Craig Lewandowski Joins Utopic

Editor Craig Lewandowski lands a partnership with Chicago’s Utopic, a full-service production facility that sits apart from several of the city’s broadcast media resources – many with other factions located globally. An accomplished editor by trade, Lewandowki’s bold decision comes 13 years after his post at locally familiar Optimus. Lewandowski makes his move not only to come in at a partnership level, but also with a respect for the value of his goals and a high regard for his influence.

“I see this opportunity with Utopic as a way to be part of something that’s independent and homegrown, where together with my partners we can build a presence to rival out-of-town competitors,” says Lewandowski. “The industry changes at a fast pace, and we’re shaped to be nimble and to respond to those changes as it evolves.”

In a town teeming with advertising clients and brands shifting accounts on the fly, local production and post facilities battle daily for just a small piece of the pie. Rivaling some of the city’s most competitive creative editorial and full-service production options, Utopic raises the bar as a tech-savvy creative partner. The company routinely builds digital infrastructure into smaller campaigns, making them larger than life on virtually any type of screen.

“Utopic has put together an impressive ensemble with design at the forefront of what they do. Even as a newer company, they’ve already established a really strong support team with a core group of designers that work largely in part along with the editors and the agencies,” adds Lewandowski.

A trustworthy partnership that’s been a long time in the making, Lewandowski and his new partners, Jan Maitland and Tim Kloehn, at one time were all editors for the now defunct Edit Sweet. The company was eventually acquired and merged with Optimus in 2001.

Jan Maitland, President/Editor of Utopic said: “Working with Craig again is, in so many ways, like going home. There’s an inherent comfort and trust that comes from a relationship as deep as ours, but also he comes into Utopic with a burst of energy and a vision for the future that has invigorated everyone here. We’re thrilled to have him and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us!”

Lewandowski has edited commercials for national brands such as Michelob Ultra, Gatorade, Boeing, and Coors Light. He’s an award-winning editor having received recognition as the AICE “Best of Chicago” on two separate occasions. He currently serves on both the international and local AICE boards. Outside of advertising, Lewandowski recently edited the rom-com “Adventures in the Sin Bin.” The feature, shot on 35mm film, premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival in 2012 where it took home the Future Wave Audience Award, and went on to play in select theaters.”