who I am & how to catch me

My name's Erin Knitis, and I'm a copywriter. I live for roller derby, great food and rockabilly music.

where I’ve been seen doing my thing

TBWA\CHIAT\DAY, NY, NY, January-September 2008, Dec. ’08-Jan. ’09, May ’09-Jan. ’10

As a freelancer, I developed the Brand voice and guidelines for Vonage, as well as advertising pieces across all channels. Within weeks of starting on the account, I was named ACD on it, managing 3 creative teams. Currently, the agency is in production on a series of edutaining videos I wrote for Tassimo home brewing system. I also helped win several new business pitches, including Michelin, Cablevision and Majestic Steel. And I created integrated campaigns for now-former clients American Management Association (specialists in management training) and HomeAway luxury vacation rentals and was a go-to microsite and newsletter maven for Sprint.

Digitas, Inc., NY, NY, February 2005-February 2007

As an Associate, then full Copywriter, I worked on the following American Express brands: 2006 TriBeCa Film Festival, americanexpress.com/travel, Consumer Cards, Merchant Services, OPEN and the launch of the One Card. I helped brand and launch Turner Broadband Sports and GameTap and worked on tons of pitches. By the end of my tenure, I had the pleasure of training junior wordherders to write better headlines and push envelopes.

independent freelance, Atlanta, GA & NY, NY, January 2004-present

Agencies where I freelanced short-term: Cheil Worldwide, Cowboy, Spike DDB, Source Communications, Uproar

During this time, I created advertising, branding and unique voices for the following brands: Acuvue Contact Lenses, Hair Club, Hasbro, Home Depot partnering with AOL, HP, ING Direct, Monster in partnership with eBay, Samsung, Subway (but you can’t blame me for Jared) and Virgin Mobile.

Flying agency-free, I’ve helped launch a handful of small technology startups, and served as ad guru for several local businesses.

who’s honored me

for 2006 TriBeCa Film Festival campaign:

Communication Arts Advertising Annual 47, Published in Web Watch (pg. 164)

Gold MIXX (Marketing and Interactive Excellence) Award for Brand Awareness

OMMA (Online Media, Marketing and Advertising) Award for Content Integration

where & what I learned

The Creative Circus, Atlanta, GA

Graduated March 2004. I won a couple of gold and silver student show awards and learned a bit about graphics programs.

Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA

I earned a B.A. in English with a Communication minor in June 1997, and a spot in STD, Sigma Tau Delta, the national English honor society.

what I did in my former life

Before ad school, I was a financial controller, an assistant to several lovely people and a few jerks, even a tennis instructor one summer. There were many bars tended, thousands of tables waited and retail jobs aplenty. I also traveled quite a bit, amassing hundreds of stories, and honed my culinary skills through trial, error and listening at the feet of pros.

where you can find me in my spare time

When not giving tours of my ever-growing shoe collection, I’m a religious roller derby skater and fan, avid reader and TV-watcher and conqueror of crossword puzzles. I bake and cook as much as my schedule will allow, and if that weren’t enough, I’m a regular human guinea pig for new restaurants, locales and hobbies.