Kevin Christophersen
Kevin Christophersen, MA, Associate Professor in the Marketing Communication Department at Columbia College Chicago, combines his advertising expertise with his passion for teaching.
Kevin’s career in advertising commenced in media at Leo Burnett, an international advertising agency. He supervised the following clients, along with other national consumer and business-to-business brands: Ameritech, All State, Dairy, Keebler, Kellogg, McDonald’s, Oldsmobile, Philip Morris, Procter and Gamble.
Subsequently, he obtained positions in client service at various other agencies and managed/facilitated all aspects of strategic communication for the following clients: Abbott Labs, Boise Cascade, Liberty Federal Bank, Pet Ag, Bobs Candy, F&F Foods, Sorbee, Scala Beef, and Zenith among others.
Kevin’s early success in the advertising industry provided a valuable realization: He aspired to contribute to the future of the marketing communication industry. Therefore, he joined the Columbia College Chicago adjunct faculty in 1999, and was asked to serve as an Artist in Residence in 2000. In 2001, he accepted a full-time Assistant Professor position. From 2007 to 2011, he served as the Director of Advertising Studies in which he managed their accredited advertising program consisting of account management/planning, creative, interactive and media disciplines, supervised and hired adjunct faculty, and fostered an innovative teaching and learning environment for enrollment of approximately 200+ undergraduate students. Recently, Kevin decided to refocus his energy on student learning and performance, thus, relinquished his role as the Director of the Advertising Studies program.
Outside the classroom, he has served as the Marketing Communication Representative for the Columbia College Council, was a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, a founding member of Critical Encounters, served as the Marketing Communication Department Articulation Coordinator, and was a member of the School of Media Arts Documentary Task Force, among others. He continues to play an active role in serving on various college-wide and departmental committees.
Kevin has also published and traveled internationally to address various topics including: male body image concerns, service learning, and creating safe classrooms for GLBT students. He is currently examining how advertising and social media influence gay male body image.
In addition to his career in academia, Kevin obtained an MA in Arts, Entertainment and Media Management at Columbia. Further, he served as the Director of Business Strategy and Marketing for Boystownchicago.com, maintains pro-bono clients with various community service organizations, works as a mentor for GLBT youth, is a member of the CAF- the Chicago Advertising Federation, and a paid marketing consultant.
