Building Scalable Photography Systems
for Fictional Brands

Selected fictitious brands shown in product and marketing contexts at Mailchimp.

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. ←overview

The challenge was to create credible, industry-specific photography for each brand—supporting a wide range of customer segments and use cases across marketing and product experiences. I established production frameworks including shot lists, brand photography guidelines, and creative direction standards, and partnered with photographers to execute diverse brand aesthetics across industries.

Flexstart (Fictitious Brand, 2021): Photography production for fitness/wellness brand identity

My Role As Photo Lead

A hybrid role spanning photographer, art director, & creative producer.

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

  • Led photo art direction: photographer selection, creative concepting, shot development

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

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

  • Collaborated cross-functionally with designers, copywriters, and project managers

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

Production planning framework: shot lists, design system, and moodboards for cycling brand (2025)

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)

←Production planning framework
Each brand followed a consistent workflow: design system alignment, tone-setting moodboards, detailed written shot lists, and visual shot lists used for on-set direction.

The outcome→ The photography production framework became the standard for fictional brand development at Mailchimp, enabling consistent quality, efficiency, and creative flexibility across all brands. The photography was deployed across marketing and product channels through 2025.