the TL;DR
aka: the Summary
➔ Dynamic, visionary, and collaborative Creative Leader with decades of experience working across all channels and media, including digital, print, and tactile.
➔ Insightful, inquisitive, and strategic multi-disciplinary Creative who develops engaging work solidly aligned with business objectives.
➔ Consistently entrusted throughout career with high-profile projects demanding big ideas, atypical thinking, and compelling execution.
Relevant Experience
For a list of Industry and Client Experience, please visit:
the Areas of Expertise + the Tools + the Industries + the Brands +
the Minutiæ
July 2023 - Present
St. Louis, MO / Remote
Creative Polymath
the Chris Aguirre (freelance advertising, branding, content, design)
I am currently working on BRANDING, PACKAGING, and GTM STRATEGY for a new cannabis brand and edible product line launch slated for Spring 2024 in Missouri.
October 2021 - June 2023
Global / Remote
Director, Brand + Partner Creative
Tappa (B2B2C mobile tech startup)
Developed entirely new brand identity (including new name, marks, website, and swag) for complete relaunch of organization.
Evolve and Elevate the expression of our brand to establish Tappa as a world-class leader in its categories.
Lead and Oversee the development of category-leading media from — digital stickers to broadcast advertising spots — for our international partners in entertainment, non-profit, influencer, sports (pro leagues and collegiate), and more.
Ensure the Integrity of our global partners‘ brands as applied across various mediums, including social, motion, and content.
August 2021 - October 2021
Global / Remote
Brand Consultant
Rarible DAO (Web3 Rarible Protocol grantor)
Collaborated with DAO Steward to define brand, mission, vision, and values for the DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) as well as determined brand, advertising, and/or marketing needs.
Guided global team of ±15 to develop DAO branding and initial awareness campaign.
Developed team structure and org chart to best support Brand Group in its efforts to promote the DAO.
December 2020 - June 2021
St. Louis, MO / Hybrid
Executive Creative Director
Scorch Agency (B2B content marketing)
Restructured brand, creative team, and work strategies to reinvigorate agency and position it for future growth.
Managed and mentored boutique agency creative team of 15+ — as well as production creatives, and third-party creative resources — Improving quality of work, morale, efficiency, and profitability.
Collaborated with management counterparts in Account and Strategy to develop plans and processes to maximize cross-functional effectiveness and productivity.
Led Recruiting & DEI Efforts; recruited and hired both creative and general personnel, as de facto Creative Recruiter and DEI Director, adding exceptionally talented and highly productive new team members.
Introduced agency brand-building effort with content that exponentially increased LinkedIn page Visitor Stats [Unique 232%, New 1,500%, Impressions 5,086%], Engagement Rate [avg. 538%/day v. YA] & CTR for content I crafted/posted [avg. CTR 5.43%].
August 2019 - November 2020
St. Louis, MO / Hybrid
Group Creative Director
Paradowski Creative (advertising, digital, branding, social)
Managed and Mentored group creative team of 5 for multiple clients including Bayer-owned, The Climate Corporation and its category-leading ag-tech, FieldView
Oversaw brand identity development and web design for NanoGuard, new client with groundbreaking sterilization tech; Instrumental in naming, voice, and visual identity process.
Introduced social marketing strategy to Bayer Crop Science's significant volume of organic social media content; Developed more purposeful, strategic process to produce cohesive presence across channels with genuine engagement and impact.
Launched promotional effort that generated 2nd highest sales of 2019 for FieldView and Top 10 sales day since product’s 2014 launch.
Conceived evolution to Bayer Crop Science podcast concept to develop a coherent theme and arc for 4-episode first season; Oversaw expert pre-interviews and host casting process.
See: When the Going Gets Tough the Designers Make Posters + The Best Defense … Is a Good Sterilization Technology
April 2019 - August 2019
St. Louis, MO / On-site
Brand Manager
LaunchCode (non-profit code academy founded by Jim McKelvey)
Conceptualized progression of existing brand identity and developed refreshed brand style and tone for use in multi-channel communications.
Collaborated with Communications Team to develop marketing strategies to boost brand awareness and increasing annual donations, both corporate and individual.
Implemented social and email marketing practices that improved brand image and awareness through focus, consistency, and engaging creative.
Conceived, crafted, and produced highly engaging video content on a non-profit budget to showcase 200 well-trained LaunchCode graduates ready to enter the St. Louis workforce.
See: One Giant Leap
April 2018 - May 2019
St. Louis, MO / Remote
Book Designer
Light Hustle Publishing (now Launch Pad Legacy) + Others
Developed and crafted clean, welcoming brand identity to complement early focus of imprint: positive, uplifting, recovery memoirs.
Interviewed and advised authors in order to deliver insightful and compelling book cover designs that helped lift each title to #1 Amazon Best Seller status in its category
Increased awareness, for both brand and authors, through event marketing and influencer brand promotion.
June 2014 - November 2022
Global / Remote
Founder, Podcast Host, Publisher + Content Curator
Since Right Now (non-profit addiction recovery media)
Established an irreverent and idiosyncratic recovery brand for the purpose of reducing, if not eliminating, the stigma associated with addiction, sobriety, and recovery.
Developed, researched, and produced, broad and deep collection of media to support those in recovery from substance use issues and co-occurring mental health challenges.
Co-hosted, produced, and booked the weekly, revered Since Right Now podcast reaching over 500,000 listens in 6 years and winning outstanding reviews from our loyal, global listener base.
Achieved global year-over-year exponential Social Media follower growth across Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Published, I've Never Done This Before, highly lauded collection of short stories by Claire Rudy Foster.
May 2009 - March 2019
St. Louis, MO / Remote
Creative Polymath
the Chris Aguirre (freelance advertising, branding, content, design)
Cultivate professional working partnerships with clients across variety of brands, products, services, and causes.
Establish scalable and sustainable brand work for clients of all sizes.
Synthesize research, insight, and experience into concepts and solutions relevant to brands, product categories, and channels.
Deliver impactful creative solutions through multi-channel branding, advertising, and marketing creative.
Crafted holistic brand identity instrumental in growing retail coffee shop from one location to 5 and counting.
FWIW, Over the course of my career I’ve also DBA
Brand Affairs Dept. (B.A.D.)
Idea Mob: Dangerous Thinking™
Ground Ø Design (GØD)
November 2007 - March 2009
St. Louis, MO / On-site
Creative Director
Momentum Worldwide, IPG (advertising, branding, events)
Developed strategically sound efforts — across national print, web, TV, packaging, identity, and promotions — for Microsoft, Nescafé, Anheuser-Busch portfolio, Domino's, and New Balance.
Established high quality standards and efficient and cost-effective procedures for creative team.
Led team of 8+ art directors and writers in high-impact creative projects from concept to completion, including video, motion, and print campaigns.
Co-developed and crafted identity for 13-episode weekly New Balance promotional Web Series that garnered over 10,000 views its first week with last episode getting over 90,000 views week of its release.
August 2001 - November 2007
St. Louis, MO / On-site
Creative Director
Zipatoni (now New Honor Society), IPG (promotions, events, branding, advertising)
Led creative team of ±20 and outside creative specialists in developing and crafting national print, television, and promotional campaigns with strategically focused themes to meet objectives of clients such as Nokia, Miller Brewing portfolio, Splenda, Lactaid, Wagner Power Painters, and the Zipatoni brand itself.
Led, managed, and mentored over 20 art directors, writers, designers, and production artists.
Enhanced creative director sensibilities while orchestrating many large budget still and motion shoots for a wide variety of national clients and products; Procured photographers, models, locations, and styling.
See: It’s Gotta Go!
Formal Education
Fine Arts / School of the Art Institute of Chicago / Chicago, IL
Graphic Design / Parsons Paris — The New School / Paris, FR
Visual Communication Design / University of Washington / Seattle, WA
Writing + Rhetoric / Stanford University / Stanford, CA
Volunteer Work
2024
Board Member / Marketing + Communications Chair / TransParent USA (national non-profit supporting parents of transgender and gender-expansive children.
TransParent envisions a world that honors and affirms the naturally occurring transgender experience. Our mission is to bring compassionate support to parents and caregivers navigating complex issues faced by their gender-expansive children of any age.
My role is to steward and shape TransParent's brand and messaging via our three pillars of support:
Connection: Build parent communities to strengthen and aid families in their role as confident caregivers and advocates.
Resources: Be a pathway to informational and supportive resources assisting gender-expansive families.
Visibility: Expand awareness, acceptance, and cultural integration of the full gender spectrum.
2023
Evaluation Committee / Creative Reaction Lab’s 2023 Artwork for Equity Cohort (community leadership development for Black & Latinx youth)
Reviewed, evaluated, and critiqued artwork produced in various media by 13 to 26-year-old BIPOC visual creatives.
2021 - 2022
Founder + LinkedIn Manager / DEI RTFN (Representation Task Force Network)
Maintain this resource for BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+ in Advertising, Marketing, PR, Design, Tech, etc. to find solidarity & support regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
2021
Board Member / VP, Events Chair / AAF Saint Louis (formerly AdClub STL)
As a 2021-2022 board member — and State of the Industry 2021 Symposium Chair — of St. Louis’ chapter of the American Advertising Federation, I’ll be working with the rest of the new board towards changing behavior, perception, and culture within and about the advertising business and community.
2021
Brand Manager / Alliance for Interracial Dignity (non-profit community organization)
Reorganized and redesigned website for local group made up of volunteers and supported by dues from people in my community. The mission of the group is to promote equity in civic leadership, employment, education, housing, entertainment, and recreation.
2014
Factotum / NCADA (now PreventEd, non-profit addiction/recovery support and education)
I was reception (I answered the phones); I.T. (set up PCs, etc.); maintenance (moved file cabinets & furniture, broke down boxes, etc.); cleaning (dusted the file cabinets); mailroom (addressed & added postage to envelopes); art production (cut, laminated, folded, stuffed, etc.); and art department (designed logos, flyers, and more). PreventEd works to reduce or prevent the harms of alcohol and other drug use through education, intervention, and advocacy.
