Alumni CEOs team up to put JMU on national stage

The Martin Agency won CarMax’s $100 million advertising account in April. Both companies happen to be located in Richmond, Virginia. And both companies happen to be run by JMU alumni.

CarMax CEO Bill Nash (’91) and The Martin Agency CEO Kristen Cavallo (’91) are both proud of their alma mater. So when the creative team at the agency developed the idea of featuring car stickers as a mode of self-expression, Nash and Cavallo immediately knew what one of the stickers would be.

In an article in Adweek magazine upon the campaign’s launch in early October, Anne Marie Hite, senior vice president and group creative director at The Martin Agency, said, “CarMax’s biggest presence out in the world is its own sticker," referring to the CarMax sticker that emblazons every vehicle purchased there. "It’s not just another ad; it’s a thought, it’s empathy and humanity that exist behind that sticker.”

“We asked Kristen if she could help us get permission to use a JMU sticker in the spot without having to go through all of the red tape,” Hite said. “She called five minutes later to tell us [it was approved] and that they were thrilled to be included.”