Licensed Brand Creative Systems
Scope: Led end-to-end creative development across two globally licensed entertainment brands. Overseeing the design, adaptation, and deployment of visual assets across digital marketing and retail. This work required balancing strict licensor guidelines with internal brand storytelling, ensuring every execution felt both franchise-authentic and commercially compelling.
Channels: Creative systems and campaign assets were developed across:
Retail & in-store merchandising
E-commerce listings & marketplace content
Product launch campaigns
Social and digital marketing assets
Licensing pitch and partner decks
Mandate: The mandate was twofold:
Honour the integrity of globally recognized IP
Every asset had to meet rigorous licensor standards, from character representation to colour usage, logo hierarchy, and narrative tone.Drive retail and consumer conversion
Creative needed to perform commercially, standing out on shelves, communicating product value instantly, and translating character love into purchase intent.
Context
Both brands operated in high-volume, high-visibility toy and entertainment markets where speed to launch, licensing approvals, and retail deadlines were non-negotiable.
Creative production needed to support:
Rapid product release cycles
Multi-SKU launches
Retailer exclusives
Global licensing approvals
Cross-functional production teams
The challenge was building visual ecosystems that could scale across products, partners, and platforms without losing the brand narrative.
Strategic Approach
For arcade entertainment products under Arcade1Up, the focus was immersive nostalgia storytelling, translating classic gameplay experiences into retail-ready visual campaigns that captured the emotional pull of arcade culture.
For character-driven toy lines like Cry Babies by IMC Toys, the emphasis shifted toward expressive character world-building, ensuring personality, emotion, and collectability translated across packaging and digital shelves.
Across both, I centred on three pillars:
1.Licensed Visual System Design
I built modular design frameworks that standardized:
Character hierarchy
Logo placement
Colour systems
Background world-building
Typography rules
This allowed teams to move fast, without breaching licensor guidelines.
2. Cross-Channel Adaptation
Each campaign system was engineered to work across:
Retail displays
Amazon and DTC listings
Launch toolkits
Paid media assets
Ensuring visual continuity from shelf to screen.
3. Approval Pipeline Navigation
Licensed brands require layered approvals.
I led creative routing across licensors and internal stakeholders, reducing revision cycles while protecting launch timelines.
Results & Impact
Brand Impact
Elevated perceived product value at retail
Stronger franchise storytelling across touchpoints
Deeper emotional connection with collectors and parents
Operational Impact
Faster licensor approval cycles
Reduced creative rework
Scalable asset production across SKUs
Streamlined partner collaboration
