Hello, I’m Alex.
Creative Director.
Conjurer of art tricks.
20 years in the trenches,
blowing up the newsfeed,
doing what needs to be done.
Fluent in clientspeak.
Breaker of brand blabber.
Made McDonald’s “sporty.”
Made toilet paper “tech.”
Helping brands be the other thing.
Born in good ol’ Blighty (🇬🇧).
Now firing pistons in the US of A.
Two passports. Pond-hopper.
Let’s make stuff.
Contact
EMAIL: hello@alexbraxton.com
phone: 312-972-0018
ALLERGAN AESTHETICS (ABBVIE) I CALIFORNIA
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: IN-HOUSE CREATIVE LEAD
MAY 2022 – PRESENT (3 YEARS)
ABOUT THE ROLE (TAP TO EXPAND)
Creative Lead of the in-house creative team, developing thumb-stopping, fit-for-platform social content, as well as a rebrand and attention-grabbing launch campaigns for BOTOX Cosmetic and Juvéderm.
Brands: BOTOX Cosmetic, Juvéderm, Allē
• Oversaw agencies and creatively led the in-house team of copywriters, art directors, designers, and editors.
• Spearheaded major initiatives, including the rebranding of BOTOX Cosmetic and Juvéderm, developing brand style guides, campaign playbooks, and the guardian the new look for our planned for this year.
• Navigated the complexities of “black box” pharmaceutical regulations while ensuring messaging remained colloquial, authentic, and fresh within the beauty category.
• Fostered strong relationships with brand stakeholders and cross-functional teams to define strategies, streamline creative processes, and contribute to future planning initiatives.
SAATCHI & SAATCHI I NEW YORK, USA
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
OCTOBER 2016 – OCTOBER 2021 (5 YEARS)
ABOUT THE ROLE (TAP TO EXPAND)
From TV spots to social and PR-led campaigns to high-impact event activations, served as a creative and creative lead with a proven track record of executing standout campaigns for major brands.
Brands: Walmart, P&G, Olay, Charmin, Head & Shoulders, Tide, and Gillette, and The Bouqs Co.
• Developed a breakthrough, earned campaign that made Charmin toilet paper the most talked-about brand at CES 2020 tech conference, by pushing boundaries beyond the brand’s traditional content.
• Led creative for Gillette, driving agency growth and expanding the scope by over $3 million.
• Led social and digital creative for Walmart’s largest campaigns, producing thousands of assets for Holiday, Black Friday, and Back to School over three consecutive years.
• Managed live social war rooms for major Walmart sponsorships, including The Oscars and Golden Globes, as well as for Olay during Super Bowl LIII.
• Played a key role in Walmart’s expansion into new categories like fashion and grocery pickup, as well as its entry into the toy market following the closure of Toys "R" Us.
• Led two NFL partnership campaigns for Head & Shoulders, featuring Patrick Mahomes.
• Drove the largest new product launch for Olay with Retinol 24.
• Created the first-ever TV campaign for The Bouqs Co., for Valentine’s Day and flower subscriptions
STORY I NEW YORK, USA
GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR
OCTOBER 2015 – OCTOBER 2016 (1 YEAR)
ABOUT THE ROLE (TAP TO EXPAND)
A shift from big agency roles to a fast-paced startup environment, where resourcefulness and a hands-on approach were essential to success, every piece of business was a pitch to win and keep the lights on.
Brands: Unilever (Popsicle and Country Crock), Philadelphia Museum of Art, Beefeater Gin, and USVI.
• Led the art direction output while mentoring and inspiring a tight-knit team of creatives.
• Success required a scrappy mindset, where doing-it-yourself mattered to getting things done, and done well.
• Drove organic growth for the agency through proactive, creative work for key Unilever accounts.
• Won new business pitches for Beefeater Gin, the US Virgin Islands, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
• Balanced creative excellence with client needs, while needing to be business-minded about the agency’s limitations and resources.
DDB I CHICAGO, USA
SVP, GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR
DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE INTEGRATION
NOVEMBER 2010 – OCTOBER 2015 (5 YEARS)
ABOUT THE ROLE (TAP TO EXPAND)
Transformed DDB Chicago’s digital capabilities by integrating digital and social with traditional agency work, breaking down outdated silos to create a unified brand voice, and award-winning 360° campaigns.
Brands: McDonald's, RMHC, Capital One, and State Farm.
• Led creative for McDonald’s Global, pitching against a global roster of agencies on project-based briefs.
• Engaged directly with the Global CMO, delivering live presentations to the global Chairman & CEO, as well as the CMOs of the ten largest markets worldwide.
• Led Tribal DDB before spearheading a merger to expand DDB Chicago’s digital capabilities to seamlessly integrate digital and social with the agency’s above-the-line work.
• Promoted to ‘Director of Creative Integration’ to push 360° campaigns and mentor digital expertise.
• Pushed a mobile-first approach, earning Mobile Marketer’s "Agency of the Year" and McDonalds becoming "Mobile Advertiser of the Year."
AMV BBDO │ LONDON, UK
ART DIRECTOR / AGENCY NON-EXECUTIVE BOARD
JUNE 2007 – NOVEMBER 2010 (3 YEARS 6 MONTHS)
ABOUT THE ROLE (TAP TO EXPAND)
Joined the UK’s largest and most awarded agency as one of their first digital hires. Spearheaded the agency’s digital expansion from the ground up, leading to multiple awards and earning ‘Digital Agency of the Year’ within two years.
Brands: Walkers (Lays), Doritos, Pepsi, Gatorade, Guinness, BT, Mars, National Lottery, and Sainsbury's.
• Invited to serve on the agency’s Non-Executive Board.
• Key role in major pitch wins, including British Telecom, Extra Gum, Twining’s Tea, and The National Lottery.
DARE │ LONDON, UK
ART DIRECTOR
MAY 2006 – JUNE 2007 (1 YEAR 2 MONTHS)
ABOUT THE ROLE (TAP TO EXPAND)
At the time, the UK’s most awarded digital agency, where as a creative team, we earned the agency’s most awards, including two ‘Agency of the Year’ titles. Additionally, we secured winning pitches for Sony and ITV.
Brands: Vodafone, Google, Barclays, Sony, Zanussi and Axe.
• Created campaigns for Vodafone that won a succession of national and international awards.
• Work contributed to winning two 'Agency of the Year’ titles.
• Part of the winning pitch team for Sony and ITV (the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster).
TRIBAL DDB │ LONDON, UK
ART DIRECTOR
FEBRUARY 2004 – MAY 2006 (2 YEARS 4 MONTHS)
ABOUT THE ROLE (TAP TO EXPAND)
Earned multiple awards for groundbreaking digital campaigns that pushed technological boundaries. Featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal, interviewed on CNN, and showcased in Taschen’s Advertising Now.
Brands: Volkswagen, J&J, Philips, The Guardian, Marmite, Hasbro and BT Yahoo!
• Landed a succession of digital awards and work featured in Taschen’s ‘Advertising Now’.
• Interviewed on advertising, appearing on the front of the Wall Street Journal and CNN visiting the office.
