Chris Shaw
Principal, Fearless Leader
Chris spurs people into action. He has for the last 20 plus years. A graduate of UCLA’s writing program, he began his career writing for television before being lured into the world of advertising.
His portfolio started at the prestigious Book Shop in Los Angeles and it quickly grew from there. He received the first of his industry awards for his work at Suissa Miller: one from the international journal Graphis, and the other a Gold Effie. At Leo Burnett, Chris led the creative team on Allstate’s prestigious “Safety” campaign, helping to create a groundswell in the national press that changed behavior and saved lives. With UPSHOT, he directed the creation of what could be considered the first social network. “If You Don’t Know You Don’t Go” was an underground network using technology to connect teens and tweens to Coca-Cola sponsored events and offers.
Using his experience, he launched Central Coast Agency, a Creative Think Tank for Advertising, Content, User Experience and Design. Central Coast started strong by launching and defining the FLOR brand of carpet tiles with the development of a design program inspiring interior designers to be brand evangelists.
And the agency continues to grow under his guidance. Today, Central Coast has offices in Chicago and Portland, Oregon, working with diverse clients, from global Fortune 50 corporations to innovative start-ups to national franchise organizations. He leads his team in developing and implementing global social media campaigns, building brand identities, exploring passion projects, encouraging innovation, and implementing proven, effective campaigns.