new mexico united / content marketing design
employer:
New Mexico United
year:
2018 - 2022
location:
albuquerque
type:
event planning & curation, partnerships, project management, animation, vendor relations, public speaking
role:
creative director
project overview:
A brand launch is only as strong as its visual integrity, but in the sports world  (not to mention social media era) of constantly needing to evolve the visuals to catch eyes and convert anyone and everyone into a ticket holder for the next game, season, etc., how are brand standards maintained without pigeon-holing creative in a dead end? Just as importantly for United's brand, how is those Art & Sport, local pride, and best-thing-in-New-Mexico-since-ever pillars of the club's ethos brough to life in every piece of content and collateral? These questions came up with every piece of design work during my time at United, and navigating those questions while meeting the needs of company from marketing KPI's to player announcements to partnership promises to last minute sales campaigns to nonprofit storytelling was one of the themes of my role.
designing for social
The most consistent demand flexing the brand's visuals each day was producing content for social media. When I began in the role of Brand Manager, I was the only designer on staff and so I serviced the company's many design needs myself. I continued to do so for much of my time as Creative Director, overseeing social media as a whole helping to unite the messaging with the content, in large part because designer wasn't top of the hiring to-do list as the organization navigate COVID. When we did ultimately hire a full time designer, the demand for design work across the company seemed to match the extra hands, and so I continued to contribute on the social design front from time to time. These are some of my favorite designs specific to United's social media platforms where the brand's following flourished as more playful, experimental, and dramatic designs were used to communicate various player or team news, accolades, or milestones.
billboards
Billboards were a huge component of United's marketing efforts during my time at the club. We wanted United to be seen as the biggest event in New Mexico, and to be seen all over the state. The messaging always spoke to the core pillars of the club, and the boards appeared in every major city and along all the highways that connected them, using a blend of supporters and players to drum up passion and pride.