Hi, my name is James. I’m a Creative Director. Advertiser. Strategist. Graphic Designer. Copywriter. Team builder & manager. Part-time home remodeler. Full-time pursuer of anything that keeps me moving forward.
Creative Direction
I lead teams in developing major brand-building initiatives and crafting impactful brand stories across a variety of mediums. Whether it's a large-scale campaign or a targeted channel-specific project, I'm passionate about translating ideas into visually compelling and cohesive work that makes an impact.
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Corporate re-branding
Seasonal omni-channel go-to-market campaigns
Brand style guides, including international & licensing partner guides
National & regional advertising campaigns
On-product brand identity systems
E-commerce
Marketing emails
Product packaging
Retail visual design, including monthly window creative executions
Environmental graphics
Out-of-home advertising campaigns
Direct mail
Public Relations initiatives
Corporate communications
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Eddie Bauer
Black Raven Brewing Company
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Advertising
My journey into advertising began the moment Nike’s “Bo Knows” campaign hit the airwaves. I’ll never forget seeing it for the first time. It was revolutionary, captivating, and inspiring. That single moment shifted everything for me. My dream of becoming an architect quickly shifted to the world of advertising and a strong desire to build brand experiences instead.
Strategy
Creative strategy is where insight meets imagination. I love digging into a brand’s purpose and collaborating closely with teams across departments. From my experience, the best creative solutions and most impactful campaigns never happen in a silo. They come from collaboration, solid research paired with actionable data, and strong partnerships across multiple teams.
Graphic Design
Whether it’s picas or pixels, the thrill of creating something from scratch hooked me at a young age and I’ve never looked back.
Copywriting
No long-form writing here. I’m all about the pithy, the clever, the "how did you say all that in just a few words?" type of copy. While not a copywriter by trade, my advertising background and years of collaborating with talented writers have helped me bust out a few headlines and positioning statements when the need arises.
Team builder & manager
15 years of experience building, developing, and managing multi-disciplinary creative teams across on-location, hybrid, and fully remote work environments.
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As a father of two teenagers, I think about team building in terms of the kind of environment I hope my sons will one day be a part of. From there, I aim to create a team that reflects that vision—it’s really that simple.
I want them to be part of a team built on mutual respect, where they’re valued not just for their skills and experiences, but for how they treat others. A team that celebrates humility and collaboration, rather than ego or the pursuit of personal glory.
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Eddie Bauer 2012 - 2025
Managed an ever-evolving team of graphic designers, web designers, and copywriters varying in size from three to twelve people over the last decade.
Advaiya 2009-2012
Managed a team of four print and digital designers primarily focused on Microsoft and Google accounts.