Standard Time, a content and design studio based in L.A., has made a number of new hires and promotions. On the latter score, Spencer Somers has been upped to creative director from associate creative director while Sara Karnowski has been promoted to account director.
Somers joined Standard Time in 2012 as a copywriter and has served as a creative problem solver for such clients as Starbucks, CVS Pharmacy, TOO FACED Cosmetics and olloclip. He’s been a key contributor—helping win new business, creating holistic campaign strategy, managing freelancers and partnering directly with a diverse set of clients. Somers is a graduate of the NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where he created one of the first mash-up movie trailers. His work was exhibited in 2013 at The Museum of The Moving Image in NYC.
Karnowski started at Standard Time nearly 18 months ago. In her new capacity she will lead both client side management and project management departments. She has international experience managing successful campaigns across a variety of media for such global brands as Red Bull, L’Oreal Paris, Lexus and Triumph International. It was while living in Cape Town, South Africa, a city bursting with culture and creativity, that she realized her love for all things creative.
As for Standard Time’s hires, Amy Marek has come on staff as production head in charge of the agency’s in-house production and postproduction divisions, as well as broadcast. And Ashley Jones has joined as associate creative director.
Marek began her content producing career at The Martin Agency and several years later moved to San Francisco to work at Camp+King where she led in all parts of the process from research and strategy to production, while also helping with new business. Key clients have included Expedia, Discover Card, Hanes, Experian and Pizza Hut. In the past year Standard Time has produced all video work in house for Sephora, Twitter, CVS Health, and Ole Smoky Moonshine.
Born and raised in Toronto, Jones has spent most of her career in New York City. She worked at the design firm RoAndCo where she was the studio’s art director in addition to leading all interactive design projects. In 2013, Jones was awarded a Young Guns award from the ADC. She then worked as an art director at Partners & Spade, where she combined her love for branding, art direction and the online world, to build holistic brand identities for a diverse portfolio of clients. Jones has experience with larger brands, such as Warby Parker, Target, Moda Operandi, and Etsy, as well as smaller brands such as M. Gemi, Frances Valentine and Loeffler Randall. She recently led the rebrand for Peloton Cycle.
Somers and Jones will lead Standard Time’s creative department and report directly to executive creative director Michael Sharp.
