nolan garrido

creative+design director

5057 n ashland ave, unit 1, chicago, il 60640
312 560 5038
nolangarrido81@gmail.com
thumbnail.work

Howdy!

My name is Nolan and I’m a Creative Director, as well as a relentless problem solver for 10+ years. With the mind of a dreamer, curiosity of a child and hands of a craftsman, I create brand clarity and relevance. I collaborate with brands to connect with consumers in a meaningful and human way across various touchpoints and between general, multi-cultural & local markets. I embrace technology and an entrepreneurial optimism, always seeking opportunities to make good things even better. And yes, I love what I do, starting every journey with a thumbnail sketch.

If you’re awesome and ready to be awesomer, holla at yer’ boy!

shops

thumbnail 2016 - present, freelance & creative consultancy
creative+design director+designer

Thumbnail is a design boutique and my freelance name. As the driving force behind Thumbnail, I specialize in helping brands find their voice and resonate with their audience - by getting down to the nitty gritty, we can shape a powerful and more impotantly, a truthful brand narritive. Whether it’s through creative direction or hands-on design work, I bring a wealth of experience to the table. Through a range of clients, I have a deep understanding of the big idea and bringing it down through the funnel. Between marketing fortune 100 brands like Coca Cola, CVS, and Chevron, among others, and launching startups like Halisi, Pathward, Sovereignty, Sur Phytonutrient and Renew Social, Ive had a very busy few years.

Highlights:
Through Thumbnail I’ve had the opportunity to experience and collaborate with some amazing brands and solve a range of business needs. For instance, freelancing at the agency level has allowed me to be integral at creating the new visual identity of CVS stores. And come up with the big experiential idea to tour the Beam family of bourbons throughout the US. And create the brand identity of the industrial business of Avery labels. And design a few uber-premium, shopper-stopping, promotional packaging for Courvoisier. And help Wellness Pet Company become a family of brands. And create the brand identity of a promotional Blue Moon beer that celebrates veterans and the five branches of the military. And help come up with the tasty, campaign big idea, tagline and look for Snap Kitchen. As well as push the creative for local government entities like the RTA, Cook County Public Health and County Care Health Plan.

Going out and bringing in clients like Halisi, I helped name, brand and design a new brandy made with grapes grown from the rich soil of Africa. And reimagined what it means to be an education and training firm like LCW, built on cultural competence, diversity, equity and inclusion. And helped create the meaning, voice and look of Sovereignty, a CBD brand that helps people regain and maintain a better-balanced life.

love & the machine 2016 - 2018, design studio
founder/managing partner/creative director

At L&TM we launched and rebranded brands like Sur Phytonutrient, Grainful, Gillette and SC Johnson by utilizing three basic principles: Mindfulness, pride and craftsmanship. We believed these principles are the ingredients to create authentic brand love. The machine part is that we churned out an endless amount of it. We started L&TM as a side hustle in year 1 and by year 2 we had 4 full-time partners and some freelance resources when needed as well as very happy clients.

Highlights:
I started L&TM as a side hustle in year 1, collaborating with and naming SUR, a performance supplement brand and getting them off and running. By year 2 we had 4 full-time partners and a stable of freelancers, becoming the first partner for P&G, APDO category, in their new approach to external partners. Next we saw an opportunity with SC Johnson and were successful in bringing in that business. To found, run and lead a high performing studio was an amazing experience and most of all, an honor.

the integer group 2013-2016, agency
Creative+Executive Design Director

When MolsonCoors challenged the agency to raise the bar in design and craftsmanship, I stepped in.

Highlights:
I cultivated strong client relationships, aligning creative work with their business objectives and most importantly for the agency, sold in work at a high rate. We went from being the after-thought to the team to call when the client had critical business to be solved. Assembling and leading a highly skilled team across Chicago and Denver, we delivered data-driven brand and retail strategies, innovative concepts, and meticulously crafted designs for brands like Redds Apple Ale, Redds Wicked, Miller Fortune, Coors Peak, Third Shift and Henry’s Hard Soda. Our collaboration with the integrated agency team resulted in successful product launches for the MolsonCoors Innovation group.

leo burnett/arc worldwide 2004-2013, agency
executive art director

Through collaboration with strategy, account, creative and the client, i helped create integrated and shopper-based programs for many, many, many, many brands. One day working on retail activations and TV the next.

Highlights:
I was integral in winning new business for the agency - P&G, Coca Cola, Walmart, Nintendo and Cheez-it to name a few. Working on so many brands allowed me to hone my skills in ideation, creative direction, design, illustration and most importantly brand impact. With this passion for craft, the agency created a new title that allowed me to hone it. The Executive Art Director focused on craft at a high level without management responsibilities. It was a dream role!

We pitched the Pampers business with 4 creatives and 2 account people and winning it. Then won Always soon after. By the time i transitioned off the business, we were awarded Oral, Hair, Respiratory, Skin and Water categories from P&G resulting in the team growing to over 100 members. My win to loss ratio in selling work was 10/10.

 grayscale inc. 2000-2002, studio        
designer/illustrator
Designed and created artwork for on premise events for millercoors and brownforman.

 grayscale inc. 2000-2002, studio        
designer/illustrator
Designed and created artwork for brands such as Philip Morris(Basic, Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Merit), US Army and Allstate. This included ads, direct mail, and POS.

outhaus inc. 1998-2000, design studio
jr art director
I listened and did everything my bosses asked of me so i could learn the business. Except for swatting their shot in our daily game of basketball. I worked on brands such as Target and FritoLay.

clients

alcon
allstate
u.s. army
asics
at&t wireless
avery
beam
blackberry
brown-forman: southern comfort, jack daniels, woodford reserve
chevron
choice hotels
coca cola company: coca cola, coke zero, diet coke, sprite, powerade, fanta
comcast
cook county public health
courvoisier
county care medicaid health plan
cvs/pharmacy
dean foods
deschutes brewery
diageo
disney
elkay
frito-lay
ginghiss formalwear
hollister
kelloggs: froot loops, pop-tarts, cheez-it
mcdonalds
molsoncoors: miller lite, coors light, coors banquet, miller fortune, coors peak, redd’s apple ale, redd’s wicked, third shift, henry’s hard soda, sol, blue moon, peroni, leinies
nestlé
nintendo: 2ds, 3ds, wii u
Oscar mayer
pathward
pernod: jameson
philip morris: marlboro, benson & hedges, virginia slims, basic, merit
purina
p&G: gillette, pampers, always, tampax, crest, oral-b, vicks, vidal sassoon, herbal essence, olay
rta, northeast illinois
sara lee
snap kitchen
springhill suites
symantec
target
walmart
wellness pet co.
whirlpool

start-ups

good garden
halisi
main street social
outspect
poasterboard
renew social
sovereignty
smplfy
sniffle
sur phytoperformance
the studio school
tribute strength
120/life

touchpoints

integrated marketing in print & digital:
brand strategy, brand identity, branding, television, outdoor, shopper, retail, merchandising, environment, experiential, digital, social, promotion, packaging

industry experience

markets: general, multicultural and local
beer, spirits, beverage, cannabis, communications, entertainment, tobacco, food, office supplies, hospitality, insurance, automation, cpg, grooming, babycare, femcare, haircare, healthcare, oralcare, skincare, supplement, education, energy, pharma, petcare, finance, manufacturing, retail, transportation, military & defense

education

university of louisville
ba 1996
concentration in illustration