Laura Knight

Brand and package Art Direction on top-selling kids toys (boys) brand.  

• Lead and supervise package design with outside agency on product segments including pre-school, roleplay, seasonal, movie, and new technologies.

• Manage projects from initial briefings through interim and final presentations with VP's and Licensor.  

• Concept Design for all print advertising, in-store signage, and promotions.

Manage and implement branding and packaging creative direction for Disney Toys Multi-property product categories, with over $500 million in annual wholesale sales.

• Oversee On-Line Product Approval package and retail design submissions within assigned
categories: Games, Puzzles, Activities, Novelties, Outdoor Sports, and Seasonal Toys.

• Manage over 50 licensees; ensuring they adhere to all branding and creative guidelines to guarantee quality, design and production standards are met on deadline.

• Supervise the branding of all multi-property toys packaging for Disney properties, including:
Disney Princess, Disney Fairies, Toy Story, Cars, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Winnie the Pooh, Phineas and Ferb, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc.

• Manage relationships and timelines to develop strategic creative programs by partnering with internal lines of business including Retail, Sales and Marketing Franchise Teams, Global Creative, and Disney Consumer Products partners such as Mattel, Hasbro, Crayola, and Huffy (example: Walmart’s Novelty Easter Program).

• Work with director and category team on new package development to support business category needs; also art directing overarching package design-systems, lifestyle photography, in-store advertising, and unique promotions (example: Toys-R-Us “Wheels Month” & Healthy Living campaign).

• Manage and Art Direct external creative resources within budgeted parameters.

• Initiated an on-boarding ‘design standards & process’ system for new partners, which streamlined review/approval stages.

• Present, identify research and analyze trends, competition consumer, retailer and industry needs within all packaging categories. Set and do regular store checks, share findings with teams. Strong awareness of market trends. Strong awareness of market trends.

Art direct and manage development of toy packaging & marketing from concept to production (overseas printing).

• Manage package design for company’s top licensed brands: Disney Princess, Disney Fairies, Strawberry Shortcake, Popples, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,
Dreamworks Shrek, Sega Dinosaur King, Gormiti, Sesame Street, Family Guy, iCarly, and Michael Jackson.

• Brand/Packaging Creative Director on internal toy brands, including: Sweet Pixies, Zombiesaurs, L.E.D., and GeoFriends.

• Lead, inspire, and art direct internal graphic design team and external agencies on package design production: Structure innovation, design layout, logo creation, illustrations, typography, photography, copy writing, pack-outs, etc.

• Manage designers workloads to maximize productivity

• Engage with Licensors to help establish trust and confidence in the creative teams capabilities, to maintain brand integrity

• Establish workflow and approval process as liaison to marketing and product directors, HK counterparts, design teams, and licensors.

• Perform ongoing research and analysis on emerging and existing categories through direct contact with customers, trade shows, journals, internet, sales evaluations, monitoring competition, industry trends, and store visits.

• Enforced global branding standards for world’s largest corporate housing and multi-family property management firm.

• Creative Director of all advertising, sales collateral, and online media.

• Worked with VP of Marketing on target-market campaigns and strategy.

• Executed conceptual design for internal presentations.

• Project Managed and sourced design vendors, ad agencies, copy writers, photographers, and videographers.

• Photo Shoot Art Direction.

• Directed implementation and maintenance of Cumulus digital library archiving over 5,000 images and projects.

Creative direction for all brands within the corporation (from beauty to hospitality).

• Oversee development and design of all branded identities for the following 8 separate entities within the corporation:
Stratus Rewards Credit Card, Rancho Arroyo Grande Winery & Vineyards, River Wild Winery, VMP LLP, Int’l Aviation Network (Private Jet Service), United Research Industries, Circle of Friends Children’s Professional Hair Care & Bath Line, Grow Up Teen Hair Care & Bath Line

• Supervised creative team of 7 in house designers and hire external creative agencies for unique projects.

• Developed integrated marketing strategies with company presidents and marketing directors; in which providing creative direction for all advertising, digital, promotion, in store merchandising, trade communication, and online media.

• Established a multi-dimensional clothing/design company with a focus on urban fashion, graffiti-inspired graphics, and interactive media.

• Lead the design and implementation of marketing for promotional events including MTV’s MC Battle, Asia One’s Bboy Summit, and the Skate Park Association’s Silverlake Sessions.

• Key member of team working with lead engineer to create and launch a new media campaign capitalizing on their animated film Atlantis and other flash internet games.