Karsh Hagan is approaching its 50th anniversary as Colorado’s premiere advertising agency. The agency needed a fresh new look to step into the future of creative media. KH’s 1970s-Colorado-roots inspired a lot of my initial graphics and design. My art direction was this: Vintage rainbow-striped Colorado ski jackets, the heart of Coloradan’s love of the outdoors, RMNP, epic white-capped mountains, The Gateway to the West... All with an eye toward the future. I designed all brand elements, edited and created motion graphics for a new brand mantra video, and provided graphics and design direction for the agencies sharp new website – karshhagan.com
We all have defining moments in our lives. And so do brands. . . but what if we didn’t have to wait for those moments to happen? What if we could make them happen? Elevate them. And tap into their power.
Using MidJourney’s AI illustrative capabilities, I created images with the future of the brand, the future of Colorado, and the future of the industry in the prompts. These are composites of several different images, and a little design work added in.
Human-caused climate change is the biggest problem facing humanity today. It’s been warming Earth’s winters for decades now. Which means it’s beginning to affect the millions of annual skiers and snowboarders who visit Aspen Snowmass for its fresh white-powder runs, crystal-clear views, and snowy escapes. If you love powder days, bluebird skies, and goggle tans – if you love earning turns, helmet hair, and apres ski – if you want to protect your passion, then it’s time to take action. It’s time to Give a Flake.
Each component of the campaign was actionable. Print ads in national magazines featured tear-out prepaid postcards for readers to sign and mail to three carefully-selected on-the-fence Senators (Senator Collins from Maine, Senator Portman from Ohio, and Senator Murkowski from Alaska), urging them to change their stance on climate change.
Social videos populated feeds with climate change myths being busted. The posts use cheeky graphics and choppy editing styles to match the energy and raw feeling of the Mantra video.
We’ve all heard it before: South Dakota – thanks to Mount Rushmore – is just a one-hit wonder. And that couldn’t be more wrong. To finally put an end to this nonsense, we recruited the artist behind a classic one-hit wonder to sing about how South Dakota has a whole lot more than Rushmore. Working with the band Nine Days, we recreated their iconic song and music video, tapping into a millennial nostalgia and clashing it with beautiful South Dakota imagery.
We worked with renowned director ISACC RENTZ and producer KATE ROLSTON to match the look of the 90s music video, down to every last detail - including the wallpaper.
When the clients saw the rough cut, they loved the long-form version so much that they asked us to change all of our TV buys from :30s to :60s only 16 days before the Super Bowl - in total, a $1.7M Investment. LVIII was the highest viewed Super Bowl ever, which caused projected impressions to surpassed 17 million views.
The story of a South Dakota as a destination goes so much deeper than Mount Rushmore or one-stop wonders. For couples, South Dakota offers hidden gems, dreamy escapes and unforgettable experiences that your adventurous-self will thank you for. To Families, travel is the best school your kids will ever go to. So flirt with adventure again, venture farther, and live fuller.
In South Dakota, they follow life’s compass. And a simple code, too. To dirty their boots, but clean their trails. To feed their wanderlust, but never the wildlife. To steer toward adventure, but never go off path. To respect the 605 State just as much as they embrace it. These amusing animated shorts teach newcomers how to treat the state and its inhabitants. And how to be forever wild. Forever proud. Forever 605.
We worked with the aspiring musician and artist Mato Wayuhi (HULU's Reservatoin Dogs) in creating a video exhibiting South Dakota's indigenous Native American culture. In South Dakota, history isn’t in a book. It lives with the people, across the plains, in the rivers, and atop the ridges. Mato's voice and custom music track combine with vibrant Lakota footage to create a stand-alone cultural homage for generations to come.
Today, we live in a connected world. Robots do our surgery. Drones drop off our groceries. Cars drive themselves. But something got left in the dust - Heathcare. I was tasked with bringing to life both the technological realities of today’s world and today’s healthcare communication problems. Vital Engine’s digital solution pulses throughout their story, breathing new life into our connected world.
I had the privilege of creating the brand, brand website and brand collateral for Gusto Mexico, a Mexican travel experience. Gusto Mexico offers eight beloved locations to captivate your senses, enrich, and ir a una aventura. I intentionally created graphics evocative of Mexican heritage as well as current Mexican cultural motifs – vivid colors, earthy texture, an element of history, and an elegance in forms and shapes. Visit the travel site I designed at gustomexico.com
