Los Angeles Creative Director

W. Blake Wassenaar

Brand Evolution and Creative Leadership

+1-310-***-**** ad620n@r.postjobfree.com LinkedIn I'm a strategic marketing creative with twenty years of advertising, brand building and team leadership experience. By developing multi-modal, purpose built creative campaign plans, I translate data driven insights into memorable projects that engage high value subcultures and trend defining communities. As evidenced below, I create, define and extend business objectives into comprehensive workable plans that build worlds, drive conversation and action. Some of these projects lead to direct conversion, but moreover, they lead to incremental transformative brand evolution. Identifying culture shifts and what really drives people uncovers the most ideal opportunities for narrative expansion and expression. My teams thrive because I make it a priority to build a professional culture where everyone can explore, exchange non-conventional ideas, and take risks. Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles, CA

Director of Brand Experience, Creative Director July 2023 – Present

● Direct creative endeavors for Toyota North America's special projects at Saatchi, with a focus on brand and product narratives, immersive social strategies, earned media, and cultural relevance executions.

● Supervise the conception, execution, and distribution of model launch projects, and brand sponsorships, and special collaborations including management of campaign strategies and specialty production.

● Manage teams in the creative organization and refine cross-functional organizational processes. Highlights:

● Launch of the Toyota Trucks unified brand. Launch of the 2024 Land Cruiser and the 2024 Tacoma including linear spots, social integrations and media partnerships. Josephmark Los Angeles, CA

Commercial Director / Executive Creative Producer January 2020 – July 2023

● Managed all client functions for the US, providing creative leadership and strategy consultation across design, web development, brand development, and operations.

● Oversaw venture studio initiatives and lead projects in music, entertainment culture, news aggregation, media discovery, investing, and digital communities. Highlights:

● Managed studio functions and client comms for all US partners including Amazon, AMC, Google, Hasbro, Raya, RCA, Sony, X Prize, Laurene Powell Jobs, Carlos Slim, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant.

● Notable exits include products acquired by Microsoft, Twitter and Time Inc. Facebook / Meta Menlo Park, CA

Executive Producer, Creative X October 2018 – January 2020

● Led all efforts for Facebook's largest annual event, the F8 Developer Conference

● Supervised all creative executions, new brand family roll-out, and event operations/logistics.

● Managed a $37MM budget, covering principal oversight, vendor coordinations of over 500 personnel. Highlights

● The largest Facebook event to date, and the first expression of the Meta family of apps (FB, IG, M, WA,O) Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles, CA

Special Projects Lead, Creative Director / Executive Producer July 2015 – October 2018

● Led all non broadcast and print efforts for Toyota North America, focusing on immersive social strategies, public displays, sponsorships, etc, focused on cultural relevance in key communities.

● Supervised creative, production, execution and distribution of Tier 0 projects, managing campaign strategies and talent relations.

● Vision setting, creative refinement and management of internal creative and production teams.

● Strategy development and client management including management of speciality partners. Highlights:

● Created the world's first experience-based TV commercial. Hotel Tacoma (2016, 2018) has been copied by other OEMs and resulted in more social impressions than any other organic Toyota campaign to date.

● Built a 13-story skyscraper rock wall in Times Square to open the New York Auto Show. The wall won a 2016 Obie Award for Best Custom Installation and drove record social and earned media impressions.

● Designed a giant leaf-shaped Hydrogen fueling station to promote awareness around alternative fuels and adoption of alt fuel models. First of many projects designed as civic monuments. Myspace Inc. Los Angeles, CA

Vice President, Creative Development January 2012 – July 2015

● Led creative development team, focusing on all brand marketing efforts, editorial content programs, artist relations, integrated marketing programs and community marketing franchises.

● Initiated and led creative and negotiations for proprietary platform functionality designed for artists.

● Lead non traditional brand launch functions including events, sponsorships and entertainment integrations. Highlights:

● More than 20 secret shows, more than 50 editorial initiatives. Work with top talent such as Pharell, Miley Cyrus, Kanye, Jay Z, Justin Timberlake, Diplo, Mumford, etc. The A List Los Angeles, CA

Senior Director, Creative Operations January 2006 – January 2012

● Built entertainment marketing strategies for brands through organic endorsements, paid appearances and placements. Relationship management programs, press events, and endorsements.

● Managed client service for more than ten clients, developed new industry relationships, program conception and production oversight, CPG/fashion product logistics, and creative direction. Highlights:

● 400 events in six years. More than 40 clients including Activision, Audi, Ferrari, H&M, Samsung, and Sony.

● Evolved our approach to entertainment agency business in a changing earned media and social landscape. Additional Information

University of Oregon, B.A., Business Administration and Marketing Eugene, OR 2004 Skills: Team Leadership, Creative Direction, Strategic Planning, Production Leadership, Brand Strategy, Creative Strategy, Content Development, Marketing, Experience Design, Relationship Management, Team Management. Awards / Memberships: 2023 Webby, 2023 ADC, 2022 Webby, 2021 Webby, 2020 Fast Co Innovation by Design, 2017 AICP Judge, 2016 Obie Award, Member of Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. Active Service: UNICEF, Safe Place for Youth and wherever else I’m needed. Interests: Cars and racing, sailing, outdoor activities, snowboarding, film, gear and fashion, music, art and travel References available upon request.

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