daniel@danielwill.com | 949 701 7099 | Download Resume
360º Integrated Design—Digital | Print | Social | Experiential | Packaging | UI/UX
Talented senior creative director with 15+ years of leadership and a track record of success generating measurable results for Fortune 500 brands across diverse industries. Utilizes a hands-on approach to lead teams to conceptualize and deliver powerful designs that generate consumer awareness and engagement in crowded markets. Known for ability to propel significant growth in online impressions, email open and read rates, and overall sales and revenue growth. Persuasive communicator adept at pitching novel ideas to win top-tier clients and accounts.
EXPERIENCE
2022 – Present
Deka Lash | Lake Forest, CA
Manage operations, marketing, creative, and staff for busy Lash Studio. Additionally supported corporate with marketing/branding through digital, print and packaging deliverables for all 130+ studios internationally.
Delivered compelling digital design, print design, photography, illustration, and copywriting for corporate brand.
Developed local digital marketing campaigns to increase traffic to studio.
Managed budgets, staff and vendors to run studio while decreasing expenditures and boosting revenue.
Key Achievements:
Grew revenue by 20% through innovative digital marketing and retargeting campaign.
Was tapped to design and launch new branding effort for Deka Lash corporate.
Innovated improved membership model resulting in increase of subscribers.
2018 – 2021
Natrol, LLC | Chatsworth, CA
Led a best-in-class team of four delivering compelling packaging, print, digital / social media, and broadcast creative for 200+ omnichannel products featured by global retail partners including Amazon, Walmart, CVS, and Costco. Collaborated with senior leadership and defined brand standards and story, consistently balancing form and function to drive revenue growth.
Aligned retail partner requests with internal standards, consistently solving design challenges and producing multiple product iterations and targeted visual stories while staying true to brand guidelines and goals.
Inspired team members to reach peak creative performance through engaged management and mentorship.
Liaised cross-functionally to anticipate and remove obstacles for team members, maximizing quality and efficiency.
Led creative briefing sessions cross-departmentally to help align business needs with brand story and standards.
Collaborated with Product Team to understand and communicate new product features and innovations.
Balanced budget constraints and creative vision to drive consumer engagement while improving net margins.
Managed partnerships with external agencies and contractors to optimize ROI on multi-platform campaigns.
Key Achievements:
Refocused, revitalized, and mentored the creative team to produce more effective deliverables, resulting in a 15% top-line growth in sales in two years.
Redesigned Amazon A+ page content to better communicate product benefits and align with brand standards, creating a sales lift of $2M+ within three months.
In immediate response to Covid-19 pandemic, refocused Natrol’s immunity product line packaging designs and advertising creative, resulting in top-line sales increase of $55M.
Implemented robust, cloud-based, creative project management platform that improved collaboration, reduced change rounds, and became invaluable with the shift to remote workspaces.
Redesigned and relaunched Natrol website, adding eCommerce direct-to-consumer functionality and creating powerful new sales and advertising channels.
2016 – 2018
Cotton Heritage | Commerce, CA
Steered creation of highly conceptual print and digital ads and cultivated relationships with editors at top industry publications to grow brand through advertising and editorial exposure. Led team of five marketing and creative professionals in design, development, and production of engaging collateral closely aligned with brand standards.
Fostered a positive group dynamic by facilitating cross-functional collaboration and open communication.
Spearheaded complete rebranding initiative to align all marketing and creative assets with “clean and soft” product image while elevating and rejuvenating the brand in the marketplace.
Collaborated with senior leadership to design brand stories and standards.
Leveraged copywriting expertise to craft attention-grabbing headlines and ad copy.
Drove cost reductions while increasing value at the department and company-wide levels.
Managed eCommerce site and delivered highly effective user interface and user experience (UI / UX).
Key Achievements:
Conceptualized and launched aggressive marketing plan, triggering dramatic 724% increase in marketing exposure.
Secured first-ever company placement on cover of Printwear Magazine, a leading industry publication.
Transformed email strategy: boosted read rate from 0.2% to 34% by retooling email marketing program and delivering an open rate of 77% with introduction of behavior-triggered campaign.
Generated 35K targeted impressions per month by deploying a robust digital retargeting campaign.
2013 – 2015
Minacs Marketing Solutions, A Concentrix company | Irvine, CA
Led team of 14 in California and Michigan to develop effective, on-brand creative. Orchestrated complete overhaul and transformation of program creative to exceed expectations. Advised top Honda executives on creative direction.
Conducted nationwide focus groups to test and refine communications prior to launch.
Provided conceptual and hands-on direction for multichannel web, email, digital, and direct mail campaigns.
Designed and produced highly variable, personalized digital and print communications and responsive digital UI / UX.
Key Achievements:
Designed multi-year program to grow brand awareness, increase owner satisfaction, and lift purchase rates.
Oversaw creative design across interactive, print, and social channels for multiple Honda programs, including the $37M Honda Owners Lifecycle Communications (HOLC) program.
2008 – 2012
Sena Cases, a Targus company | Irvine, CA
Managed marketing, creative, and related staff for multiple brands, including key clients Sena Cases and Michael Kors.
Delivered compelling web design, print design, photography, illustration, and copywriting.
Effectively liaised with product team at Apple to facilitate sales of Sena cases at retail locations nationwide.
Key Achievements:
Grew revenue by 583% in three years by leading rebranding effort and effectively positioning products within market.
Played key role in securing licensing agreement with Michael Kors for Sena to produce Kors-branded cases.
Enhanced web presence, refreshing eCommerce store UI/UX and launching highly effective social media campaigns.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
Daniel Will—Marketing | Branding | Creative
Led design team for the nationwide dealer launch of Scion brand
Created branding and designed experiential dealer events for most major automotive brands
Helped advertising/marketing agencies improve existing creative
Helped advertising/marketing agencies pitch and land new accounts
Daniel Will | Photographer, NYC | LA | PHX
Editorial: Vogue Bambini (Italy), Child Magazine, Healthy Kids Magazine, Earnshaw’s Magazine, Bop Magazine, Bravo Girl (Germany)
Commercial: Gap Kids/Baby Gap, Converse, Levi’s, Playskool, French Toast, Absorba, Elite Model Management
Celebrities: Brittany Murphy, Joshua Jackson, Jeremy Jackson, Tatyana Ali, Danielle Harris, Ariana Richards, Allison Porter, Edward Furlong, Jonathan Brandis, Benjamin Salisbury, The Moffatts
Redbird Group
Sourced and selected photography & artwork to appear on industry specific-websites
Managed digital assets and placement reporting
Hands-on photo correction and manipulation for original mash-up artwork
EDUCATION
Art Institute of Seattle
Best Portfolio in Graduating Class
GIVING BACK
Operation Photo Rescue
Retouch photos damaged by natural disaster
Perform hands-on expert level Photoshop manipulation/correction
Restore irreplaceable memories for disaster survivors
American University Alumni – Bangkok, Thailand
Over 1,200 hours of classroom experience
Developed intriguing and effective lesson plans which generated interest
Lead classes of up to 30 teen to adult, beginning to advanced level students
Used the communicative approach