Whit Hiler is the executive creative director at Cornett, an independent, full-service, female-owned ad agency proudly based in Lexington, KY. Whit has been recognized as one of Adweek’s “Creative 100” and named one of the “24 Most Creative People in Advertising” by Business Insider. Digiday even pondered whether Hiler could be “The Most Talented Creative in America.” His work has been featured on NPR, USA Today, The New York Times, Adweek, Adage, Buzzfeed, The Wall Street Journal, LA Times, Fast Company, CNN, and the list goes on.

As ECD, Whit is a champion of earned-first creative and has helped Cornett uncover its superpower of waking up Sleeping Giant Brands by turning potential into powerful relevance. Whit’s constant pursuit to try things that haven’t been done before has helped build relevance for the agency’s clients including Busch Light, A&W, VisitLEX, LEGOLAND, Tempur + Sealy, UK HealthCare, and more.

Outside of Cornett, Whit is a partner in Kentucky for Kentucky, a modern-day souvenir shop of entertaining clothes and quality goods promoting his beloved home state. He is also one of three advertising pros responsible for the creation of Cocaine Bear, the legendary Kentucky mascot which led to the 2023 Universal Pictures movie release aptly titled, “Cocaine Bear.” Whit lives in downtown Lexington with his wife Christy, their four children and their dog Judy.