Sometimes you just need to throw your name out there in a memorable way. I was in that position 5 years ago when my wife and I decided to move across state to KC from STL. Back then, I had no industry contacts to speak of, and rather than cold calling or sending blind emails, I decided to make a promo piece that could showcase me as a brand and communicate some of the top level info typically found in a resume.

I’m a person who enjoys the experience of opening well thought out packaging, so I decided to tell my story through a folded print piece that would ultimately end as a poster that could be hung on the wall. Everything was designed to drive traffic to my portfolio website which carried through the look and feel established in the mailer.   

-----------

Project Scope:

• Logo & brand development

• Kit design and production

2019 KC Addy Gold Award

-----------

“United We Care” is the 2019 Hallmark Cards fundraiser for the United Way of Greater Kansas City. The campaign is built on a simple idea that if we could present the reality of what thousands of people throughout the Kansas City area deal with on a daily basis, we might have the chance to develop a very impactful message that could drive donations and awareness to the housing, education, food and healthcare programs that so many people depend on.

The campaign was built around 3 areas of emphasis that appeared throughout Hallmark HQ. First, larger-than-life installations bring the reality of need front and center to Hallmark employees. Second, testimonial posters focusing on key individuals shared their reasons for donating and how it has impacted their lives. Third, was a video extension of the posters that appeared on internal TVs throughout the building.

I love the way the project came together because I feel like I was able develop the concept, then orchestrate many creative disciplines and production services needed to bring a campaign like this to life on a shoe string budget.

-----------

Project Scope:

• Campaign concepting and development

• Design and fabrication

Britax has built their reputation on producing the safest car seats on the market. They believe that testing standards are starting lines, not stopping points, and that safety equipment should always look, feel and function beautifully. In 2018, they decided to launch a campaign that would refresh their brand internally and externally, while also embracing their loyal customer base who worry, research and are proudly overprotective of the products they expose their kids to. The campaign planted a flag for those “overprotectors” giving them a badge of honor for taking an active role in protecting those closest to them and sharing that knowledge with the world.

Visually, the refreshed brand characteristics are based on color and pattern already associated with safety, while black and white photography is rooted in authentic life moments that play off the bold colors well. A badge system was developed to communicate brand beliefs and product characteristics in a visually engaging way. They were designed to be a living system where more badges could be produced as needed to appear on packaging, sales collateral, websites and even social feeds. The updated flowed through to every touch point of the brand and even onto the walls of the factories where the car seats are made.

-----------

Project Scope:

• Brand development

• Campaign development

2017 & 2018 KC Addy Silver Award

-----------

Variety of show posters for the 2016 & 2018 seasons.

Woodhat Spirits is a brand new distillery located in New Haven, Missouri specializing in the production of blue corn whiskey and flavored vodkas. The label concepts shown here speak to the upscale and gentlemanly qualities of the Woodhat Blue Corn Whiskey product while implying an award winning tradition with the ribbon design. Ultimately, the tail portion of the ribbon design would be made of printed paper in final production, but the original concept was designed to have an actual fabric ribbon pasted under the label to add a 3D element to the piece that would help it stand out on the store shelf. Additionally, the ribbon pattern and color are meant to change based on the product to create a design system for the product labels that unifies the brand and builds cohesion across products. 

In an alternate concept, I approached the design from a different angle, referring to corn whiskey’s moonshiner roots by utilizing a letterpress look that speaks directly to the handcrafted nature of the product. Ultimately, the client preferred the ribbon label.

-----------

Project Scope:

• Label concept & design

Ply Gem is one of the largest suppliers of home exterior products in the United States. From siding, to stone, to windows, Ply Gem offers anything a builder would need to finish the outside of a home in any stye they desire. 

Every year contractors and buyers from around the world gather in Las Vegas at the International Builders Trade Show, and every year, Ply Gem puts together a booth that captures the breadth and beauty of their products.

The 100'x100' booth featured life size house vignettes that showcase various combinations of siding, stone and windows, digital boards that demonstrate before-and-after remodeling design ideas, technical demonstrations of product capabilities and large structural build-outs that gave people a place to rest or work while enjoying the at home feel. The booth even had a ProTalk stage where professionals spoke about trends, market research and industry challenges.

-----------

Project Scope:

• Contributed to booth concept and planning

• Contributed to booth layout and design

In the foodservice industry, Mission Tortillas set the standard by which other tortilla brands are measured. Their commitment to quality and authenticity of product is what the brand stakes its reputation on and what customers have come to expect. With this in mind, Mission wanted to refresh their brand ads while strategically targeting three specific audience markets: general audience, college and university, and hotel and lodging. 

Conceptually, the focus was to develop a look that could capture the authenticity of the Mission product and a voice that could exhibit the swagger of a superior quality tortilla. The result is a type-driven campaign centered around weathered painted stucco surfaces, awesome headlines, and beautifully plated food photography. Overall, the campaign dovetailed nicely with other brand initiatives and created one of the company’s most memorable and successful campaigns on record.

-----------

Project Scope:

• Campaign concept

• Campaign design

Morton’s of Omaha is a high quality pot roast made by Cargill beef. Brand and packaging refresh built on full frame photography and type that stands out under the lights at a Costco near you.

-----------

Project Scope:

• Packaging design

• Brand development

I've been lucky enough in my career to work with brands that believe in the importance of really well done food and lifestyle photography. From developing the look, to working on set with photographers and stylists, I enjoy participating in every step of the shoot process.