CREATIVE DIRECTOR HIGHLIGHTS

Objectives:

As the Creative Director of Watson, I found myself at an interesting crossroads with a brand poised for transition. The company had done some soul-searching during the pandemic, where the reality of remote work presented a potentially existential challenge to an office furniture manufacturer. They had engaged a branding agency to take them through a deep dive into the heart of Watson, and the results were compiled in a lengthy presentation, and subsequently shelved. When I arrived at Watson, my primary focus was to reinvigorate this process, distill and refine the existing information, and establish a clear path forward.

A few things about Watson; they are a B2B manufacturer, small by industry standards, but they compete nationally with the ‘bigs’, the likes of Steelcase, Haworth and Teknion. Their branding is understated, and largely reflective of the personality of CEO Clif, a wise, intuitive straight-shooter who was officially stepping down/inching towards retirement. My goal was to usher in a smooth transition to a post-Clif Watson, refine and consolidate existing and future collateral, reshape brand standards, and introduce new and exciting elements to create a seamless rejuvenation that is true to the core brand values.

Obstacles:

When I arrived at Watson, the Marketing Department was seemingly on autopilot, with aspirations, but not a well-defined lane for taking action. The previous occupant of my position had lasted over 20 years, and kept the ship steady. My objectives in the position could only be met by raising the bar, and exceeding expectations. I did so by proving myself with fresh creative concepts and deliverables, initiating dialogue on the future of the brand, and instigating cross-department collaboration that previously did not exist.

The most persistent obstacle was Watson’s location on the Kitsap Peninsula, essentially an island with a 2-hour commute across the Puget Sound from Seattle. This complicated the hiring and retention of employees company wide, and certainly limited the pool of designers for my department. Coupled with a company philosophy that rejected the concept of remote employees as antithetic to office furniture manufacturing and objectives, I found myself the sole creative for much of my tenure.

Acomplishments:

My background in branding and design informed my leadership style, and allowed me to engage and inspire others with an open creative dialogue that was previously lacking in this in-house position. Here are a few highlights that I’m proud of.

NeoCon Showroom Refresh

NeoCon at The Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago is the single largest annual event in the commercial interior design industry, and Watson maintains a 4,000 square-foot showroom among the enormous historic Art Deco building on the Chicago River.
The showroom was getting an influx of 90% new product, and I was solely responsible for a complete refresh of creative in the space, which included product signage, wall-mounted displays, a custom mural, frosted vinyl graphics, custom wall art, a digital projection display, several digital screen loops, and multiple giveaway items, in addition to the sales collateral deliverables and rep materials. I also directed a photoshoot of the space with a local interiors photographer.

You can explore the virtual showroom here.

Watson Guest Visit Program

As a B2B business with a sales rep and dealer model, the guest visit program is a critical sales tool which entails flying clients to Seattle, a ferry or floatplane ride in (the “Company Jet / Yacht”), and a full pitch at The Orchard, with a factory tour and dinner at Clif’s house. Prior to my arrival, this was all loosely coordinated with a series of dated email templates and phone correspondence.

I conceived and executed a revamped program with a live microsite comprised of pages for every stage of planning, a series of customizable emails, and a custom interactive mobile agenda for each guest, with everything they could possibly need for the event.

3D Renders

Watson employs a 3D render artist in leu of photography, and he was a critical member of my team. I established a collaborative image research and inspo library that made creative direction efficient and concise, and together we developed a work style that fostered creativity and brought the visual style to a consistent and modern place.

Collateral Update

The existing collateral at Watson grew disparate over time, with some pieces still in circulation approaching the decade mark. The net result played like a game of telephone over time, where elements evolved tangentially, and were rarely updated retroactively.

I was able to address this over time, when resources and time were available, a process that included an evaluation of current materials, interviews with sales reps to determine efficacy vs. their current needs, and consolidating brand standards for both Watson and the Watson Consoles division into a unified whole.

Watson Merch Store

I introduced and advocated for a concept that was foreign to leadership, that there was national brand identity, and an internal/community facing brand. Watson had a great track record for eco-friendly manufacturing practices, and sponsored many local charities and events, but had little brand recognition. Employee recruiting and retention were a struggle in this relatively isolated place, especially for skilled factory work, so I initiated an effort to build awareness throughout the community, and bolster company culture and pride.

I created vehicle graphics with community facing awareness and recruiting messaging and developed brand standards for local events, assisted HR with recruitment event concepts and collateral, and personally built and launched the Watson Merch Store, a dropship merch site where employees can order items at cost. This was an immediate success, and a self-sustaining platform that could be used for special events, holidays, and custom one-offs in perpetuity.

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