An English-language pangram—a sentence that contains all the letters of the alphabet. It is commonly used for displaying examples of fonts, and other applications involving text where the use of all letters in the alphabet is desired. This how Brown Fox Designs came to be.
As a senior-level creative brand designer and director with 15+ years of experience working in the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) / DTC (Direct to consumer) industry, mostly within the food, beverage and wellness spaces, Vanessa has extensive expertise developing and championing brands, as well as creating eye-catching designs at a 360° view. Vanessa’s designs and creative direction have been featured across top companies such as Walmart.com, Target.com, Chambord, Kahlua, Absolut Vodka, Deep Eddy Vodka, Jack Daniel’s, Stella, Total Wine, Whole Foods Market, TJX Companies, Anheuser-Busch, Keurig, Nestlé, Church & Dwight, The Ginger People, The Food Network, and more. Vanessa takes the most pride in her creative strategy work, brand guidelines, packaging designs, social media content creation, and campaign work.
I output graphic assets for Otherworld (https://eatotherworld.com/)
Pancakes and waffles, reimagined. They are a sustainable startup company with quite literally “other” worldy branding. I make lots of digital ads that CONVERT, as well as social content and manage their TikTok. I have a lot of fun taking their products and humanizing them, and adding them to unidentifiable spaces.
This branding and packaging was designed for refreshing seltzer and fruit juices just in time for summer 2021. In partnership with Deep Eddy + Drinkworks this pack branding was rolled out as a campaign via email, social, PR and even an activation event in L.A. featuring country singer Chris Lane.
This partnership cocktail was developed leveraging the Drinkworks open cocktail platform with Kahlua. The Pernod Ricard partnership was a monumental business pivot for Drinkworks. Big spirit name brands have proven attachment rates for consumers, along with variety. Rolling out these designs for Drinkworks + Kahlua just in time for the end of 2021. I was able to art direct the mexican-inpired look and feel of the photoshoot with a major boston based photographer, which included my own direction on set design, glassware, backdrops, models, etc. The Kahlua brand had a big emphasis on the origins of their espresso beans from Mexico. I was able to deliver this amazing Espresso Martini as coffee based cocktails are trending.
Another iconic brand added to the Drinkworks portfolio, Absolut Vodka has partnered with Drinkworks to create the ultimate Pineapple Martini. This brand development was a true challenge, being able to satisfy the Absolut brand team as well as stay true to the Drinkworks architecture. Collaborating with the team out of Sweden, their superior standards were matched with the perfect mix of club and class. I was able to art direct this photoshoot from sourcing the model, glassware and even set design. The true essence of Sweden shines through with a nod to their iconic bottle shape inside the pineapple. This was a fun design, especially being able to incorporate their freshly launched re-brand.
If I could pick the one design I was most proud of, the Top Shelf Collection would be it. I had the massive challenge of designing under the Drinkworks brand guidelines and hierarchy as well as creating them under one singular cohesive collection, while still opening it up for 4 major brand partnerships to also showcase their brands, under their guidelines. The 4 cocktails you see in this collection fit all of the major asks, under a very tight deadline. Being able to take brands like Gentleman Jack, Chambord, Herradura and Elijah Craig showcases the high level of design and branding that I can put fourth. The secret speakeasy behind the library door awaits! Please enjoy the eye candy, or should I say, drool-worthy cocktails.
The newest Ginger Rescue® Hard and Soft Lozenges was a project I designed from concept to completion. I took part in designing the package, created the production print files, designed the branded wrappers, art directed and orchestrated the photoshoot for the glam shots, created the images for Walmart.com with brand strategy that aligns the product in market correctly, and rendered images. I was the creative driving force behind these 2 new SKUs and I can proudly say that these were a success.
Includes featured ad campagins in the North End, off I-93 N and S, 93+ double sided taxi cab toppers, a full spread in the Improper Bostonian, full page feature in Boston Magazine’s top 50 best restaurants & a full page in The Knot magazine.
The development of this package is what drove home the 360 campaign work for the holidays. By leveraging my branding skills along with my packaging design expertise, I presented many concepts before getting to the final design.
A summer seasonal favorite, the Lynchburg Lemonade, was developed as the very first partnership brand with Drinkworks Home Bar. As hugely recognized brand, this was a great partnership to help build more attachment and brand awareness to both Drinkworks and Jack Daniel’s brands. Following the developed brand hierarchy, I developed a nice lockup between both brands, including the “Limited Batch” collection to differentiate from other packs. This development included the standard design packaging creative process: design mock-ups, photography art direction, final print production artwork, emails, social media posts, sales assets and more! I am truly proud of this design.
ColdSnap™ is a startup company with innovative technology, making single-serve frozen treats. They create pods that are shelf stable which eliminates the frozen transport/cold storage, making ice cream more sustainable. I took this brand from the ground up, which included a 3-day value based brand proposition workshop. I ran the VP through many exercises in order to figure out their root motives and their reason for existing. With these motives in mind, I was able to create a brand guideline, orchestrate a brand photoshoot, and create logos that represent their value proposition. I take pride in aligning brands with the correct visual communications that better drive sales channels to the right audiences.
Drinkworks partnered with Golden Road Brewing, an ABI owned craft brewery out of California. Designing this packaging (carton, pods) was very exciting as this innovation from internal Drinkworks engineers did something amazing. They invented a way to pour brews from a pod, with a straight pour from the Drinkworks Home Bar. Working within the Drinkworks brand guidelines as well as the Golden Road guidelines to bring this packaging collab to life was one of my top career highlights. This pack went into a limited market for testing but has future potential to release nationwide. For legal and copyright purposes, I am crediting that these photos are all owned and copyrighted by Drinkworks.
A seasonal variety pack for Drinkworks for Spring 2021. This was not only a packaging design with photography art direction, but also its own launch and rollout including emails, social posts, website modals & assets and more!
“Add a splash of spontaneity to your repertoire with Stella Artois Cidre; savor this subtly sweet and delightfully dry European style cider as golden afternoon unfold.” This packaging was designed under the newest Stella Cidre brand guidelines as well as the Drinkworks brand guidelines. This partnership packaging had to go through the Styella brand team approval. It was done on time, on budget and packed in Vermont at the Drinkworks creation center. All photos are owned by Drinkworks.
Drinkworks® Home Bar is a joint venture between Anheuser-Busch and Keurig®. All work was done with the Drinkworks team as I work as the Senior Designer for the company. The Whiskey Sour is the latest addition to the Classic Collection cocktails. I had the pleasure of art directing and designing this pack to fit into the rest of the branded collection. The 12 count bulk packs are larger carton versions of the regular 4 count tube packs from the classics. The branding challenge was to design these packs and have them translated seamlessly from the tubes. I also executed all the other rollout launch bullet items, like the emails, social media, etc.
We eloped instead. I paid a crazy amount of money for letterpress invites because I am a designer. I lost my wedding vision and some of my deposits to covid-19. This branding is beautiful nonetheless.
A sprinkle of everything from photoshop elements to use cross-functionally, to company holiday cards, swag, or in office design, this is a good look into my job as a versatile internal graphic designer.
Conceptualize & design visual materials to market various products, services, and events across a variety of print and digital media.
Work with regional design and marketing teams to implement both global and regional promotions.
Uphold company's brand standards and ensure their implementation across all visual media.
Manage relations with outside vendors (printers, suppliers, etc.) and manage assistant design staff as necessary.
I set the creative vision for the brand and champion that vision throughout the restaurants & markets & now up and coming Tuscan Village.
I provide leadership to the creative function ensuring that the team, culture, capabilities, tools and processes support our objectives and the brand..
I serve as a strategic partner to coworkers, demonstrating a deep understanding of their business, specific challenges, opportunities and brand persona. Provide thought leadership and perspectives that support their objectives and aligns creative solutions with business needs.
I work closely with multiple teams and channel owners to bring creative solutions to life – Brand, Product, Performance Marketing, Media & Distribution, email, PR, HR, Learning & Development, Customer Care, etc.
I oversee the development of all creative work from concept through to completion.
I set and maintain the integrity of creative standards for each brand the team supports. Ensure guidelines are in place, well understood and adhered to both internally and when working with external partners. Drive updates when needed.
I foster an open and collaborative environment while inspiring, mentoring and managing across multiple creative disciplines.
I stay current – Maintain creative and marketing-related knowledge, including best practices, trends, techniques, processes and theories.
I continuously seeks ways to drive innovation and push the boundaries to ensure exceptional creative product and an outstanding guest experience.
I ensure the brand’s products are delivered on brief, on time and on budget. Exceed expectations at every turn.
I built this brand within the last year – and have taken them to new heights – and have the portfolio to back it up.
I work across multiple creative disciplines (design, copywriter, director, photographer etc.) with an emphasis on marketing related work
I know the processes, tools and infrastructure needed to build and scale an in-house design & marketing department.
I have exceptional vendor-relationship skills and the ability to work collaboratively with partners to understand needs and use those needs to shape creative strategy.
I have experience guiding the extension and translation of a brand to the product experience, particularly in a restaurant environment.
I love italian food and culture.
tuscanvillagesalem.com
This pack was designed as a “freebie” to build awareness of the Drinkworks Home Bar by giving away a pack of Drinkworks Classic Collection cocktails, 4 drinks in one tube. This helped the company increase awareness, sales and retailers to elevate the brand.
I am currently developing this website.
This is the pre-launch view of the amazon storefront for Tuscan Kitchen at Home. There are still a couple more products that need to be added. I art directed and helped to style these photographs & also put together the page design, logos and copywriting. I am working on new gift and shipping packaging that will be ordered this month!
I spent my last semester of college attending Florence University of the Arts in Florence, Italy. Due to a “beginner photography” credit fulfillment, having already had years of professional photography experience, I was granted permission to take “advanced photography” instead. This opportunity enabled me to focus my energy less on technical & more on expression. I was pushed by my professor to hone in on my focus of graduating with a degree in graphic design and using those skills in tandem with my photography. This lead me to develop a series “Losing Touch with Reality” which I was chosen for a restaurant exhibition in Florence. It got so much attention, I landed the cover of Blending Magazine, an art magazine in Florence. My professor and the co-founder of http://www.flooida.com/ still has my image linked on his personal website: http://www.simonepierotti.com/official/portfolio/education/
Packaging and textile graphic designer for home fashion products that are sold in major retail chains such as Target, Kohls, Homegoods, Marshalls, TJMaxx & more.
• Go through entire approval process with co-designer, including approving fabric qualities, wash, lab dips, artwork, accessories, trims, pre-production samples and packaging/inserts and photography/photographic edits in a timely manner
• Collaborate with overseas daily and prioritize by delivery date
• Maintain direct partnership with overseas offices and vendors to ensure timely delivery of all submissions and approvals
• Enforce deadlines, approvals and pre-production samples
• Responsible for creating packaging layout and approvals
• Send out fabric qualities, wash and pantone standards for production of textiles and graphic design
• Maintain pre-production library as well as packaging samples and inserts
A collection of logos I have created.
A collective of sketchbook & Chalk art
Followed current brand guidelines & aided in the design of posters, brochures, marketing material and other print media; digitally touched up photos; worked with printers and vendors to select paper stocks and ensure quality printing.
Original photography using my Nikon
It all started when…
I was asked to design an ATM surround for Florence Bank that would sit outside of the basketball hall of fame. This is on sintra material. I loved that I was able to design something more 3 Dimensional. I correlated the design with the history by showing the first basketball ever created all the way to the current. I had written "No Matter the Time, Florence will Always be your Bank" but this was a situation where the client is always right. They wanted their logo only. This is a project I am very proud of.