Angela Lockhart
Washington,DC
Summary
A motivated, people oriented, passionate Creative Director that possesses natural leadership talents, project management abilities, a keen eye for detail and brings a unique artistic point of view that blends strategic thinking and innovative ideas to tell compelling visual stories. A proven track record of developing successful and impactful 360 marketing campaigns with a unique point of view for Beauty, Fashion and Celebrity Driven brands that target individuals that identify as female BIPOC and Gen Z'ers. Possess a strong design sensibility, understanding of brand voice and messaging. Skilled at leading teams, mentoring young creatives, managing budgets and delivering creative that is on schedule. Adaptable, hands on when needed, quick learner, seasoned in working in fast-paced environments and managing multiple projects. Excellent communication skills and strong work ethic.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Creative Director
Freelance/Consultant/Creative Project Manager
01.2003 - Current
- Researched emerging technologies, monitored industry trends, created and spearheaded development of numerous rebranding and comprehensive 360 campaigns to meet and exceed quarterly sales goals. Successes include: Various L'OREAL BIPOC brands maintaining #1 most preferred product status by consumers and "I AM SUPERNATURAL" experiential component garnishing special events design award. Launch of two brands by celebrity makeup artist Derrick Rutledge in which one made "Oprah's Favorite Things List" and the other in less than a year has generated close to a million in sales and numerous celebrity endorsements, Increased enrollment by 80% for two early education centers and one private high school.
- Managed workload and mentored external team of digital designers and freelance designers to optimize productivity and timeliness of task completion.
- Developed client specific style guides to promote consistent branding across projects.
- Maintained timeline and budget guidelines for daily operations of all projects.
- Utilized Zoom, Google Meet and Blue Jeans to manage and conducted virtual meetings with agency account managers, brand stakeholders, designers, illustrators, photographers, videographers and influencers to define goals, create/optimize work flow schedule, discuss production progress and to attain timeline task completion.
- Utilized Basecamp, Slacked, Canva, and Google Drive to transfer creative assets and collaborate with key stakeholders, account managers, freelancers and photographers.
- Sourced talent, developed project budgets, produced and directed photo shoots for print, digital media and video reviewing each element against brand code and client expectations.
- Optimized vendor relationships by vetting printers, producers, and post-production companies. Negotiated rates and monitored production of services.
- Devised and implemented strategies to create new revenue streams and cut operational costs.
Executive Creative Director
All Brands/Companies Owned By Sean P. Diddy Combs
08.2000 - 06.2002
- Successfully implemented, staffed, and managed first in-house design studio within Blue Flame Marketing and Advertising, supporting all brands owned by Sean P. Diddy Combs.
- Conducted thorough research and monitored market trends to inform innovative creative direction.
- Designed and executed innovative creative strategies and marketing plans to increase brand awareness and engagement across all brands/businesses.
- Resulting strategies led to all recording artists achieving platinum album sales and Sean John Clothing being recognized as fastest growing menswear brand by CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America).
- Facilitated effective communication between CFO, head of artist development, individual artist management, and various company communications team members to establish clear targets, objectives, and project requirements while maintaining budgetary constraints.
- Led and mentored team of 5 internal designers and contract design firms to deliver high-quality integrated marketing campaigns for various Bad Boy Record Label recording artists and businesses owned by Sean P. Diddy Combs.
- Worked with head of artist development, individual artist management and various brand managers to define individual brand style guide and artist unique point of view to promote consistent branding across projects for various entities.
- Created creative briefs and timeline to manage creative process from concept to completion.
- Directed photo shoots for print and digital media, reviewing each element against client standards and expectations.
- Oversaw implementation of editing, color correction and other post-production processes.
- Monitored progress of projects and vendors keeping on schedule and within budget.
- Negotiated vendor and supplier contracts to secure optimal rates.
- Remained composed and highly professional in fast-paced and constantly changing environment, effectively handling challenging situations and difficult individuals to achieve objectives.
Creative Consultant
VSB | Victoria's Secret Beauty
06.2000 - 08.2000
- Partnered and collaborated with in-house fabrication studio and merchandising design team to confirm design compliance stayed within brand guidelines and creative output supported growth channels.
- Researched industry trends and evaluated competition to enhance creativity and successfully meet launch goals. Contributed to creative process through original ideas and inspiration.
- Utilized Adobe Creative Suite to develop creative design for print materials, OOH, construction barricades, banners and signs.
- Met with key brand stakeholders to present mockups and collect information for adjustments.
- Created customized marketing materials and collateral to support various marketing initiatives and increase product awareness.
- Led to the successful launch of 400+ VSB branded mall retail outlets.
Senior Art Director | New Business Consultant
Avrett Free Ginsberg Advertising Agency
07.1999 - 05.2000
- Assisted AFG& with determining marketplace positioning by evaluating current landscape of new business being pitched.
- Researched industry trends to create innovative advertising campaigns. -
- Led to Motions Haircare choosing AFG& as their agency of record and Liz Claiborne Fragrance assigning 3 new products to the agency.
- Clairol Haircare also chose the agency to launch 3 new consumer products.
- Utilized Adobe Creative Suite to design layouts and create storyboards for visual presentations.
- Developed style guides to promote consistent branding reflective of client buy-in of creative.
- Presented creative concepts to clients and implemented feedback.
Art Director
Spike DDB Advertising Agency
06.1998 - 06.1999
- Worked closely with Soft Sheen International CFO, as well as brand and account managers from both Soft Sheen and Spike DDB, to foster highly communicative and collaborative team culture focused on visual projects. Successfully delivered creative campaigns that helped Soft Sheen maintain its #1 position in category.
- Key responsibilities included: sourcing models, photographers, stylists, and directing photo shoots for print. Each element was reviewed against client standards and expectations to ensure final product was of the highest quality.
- Researched industry trends and evaluated competitive brands to identify market point of entry for successful launch of new collection of haircare products targeted to 18-25 year old female consumer.
- Designed and enforced uniform brand style guides to support project consistency for various marketing campaigns.
- Presented creative concepts, copy and art during internal and client reviews to obtain feedback and achieve client satisfaction
- Prepared design layouts into prepress files for offset and digital printing.
Education
Master of Arts - Visual Communication
Portfolio Center @ Miami Ad School
Atlanta, GA05.1995
Bachelor of Fine Arts - Fashion Art And Advertising
Virginia Commonwealth University School of The Art
Richmond, VA05.1993
Skills
- Creative Team Leadership
- Project Management
- Brand Identity Messaging Development
- Development of Creative Briefs
- Stakeholder Relations
- Graphic Design/Typography
- Art Direction
- Advertising
- Social Media Design and Marketing
- Influencer Acquisition and Engagement
- Storyboard Creation
- Concept Pitching
- Website Design
- Digital Marketing
- Photoshoot and Video Production
- UX Design
Timeline
Creative Director
Freelance/Consultant/Creative Project Manager
01.2003 - Current
Executive Creative Director
All Brands/Companies Owned By Sean P. Diddy Combs
08.2000 - 06.2002
Creative Consultant
VSB | Victoria's Secret Beauty
06.2000 - 08.2000
Senior Art Director | New Business Consultant
Avrett Free Ginsberg Advertising Agency
07.1999 - 05.2000
Art Director
Spike DDB Advertising Agency
06.1998 - 06.1999
Master of Arts - Visual Communication
Portfolio Center @ Miami Ad School
Bachelor of Fine Arts - Fashion Art And Advertising
Virginia Commonwealth University School of The Art
COMPUTER SOFTWARE PROFICIENCY
- ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE
- CANVA
- POWER POINT
- MS OFFICE
- GOOGLE SUITE
- BASECAMP
- ASANA
- SLACK
- BLUE JEANS
Additional Work History
Junior Art Director | AFG& (formerly) Avrett Free Ginsberg Advertising - Manhattan, NY
08/1996 - 05/1997
- Collaborated and partnered with copywriters and agency account mangers to shape campaign requirements and maintain brand consistency across campaign initiatives.
- Created innovative advertising campaigns that successfully generated increased brand awareness and recognition for brands such as; Clairol Haircare - Professional and Consumer, Dickel Whiskey, Matrix International Haircare and Crayola licensed brands.
Junior Art Director | Mc Cann World Group - Manhattan, NY
01/1995 - 05/1996
- Developed comprehensive style guides and design pattern libraries to enhance the consumer and cross-platform experiences for L'OREAL USA brand.
- Conducted extensive research to identify industry-leading talent for approved photoshoots, including photographers, videographers, hair stylists, stylists, and makeup artists.
COMPUTER SOFTWARE PROFICIENCY
- ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE
- CANVA
- MICROSOFT OFFICE / POWER POINT
- GOOGLE SUITE
- BASECAMP
- ASANA
- SLACK
- BLUE JEANS
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