BUILDING AND EVOLVING A BILLION-DOLLAR CHALLENGER BRAND.
01 / BODYARMOR
2017-2025
Creative Services Manager → Creative Design Director → Creative Director, Packaging & Innovation
CREATIVE DIRECTION / PACKAGING / INNOVATION / BRAND SYSTEMS / INTEGRATED CAMPAIGNS
FROM DESIGN LEADERSHIP TO CREATIVE OWNERSHIP.
MY ROLE
Over eight years at BODYARMOR, my role grew alongside the brand—from Creative Services Manager to Creative Design Director to Creative Director, Packaging & Innovation.
I became the creative owner of nearly every aspect of packaging innovation, directing decisions from early concept through final production and on-shelf execution—including design, color, inks, print treatments and overall visual expression.
At the same time, my responsibilities expanded beyond packaging into national campaigns, visual identity systems, retail, digital, athlete content and the development of an increasingly sophisticated in-house creative team.
Working within the entrepreneurial culture created by founder Mike Repole sharpened my instincts around ambition, speed, competition and building the brand you intend to become.
YEARS AT BODYARMOR
8
75+
SKU’S + LAUNCHES
CREATIVE DIRECTION • PACKAGING ARCHITECTURE BRAND EVOLUTION • VISUAL IDENTITY SYSTEMS DESIGN TEAM + AGENCIES • CAMPAIGN EXTENSION ATHLETE SHOOTS • ON-SITE PRESS APPROVALS
I LED
DESIGNER DIRECT REPORTS
5
$25M+
INCREMENTAL LTO REVENUE
CONCEPTS • PACKAGING DESIGN • CAMPAIGN CREATIVE • KEY VISUALS • RETAIL + DIGITAL • HOME PAGE TAKEOVERS • STADIUM LED SIGNAGE • OOH
I MADE
BRAND EVOLUTION
EVOLVING THE BRAND WITHOUT LOSING IT.
As BODYARMOR grew, the challenge wasn’t simply creating more packaging. It was creating a system capable of supporting new flavors, formats, innovations and partnerships while retaining the equities that made the brand immediately recognizable.
I led end-to-end production of the brand’s first major packaging redesign and remained deeply involved in the physical execution - color, inks, substrates, print treatment and final production - while continuing to evolve the system as the portfolio expanded.
FIRST MAJOR LABEL DESIGN / FLAVOR ARCHITECTURE / COLOR / INKS / SUBSTRATES / PRODUCTION
BUILDING THE RULES THAT ALLOWED THE BRAND TO SCALE.
VISUAL IDENTITY SYSTEMS
Throughout my tenure, I designed and directed several generations of BODYARMOR brand guidelines and visual identity systems, each coining with an evolving national campaign platform. These systems established how the brand behaved across packaging, photography, typography, print, digital, retail, event and other consumer-facing touchpoints.
HAVING THE CONFIDENCE TO SAY IT.
CAMPAIGN / THE ONLY
At a time when BODYARMOR held only about a 6 share of the sports drink category, we developed a deliberately audacious position: BODYARMOR was THE ONLY Sports Drink.
I helped concept and build out the creative platform, then extend it across consumer-facing print, targeted digital and high-impact placements. The tone was critical - superior, but approachable. The campaign allowed a challenger brand to behave creatively like the category leader it intended to become.
TURNING A HEADLINE INTO A 360° CAMPAIGN.
INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN
Some of the most rewarding BODYARMOR work began with a simple campaign headline and expanded into a complete consumer-facing system. Working closely with the marketing team, I helped translate those ideas across print, targeted digital, social, retail and high-impact media placements - making sure the campaign behaved consistently without simply repeating the same execution everywhere.
DIRECTING THE BRAND, NOT JUST THE DESIGN.
ART DIRECTION / ATHLETE + PRODUCT
As my role expanded, so did the scale of creative problems I was responsible for solving. I developed shot lists and runs of show and art directed athlete and product photography, as well as select video and television production. The goal was to understand the entire campaign before arriving on set and capture the assets needed across all consumer touchpoints.
STILL WILLING TO COMPETE FOR THE IDEA
PACKAGING / BODYARMOR ZERO
When BODYARMOR set out to redesign the ZERO line, I was asked to put my designer hat back on a develop a direction alongside three external agencies.
My concept was ultimately selected.
The redesign created a cleaner, more differentiated expression for ZERO while retaining the essential visual equities that made it immediately recognizable as part of the family. This project represents something I’ve always valued about being a hands-on Creative Director: leadership doesn't always require stepping away from the craft.
KNOWING WHEN TO BREAK YOUR OWN RULES
PACKAGING / BODYARMOR ZERO
BODYARMOR had spent years developing an iconic highly recognizable packaging system, but the Dude Perfect collaboration called for something different.
Rather than forcing the partner into the existing rules, I deliberately turned many of those rules upside down - creating a louder, more irreverent visual language that reflected Dude Perfect’s personality while still remaining unmistakably BODYARMOR. The challenge wasn’t abandoning the system; It was understanding it well enough to know which rules could be broken.
CREATIVE DIRECTION / PACKAGING CONCEPT + DESIGN / PARTNER COLLABORATION / PRODUCTION + INK INNOVATION
GETTING THE DETAILS RIGHT.
SPECIAL EDITION / MAMBA FOREVER
One of the most meaningful projects I led at BODYARMOR was the MAMBA FOREVER Special Edition label, created to commemorate Kobe Bryant’s posthumous induction in to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Because of Kobe’s role in building the brand, the project carried an unusual level of responsibility. I spearheaded the creative development from exploration to production, working closely with our agency and label supplier to refine the design, color, specialized inks and holographic foil treatment. Every detail had to feel worthy of the moment.
CREATIVE DIRECTION / AGENCY COLLAB / PACKAGING AND INK INNOVATION / PRODUCTION
BUILDING A TEAM THAT COULD MOVE AT THE SPEED OF THE BRAND.
TEAM + LEADERSHIP
When I joined BODYARMOR, I inherited a lean team of two designers. As the brand and workload grew, I built that group into a highly talented and nimble team of five direct reports.
The broader in-house creative organization eventually grew to approximately 12-15 people including Creative Directors, designers, project managers and producers. The goal wasn’t simply to increase headcount. It was to develop people, establish clear creative standards and create an environment where designers could think independently and move quickly.
2 → 5
DESIGNERS / DIRECT REPORTS
IN-HOUSE DESIGN TEAM
12 - 15
DEVELOP PEOPLE / SET STANDARDS / GIVE CLEAR DIRECTION / PROTECT THE IDEA / STAY CLOSE TO THE WORK