Christi Lester: Associate Creative Director in Ventura, CA

Responsible for leading the creative efforts at this digital marketing consultancy. Work involves development of targeted landing pages, full site experiences, static and animated display banners, online sweepstakes, email graphics, and social media campaigns. Clients include Zillow, NESCAFE® Dolce Gusto, UFCfit, Vineyard Vines, Otterbox, AARP, Brooks Brothers, and Skullcandy. • Develop structure, organization, and in-house policies and procedures to ensure work is done efficiently and effectively. Manage the efforts of the junior designer and various freelance copywriters. Maintain schedules, budgets and projections. • Responsible for auditing clients, as well as, their competitors UX and display efforts and providing them feedback based on industry best practices. • Maintain and develop the DuMont Project graphics, including business cards and stationary, website, environmental graphics, and external presentations.

Partnered with several agencies to manage development and design of creative tactics from email blasts and web pages, to print ads and collateral. Clients include My M&M’s, Silk, Rackspace, AAA, Neutrogena, Hilton, United Airlines, UPS, Verizon, and Washington Mutual.

Responsible for brand development and evolution of multiple DIRECTV products and services. Work involved acquisition and retention marketing through print advertising, identity design, packaging, and direct mail. Developed advertising for DIRECTV programming exclusives such as Project MyWorld, and the Emmy award-winning Friday Night Lights. Also responsible for art directing photographers and digital retouchers. • Redesigned the Tips & Tricks new customer introduction booklet focusing on communication simplicity and reducing production costs. As a result DIRECTV is saving $600,000 per year and the client brought the multi-million dollar business back in-house. Focus groups confirmed service installers loved it too. • Generated unique visuals from scratch with expert Photoshop skills to create impactful print campaigns for initiatives like Friday Night Lights and the launch of DIRECTV Cinema. • Led the ”Get Connected” direct mail test campaign to drive customer program expansion. Winning execution received a 4.8% response rate, more than twice as high as expected, with a 60% conversion rate to offer. The test was so successful DIRECTV is expanding the program nationally.

Drove creative development for five GTE business units to support acquisition and retention efforts. Managed the design and evolution of the brand, and oversaw work from freelance, junior art directors and production artists. Directed photo shoots on set and on location. Work included direct mail, print advertising and tradeshow booth designs. • Produced more than 1,000 pieces in a month to bridge change over from GTE to Verizon, developing the look and feel of the Verizon brand for introduction into the market • Reduced customer churn for GTE Long Distance to an all time low through strong loyalty communications

Designed and managed, from concept through production, a variety of projects including point of purchase displays, catalogs, brochures, and promotional merchandise. Clients included Canon, Sketchers, Asics, Avery Dennison, Avia, Kawasaki and Yamaha (Waverunner and Music Divisions)

Designed and art directed a variety of projects ranging from print ads and brochures, to bicycle graphics and frame colors. Clients included Giant Bicycle, Inc., Suzuki, Weider Sports International, Control Tech, Gearbox, and Camelbak.