Marcus Stephens, Plank Industries

Marcus Stephens, Plank Industries

Marcus Stephens was born in Cumberland, Maryland and is a 1997 graduate from Frostburg State University with of Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Frostburg State University. He currently (January 2018) holds the position of Executive Creative Director at Plank Industries. As noted on the Plank Industries website, this is “the private-investment office of Kevin A. Plank, the founder, Chairman, and CEO of Under Armour.”

Marcus Stephens is responsible for designing the iconic “Under Armour” logo. Marcus is also the 2005 Individual Award recipient of “The Stevie.” This American Business Awards program is the world’s premier business award. This was under the Individual Award Category and sub-category of Best Creative Person and was for recognition of his Award-Winning “PROTECT THIS HOUSE” Ad Campaign.

The following excerpts about Marcus Stephens are from the Plank Industries Website:

“Marcus leads the marketing, creative and brand strategy for Plank Industries, Sagamore Development, Sagamore Spirit, Sagamore Ventures, Sagamore Farm, Sagamore Racing, and the redevelopment of Port Covington in South Baltimore. As President of Sagamore Creative, he leads an internal creative team of branding experts, art direction and graphic design, web development and account management.

In 1997, Marcus left his role as Senior Creative Director and Partner at Madison Design Group to join Under Armour as its fourth employee. Originating as the sole creative professional at Under Armour, Marcus eventually helped build the in-house, 40-person, creative team from the ground up, laying the foundation for the brand and culture that is Under Armour today. Marcus is responsible for designing the Under Armour logo, as well as refining and contemporizing the logo over the years to its current version. Marcus’ early marketing initiatives include brand-defining campaigns such as Protect This House, Click Clack and I Will. A defining moment of Marcus Stephens’ time at Under Armour was his direction of the company’s first and only Super Bowl commercial called “The New Prototype.”

In 2011, Marcus left Under Armour to launch his startup Repax, a reusable packing system that revolutionized the residential and commercial moving market. In 2014, Marcus Stephens was asked to join the Plank Industries team while it was still in its infancy. He was integral in the rollout of City Garage, the first center for manufacturing innovation in South Baltimore, as well as a prominent member of the master planning team for Port Covington.

In addition to being on the executive team at Plank Industries, Marcus serves on the Board of the Maryland Public Private Marketing Partnership, helping to re-brand the state to become more attractive for commerce. He is also on the Board of Trustees at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), working with university leadership to reimagine the curriculum for creatives.”

Notes: Under Armour is based in Baltimore, Maryland and was founded in 1996 by Kevin Plank. Under Armour is the originator of technically advanced and innovative performance apparel.