• Work
  • Resume
  • Contact

Steve Grimes

creative director + copywriter

  • Work
  • Resume
  • Contact

New Work

They say you’re only as good as your last ad. Here’s what I’ve been up to lately.

Volkswagen

Recently, I was the Creative Director and lead writer on Volkswagen for VML. It was a delicious advertising combo platter of digital, social, outdoor and radio.

Terminix

When you see the damage and disease caused by bugs you realize they aren't just pests, they're monsters. And that's how we reframed the story. We created a fully integrated campaign that resulted in an increase in both brand awareness and market share. And garnered numerous awards for effectiveness and creativity.

One of the “10 Best unconventional ads ever produced” – Buzzfeed

Communication Arts Advertising Annual

D&AD

Effie Award

W3 Awards

Graphis Platinum

Graphis Gold

Motel 6

In the history of the iconic We’ll leave the light on for you campaign there have been only a handful of copywriters trusted to put words in Tom Bodett’s mouth. I was lucky enough to be one of them.

Radio Mercury Awards $50,000 Best of Show

Multiple Radio Mercury Awards Finalists

6 London International Awards

Clio Award

National ADDY Gold

Westwood One Sports Sound Awards runner-up for best radio spot on the Super Bowl 

Denny's Late Night

How did we turn Grandpa's restaurant into a late night destination for 20-year-olds? We had an idea with a simple insight – Nothing good happens after midnight, except Denny’s. We then created wonderfully stupid films and digital that reversed a 5-year sales decline.

MetroPCS UFC

For MetroPCS we created digital, social and online films to bring people #CloserThanEver to the UFC. Anytime, anywhere.

BMW

When you get the chance to work on BMW the job is simple – prove that it really is the Ultimate Driving Machine. 

Jeep

Jeep capability is legendary. This campaign demonstrates how any season is Jeep season.

H-E-B Grocery

For H-E-B, we combined Christmas-themed cities with Gene Autry’s Merry Texas Christmas to create a timeless holiday film. We leveraged their partnership with the Spurs and did humorous spots that the NBA shows to other teams as an example of how to market athletes. And, we did smart, simple films to launch their new app.

ADDY Judges Choice

The Maids

This was an integrated campaign we did for The Maids. The idea we came up with shows how they go above and beyond other cleaning services, literally.

Biltmore Estate

Sominex Sleep-Aid

For this Sominex Sleep-Aid social campaign we came up with visually arresting images that dramatized the product’s efficacy – this stuff knocks you out. 

Graphis Gold

Ads of the World

PowerBar

TruGreen

Women's Football

The Dallas Diamonds needed to build awareness and prove that women’s football isn’t just a novelty. Our solution was a series of ads that combined traditional football imagery with distinctly feminine cues.

Art Directors Club

Communication Arts Exhibit

Old Women's Football

The Dallas Diamonds needed to build awareness and prove that women’s football isn’t just a novelty. Our solution was a series of ads that combined traditional football imagery with distinctly feminine cues.

Art Directors Club

Communication Arts Exhibit

JFK Sixth Floor Museum

The JFK Sixth Floor Museum came to us to promote their new exhibit featuring the Pulitzer Prize winning images of Bob Jackson, the photographer assigned to President John F. Kennedy the day he was assassinated in Dallas. Our idea? There was a second shooter.

CD: Steve Grimes, AD: Dustin Taylor, CW: Andrew Beckman

Communication Arts Advertising Annual

Dallas Symphony

Curves Fitness

We could have just done a logo and price like every other gym, but we decided to do something more conceptual and visually demonstrate weight loss on a billboard. Over the period of a month, the pants on the billboard went from tight to loose until they revealed the Curves logo.

Tap Project

Droga5 partnered with UNICEF to develop the Tap Project. The campaign was so successful in New York that they decided to roll it out nationwide. Droga approached several agencies across the country and we were lucky enough to be asked to work on the campaign.

Denny's :: Real Breakfast

With QSR's entering the breakfast space, Denny’s wanted to defend their turf and remind people that there is only one place to get a real breakfast. And who better to send a message than Paulie Walnuts?

New York Magazine Approval Matrix

New Work

— view —

Screen Shot 2021-10-02 at 1.11.45 AM.png

Volkswagen

— view —

Dad Rock Thumbnail.png

Terminix

— view —

Screen Shot 2023-06-26 at 6.58.48 PM.png

Motel 6

— view —

Motel_6_Thumb.png

Denny's Late Night

— view —

Denny's_Duct_Tape_Thumb.png

MetroPCS UFC

— view —

Screen Shot 2023-06-27 at 12.17.50 AM.png

BMW

— view —

BMW_Wagon_Border.jpg

Jeep

— view —

Screenshot 2023-06-27 at 10.18.08 PM.png

H-E-B Grocery

— view —

Screenshot 2023-06-27 at 10.52.56 PM.png

The Maids

— view —

Maids_Clock_Thumb.png

Biltmore Estate

— view —

biltmore_estate_storyimage_e32216df-ecbb-4696-9d8c-71211f6d8a0f.jpg

Sominex Sleep-Aid

— view —

Screenshot 2023-06-27 at 11.27.15 PM.png

PowerBar

— view —

PowerBar_Phelps_Thumb.png

TruGreen

— view —

Screen Shot 2021-11-04 at 11.08.18 PM.png

Old Women's Football

— view —

Dallas Diamonds - Compact.jpg

JFK Sixth Floor Museum

— view —

6th Floor - Bullets.jpg

Dallas Symphony

— view —

Curves Fitness

— view —

Screen Shot 2016-12-21 at 5.46.36 PM.png

Tap Project

— view —

TAP Project - Dog.jpg

Denny's :: Real Breakfast

— view —

Screen Shot 2016-12-21 at 5.10.01 PM.png

 ©2025 Steve Grimes. All rights reserved.