Alex Center

The first Creative Director Masterclass is halfway through, time to sign up for the next one. Why do it? Well, it's lonely when you hit that CD chair, you need to get a lot right and navigate a lot of sh#t. Advice helps. I've done all of that and can guide you through it. In 2019 I wrote a post on LinkedIn called - HOW TO BE A CREATIVE DIRECTOR WITHOUT SUCKING AT IT. That post got 800,00+ views, about 10,000 likes and around 600 comments - it struck a nerve. In the post, I shared around 15 things I believe you need to do to be a better and more effective Creative Director/Leader. Then, I started coaching current Creative Directors/Leaders and those who wanted to grow into the role. If you're keen to get this role right, then get in touch. Limited spots are available - I am a one-person operation. Some more details are in the attached carousel. #creativedirector #creativecoach #creativecareers

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I think both the design and the marketing messaging is greatly improved on the right. Good design is about communication and the way something looks, what are your thoughts?

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In today’s “blanding” trend, many companies are opting for minimalist designs that strip away uniqueness. But real differentiation goes beyond visual identity. To truly stand out, brands must build an authentic identity rooted in purpose and values, creating meaningful connections with customers. It’s not just about how a brand looks—it’s about how it makes people feel and how well it communicates its mission. In a crowded market, is authenticity still the strongest asset? #Branding #PurposeDriven #CustomerLoyalty #Differentiation #Marketing

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I got that feeling, because Im at Target, Sipping a latte, Shopping for nothing, but buying everything. Isn't this Yargets overall strategy? They want us to stroll, roam, browse, and enjoy being in their store. This ad is absolutely hilarious and brilliant. It highlights the thing about Target that we all love and evokes emotion. While watching this commercial I saw myself in a few of these characters (cough, cough, the latte drinker, and plant enthusiast). 🎵 Perfect song choice. When it feels like a no-brainer that this ad worked.... that means its a real gem and a marketing win. Watch the Ad 👉 https://lnkd.in/gSQ2e9nY #Target #TargetStores #targetCommercial #FunnyCommercial #Marketing #MarketingWin #MarketingSuccess #MarketingInsights

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GORP-core: Fashion Trend or Strategic Opportunity? The buzz around GORP-core has outdoor and performance brands buzzing—yet there’s a fine line between seizing an opportunity and falling into a trap. What started as a trend grounded in utility and function, but elevated by cultural pioneers, has led many brands to pivot toward a style-driven approach, catering to segments like the Luxury Lovers, Stormhunters, and Tastemakers. 🌍✨ But here’s the challenge: chasing style trends can push brands into a cycle of “what’s next?” 🔄 Without a solid anchor in performance and innovation, the focus on aesthetics can dilute authenticity, leaving core outdoor consumers—like the Functionalists (28% of the market)—questioning where the brand stands. When brands focus too heavily on lifestyle trends, they risk losing the trust of their largest and most loyal segment, those who value protection, performance and practicality. However, this shift doesn’t have to be negative. The key is balance. Brands can successfully expand their reach without alienating their core by staying true to what defines them—innovation, performance, and sustainability. Want to make sure your brand stays authentic and compelling 2025 and beyond? Let’s talk about how to craft a strategy that resonates—keeping you ahead of trends while staying true to who you are. Navigating these complex dynamics requires a clear strategy rooted in real consumer insights. At Above The Clouds Communication , we help brands find that balance—guiding them to make informed decisions on strategic marketing, messaging, and positioning to build long-term relevance and trust. In a time when consumer behaviors and trends shift rapidly, understanding what truly drives your audience is more critical than ever. Whether it’s embracing new opportunities or solidifying your core, it all starts with the right insights. #Outdoor #sports #Performance #BrandStrategy #GORPCore #OutdoorInnovation #Sustainability #FashionTrends #ispo #ispomunich #ispomunich2024 #strategy #marketing

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The importance of putting brand and consumer relationship on perspective.

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I think the secret to creative genius may be those who create an "edge effect." In ecology, edge effects are changes in population or community that occur at the boundary of two or more habitats. Randy Hunt, our new Head of Design at Notion, lives at the boundary of design and language. Under his leadership, I expect our experience of Notion to change as he brings these two habitats together—in wonderful ways. "Design is a visual medium," he says, "but I'm as language-obsessed as I am image-fixated." That's what I'd call a "writer's designer." It's a great Venn. Read this abcderium profile for more 🔥🔥🔥

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Some package redesigns should be ads. A peek inside Nutella’s packaging redesign meeting. Here’s how I think this meeting probably went “Hey team, I was in Target the other day and saw some cool packaging by Olly. I dug into it a bit more. It’s driving their results. People are now leaving their vitamins on the counter. Can you imagine what that’s doing for the repeat? Planning season is coming up and we need some news. What if we launched a limited-time design that showcased How fun we are in the many smiles we create” End Scene Here’s where I think this misses the mark : Iconic packaging is iconic for a reason. It may not be the sexiest, but it causes a feeling. When you step away too dramatically, you lose some of that special sauce. When dealing with iconic packaging, think evolution not revolution - e.g Cheerios name boxes The Nutella packaging looks great and breakthrough. It also is easy to miss if Nutella is on my list. I'd think this was something new and keep walking. The result is less smiles. The Cheerios box comes across as a fun way to engage with my family. PS - when the campaigns are over one of these two will be able to transition off the shelf for a much longer period? Can you guess which one?

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🚨 Picture this: The iconic Yankees brand, synonymous with excellence, inadvertently allowing their manufacturers to produce merchandise in the wrong color. A red Yankees hat? That’s a big no-no! 😱 When brands like the Yankees work with multiple partners—whether in manufacturing or local marketing—it’s essential to ensure brand consistency across the board. The wrong colors, fonts, or messaging could damage the brand’s reputation. That’s where Ansira steps in. 🌟 With our Brand-to-Local platform, we empower companies to maintain strict brand control while giving their partners the flexibility they need. Whether it's customizable marketing materials, asset management, or compliance monitoring, we ensure that no missteps happen at the local level. 🚀 Ansira Create enables brands to manage and distribute corporate-approved assets to ensure brand consistency, while Ansira Attract helps streamline operations to maximize impact across channels. Want to ensure your brand stays on point, no matter who you work with? Let’s talk about how Ansira can help you achieve that. #MarketingAutomation #BrandConsistency #DigitalAssetManagement #Ansira #LocalMarketing #BrandToLocal #Partnerships

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Colors have always fascinated me, and their impact on consumer perception is truly remarkable. In the world of branding and merchandising, we're witnessing some exciting trends in color choices. Here are a few that have caught my eye: Digital Lavender - This soothing shade exudes calm and tranquility, perfect for wellness and lifestyle brands aiming to promote relaxation and mindfulness. Neo-Mint - Fresh and invigorating, this hue blends futurism with a soothing effect, ideal for brands focused on innovation and progress. Cyber Yellow - Bright, bold, and attention-grabbing, this energetic hue is perfect for brands looking to make a bold statement and stand out. Virtual Lilac - Dreamy and whimsical, this color blends nostalgia with modernity, making it ideal for brands aiming to evoke nostalgia while staying current. Quantum Blue - Deep and mysterious, this sophisticated hue conveys luxury and exclusivity, perfect for high-end brands. Incorporating these trending colors into your branded merchandise can help you stay current and appeal to your target audience. Whether you're aiming for calm with digital lavender or making a bold statement with cyber yellow, these colors offer a range of options to suit your brand's unique personality and message. Keep an eye out for these trending colors and consider incorporating them into your branded merchandise for a fresh and modern look. #ColorTrends #BrandingColors #MerchandisingPalette #BrandPersonality #ColorfulBranding #BrandedMerch #BrandedMerchandise

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Horror show Just what the grocery sector needs: an ad campaign aiming to inform consumers about the terrifying commercial tactics grocery retailers use Option consommateurs' new campaign uses horror movie elements to spotlight underhanded grocery store tactics. Employing horror tropes suggests a dramatic level of fear, yet what most consumers likely feel is not terror, but a mix of irritation - even anger - and powerlessness when faced with manipulative (terrifying?) marketing. And for those who have to leave items in their basket once they see the total, the emotion is likely a mix of embarrassment and despair. While the horror story grabs attention, it seems a stretch, potentially diluting the campaign’s core message of empowerment and vigilance. Ian Mirlin used to remind me that "an inch of difference in the strategy makes a mile of difference in the execution". Perhaps fear and terror are the wrong emotions for this tale.

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Yes, I've started adding the "award-winning" descriptor to every relevant mention of this amazing marketing team and yours truly. You know that feeling when you've just survived production hell, you step back and take in the totality of what you all have conceived and managed to bring to life. You think, "It's done. And it's good!" Then you see the results and think "It worked!" Your colleagues agree, and usually, that's enough to carry the momentum into the next thing. And the next thing. And so on. Therein lies the challenge for high-performance teams. We yearn for the recognition, but the production cycle keeps turning. So I'm incredibly grateful to Evi Loveres--truly one of the most talented creative professionals in the industry--for breaking the cycle and championing this opportunity. In case you don't feel like clicking the link, Fictiv's annual State of Manufacturing report is my favorite campaign (and a beast of a project.) "State of Manufacturing is an in-depth annual report published by Fictiv to demonstrate its leadership and expertise in the manufacturing industry. Last year's report was generated by surveying over 240 leaders in engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and product development to identify developing trends and gather key insights. These insights were packaged as a landing page, ebook/printed piece and was supported with an integrated campaign consisting of email, webinar, live panel discussion at a trade show, PR, and various social media promotions." Go ahead and click that link for a selection of creative assets developed for this comprehensive campaign. Results (June 2023 - April 2024) - Potential reach: 209.4M - 688 backlinks from 46 referring domains - 7K website users (4.7K new) - 600+ e-book downloads - 375 webinar registrants This campaign would not have been possible without my award-winning 😉 colleagues: Christine Evans, Michael Gorman, Evi Loveres, Varun Mehta, John Honey, Jenn Miller, Kaitlyn Silva 🏆

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Published an in-depth breakdown of the leading #GenAI image tool strengths and weaknesses. I'll apologize in advance for Adobe Firefly 🤣 https://lnkd.in/eQR7E42H

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Outstanding! 📬🙌🦞 As dwell time at shelf dwindles around the 3 second mark, brands are turning attention to ‘the biggest shop window of them all’- their packaging, to make an impact in the attention economy. I’m taking about “Chaos Packaging” (as Katie Deighton of the WSJ has coined it.) We’re talking Flo tampons, packaged in ice-cream tubs; Happy coffee, packaged in white, pharmacy-style cubes and Vacation suncream which I’ve spoken about previously, as ripping up the tropes and challenging at the shelf edge. Convention might say ‘customer might get confused’ but convention is an ass. If you were to test these concepts on a research panel in Milton Keynes, they would say the same, which is why most established brands wouldn’t even reach this level of disruptive obsurbity stroke genius. “Investing in design is even more important now that other forms of storytelling and awareness-building have become not just expensive, but very crowded” If you’re a challenger brand then do just that. Challenge. Getting talked about because you’ve starting selling your Mustard in toothpaste tubes or your Bubble Bath in milk bottles might make the difference between being outstanding or going unnoticed. Pay close attention to these details early on as the algorithms are your friend. Which other products have you seen that defy conventions? Full article and comments below #branding #paycloseattention #packaging #startups

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Sometimes, my job is designing a logo, and sometimes, my job is designing a space. We've created some fun brand experience installations for our partners that I'm really proud of (and have pushed me outside of my comfort zone). Read more about our approach to crafting identity-driven spaces in my latest blog. #BrandScape #DigitalRelativity

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The slogan “Save Money. Live Better” means something entirely different to Gen Z—and even Walmart is taking notice. In an arguably bold move for the conservative mega retailer, it is taking its private label brand, No Boundaries to Roblox this month. This strategy to move launch the private label brand on the Roblox platform “Walmart Discovered” furthers Walmart’s shift from “Everyday Low Prices” toward immersive experiences. What’s behind the move? For starters, this mainstream big box has worked to earn the following of Gen Z—a more savvy, underspending cohort. Now, the brand aims to create a dynamic, interactive world where even private label brands come to life and engage consumers in ways we've never seen before. So, how will “value” be experienced if not merely through lower prices? The benefits of tomorrow’s most compelling private label brands will be realized through unique, branded experiences. This shift is shaped by a few drivers: 1.     Premium-ized Retail: Even the most modest of retailers are raising the bar on customer experience. As a result, people expect more than just product-lined shelves. They want stories, discovery, and interactions. Leveraging platforms like Roblox, brands can build communities and deepen connections with younger, content-savvy audiences. 2.     Personalization: Today, brand engagement is fleeting. Perception and loyalty are now earned through the integration of gamified elements and personalized experiences within emerging virtual environments. Imagine completing a virtual challenge that unlocks an exclusive product drop, or branded events that bring both entertainment and shopping opportunities to life. 3.     Digital-Physical Synergies: All realities are real. Consider the line between online and offline shopping blurred. Virtual try-ons, digital collectibles, and AR experiences aren’t simply novelties. Instead, they now drive measurable foot traffic to physical stores and vice versa.  4.     Sustainability & Innovation: As brands experiment in the digital realm, there's potential to appropriate certain activations more sustainably in digital realms—to create innovative product designs that might not otherwise be feasible. With the benefit of data, brands can understand consumer demand before or even without creating a physical offering. It may be too soon to understand whether Walmart's Roblox venture is more marketing gimmick than signpost. However, this move is evidence that even seemingly conservative, behemoth brands see the value of investing in the cultural vernacular of younger consumers. Could it be that they have identified that the values of today’s gamer might not be that different from self-labeled savvy under spenders? Is experience is the new commodity? If so, are you ready to join the revolution? #RetailInnovation #MetaverseMarketing #FutureOfRetail #PrivateLabelRevolution #WalmartOnRoblox #DigitalExperiences

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NEED // FREELANCE BRANDING CD We’re building a new category brand for a big client. We’ve got 3 brand territories defined on paper, but need an experienced, easy-to-love, just-gets-on-with-it CD to write them up and Art Direct the hell out of them so we can quickly test them. Bog standard stuff. Write up a manifesto. Lock down design, type, and imagery approaches. Put together mood boards and light mood film for testing (we’ll have an editor, unless you can rock that too). This is about building the initial brand idea before even going into brand identity design phases — so brand Platform work, not brand Advertising work. Just putting ideas in front of peeps to see if they like the one that does “this”, or the one that does “that”. 'Think Different' or 'Just do it' kinda thing. Starting in the next week.  If available or know someone, please share book in comments. ❤️ 

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Want to know why age is the ultimate creative hack? Sure, you do. Jamie Barrett spills the tea on why being over 50 in the ad world is like having a secret weapon. "Blank pages still scare me, but cracking the code is easier with experience. Writing 200 headlines to find the great one? Pffft, that’s so 20 years ago. We get to great faster." Curious? You should be. Get schooled by a true legend. #creativity #ageism #advertising #creativeleadership #adgenius #CreativeLeadership #AdGenius #Over50AndKickingButt #MarketingMagic. Susan LaScala Wood https://lnkd.in/eBacbzwN

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What is the deal behind Angostura Bitters... LABEL??? I never knew this, but I’ve always been curious. While many in the design and CPG industry strive for perfection, this is a simple #1 in the air. Brands, please embrace difference, take risks, be weird and loud, and stand out. #CPG #Branding #BusinessSolutions P.S. Any brand that experiences limitations, preconceptions, or budget restrictions, hit me up—I’d love to help. It’s what I am here for. https://lnkd.in/evP7F4C2

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