Launching a Cross-Channel Campaign at Full Speed
My Role Creative Director • Campaign Strategy • Art Direction • Copywriting • Email Design • Landing Page Design • Paid Social Design
Project Breakdown:
Context • The Challenge • Approach • The Work • Business Impact
Overview
Building the Brand While Building the Work
CREATIVE DIRECTION
DTC
CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
ART DIRECTION
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
META ADS
EMAIL DESIGN
LANDING PAGE DESIGN
COPYWRITING
After the initial BrightCircle trial, I was brought onto Gym Snack. A completely new brand for me, with a completely different look, product, and audience. The mega brief covered the full scope: four emails, a landing page, and five Meta ad concepts.
The first priority was email. I got the brief on Friday. First concepts were due Monday because the first email in the series needed to go out that week.
I’ve always been known as a bit of a creative ninja. Flexible, fast, fluid. Drop me into something new and I’ll figure it out.
So I spent the weekend getting familiar with the brand. I dug through what was already there, studied how Gym Snack showed up across different touchpoints, and tried to absorb as much as I could before I had to start creating.
From there, I moved through the rest of the brief. Four emails first. Then the full landing page. Then five Meta ad concepts. In a pretty short amount of time, I went from opening my first Gym Snack brief to creating for the brand across three completely different channels.
The Challenge
The mega brief gave me plenty to work with. Vegan. High protein. Savory. Real ingredients. Different use cases. Different reasons to believe. The challenge wasn’t finding something to say. It was figuring out what was actually worth saying first.
And there wasn’t much runway before I needed to start making those decisions. Normally, I would give myself more room to explore. Pull ideas apart. Try different directions. Narrow things down. But with the first email already on the calendar, I needed to start creating while I was still getting familiar with the brand.
That meant making decisions earlier than I normally would. What deserved the spotlight? What could wait? What belonged in email versus the landing page or Meta? Each channel had a different job, but everything still needed to feel like it came from the same brand.
That was the real challenge. Not just working fast. Knowing what was worth making when there wasn’t much time to figure it out.
Getting Up to Speed
Learning the Brand in Real Time
I didn’t have time to disappear into strategy mode for a week. So I focused on what I needed to know to start making good decisions. How Gym Snack already looked and sounded. What the product was really selling. Who we were talking to. What claims mattered. And where there was room to push.
It wasn’t about knowing everything before I started. It was about knowing enough to make the first move.
Email Series
Finding My Way Into the Brand
The emails were first. Four of them. I had the mega brief, I had done my homework, and now it was time to actually make something. Luckily, Gym Snack didn’t feel completely foreign to me. It’s actually the kind of product I would buy, and the bold, fitness-forward aesthetic already felt pretty familiar. So even though the brand was new, I was able to find my footing fairly quickly.
Each email had its own job. One leaned into what “actually vegan” meant. Another dug into the ingredients. One focused on post-workout. Another made Gym Snack part of the everyday routine. Same brand. Four different stories to tell.
I wrote the subject lines and preview text. I worked through the messaging and copy. I figured out the visual idea. Then I designed the whole thing. A lot was happening at once, but honestly, that’s usually how my brain works anyway. Give me the pieces and let me figure out how they fit together.
And somewhere between Email 1 and Email 4, Gym Snack started feeling less new. I was getting a better sense of what felt right, what I could push, and where I wanted to take it next.
01 — Actually Vegan
02 — The Vegan Proof
03 — Recover
04 — Routine
Email 01 — Actually Vegan
Actually Vegan. Actually Good.
Its Job
Lead with the big idea. Make “Actually Vegan” feel like more than another plant-based claim.
Subject Line
Actually Vegan. Actually Good.
Preview Text
30g of savory plant protein. 100% plant-based ingredients. Finally, a protein snack worth trusting.
The Story
This was my first swing at Gym Snack, so I started with the clearest idea in the brief: “Actually Vegan. Actually Good.” Plant-based was everywhere, but the label alone didn’t always tell you what was actually inside. That gave me the tension for the whole email.
The story starts broad with “Plant-Based Is Everywhere,” then gets more specific. If the label isn’t enough, what should you actually look for? That’s where Gym Snack comes in. 100% plant-based ingredients. 30g of protein. Savory crunch. Real ingredients.
Visually, I kept it big and direct. Oversized type. Dark product photography. Short sections. The bowl became an animated proof moment, while the review module brought in real customer voices and gave me something repeatable to carry through the rest of the series.
Email 02 — The Vegan Proof
Actually Vegan Means More
Its Job
Turn “Actually Vegan” from a claim into something people can actually see and trust.
Subject Line
“Plant-Based” is One Thing. Actually Vegan Means More.
Preview Text
See exactly what’s inside. And what’s intentionally left out.
The Story
Email 01 introduced the promise. Now I needed to back it up. Instead of relying on another plant-based badge, The Vegan Proof gets specific about what Gym Snack leaves out and what it intentionally puts in.
The first half is all about what you won’t find. No whey. No honey. No carmine. No seed oils. No artificial sweeteners. No sugar alcohols. Then the story flips. Okay, so what is inside? Pea protein. Nutritional yeast. Olive oil. White vinegar. Coconut aminos. Lemon juice. Garlic.
Visually, I treated the two sides differently but kept the story simple. Icons make the “no” list easy to scan, while the ingredients sit right over the product itself. Nothing hidden. Nothing overly complicated. Just show people what’s actually there.
Email 03 — Recover
The Plant Protein You Reach For After Training
Its Job
Make Gym Snack feel like the post-workout snack you’ll actually look forward to eating.
Subject Line
Recovery is More Than Protein.
Preview Text
30g of plant protein, real ingredients, and a savory crunch you’ll actually look forward to after every workout.
The Story
By Email 03, it was time to move from what’s inside the bag to what Gym Snack could actually do for you. Recovery was an obvious fit, but I didn’t want the story to stop at “30g of protein.” The brief gave me something more interesting: high-leucine pea protein and its role in muscle recovery.
So the email starts with performance, then widens the story. 30g of plant protein. High-leucine pea protein. Real ingredients. Savory crunch. Because hitting your macros is great. Actually wanting to eat the thing? Also important.
Visually, I pushed further into the gym environment with product-in-hand photography and bold macro callouts. Then “Recovery You’ll Actually Repeat” brings it back to the bigger idea: the best recovery routine is one you’ll actually stick with.
Email 04 — Routine
Add This To Your Routine
Its Job
Turn everything the series has built into habit by making Gym Snack the savory protein snack worth keeping around.
Subject Line
Find Your Go-To Protein Snack.
Preview Text
The savory one you’ll keep reaching for every day.
The Story
The first three emails did a lot of the explaining. Email 04 looks at what happens next. You know what’s inside. You know what it can do. Now the story gets simpler: add it to your routine.
Instead of introducing another benefit, I focused on where Gym Snack could actually live. Gym bag. Desk drawer. Afternoon snack. Then the flavor lineup gives people a chance to find their go-to. Pick one. Keep it stocked. Reach for it again.
Visually, this one lightens things up. Lifestyle photography leads the story, all four flavors get their moment, and the familiar review module closes out the series. Less education. More product. More everyday life. A simple ending for a series that started with a lot to prove.
Landing Page
Taking the Guesswork Out of the Handoff
By the time I got to the landing page, things were moving fast. I was also still learning how to work with BrightCircle’s overseas team. With Louisville Jerky Co., I had created a high-fidelity wireframe and left more room for the design team to interpret the direction. This time, I decided to take it further.
Instead of stopping at structure and content, I designed the full page. Layout. Typography. Photography. Product sections. Icons. Reviews. Flavor cards. Even the smaller details that could easily get lost in the handoff.
Because I know we’ve all been there… “Do you expect me to read your mind?” I already had a vision for what I wanted the page to look like. And with a new team executing it, I didn’t want anyone to have to guess.
It meant more work upfront, but the goal was a smoother handoff. The overseas team could see exactly what I was thinking and focus on building from it instead of trying to interpret it. And for me, it was another lesson in creative direction: sometimes clearer direction means showing more, not saying more.
Full Landing Page Mockup
Meta Ads
Finding Five Ways Into the Brand
By the time I got to Meta, I had already spent time with Gym Snack through email and landing page. I understood the brand better. Now I needed to figure out how to turn everything I had learned into five distinct concepts that could each stand on their own.
There wasn’t time to explore a dozen directions and narrow them down later. I needed to make the five count. So I looked at the product from different angles: vegan trust, savory differentiation, recovery, everyday routine, and the simple fact that good snacks tend to get shared.
One brand. Five different reasons to care.
Concept 1: Actually Vegan
Insight
Vegan shoppers are used to checking the fine print. A “plant-based” label might get their attention, but trust comes from knowing what they’re actually getting. The opportunity was to make that reassurance immediate instead of making them search for it.
Hook
ACTUALLY VEGAN
Why It Works
The concept leads with one bold, uncomplicated statement: ACTUALLY VEGAN. No setup. No over-explaining.
Then the product backs it up. 30g of plant protein. High-leucine pea protein. 100% plant-based ingredients. The hierarchy was intentionally simple: make the promise first, then give people the reasons to believe it.
Concept 2: The Savory Swap
Insight
Protein snacks tend to lean sweet. Birthday cake. Cookies & cream. Chocolate. But sometimes you don’t want another dessert pretending to be protein. Gym Snack gave me a very obvious opening: go savory instead.
Hook
THE SAVORY SWAP
Trade Sweet Protein for Savory Crunch
Why It Works
I wanted the idea to feel instantly familiar. Take the sweet protein flavors people already know and literally swap them for Gym Snack’s savory alternatives.
The left-to-right comparison does most of the work. Birthday Cake becomes Cheddar. Cookies & Cream becomes Jalapeño Cheddar. Chocolate becomes Buffalo Ranch. You understand the idea before you even have to read the copy.
Concept 3: Recover
Insight
Post-workout protein usually gets reduced to a number. Hit your macros. Get your protein. Move on. But Gym Snack had more to say than “30 grams.” The high-leucine pea protein gave me a reason to connect the product directly to recovery.
Hook
RECOVER BETTER
Why It Works
This was the most performance-focused concept of the five, so I kept it pretty straightforward. Recover Better. 30g of plant protein. High-leucine pea protein. Give people the benefit, then show them why they should believe it.
I also wanted the product to feel like it belonged in the gym without falling into the usual fitness-ad clichés. No flexing. No sweaty workout shot. Just the product, familiar gym gear, and the information that matters.
Concept 4: Routine
Insight
Most people aren’t looking to completely rethink their routine. They just want better options that fit into the one they already have. Gym Snack didn’t need to replace anything. It just needed to earn a spot.
Hook
GRAB-AND-GO PROTEIN
THE SAVORY SNACK YOU’LL REACH FOR EVERY DAY
Why It Works
After talking about vegan trust, savory differentiation, and recovery, this concept brings Gym Snack into everyday life. Grab it. Toss it in your gym bag. Keep one at your desk. Reach for it when you’re hungry.
The creative keeps that idea simple. Product in hand. Gym in the background. The headline does the rest: the savory snack you’ll reach for every day. Then the proof points reinforce why it deserves to become part of the routine.
Concept 5: Shared By Everyone
Insight
Sometimes the best proof that something tastes good is watching everyone else want some. I liked the idea of turning that familiar moment into the concept: you open the bag, and suddenly it’s not really your bag anymore.
Hook
GOOD LUCK KEEPING THIS TO YOURSELF
Why It Works
This concept takes a break from product claims and lets behavior sell the taste. No protein story. No ingredient education. Just Gym Snack being passed around, grabbed, and shared.
“Good Luck Keeping This to Yourself” turns that familiar moment into the hook. The idea was simple: make Gym Snack look like the snack everyone wants a piece of.
Creative Direction
Moving Fast Without Losing the Details
By the end of the project, the work had grown from four emails into a landing page and five Meta concepts. Different deliverables. Different jobs. All developed while I was still getting familiar with the brand and learning how to work with a new team.
The Figma file became the connective tissue. Strategy, copy, creative direction, design, and production notes all lived together so the work could keep moving without everything needing another meeting or explanation.
July 2026 — Email Concepts
Each concept was packaged with its objective, subject line + preview text, strategic rationale, creative direction, designer notes, and working files.
July 2026 — Landing Page Design
The landing page wireframe was packaged with its objective, strategic rationale, creative direction, deliverable scope, section-by-section designer notes, and working files.
July 2026 — Meta Ad Concepts
Each concept was packaged with its insight, strategic rationale, creative direction, designer notes, copy, and working files.
From New Brand to Ongoing Work
Gym Snack came with a full scope from the start: four emails, a landing page, and five Meta ad concepts. The challenge was how quickly I needed to get moving, with the first email already scheduled to go out that week.
There aren’t performance results to share for this work yet. But there was another kind of result: trust.
Over a pretty short amount of time, I went from learning Gym Snack over a weekend to creating across three different channels and directing the work through handoff.
And the work didn’t stop with the initial project. Gym Snack became part of my ongoing work with BrightCircle, with new campaigns continuing month after month.
What started as a brand I had never worked on before became one I could confidently help move forward.