trying to be the second best at something ever since.

After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and a two-year postgraduate degree from the Portfolio Center in Atlanta, Kelly began her career at Fallon McElligott in Minneapolis. Two years later she moved to the West Coast to tackle new creative challenges at agencies such as TBWA/Chiat/Day, Vitro Robertson, and Siltanen & Partners where she partnered as Co-Creative Director with Rob Siltanen as the agency launched in 2000.

Kelly takes on freelance projects that include both writing and art directing. Recent endeavors include projects from The Martin Agency, Razorfish, Portland and Strawberry Frog, NYC. Projects entail brand launch platform thinking as well as 360 degree conceptualizing across all mediums including social media. Kelly’s also freelanced at many other agencies including BBDO, JWT, RPA, Weiden and Kennedy, Fallon, Goodby Silverstein & Partners and 180˚ Los Angeles, to name a few. In January of 2010 Kelly attended the Hyper Island Master Class in San Francisco to continue to stay abreast of the latest trends in social and interactive media.

Though nothing will ever compare to the fleeting success she once achieved as a child, Kelly has managed to collect a few awards in advertising including The One Show, Communication arts, The Art Director’s club, Cannes finalist, the London International Advertising Awards, the Los Angeles Belding Bowl & finalist and Graphis.

Kelly finally found someone who would accept her many foibles and failures and currently resides with this brave man, her husband, in Santa Barbara, CA. In their spare time the two enjoy paddle boarding, tennis, trail running and cycling. And absolutely no swimming, whatsoever.

See a list of the accounts Kelly’s worked on.