Nick Childs

Nick Childs joined Initiative in 2015 to extend creative and strategic storytelling across all platforms to better connect clients and audiences. With extensive experience in campaign development, content creation, and production, he has overseen every level of creative leadership – from tentpole work on billion-dollar brands, to award-winning, micro-budgeted social media projects.

Previously, Nick was the lead Executive Creative Director at Fleishman Hillard, and EVP, Director of Content Development at Grey, where one early success was helping to create the “Baby” campaign for E*Trade; the spots topped critic and viewer lists for best commercials of multiple Super Bowls, won awards for best ads of the year, and were viewed online by millions. His concept to market the novel "Thirteen Reasons Why" through social media unexpectedly drove a YA book to #1 on the NY Times Bestseller list and a Silver Lion at Cannes. He has also received Lions for his work with the NFL and Febreze, as well as Gold in Branded Content for the groundbreaking, community-generated narrative film, "Beyond the Still". The movie premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, where Nick was onsite to help create and launch Lance Weiler’s transmedia project "Pandemic 1.0" And for NY/NJ, Nick helped win the bid for Super Bowl XLVIII. His brand work also has been awarded at the Addys, Effies, and One Show.

Beyond the ad world, Nick wrote, directed and produced "The Shovel", starring
Academy Award-nominee David Strathairn. The film won Best Narrative Short at the Tribeca Film Festival among fifteen other top awards worldwide, and was selected to launch "The Screening Room", YouTube's presentation of the world's best independent films. He also executive-produced the award-winning feature documentary, "High Score", now streaming on Hulu.