In 1987, creative directors John Shirley and Jim Hutchinson loved what they’d done for years – writing, designing and producing advertising – but realized they were doing less and less of it. In an attempt to escape the bureaucracy of typical agency structures, they formed Shirley/Hutchinson CreativeWorks. By eliminating all of the meeting / memo / timesheet / phonelog minutiae, they were able to concentrate on the “good stuff”: strategically-anchored creative ideas. A decade of regional and national clients  later, they’re still in marketing warfare every day and making every minute count. The promise of the name they chose way back in 1987 is still ringing true: Shirley/Hutchinson creative… works.         John Shirley wandered into creative advertising 20 years ago when he realized a career built on rock documentaries was not a long-term proposition. He graduated with a cum laude degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Tennessee and worked briefly for Chris Whittle (creator of Channel One). He joined Ensslin & Hall Advertising as a junior writer and rose to co-creative director, writing and producing projects for clients like the Honor automatic teller system, Wendy’s, Jeep, Lykes Meats, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Florida Power. As his administrative responsibilities within the agency grew, Shirley discovered his actual creative time shrinking. Returning to his roots, he co-founded Shirley/Hutchinson in 1988 as an alternative creative resource for agencies and clients. The company has concentrated on regional and national clients, including the Marriott, Checkers, Lockheed Martin and Hyatt. Shirley’s work has been profiled several times in Adweek. He hasn’t had the urge to interview someone with tattoos and purple hair in years. He has been overheard saying, “This is the most fun I’ve ever been paid for.” He means it.