craig whitlock graphic design portfolio

Stepping through the looking glass, I strive to reinterpret the expected and bring a new life and truth to visual communications.

Inspiration can be found all around, in the ordinary and practical as well as the unexpected and improbable. As a creative, I look to many things for inspiration. Whether it be a vintage vinyl record cover at a thrift store, a line from a classic black and white movie or the sensation of stepping into the sea and hearing the waves crash, moments of discovery happen in the most unusual of places.

Inspired design has the power to inform, persuade, incite action, influence emotion, and impact publics.

Such is the design I seek to create through the looking glass.

1 R

iver

side

-Avo

ndal

e Pr

eser

vati

on

2 Riverside-Avo

ndale Preservation

Posters were developed to incite action and build awareness for the Riverside- Avondale Preservation Society in Jacksonville, FL.

The design aimed to give a new life to the otherwise tired perception of historic preservation. Through the use of historic imagery coupled with vector graphics, the posters provide a dynamic visual aesthetic.

The messaging centered on three key words to build a brand image for the historic society: Engage, Excite, Emerge.

Riverside-Avondale Preservation: Engage, Excite, Emerge

3 R

iver

side

-Avo

ndal

e Pr

eser

vati

on

(Po

ster

Des

ign)

4 Riverside-A

vondale Preservatio

n (Poster D

esign)

5 R

iver

side

-Avo

ndal

e Pr

eser

vati

on

(Po

ster

Des

ign)

6 Riverside-Avo

ndale Preservation

7 K

oda

k

The Kodak “Epic Nights” campaign was aimed at targeting college students who rely mainly on their smartphones for taking pictures; the advertising goal is to modify this behavior and increase sales of Kodak’s disposable cameras.

The campaign encourages targeted individuals to make use of Kodak disposable cameras when going out for a night on the town; this way they don’t lose their valuables along with their inhibitions.

Three print ads were created to appear in national publications such as Rolling Stone and Cosmopolitan magazine.

Kodak: Epic Nights

11

Proj

ect

Titl

e

ONE NIGHT24 EXPOSURESUNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES

9 K

oda

k (P

rint

Ad)

10 K

odak (Print A

d)

11

Ko

dak

(Pri

nt A

d)

12 Ko

dak (Online C

om

ponents)

Pandora advertising would be used. Individuals would be able to create their own customized “epic nights” playlist as they get ready to go out.

A microsite would serve to provide more information. The site would also allow individuals to enter into the Epic Nights competition for their chance to win a cash prize and have their own photos seen on the Kodak Epic Nights website.

YOU ONLY NEED ONEGOOD SHOT

13

Sto

k Bl

ack

Co

ffee

Sho

t

The “License to Stok” campaign presents Stok as the young professional’s secret weapon that will arm their mind and body to make it through their day. An effective, multifaceted campaign that had a unique newspaper element was developed for the STOK black coffee shot.

There is very little awareness of the product itself. Marketing Stok to a larger demographic outside of truckers and developing a voice for the brand must also be accomplished by the campaign.

Targeting heavy coffee drinkers, the product is seen as a substitute for multiple cups of coffee. The campaign began by using a newspaper insert in the New York Times.

Next, subway posters and outdoor transit boards with QR codes will send individuals to a mobile microsite. At the mobile microsite, individuals can register for their “License to Stok” and gain access to the “License to Let Go”

networking event to be held in Bryant Park.

Stok Black Coffee Shot: License to Stok

15

Sto

k Bl

ack

Co

ffee

Sho

t (N

ewsp

aper

Tip

-In)

16 Stok Black C

offee Shot (Subw

ay Poster)

17

Sto

k Bl

ack

Co

ffee

Sho

t (B

us S

helt

er A

d)

18 Sto

k Black Co

ffee Shot (Mo

bile Micro

site)

19

Emig

re

A campaign was needed to differentiate Emigre from other type foundries and reach individuals new to the design profession. While the basic product (typefaces) is not unlike the competition, Emigre’s groundbreaking designs coupled with their long-standing history of breaking traditional conventions sets the brand apart.

The “What’s Your Type?” campaign was developed to target individuals new to the world of graphic design. These individuals are exploring the environment of design and need help in finding their creative process. Emigre’s typefaces give a designer a tool that incites creativity while breaking the borders of traditional design and exploring new territories of visual expression.

Typefaces were personified to give them a personality and a voice using typographic terms in a humorous and sexual nature much like online personal ads found on Craigslist and other such websites. A set of type specimen cards were developed to be sent as a direct mail piece or as sales promotion with the campaign t-shirts.

The typographic terms will be ideal language for the target audience and make them feel like they are part of the “inside joke” that only creatives and others in the design world will “get”.

Emigre: What’s Your Type?

20 Em

igre

21

Emig

re (P

rint

Ad)

22 Emigre (Print A

d)

23

Emig

re (W

hat’

s Yo

ur T

ype

Spec

imen

Car

ds)

24 Em

igre (T-shirts)

25

San

Mar

co T

heat

re

26 San Marco

Theatre

The “Stars Change, the Experience Doesn’t” rebranding project for the San Marco Theatre of Jacksonville, Florida was created to update their logo and provide promotional materials to give the public a sense of the theatre’s personality and history.

The logo redesign pulls from art deco themes and aesthetics tracing back to the original building of the theatre in 1938. The logo references the glitz and glam of classic Hollywood while possessing an overall modern feel to tie in both the past and the present.

Promotional print designs were also created. Each encapsulates a tinseltown icon coupled with design elements found within the logo. The overall concept for the print pieces was derived from the notion that the faces one sees on the silver screen may change over time, but the experience of going to the movies remains the same.

San Marco Theatre: Stars Change, The Experience Doesn’t

27

San

Mar

co T

heat

re (L

ogo

Red

esig

n)

28 San M

arco Theatre (Print A

d)

29

San

Mar

co T

heat

re (P

rint

Ad)

30 San M

arco Theatre (Print A

d)

31

San

Mar

co T

heat

re (P

rint

Ad)

32 San Marco

Theatre (Print Ad)

33

Hum

an R

ight

s C

ampa

ign

The issue of gay marriage needed to be presented in a new and engaging way to reach a larger market and get them thinking about the cause. A social awareness installation was created for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to raise awareness regarding gay marriage in the United States. The poster design to the right was designed to be paired with the installation.

In theory, the installation would travel across the U.S. and eventually become part of a collection at the Smithsonian. The installation would be accompanied by a long copy print ad resembling a press release to appear in national publications like Time. Not specifically for or against the cause, the overall message prompted individuals to begin thinking about the issue at hand and make an informed decision. The installation was taken to various locations in Savannah, GA.

The “Remnants of Marriage” installation capitalized on the argument that gay marriage would be the downfall of the institution of marriage in the United States. An installation was developed to mimic a museum artifact case containing a wedding dress, wedding bands, flowers and a cake topper from one of the last marriages held in the country (post dated to 2029). On top of the case was a card asking, “How far will it go?” which questioned if the legalization of gay marriage would lead to the downfall of marriage.

Human Rights Campaign: Remnants of Marriage

34 H

uman Rights C

ampaign (Fo

r & Against Po

ster)

35

Hum

an R

ight

s C

ampa

ign

(Pre

ss R

elea

se P

rint

Ad)

36 Hum

an Rights Cam

paign (Installation Photo

s)

37

Scar

let

Lett

er

38 Scarlet Letter

Celebrating the 160th Anniversary of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic “The Scarlet Letter”. The Scarlet Letter Gala would have been held at The Art Institute of Chicago on June 19th, 2010. Attendees were encouraged to wear sinful shades of crimson.

The project demonstrates continuity of theme and design elements throughout several different pieces and environments. Color choices were minimal to emphasize the scarlet nature of the iconic letter, and typographic designs were made from passages found in the novel.

Scarlet Letter: A Scandalous Affair

39

Scar

let

Lett

er (G

ala

Invi

tati

on)

40

Scarlet Letter

41

Sca

rlet

Let

ter

42 Scarlet Letter (G

ala Poster and Enviro

nments)

43

Par

tici

pant

Med

ia

Participant Media desired a social media campaign to both raise awareness for an upcoming documentary on hunger and bring the issues of hunger in the States to the forefront of the target audience’s mind. The overall goal was to reach a different target audience (college students in the U.S.) and motivate them to see the film.

The “Hungry in America” campaign components centered on the idea that hunger is the most basic human need and should be a human right. Pulling visual themes from Russian Constructivism and a modified patriotic color palette, the aesthetics and tone of the campaign became charged with a feeling of activism.

Social media was widely used to reach the target market. A Facebook “blackout” coupled with campus guerrilla components would prompt individuals to visit the microsite where they could share their feelings about losing basic privileges previously seen as rights and learn more about the documentary and hunger crisis.

On-site campus guerilla tactics were also used. Empty napkin holders and vending machines would appear to further highlight how certain perceived needs are really wants and emphasize the overall campaign concept that hunger truly should be a human right.

Participant Media: Hungry in America

45

Par

tici

pant

Med

ia (

Face

boo

k Bl

acko

ut, G

uerr

illa

Tac

tics

& K

ey A

rt)

46 Participant M

edia (Leave Behinds)

47

Part

icip

ant

Med

ia (

Mic

rosi

te)

48

Participant Media

49

Kim

pto

n H

otel

s

50 K

impto

n Hotels

For my MFA Advertising Design Thesis, I developed an IMC Campaign to target the LGBT community for luxury travel within the United States. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants was the brand chosen for the campaign. They were simply too cool to ignore. Love them. The big idea for the campaign was that Kimpton Hotels is going beyond being “gay friendly” to “gay understanding”. The brand acknowledges the creativity, impact and accomplishments of the gay community.

The Gay Origins campaign would be extendable to other destinations across the U.S. but would begin in San Francisco with the first GO:SF campaign because of the company’s home base in the town as well as its popularity and historical significance with the LGBT community.

An IMC campaign was developed using all five channels: Advertising, PR, Direct Marketing, Sales Promotion and Collateral.

Kimpton Hotels: Gay Origins: San Francisco

51

Kim

pto

n H

otel

s (P

rint

Ad)

52 Kim

pton H

otels (Print Ad Spread)

53

Kim

pto

n H

otel

s (W

eb B

anne

r)

54 K

impto

n Hotels (W

eb Banners)

55

Kim

pto

n H

otel

s (C

om

pany

Spl

ash

Page

)

56 Kim

pton H

otels (Micro

site Ho

me)

57

Kim

pto

n H

otel

s (M

icro

site

Sch

edul

e o

f Ev

ents

)

58 K

impto

n Hotels (M

icrosite Rates & Packages)

59

Kim

pto

n H

otel

s (G

O:S

F Fa

cebo

ok)

60 K

impto

n Hotels (eBlast)

61

Kim

pto

n H

otel

s (P

rom

otio

nal

Post

card

)

62 Kim

pton H

otels (GO

:SF Passpot Mo

bile App)

63

Kim

pto

n H

otel

s (P

ress

Rel

ease

)

64

Kim

pton H

otels (Schedule of Events fo

r Press Kit)

Craig Elliott Whitlockcraigslookingglass.comcraigewhitlock@gmail.com904.563.5039

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