About Martin Lovis

Martin has worked in the creative communications industry for over fifty years.

He began his career in 1968 as an apprentice photographic retouching artist at Photospeed, a South London lithographic printing company.

Black and white photo of young Martin Lovis sitting on the ground in front of a brick wall with his feet wearing boots raised up on a brick showing the soles of his boots.
Martin Lovis, age 17. Picture taken at Photospeed.

In 1972 he enrolled in a three year full-time course in Graphic Design at Ravensbourne College of Art, Bromley, Kent, after which he was awarded a Diploma in Art and Design with Honours (1975). In 1980, this award was considered by the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) to be of equal merit to a first degree.

In 1975, he began full-time work as a junior Sales Promotion Planner at the Young & Rubicam advertising agency, in Camden Town, London. After a few months he was promoted to the position of Account Executive by his Managing Director who described him as "an unusual creative talent that could wear a suit and present direct to clients". During the following three years he gained extensive manufacturing and promotional marketing experience working on "blue chip" client brand accounts including, Cadbury's, H.J.Heinz, The Daily Mirror Newsgroup, Allied Breweries, Cadbury's McVities Cakes, Golden Wonder Snack Foods, Typhoo Tea and The Co-operative Retail & Wholesale Group (a.k.a., the Co-op).

Black and white staff photograph featuring the words, A very merry Christmas from all of us at Young & Rubicam,showing a young Martin Lovis among a group of colleagues some wearing Santa hats..
Martin Lovis, age 22, at Y&R, (top row, 4th from right)

In 1978 Martin became an Account Manager at Interact Marketing Consultants, London, where he gained international promotional marketing experience working with clients including, Beecham Products International, Exstra Bladet (Danish tabloid newspaper) and Crown Decorative Products.

In 1979, Martin resigned his position at Interact and left the formal sector to work as a freelance, graphic designer, photographer and illustrator. He received artwork from book and music publishers including Heinemann, Longman, Allison & Busby, Edward Arnold, International Defence and Aid Fund For Southern Africa (IDAF), Rough Trade Records and Nachum Heiman Music Productions. During this time he also created his independent humanitarian and non-exploitative artwork campaign entitled Art Attacks Apartheid and the APARTHEID OUTSIDE IN postcard protest campaign for Medico International.

Black and white photograph of Martin sitting in front of his easel and surrounded by studio equipment with various posters and artwoks on the walls.
Martin Lovis in his London studio working on a ZOUNDS record cover artwork for Rough Trade Records, 1982.

After four years working as a freelance illustrator, photographer and campaigning artist, Martin returned to work in the formal creative industries sector where he gained further experience in advertising sales and then in creative services supply to the communications industry. His creative and communication skills were soon rediscovered by advertising agency creative directors and manufacturing industry marketing directors all of whom encouraged Martin to set up and then run his own specialist promotional marketing consultancy which he then ran successfully for many years.

Colour photograph of Martin Lovis wearing a pin-stripe business suit and tie leaning on the bonnet of his company car. London, 1985
Martin Lovis, return to work as marketing executive, London, 1985.

Martin has also lectured for many years in Graphic Design, Photography and Key Skills at various Further Education (FE) colleges in the U.K., including West Kent College, Tonbridge, Kent , and Hastings College of Arts & Technology, Hastings, Sussex.

Martin holds a City & Guilds (Parts 1 and 2) Adult Education Teaching Certificate.

For further information please click here.

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