Creative Direction Primer 1
Masi Bikes
When I began working with Masi Bikes in 2013, the brand's reputation was in need of attention. The bikes had become indistinguishable from their competitors and the brand lacked cohesion in message or theme. Masi's website resembled a powerpoint presentation and its social media presence was largely ignored. My first goal was a top down revamp of the brand's product appearance, starting with its flagship race line. Since low numbers were expected, I focused on using it as a marketing tool, making it intentionally visually confrontational in the hope that it would call attention to the brand and at the same time reference the style heavy bikes Masi was known for from its Italian heritage. The new direction paid dividends, as Masi's new Evoluzione was highlighted in several industry publications and with it the brand received a new level of awareness and attention. For the first time, Masi enjoyed consistent, organic placement in magazine and online highlight lists for the next several years.
As the brand image solidified, I moved the sporadic graphics of the past out in place of consistent, European inspired looks calling on but updating selections from Masi's iconography and filtering it through the line. At the same time I brought in elements from our other brands, experimenting with ideas like colored carbon, unfinished steel and translucent paints not commonly found on road bikes.
​
After our core line was established we began and implemented a more extensive SMU program for specialty groups, where for the first time we were offering custom builds and graphics packages, showcasing even more adventurous product. This was counter balanced by clean, design driven marketing and advertising again reinforcing the brand's European history through the employment of easily recognizable Western European type and design influences.
Creative Direction Primer 1
Masi Bikes: Shifting Priorities
The final stage was a wholesale revamp of the brand's digital footprint, where together with management we were able to shift budget allocations from traditional mediums and bring in videographers and photographers alongside myself to craft stories resonating in and outside of cycling to play out across our platforms. I helped create a media best practices guide and style guide and initiated the push to experience marketing, focusing on cross platform content over the static banner and print advertising that had dominated the brand's expenditures. Since shifting our priorities and rebuilding our digital infrastructure, we're now able to transition from brick and mortar only to a multi channel distribution including direct to consumer, reflecting the modern way our consumers make their purchases.
I have been extremely proud of not only my work but also our small but dedicated team of product developers, photographers, filmers, riders and impromptu models that have helped bring a brand on the fringe to one that has become a perennial critic's choice. Despite limited resources over the last seven years Masi has landed on over 20 industry 'Best Of' lists; most of those selections highlighting visual appearance as the defining factor for their inclusion. Masi has shed its image as a darling of the collector market and now boasts a strong foothold in multiple key segments and has a growing core of new devotees.
​
​
Creative Direction Primer 1
Masi Bikes: Excerpt: Multi Platoform Advertising, 2016
Masi had for many years been an early adopter of touring and cyclocross bicycles, before they gained widespread appeal in the United States. For this reason, we felt we were well positioned for the (at the time) emerging trends of gravel and bike packing. However, we still had to deal with the brand's eccentric advertising and it's priority at that time of recognizing its 90 year history. To merge those two, I proposed a cross platform campaign fusing vintage advertising with cyclocross, touring and adventure cycling, the three key markets we were looking to feature in the upcoming years and would become the mainstays of our product line.
​
I selected a handful of vintage posters from cycling's "Golden Era" trying to make them as iconic as possible. I then enlisted employees to recreate the poses in these posters where I dressed and photographed them. I redrew them in the style of the originals but with our new bikes replacing the original bikes. These illustrations both featured new product and vintage iconography and allowed us to bridge the 90 year history message with our new product line. The ads were featured in print in several cycling magazines along with our social media platforms. Once a few were underway the images were then distributed to several cycling online outlets for recycling, from current cycling influencers to vintage enthusiasts to news aggregators. They were also featured at Eroica California, the annual vintage bike and lifestyle showcase.
Creative Direction Primer 2
Del Sol Bicycles
In the mid 2000s Haro decided that in order to compete with larger bike companies offering wider product ranges it needed to develop a lifestyle line of bikes. These were deemed not suitable for the Haro name and thus Del Sol Bicycles was created. The brand was less a brand than it was a name on a bicycle as no advertising or image building had been done to establish an actual brand identity. I sought to create a feeling of fun and creativity, re-imagining the product in themes like sailors, cowgirls, pink flamingos and army men. The photos played off the themes and leaned heavily into kitch, employing costumes, props, cardboard cutouts and imaginary scenarios. This became the basis of the brand's identity as it focused less on traditional "beach" imagery and more on abstracted elements of "fun" and "make believe" in varied situations.
Creative Direction Primer 2
Del Sol Bicycles: Full Circle
The latest twist on the kitch narrative brings the brand face to face with the roots of Haro's BMX and MTB lines as we begin to integrate the brands into one corporate umbrella. In order to facilitate easing Del Sol into a more ingrained presence in the Haro family, we've begun to incorporate Klunker imagery into the brand's DNA, fusing Southern California beach culture with the roots of BMX and even a touch of the start of mountain biking. This keeps the funky, fun face on the brand that has been cultivated over the last few years  but also transitions Del Sol into involving elements that speak to the larger Haro story for full integration into Haro's digital platforms.
What's the diff?
Photo and Video Direction
A great story is what becomes your brand. More often than not that story is told through photography and video. Whether it be through humor, lighting, a run to the thrift store or just some color, I always look for opportunities to create new and fun ways to give your message a face.
What's the diff?
Has anyone seen a screwdriver laying around?
In 2009 I took on the role of coordinating Spy Optic's tradeshow presence. Spy maintained footprints at several national shows and I was tasked with coordinating the logistics, labor, merchandising, materials, design, booth construction and overall visual appearance. I enacted a ground up reboot from the way we handle our shipping to our vendors to our appearance.
​
I coordinated the sale of our old booth and converted us to a more modern, modular rental unit, renegotiated our labor contracts and abandoned our previous design aesthetic of printed foam board inserts. We built tables, I stained wood and built displays that would slide into niches that i'd designed into the booth floorplan allowing us to have exterior merchandising without paying for a custom booth.
​
The first 3 photos show our booth prior to my involvement.
