Client: Samsung SmartThings
Agency: LQCreative
Xcel Seasonal Marketing Creative Style Guide
Xcel is a two-season brand, and with each season, I lead the creation of a Seasonal Marketing Creative Style Guide that establishes the creative direction for all marketing and branding materials. From ideation to execution, I play a key role in defining the brand’s aesthetic and vision, collaborating with cross-functional teams to design and execute integrated campaigns across print and digital media.
For Fall 2024, we launched two major campaigns that exemplified Xcel's ethos and connected with our athletes’ stories, bringing the brand to life in innovative and engaging ways.
Campaign 1: Brand Awareness
For this campaign, we focused on an image of athlete Shaun Manners, which instantly captured the raw energy of surfing and connected with our core audience. The simplicity of this image, with minimal branding, let the power of the moment speak for itself. This approach reinforced our brand’s identity and spoke to the core surfer that the brand caters to. I designed key art as well as supporting assets that seamlessly complemented the visual, enhancing our brand’s presence across multiple platforms.
Campaign 2: The Comp+ Fullsuit Launch
The second campaign was built around the launch of the Comp+ Fullsuit, which we boldly claimed to be “The Most Comfortable Suit in the World.” To back this up, we turned to our top-tier athletes to authentically vouch for the suit’s comfort, warmth, and performance.
I was deeply involved in every step of the process, from planning and producing the photoshoot to art directing on location. I collaborated with athletes, photographers, and videographers to craft mood boards, shot lists, and schedules—all while navigating the challenge of unpredictable surf conditions. Flexibility was key, as we had to pivot between capturing action shots and securing lifestyle and product imagery.
Once the shoot wrapped, I handled the image selects, editing, and retouching to ensure the visuals aligned with the creative direction. I then developed several concepts for the key art, ultimately finalizing the design that would be used across both print and digital platforms.
Additional Assets and Innovation
Beyond the main campaigns, I also lead the creation of additional digital assets that extended the brand’s presence throughout the season. This included digital marketing materials that ensured our messaging was consistent and impactful across all touchpoints, allowing us to maintain momentum and drive engagement.
























