Michael Ebert

* provide award-winning freelance creative direction, art direction, graphic design, and branding services primarily for the AMC Networks family of streaming platforms, linear TV networks, and content creation studios (AMC+, Shudder, AMC, BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, WE tv, ALLBLK, Acorn TV)
* responsible for promoting flagship broadcast and streaming series including The Walking Dead, Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, Creepshow, Mayfair Witches, Interview with the Vampire, Killing Eve, Portlandia, and Mad Men
* deliver freelance creative services for a wide variety of other clients worldwide, including retailers, non-profits, media publishers, manufacturers, and agencies such as Gap Inc. (Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic), Fiat Chrysler (Dodge), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Clear Channel Outdoor, Penguin Random House (Dutton), Fireworks Ensemble, Adoptions from the Heart, Advance Music GmbH
* conceptualize and execute hundreds of digital, broadcast, print, and OOH projects annually, supporting complex international marketing campaigns (key art, logos, ads, posters, signs, billboards, taglines, branding, naming, copywriting, social, websites, emails, banners, thumbnails, interfaces, presentations, environments, packaging, sellsheets, brochures, catalogs, book covers, book interiors, custom lettering, illustrations, icons, templates, etc.)
* hands-on creative output has appeared on leading SVOD/TVOD/AVOD/FAST/vMVPD OTT streaming services (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Apple, YouTube, Pluto, Roku, Plex, Samsung, Vizio); on top-tier outdoor billboards and subway ads (Times Square, Penn Station, Grand Central, Sunset Strip); at the Emmys, Sundance, SXSW, Spirit Awards, TCA, and network upfronts; and within The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly, New York magazine, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Playbill
* collaborate with creative teams, interface with clients and vendors, present C-suite pitches, and win new accounts

* served as the company's chief brand officer (established brand positioning strategies and maintained consistent visual identity and cohesive voice across all publications and B2B and B2C touchpoints)
* structured and supervised 27 staff roles (academic curriculum developers, video production, editing, and post-production personnel, graphic designers, art directors, copywriters, project managers, integrated marketing professionals) across 5 departments in publishing nearly 500 hours of instructional video content
* increased company margins significantly (cut production cycles by 1/3 and saved 18% on unit costs by streamlining workflows, eliminating redundancies, and aggressively negotiating contracts with suppliers and distributors)
* grew brand awareness and market share (increased user engagement, identified new market segments and distribution channels, diversified product line, expanded cross-selling opportunities, devised innovative marketing strategies that boosted conversions by 32%)
* developed custom algorithms and metrics for analyzing advertising ROI, forecasting project profitability, maximizing employee productivity, allocating departmental budgets, and calculating royalties in pooled licenses
* promoted to Director of Creative Services from Art Director in June 2007

* guided team toward successful realization of original design concepts and implementation of branding strategies
* authored a 66-page style guide to codify usage of the company’s brand elements: logos, typography, colors, etc.
* oversaw the look-and-feel of scores of successful product launches and refreshes
* effectively handled personnel issues, department restructuring, and mentoring team members

* designed packaging, print ads, brochures, sell sheets, catalogs, websites, emails, logos, stationery, signs, posters, illustrations, video graphics and effects, motion graphics, etc.
* created textbook-style workbooks to accompany video publications, including typesetting and designing original vector infographics, data visualizations, scientific diagrams, mathematical figures, illustrations, etc.