Damian Claassens

Creative Director

New York, NY, USA
Design-led, US-based, Oz-biased. Creative Director, Designer, Storyteller, Design Strategist, Innovator.

Work Experience

Freelance

Creative

Putting creativity to work to create loved brands, great products, and memorable experiences.

Freelance creative, branding and design direction for various clients and agencies: Quantcast, Equal Capital Partners, Looker, Fader, Cornerstone Agency, Converse, Sonos, The North Face, Flannery Consultants, LTS, McGarry Bowen, Marina Maher Communications, and RXM.

Available on a project basis.
March 2017 - Present New York, New York, United States

Quantcast

Executive Creative Director

Hired to startup Q Design, the internal creative agency of Quantcast, a world leader in helping brands grow in the AI era.

• Lead brand, communication, design, and visual storytelling projects across print, product, digital and events
• Hired for and set up design studios in New York, San Francisco, and London
• Developed and rolled out new branding and communication for Quantcast
• Developed brand design system across print, digital, and motion with on-demand asset delivery
• Streamlined vendor and freelance roster, bringing down production costs by 40%
• Consolidated design work across global, EMEA, APAC and NA regions reducing duplication and churn
• Developed branding/design/event packages for key marketing events at CES, Cannes Festival of Creativity, Adweek
• Created branding packages for premier Quantcast conferences, Quantcast 'Supernova' and 'Nova' in London, Milan, Toronto, New York
January 2018 - May 2019 New York, New York, United States

Wednesday

Creative Director

Brought on to lead digital efforts for the 'Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons - The Masters' collaboration, focussing on digital and experiential activations at key locations such as Louis Vuitton's flagship Maisons and The Louvre. http://us.louisvuitton.com/eng-us/stories/masterscampaign

Also led the branding, business design and launch+build of startup luxury + social good retailer Olivela. https://www.olivela.com

Directed creative work on Bulova, IRO, Louis Vuitton, M. Monroe Jewelry, Olivela, ShopBazaar/Harper's Bazaar, Wildfox.

Key Clients: Louis Vuitton, IRO, Wildfox, Olivela
November 2016 - March 2017 New York, United States

Mullen Lowe Profero

Executive Creative Director/Head of Creative

Providing dedicated creative direction for both global and US-based accounts
Built a creative team from a starting group of four to 25+ specialists
Built UX/ExD discipline
Member, Lowe + Partners Global Creative Council
Overseeing digital innovation projects

Directed creative work on: Accenture, Action Against Hunger/ACF International, Amref Health Africa, Anritsu, Apple, Avon, Balloon Time, Be Brasil/ApexBrasil, Catalent, CFA, Circa Jewels, Cointreau, Country Crock/Unilever, Destination Hotels, DFS, Don Julio, HAI Healing Arts Institute, Heal the Bay, Kaiser Permanente, Lufthansa, Marzetti Foods, Milk, Mohegan Sun, Mount Gay Rum, New York Times, OnCall Learning, Remy Martin, Ron Zacapa/Diageo, Schneider Electric, Smirnoff/Diageo, Snuggle, SyFy Channel, Tough Mudder, TRESemmé/Unilever, Vonage, Western Union, Wiser Air

Red Dot Award: Communication Design 2014 - New York Times InEducation website
2014 Shorty Awards - Finalist - Smirnoff Mixhibit, Best Brand Mobile App
2012 Internationalist Awards for Innovative Digital Marketing Solutions Grand Prix - Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project
2012 Internationalist Awards for Innovative Digital Marketing Solutions Shortlist - Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project
MIXX 2012 Awards Finalist - Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project 2011
Top 10 Agencies to watch in 2012 - Ad Age Agency A-List 2012
November 2011 - October 2016 New York, United States

Publicis

SVP/Group Creative Director

Clients: LG Electronics and Home Appliances Global, LG North America, P&G Pepto Bismol, Citibank

2011 15th Annual Webby Awards Official Honoree
LG Picture Quality Experience Site
October 2010 - November 2011 New York, United States

AKQA

Group Creative Director

• Hired as the 2nd employee in the newly formed New York office to build out the agency offering and team.
• Responsible for leading & executing creative concepts, art direction, and design.
• Oversaw the building of the creative team and key initial hires.
• Led team that brought the Coca-Cola, Sprite, Celebrity Cruises and Smirnoff Digital AOR business to AKQA New York.

Directed creative work on Adobe, AKQA Future Lions, Benjamin Moore, Celebrity Cruises, Coca-Cola, Comcast, Gogo Inflight, Google, Heineken, Motorola, New York Jets, Nike, Sirius XM, Smirnoff, Sprite, Thomson Reuters, Wheat Thins/Kraft, Xbox

3 SOTD, 1 SOTM award at the FWA
D&AD 2008 - Winner Mobile Marketing, Silver, Smirnoff.mobi, Smirnoff
D&AD 2008 - Nomination for Smirnoff.mobi, Smirnoff
One Show 2008 - Merit for Smirnoff.mobi, Smirnoff
One Show 2007 - Merit for Coke Show, Coca-Cola
IAB MIXX 2007 - Silver for Coke Show, Coca-Cola
IAB MIXX 2007 - Bronze for Coke Show, Coca-Cola
LIAA 2007 - Finalist for Coke Show, Coca-Cola
Webby Awards Official Honoree 2007 - Coke Show, Coca-Cola
NYF 2007 - Beverages Finalist for Coke Show, Coca-Cola
Cannes Lions 2007 - Bronze for Smirnoff.com, Smirnoff
Communication Arts Interactive Annual 13/Winner
Communication Arts, Web Pick of the Week, 07.09.07 Smirnoff.com
Clio 2006 - Shortlist for Kameo, Xbox
Eyeblaster Judges Choice Award 2005 - ESPN Fantasy Football, ESPN
Best Web Design & Site Development, OMMA Magazine, 2006

2009-2010
Agency A-List - AdAge
Creative Agency of the Year - New Media Age
Digital Agency of the Year - Campaign
Most Respected Agency - New Media Age Top 100 Agencies
Agency of the Year - Revolution
Agency of the Year - IAB
Most Innovative Companies - Fast Company
Agency of the Year, Best Creative - OMMA Magazine

2008
Digital A-List- AdAge
Digital AOY - Adweek
Digital AOY - Advertising Age
Digital AOY - OMMA Magazine
Digital AOY, Revolution Magazine
Digital AOY, OMMA Magazine
January 2005 - October 2010 New York, United States

Framfab

Senior Art Director

Clients: Nike, Carlsberg, Electrolux Worldwide, Volvo, Volvo Trucks Corporation Worldwide, Coca-Cola Company Nordics, Sprite, Fanta

Cannes Lions 2005 - Bronze for The Instinct, Sprite
One Show 2005 - Silver for The Instinct, Sprite
LIAA 2005 - Beverages for The Instinct, Sprite
La Fiesta de la Interactivdad 2004, Mejor Accion de Publicidad Online, Silver, Nikefreestyle.com
One Show 2004 - Finalist B2C for Carlsberg.com. Carlsberg
LIAA 2003 - Corporate Image for Nike Freestyle, Nike
Clio 2003 - Bronze for Internet Advertising, Nike Freestyle
Cannes Lions 2002 - Grand Prix for Nike Football, Nike
March 2002 - March 2005 Copenhagen, Denmark

BLUEBERRY

Senior Art Director

Key Clients: Elle Macpherson, HealthXChange, Levis, Nike, Renault, Sony Aibo, Oneswoop, Subaru and Wrangler
August 2000 - April 2001 London, United Kingdom

Nuts About Design

Graphic Designer

Key Clients: Antony Whittaker Hair Design, Austrabelle, Cleanaway, Cougar Bourbon, McGuigan Brothers Wines, Pepper Tree Wines and Wolsely Castle.
May 1996 - May 1997 Sydney, Australia

Education

University Of Canberra

Bachelor of Graphic Design

1993 - 1996 Canberra, Australia

Languages

English (Native),
Danish (Beginner),
Dutch (Conversational),

Awards

The FWA - Favorite Website Awards

3 SOTD, 1 SOTM awards at the FWA

The Internationalist

Grand Prix - Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project

2012

British Design & Art Direction (D&AD)

Nomination for Smirnoff.mobi, Smirnoff

2008

OneShow

Merit for Smirnoff.mobi, Smirnoff

2008

IAB, IAB MIXX 2007

Silver for Coke Show, Coca-Cola

2007

IAB, IAB MIXX 2007

Bronze for Coke Show, Coca-Cola

2007

New York Festivals Awards

Beverages Finalist for Coke Show, Coca-Cola

2007

Cannes Lions

Bronze for Smirnoff.com, Smirnoff

2007

Clio

Shortlist for Kameo, XBOX

2006

Eyeblaster

Judges Choice Award, ESPN Fantasy Football, ESPN

2005

Cannes Lions

Bronze for The Instinct, Sprite

2005

The One Club

Silver for The Instinct, Sprite

2005

London International Advertising Awards

Beverages for The Instinct, Sprite

2005

La Fiesta De La Interactivdad

Silver, Mejor Accion de Publicidad Online, Nikefreestyle, Nike

2004

Epica

Bronze for Carlsberg.com, Carlsberg

2004

The One Club

Merit for Carlsberg.com. Carlsberg

2004

The One Club

Finalist B2C for Carlsberg.com. Carlsberg

2004

The One Club

Gold for Nikefreestyle, Nike

2003

London International Advertising Awards

Corporate Image for Nike Freestyle, Nike

2003

Clio

Bronze for Internet Advertising, Nike Freestyle

2003

Cannes Lions

Grand Prix for Nike Football, Nike

2002

AFA Awards

Best Use of Media, Subaru

2001

AIMIA Awards

Best B2B Website, Source Networks

2000

Macromedia APAC Awards

OLA Finalist, Coco Pops

2000

Macromedia APAC Awards

Online Branding Finalist, Subaru

2000

Macromedia APAC Awards

Best Government Site, NSW Tourism

2000

AIMIA Awards

Best B2C Solution, Coco Pops

1999

B&T/Yahoo! Awards

Best Integrated Solution, Coco Pops

1999