Marlon McKenney is an award-winning San Francisco-based creative director, illustrator, author, and filmmaker with over two decades of experience, but at the core, he’s a storyteller. His work spans advertising, film, publishing, and digital, always grounded in real experiences and human connection.
He’s worked with global brands like Apple, Sony, and JPMorgan Chase, and more recently with LA County, CalTrans, and SoCalREN, helping turn complex ideas into stories people can understand and feel.
Marlon began his career as a Flash designer and Art Director in the early days of the internet, working with Gap Inc., Electronic Arts, and agencies like DDB, Publicis, and Digitas. As the industry evolved, he expanded into directing, motion graphics, and video production, continuing to follow the story across mediums.
In 2016, he founded an independent publishing platform, Conscious Culture Publishing, focused on multicultural storytelling, creating books rooted in African history and global culture. Through a blend of writing and 3D illustration, he has written and illustrated six children’s books, while also staying connected to the community through book sales and school visits.
Over the past three years, Marlon has been exploring AI as part of his creative process, experimenting with how it can support and expand diverse storytelling. That work led to his first original animated short film, “Switch’n Lanez,” a project grounded in authentic, raw storytelling. The film has been recognized at film festivals and has received multiple international awards. While he continues to explore and speak on AI, his focus remains the same, finding new ways to tell stories that feel honest and real.
Canvas Rebel Interview
Bold Jounrey Magazine Interview
ADDY
BIBA
HERMES
MARCOM
VIDDY
Apple
AstraZeneca
Box.net
CalTrans
Clorox
CDC
Disney
Eidos Interactive
Electronic Arts
Fox Interactive
Gap Inc.
Genentech
HP
Hyundai
Inuit
J.P. Morgan Chase
LA County
Macys
Michelin
Motown Records
Nike
Novartis
Nvidia
Pfizer
PSE&G
SoCalREN
Sony
Sprint
Suzuki
Universal Records
Vodafone
Western Union