Fictitious Brands

Photography systems and art direction across multi-brand initiatives. Developed scalable photo production systems for Mailchimp’s Fictitious Brands initiative, leading photography for 22 fictional brand identities while collaborating with designers and copywriters. 

The challenge was to create credible, industry-specific photography for each brand across marketing and product experiences. I built production frameworks — shot lists, brand guidelines, creative direction standards — and partnered with photographers to execute each brand's aesthetic.

The photography production framework became the standard for fictional brand development at Mailchimp, enabling consistent quality, efficiency, and creative flexibility across all brands.

Production Approach & Scale‍ ‍

How a repeatable production framework enabled scale across brands and constraints.

• Photography produced for 20+ fictional brand identities (2019–2025)

• Budgets ranged from $20K–$180K per brand

• Production environments included studio, on-location, and remote direction

• COVID-era productions: 8 brands (Los Angeles, Atlanta, remote Zoom, and stock-based shoots)

As Art Director of Photography

• Built photography production frameworks (shot lists, brand photo guidelines, workflows)

• Led: photographer selection, creative direction, shot list development, & post production

• Managed photo production budgets ($20K–$180K per brand) and vendor partnerships

• Directed shoots and oversaw post-production (retouching, asset delivery)

• Adapted production models for constraints, including remote direction and COVID-era protocols