Michael Gottschalk - Page 1
Michael Gottschalk
Irvine, CA92618| 203.434.7100 |
Design and Marketing Executive
Award-Winning Art Director CPG Strategist & Designer Identifier of Artistic Movement
Trendsetting creative leader with 20-year career executing global design initiatives and revenue-generating campaigns for a Fortune 50 company and some of the world’s most iconic brands. A hungry market researcher, keenly tapped into consumer insights and design / packaging / fashion trends. An inspiring leader who encourages team collaboration, creativity, and camaraderie while providing strong direction in the achievement of business goals. A skillful presenter, writer, and overall communicator, driven each day to influence target audiences through compelling ideas, words, and visuals.
— History of Excellence & Results —
•Consumer & Brand Marketing•Digital & Print Production
•Quality & Color Management
•Joint Venture Partnerships / •Visual Identity / Logo Design
•Beverage, Merch, & Apparel Design
•Experiential / Event Design
•Photo Shoots & Press Approvals / •Copywriting
•Illustration
•Web Design
•Retouching
Career Highlights
Managed prestigious North American, global-reach design and marketing projects for PepsiCo Beverages, including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Brisk, Lipton, and SoBe.
Creative Lead of licensing partnerships with Disney, Warner Bros, Sony, LucasFilm, Marvel, DC Comics, Blizzard Entertainment, and Activision.
Lead Designer of Global Mountain Dew promotional packaging for X-Men: Days of Future Past, Call of Duty MW3, and The Dark Knight Rises.
Success in reviving mature, fading, or underperforming brands into category leaders, including the brand rebirth of Brisk generating over $1B in sales.
Member of PepsiCo’s Billion Dollar Brand Club for elevating brand to elite status.
Recognized in leading industry publications as an innovator in package design.
Experience
True Drinks / AquaBall, Irvine, CA
Senior Vice President of Marketing and Design (2015 to 2016)
Directed marketing and design strategy for AquaBall Flavored Water Beverage for Kids. Led design of packaging, marketing elements, and merch, and creation of new brand Visual Identity across all formats.
•Conceptualized and executed AquaBall relaunch brand marketinginitiative--"The Zeros Campaign”-- educating on the dangers of sugar and encouraging healthier choices forchildren.
•Designed grassroots “Sugar-less Summer” campaign to build brand awareness, and drove “AquaBall Pledge,” a consumer-engagement SM campaign inviting kids to make one healthy choice a day.
•Managed complex design pre-pro and production workflow during infancy of flagship Niagara Bottling partnership, bringing state-of-the-art efficiency to manufacturing and distribution.
•Lead marketing and design liaison as top CPG licensee to Disney and Marvel, adhering to strict policies and regulations, while managing creative usage appropriately per budgetary agreements.
PepsiCo – Design and Innovation Group, New York, NY
Senior Art Director (2008 to 2015)
Provided strategic and creative direction to junior Art Directors in design of novel, brand-reinforcing packaging, merchandise, apparel, billboards, and advertisements for PepsiCo’s most popular beverages. Led teams in meeting strict quality standards and deadlines while shepherding projects through consumer research, brainstorming, concept creation, artist briefing, illustration, design, copywriting, and digital and print production. Interfaced and collaborated with Brand Managers, Food Service, Shopper Marketing, Operations, And Finance throughout key planning and execution touch points.
•Selected as Member of Inaugural Center of Excellence for Packaging and Innovation for PepsiCo Beverages portfolio, comprising top brands Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Brisk, Lipton, and SoBe.
•Assisted also with packaging design for Pure Leaf, Starbucks RTD Coffee, and Amp Energy.
•As member of PepsiCo’s CMO Marketing Council from 2009 – 2013, provided solid input and recommendations in monthly “think tank” meetings with Chief Marketing Officer.
Key Achievements Per Brand:
Pepsi, North America
•Design Manager of portfolio line extensions and promotional packaging for Pepsi Pass, Pepsi Challenge 40th Anniversary, Born in the Carolinas, and other initiatives.
•As multidisciplinary Creative Principal, managed national regional, and local executions of the new landmark Visual Identity System across sports and entertainment properties.
Lipton
•Design Leader and Brand Strategist for Pepsi Lipton Partnership (PLP), a joint venture with Unilever.
•Conceptualized and managed the unique, modern packaging design for Lipton Sparkling Iced Tea.
Lipton Brisk
•Managed “Refreshing Artist Series” redesign, helping to revive this fading brand into a top category performer with over $1B in sales. For outstanding work on this project, earned the 1010 GDUSA American Package Design Award and was invited to PepsiCo’s Billion-Dollar Brand Club.
•Collaborated with Lucasfilm and Microsoft on limited edition consumer-activated promotional packaging “Uncap the App” and “Feel the Force.”
Mountain Dew
•Sole Designer of global promotional packaging for X-Men: Days of Future Past. Led domestic packaging innovation projects, including DEWmocracy, AlumiTek “Chill Bottle,” and GameFuel Call Of Duty MW3 (PepsiCo’s most successful consumer promotion of all time).
•DevelopedThe Dark Knight Rises breakthrough packaging with innovative ink technology.
•Secured press coverage via featured interviews in Beverage World, Brand Channel, and Progressive Grocer for Mountain Dew Batman Thermochromic Can.
SoBe
•Led five packaging refresh initiatives that generated a brand growth +50%. Managed design of all SoBe Lifewater innovation, leading to growth of +148% in grocery, drug, and mass channels.
•Recipient, GDUSA American Graphic Design Award for SoBe Tea. In addition, SoBe Lifewater Coconut Water earned both a GDUSA American Graphic Design Award and a PepsiCo “Crushed Can” Award.
SoBe Beverages, Norwalk, CT
Senior Art Director (2001 to 2008)
Earned series of promotions for outstanding design work on beverage packaging, print and web material, point of sale advertisements, vehicle wraps, and sports gear and apparel. Managed photo shoots and press approvals, and provided original illustration and copywriting across all brands.
•Point person for customer initiatives on Safeway national print ad, 7-Eleven University promotion, and SoBe Lean “South Beach Diet” partnership for major grocery retailer programs.
•Valued for high energy and positivity in supporting revolutionary grassroots marketing campaigns.
~ Earlier success as Digital and Broadcast Production Manager for Marketing Drive, supporting clients General Mills, Miller Brewing, Gillette, Heinz, and Kraft (1996 to 2000). ~
Education& Technology
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Marketing• Villanova University, Villanova, PA
Coursework in Digital Design• School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
Technical Proficiencies: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Acrobat, Premiere, HTML, Dreamweaver, Interactive Media, Mac OSX, MS Office Suite