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Brand Strategist | Creative Director | Professional Storyteller

Other Services

A brand storyteller and brand builder who has harnessed instinct and insight to help shape and grow foundational visions through deep creative and strategic thinking for more than twenty influential companies, including Stio, Stanley, Sage, CMH, Crystal Mountain, SCARPA, Hydro Flask, Burton, Arc'Teryx, Osprey and more. • A path that involves outdoor industry copywriter, snowsports journalist, content editor, creative director, brand strategist and business director roles • Five years as founder and principal of an independent, outdoor-focused strategy + messaging shop with brand defining work for Stanley, Sage, Stio, Crystal Mountain and others • Innovative brand strategy and positioning work with forward-thinking outdoor brands, including authoring the brand strategy and identity that helped Stanley grow from 75M to 750M in four years • Three years leading all aspects of an outdoor-focused digital, creative and strategy shop, including creative director and account oversight on 18 client accounts including Hydro Flask, Osprey, SCARPA, Kirkwood, Windermere, Fisheries Supply, Timberline, Heavenly and Summit at Snoqualmie • Development of pioneering industry campaigns and branded content programs for Sage, Crystal Mountain, Kirkwood, HydroFlask, First Ascent and Eddie Bauer • Content creation, concepting, editing and management for a $1B global outdoor brand in all mediums • Twelve years of brand, print, ad and ecom copywriting in outdoor, snow and action-sport industries • Groundbreaking voice development and brand storytelling work with top-tier outdoor brands such as Cloudveil, Arc'Teryx, Nau and Burton • Nine-year portfolio of defining editorial feature work for major North American periodicals • Retail buying, consumer marketing, project management and product development background • Social media content strategy, development and program management • Brand storytelling experience concepting and executing seasonal omni-channel GTM campaigns View the full portfolio at: www.voiceboxwest.com

Voicebox is a brand storytelling, creative strategy and communications shop specializing in building powerful brand identities in the outdoor industries. We build on insight and instinct to craft powerful creative campaigns, compelling messaging, visual identities and soulful copy at the intersection of digital commerce, sustainable business and founding values. 

In six productive years our tiny creative shop has shaped and crafted the extremely successful brand identities and brand messaging strategies for some of the highest growth brands in outdoor including Stanley, Sage, Stio and Crystal Mountain. We have big ideas, but low overhead.

We work collaboratively with our clients with a long view perspective, digging in to the truths and hearts of each brand then strategizing how to broadcast those identities to broad audiences with powerful emotion. We work from a philosophy that believes in substance over medium, exponential growth over micro metrics and real foundational values over meaningless doublespeak.

Punching way above our weight, we've outperformed massive global agencies in connecting brands to lifelong consumers through powerful brand work and vision. We are almost an anti-agency, still small enough to fit inside a tiny house but showing results that have resulted in 3x, 4x and, in one case, 10x revenue multiples in growth for our clients.

Our small, but highly skilled, shop is located in Bellingham, WA, an energetic PNW nexus that blends active, creative and mountain culture against an inspiring Cascadian backdrop.

Brand Strategist and Creative Director

Oversaw all aspects of a rapidly growing outdoor, active-focused strategy, digital and creative shop with twelve employees, a network of contractors and sixteen clients. Responsibilities included—but were not limited to—new business, account management, creative oversight, creative team leadership, project management team leadership, budgeting/planning, resourcing, shop marketing and setting overall shop vision. Current and recent clients included Hydro Flask, Sage, SCARPA, Osprey, Vail Resorts, Timberline, Superfeet, Kokatat, Summit at Snoqualmie, Kirkwood, Heavenly, HydraPak, SRAM, School of Visual Concepts, Adventure Journal, Solo Stove, Fisheries Supply, Polartec and Windermere.

Two-Year Project Highlights of Shop Team Include:

Sage Seasons Campaign 2017 (Swing, Salt, Trout)
Sage Seasons Campaign 2018 (Swing, Salt, Trout, Alpine Trout)
Sage Fly Campaign (Print and Instagram)
SCARPA website design and build
Coleman Brand Shoot

Hydro Flask No Return Address
Hydro Flask Mindshift Mantras
Hydro Flask My Hydro Launch
Hydro Flask Holiday '16 Campaign
Hydro Flask Brand Shoot
Hydro Flask Content Hub Build
Hydro Flask Brand Shoot
Hydro Flask 2017 Email Campaigns

Osprey Media Planning for Ecom Launch
HydraPak S19 Advertising Campaign
HydraPak Brand Shoot
Kirkwood 2018 Brand Strategy and Campaign
Kirkwood Deep 2018 Digital Campaign
Heavenly White Out Grassroots Marketing Campaign

Timberline Website Design and Build
Superfeet Server Move
Summit at Snoqualmie Strategy and Identity
Windermere Social Media Playbook
Fisheries Supply Website Design
Adventure Journal Digital Subscription Campaign

Creative and Business Director

Elevate creative, content and storytelling for a thriving design and branding firm with a core roster of clients in the outdoor, snow, bike and fly-fishing industries. 

Collaborate on high-level client work and campaigns with a team of highly active folks who are deeply immersed in active culture and pour their heart and soul into the brands they represent.

Spark, maintain and deepen the connections and influences between the studio and the cultural scenes that bring passion and inspiration to our outdoor lifestyles. 

Do cool work in the brand, content and storytelling space for long-term clients such as Hydro Flask, Sage, SCARPA, Osprey, Vail Resorts, Adventure Journal, Kirkwood, Timberline, Summit at Snoqualmie, Superfeet and SRAM. Learn more about the shop and our work at www.hammerquist.net. Track our culture on Instagram @hammerquist_studios.

Creative Director/New Business Director

Worked consistently and extensively with the world's leading snowboard brand on high level copywriting projects for six years. Wrote Burton's We Ride Together tagline. Named Freethinker and Deepthinker boards. Wrote the splitboard skin manual. Ghost wrote four years of Jake's catalog intros. Developed AK PDP and technical material copy that still lives eight years later. Developed product copy Authored team bios for entire Burton team for multiple seasons including Shaun White, John Jackson and Terje Haakonsen. Wrote legends bios for icons from Dave Downing to Craig Kelly. Brainstormed product, program and technology names. Created hardgoods, softgoods and technical copy for dealer catalog, consumer catalog and ecommerce SEO mediums. Brainstormed content for multiple web sites, wrote technical blog posts and product use manuals, including climbing skin instructions. Named splitboard and family tree boards. Developed direct mail headlines for new products.

Contract Copywriter

Developed and grew a thriving brand content program for a global, multi-channel 1B brand. Elevated content, brand storytelling, social media, product campaign, brand voice and athlete expedition coverage for new outdoor, active evolution of Eddie Bauer. Managed multiple aspects of branded content presentation from planning and capture to editing, scheduling, execution and broadcast of campaigns. 

Directed all or part of seven seasonal active field shoots, including photography and video elements, in Jackson Hole, Taos, Joshua Tree, Verbier and Revelstoke. Developed expedition content plans  for 20+ global expeditions outlining capture objectives for pro athletes and photographers. Drove multi-channel branded content execution in blog, social and branded content channels. 

• Drove triple-digit social media growth in Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels as core member of social media team since 2013.

• Launched, managed and edited Live Your Adventure blog with 500K annual pageviews.

• Executive producer and art director for Insider's Guide video series in Jackson Hole, Taos, Joshua Tree and Switzerland, which generated 100K+ views per series.

• Managed  content and storytelling aspects of multiple tri-channel campaigns from 2012 to 2015 including Everest 50th anniversary, Earth Day American Forests, Destination Torngat, Five Years of First Ascent, Resolve to Adventure and Road to Revelstoke campaigns.

• Produced twenty expedition content plans from 2013 to 2016, comprising trips from Everest to Alaska; drove publication of associated content in brand mediums.

• Managed editorial calendars; Interfaced daily with social, creative, marketing and design teams.

• Worked extensively with athlete team and athlete team manager on content creation and Instagram content flow; Managed all content submissions from athletes, expeditions and marketing partners.

• Orchestrated on-site brand coverage for GoPro Games and Freeride World Tour.


Senior Brand Content Editor

Crucible Creative is a copy, voice, content and brand storytelling firm specializing in the action, snow and outdoor sports industries. Founded in 2001 as Crucible Creative by outdoor industry veteran Dan Kostrzewski, the shop's extensive project history includes the highest-caliber work for such brands as Arc'teryx, Burton, Cloudveil, Contour, Dakine, Foursquare, First Ascent, MEC, Nau, Outdoor Research and Salomon. The firm is located in Seattle, an energetic nexus that blends active, creative and mountain culture against an inspiring Cascadian backdrop. 

By crafting a resonant voice for emergent brands, Voicebox has generated more than just words, campaigns and identities. The firm cultivated long-term partnerships with each client by profiling distinctive brand identities while letting their words and stories honestly communicate each company’s true character. A detailed knowledge of technical product design, experience with the retail environment and immersion in mountain culture has enabled the shop to speak directly and authentically to the defined audience.

Through a decade-long continuum of projects—including mediums from catalogs, Web sites and consumer collateral to ad copy, press releases, tag lines, hang tags and brand books—Voicebox has articulated brand stories that ring with exactly the right vibe. The firm's creative services include identity development, creative project direction, brand communication and content strategy.  If your brand is interested in the focused work we do, please contact us via message to start the dialogue. 


Professional Mountain Storyteller

As a correspondent for Powder Magazine since 2006, my published pieces have told the underground stories of mountain culture with immersive detail. Instead of adopting the hype and hyperbole of mainstream snow media, these transportive stories have provided a deeper perspective on the issues, individuals and localities at the grassroots of ski culture.

My feature stories have examined the history and state of the ski movie in “Idea and Execution,” traveled the back lots of ski culture in “Park and Ride” and profiled Mt. Baker's founding father in “The Last Resort.” The shorter pieces I've penned have ranged from avalanche safety, tree-house dwellings and the ski bus to mechanized access at Togwotee Pass and character-driven profiles of skiers such as the Giffin brothers.

Correspondent

Responsible for product, ad, web, email, in-store, storytelling, team bio and ecom copy for the First Ascent brand contributing to $24m to $42m sales growth during a two-year period. Responsible for generating editorial content, participating in creative concepting and evolving  voice of the Eddie Bauer brand in collaboration with design, merchandising and marketing teams. Generated content strategy, storytelling, interview and product copy elements for five Outfitter Books that saw 86% growth in one year while working in close collaboration with merchants, art directors, photo editors, copyeditors, project managers and production staff to guide the project through the corporate creative process.

Spearheaded social media content strategy that resulted in 1100% rise in monthly impressions and 400% increase in engagement during a three-month period. Created edit strategy for FA blog that increased blog traffic by 50% in a six-month period. Tasked with the creation of the new content strategy for the new Bauer blog. Concepted fall '12 national tri-channel Trusted for Generations down campaign and created all copy elements for  national ads, catalog storytelling and in-store signage.

In close collaboration with guide and athlete team, created  and managed all content for launch of new Bauer Live Your Adventure Blog. Managed social media content for all Eddie Bauer Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest mediums during a period of more than 300% growth in engagement, reach and fans to a high of 1.2m weekly impressions and 210K fans. Developed and executed  Eddie Bauer brandwide storytelling  for Spring '12 and Winter '13 seasons. Participated in expedition decisions for guide and athlete team. Completed all copy and story elements for Eddie Bauer 50th Anniversary First American Ascent of Mt. Everest campaign including national ad, microsite and Outfitter Book content planning. Crafted all product copy for Eddie Bauer national ad campaign, concepted storytelling for GTM.

Senior Copywriter, First Ascent

As a contributing writer for Transworld, completed feature on The Mt. Baker Line, spot checks on Mt. Baker and Mt. Bachelor and a volume of backcountry safety columns.

Contributing Writer

As Canada's leading snowboard magazine for two decades, SBC is widely respected for its high-caliber coverage of the full spectrum of riding from freestyle to backcountry. Due to my alternative perspective on the culture, I was recruited by the publication with an eye on creating feature stories about misty locations, brewing issues and influential movements that are often overlooked due to the obsession with fame in American snow media. 

During three seasons, my features have profiled Olympic change in the Callaghan Valley, the emerging noboard scene in the B.C. interior, the dramatic transition of Revelstoke due to resort development and the working reality of Canada's only ACMG snowboard guide. Each of these pieces has provided a window into the underground scenes and influential characters deep within snowboard culture and, as a regular feature contributor, more of these groundbreaking snowboard stories are on tap.

Feature Writer

As the brand that sparked a soft shell revolution, Cloudveil grew from a small Jackson Hole movement into an internationally respected brand in 10 short years. Since I began working with them in 2001 and developed the “Inspired Mountain Apparel” tagline, Crucible Creative has been the sole written voice of the mountain culture company.

The characteristic tone I created as their copywriter for eight years and catalog editor since 2008 translated the grassroots vibe of the brand into an aspirational mountain-town voice. In addition to providing creative and editorial input on major marketing projects each season, the seasonal product copy I penned contributed a bottom-line impact to the rapid growth of their direct-sales business. And, to set the right tone as they prepared to sell the brand, the two company founders selected my words to tell their founding story in the 62-page 2007 Cloudveil Brand History book.

Copywriter

As the brand that sparked a soft shell revolution, Cloudveil grew from a small Jackson Hole movement into an internationally respected brand in 10 short years. Since I began working with them in 2001 and developed the “Inspired Mountain Apparel” tagline, Crucible Creative has been the sole written voice of the mountain culture company. 

The characteristic tone I created as their copywriter for eight years and catalog editor since 2008 translated the grassroots vibe of the brand into an aspirational mountain-town voice. In addition to providing creative and editorial input on major marketing projects each season, the seasonal product copy I penned contributed a bottom-line impact to the rapid growth of their direct-sales business. And, to set the right tone as they prepared to sell the brand, the two company founders selected my words to tell their founding story in the 62-page 2007 Cloudveil Brand History book.

Editor and Copywriter

The Program brand portfolio—including Forum, Foursquare and Special Blend—grew into an on-snow force due to a dialed feel for the hypercritical youth market. I was brought into the fold as a copywriter to find a distinctive voice for Foursquare, one of three overlapping apparel brands in their mix, the year these progressive companies were purchased wholesale by Burton.

Through catalog and Web text, our words developed a refined vibe and true voice that cut across all demographics and emphasized the detail and originality of their most premium designs. In 2007 I created a bolder Web and print voice that reflected the Special Blend identity, then took on the task of selling tech products to a core crew in the 2009 Forum books. In all three cases, my product text and seasonal intros helped strengthen the identity for each brand.

Few snow magazines have been as creatively influential as Frequency, the snowboarder's journal. My work with this publication began in 2003 as a contributor and progressed to associate editor during a formative period that included landmark pro-rider interviews, the first PhotoBook and the first Unresort guide. After completing several groundbreaking feature articles, my role evolved in 2005 to its current position on the masthead as senior writer. 

During my Frequency tenure, I have completed in-depth features profiling influential characters such as AK designer Tom Routh, exploring destinations from Jackson Hole to the Sawtooth backcountry and detailing the ridiculous extravagance of heli-skiing from a mega yacht. My shorter stories, rants and essays have focused on subjects ranging from hitchhiking and politics to backcountry gear, cultural icons and grassroots events. But regardless of the person or place profiled, each piece has spoken the truth.

Senior Writer

Nau quickly made a name in outdoor and eco-friendly apparel markets by hiring top-tier creative talent away from brands such as Nike and Patagonia, as well as re-evaluating the commercial paradigm in almost every area. My one-man shop was chosen to create the Web site product copy to effectively communicate Nau's environmentally progressive technologies and chic, urban style to a broad customer base on its Web sites and at its in-store kiosks.

By interviewing leading designers and working with Nau's editor and creative director, my work was influential in honing a voice for the company to speak to an undefined customer base. Although the company vision got ahead of its sales and Nau was forced to restructure, they continue to push change in the outdoor apparel industry with new ownership and a more sustainable growth strategy.

Web Copywriter

Crucible Creative is a copywriting and creative content firm specializing in the action, snow and outdoor sports industries. Our extensive project history includes the highest caliber work for such culturally defining brands as Arc'teryx, Cloudveil, Foursqaure, Salomon, Stanley, Frequency, and Nau. We are located in Seattle, an energetic nexus that blends active, creative and mountain culture against an inspiring Pacific Northwest backdrop. 

By crafting a resonant voice for emergent brands, we have done much more than just deliver word counts and hit deadlines. We have cultivated long-term partnerships with each of our clients by profiling their distinctive brand identities and letting our words honestly communicate their character. Our detailed knowledge of product design and immersion in active-sport culture has enabled us to speak directly and authentically to the defined audience.

Through a continuum of projects—including mediums from catalogs, Web sites and consumer collateral to ad copy, press releases, tag lines, packaging and brand books—we have articulated brand personas that ring with exactly the right vibe. Our creative services include brand identity development, creative project direction and public relations planning. If your brand is interested in the focused work we do, please contact us via email to start the dialogue.

Founder/Copywriter

Expanding from its Swedish roots into the North American ski and snowboard markets, RECCO quickly expanded use of their consumer-based avalanche safety technology by partnering with brands such as Arc'teryx, Atomic, Helly Hansen, Quicksilver, Sessions, The North Face, Salomon, and Vans. Crucible Creative directed public relations and developed all copy during a three-year cycle that significantly changed the image of the product and the brand.

Through all elements of brand communication—from writing story-based press releases and crafting technical copy for the Web site to trade-show representation—I promoted RECCO to an often skeptical market. My involvement ranged from ghostwriting articles for avalanche industry publications to helping the company tailor its message to the North American market. My work secured extensive national, trade and enthusiast media coverage, developed press releases for a multi-cultural European market and penned technical copy and taglines that still speak for the brand.

Public Relations

Stocked with all of the best brands, the Mountain Gear catalog has long been viewed as a retail bible of high-end outdoor gear by everyone from serious climbers and mountaineers to Nordic, tele and AT skiers. For eight spring and fall catalogs from 2002 to 2006, we created the text that sold each piece of this specialized gear.

The voice I developed for Mountain Gear exuded a shop-rat authority on technical product, yet read with the feel of a trusted ski or climbing partner. Drawing upon buyer interviews and dealer workbooks, I highlighted the distinct features and benefits of each piece as well as contrasting similar products through end-use imagery. The copy generated helped increase sales growth into high double-digits and circulation to the high six figures until, in 2006, our one-man shop passed this massive workload on to what quickly became an entire copy department.

From its foundation as a core climbing company on Vancouver's North Shore, Arc'teryx grew rapidly to become the unrivaled market leader in exceptionally technical apparel. Our work with the company began after their design department revolutionized shells with the waterproof zipper and as they were poised to launch profitably into the ski market with a new Descent line.

During four years of meteoric growth, my words developed a confident, unaffected tone that communicated the evolutionary nature of their designs through consumer catalogs, dealer books, ad copy and hang tags. In 2002 I conducted interviews with longtime employees and told the founding story and groundbreaking innovations of the company in the seminal Innovation Handbook, which remains the defining printed piece for the brand.

Buying, selling, marketing and employee management.

Shop Manager/Buyer

Find out detailed information about Dan Kostrzewski, Brand Strategist | Creative Director | Professional Storyteller in United States

Dan Kostrzewski: Brand Strategist | Creative Director | Professional Storyteller in United States

Dan Kostrzewski