ADC Awards
ADC Annual Awards is the oldest continuously running industry award show in the world, with an incredible legacy of over 100 years. These awards celebrate the very best in advertising, digital media, graphic and publication design, packaging and product design, motion, experiential and spatial design, photography, illustration and fashion design – all with a focus on artistry and craftsmanship.
ADC104 Fusion Cube Jury
Sam Bonds
SVP Creative Director
BarkleyOKRP
Kansas City, United States
Sam Bonds is not just an award-winning creative, he is an industry change
maker. As SVP Creative Director at BarkleyOKRP, Sam co-founded the Creative
Accelerator program in 2022 — a yearlong, paid creative apprenticeship for
BIPOC talent. The program was conceived to increase the diversity of high
caliber creative talent within the industry. Its graduates have already begun to
make their mark, garnering accolades of their own, including a Clio and a Mosaic
award.
Beyond his ongoing contributions to ensuring a diverse future for the industry,
Sam also leads some of the most important clients at BarkleyOKRP. Having
pitched and won the Red Lobster business, Sam is leading the creative work that
is breathing life back to the iconic brand. He also helms the AMC Theatres
business, where in the midst of the global pandemic, his team launched a
culture-breaking campaign featuring Nicole Kidman wooing movie lovers back to
the theater.
Sam’s work and creative leadership has driven business for world-class brands
like Coca-Cola, DirecTV, AT&T, Southwest Airlines, Chevrolet, Frito-Lay, amongst
many others. Above all, he makes everyone around him better, from creative and
strategy teams, to brands, businesses, and the industry at large.
maker. As SVP Creative Director at BarkleyOKRP, Sam co-founded the Creative
Accelerator program in 2022 — a yearlong, paid creative apprenticeship for
BIPOC talent. The program was conceived to increase the diversity of high
caliber creative talent within the industry. Its graduates have already begun to
make their mark, garnering accolades of their own, including a Clio and a Mosaic
award.
Beyond his ongoing contributions to ensuring a diverse future for the industry,
Sam also leads some of the most important clients at BarkleyOKRP. Having
pitched and won the Red Lobster business, Sam is leading the creative work that
is breathing life back to the iconic brand. He also helms the AMC Theatres
business, where in the midst of the global pandemic, his team launched a
culture-breaking campaign featuring Nicole Kidman wooing movie lovers back to
the theater.
Sam’s work and creative leadership has driven business for world-class brands
like Coca-Cola, DirecTV, AT&T, Southwest Airlines, Chevrolet, Frito-Lay, amongst
many others. Above all, he makes everyone around him better, from creative and
strategy teams, to brands, businesses, and the industry at large.