ThoughtWorks XCONF

Marriott International

Summary

I am the sole account director on our Marriott International account which makes up 75% of our agency revenue. This includes a strategic & creative development retainer for the Distinctive Select Brands group as well as ad hoc work for the whole MI portfolio consisting of over 25 brands. I own the client relationships, while leading our creative team to complete projects including photoshoots, strategic re-positioning, design tasks, website builds, events and hotel launches.

Branding

I have successfully managed multiple rebranding projects for a range of international brands in the MI folio such as Aloft and Moxy hotels. This includes guiding the creative team to hit client expectations through delivery of an updated visual identity, tone of voice, positioning and photography strategy. My role is not just to maintain the client relationship, set timelines/budgets and project manage the team, but is also to use my creative experience to guarantee our work is hitting the client brief.

Photo shoots

Hotel brands frequently require lifestyle shoots to produce photos and video for properties to use in their advertising and collateral. My role is to interpret the client brief and then manage the entire process end-to-end. This includes sourcing the production crew, leading the creative pre-production process, managing client and production teams on set, and finally overseeing post-production.

Websites and Digital

Marriott International frequently require websites across their entire portfolio of brands for both internal and external audiences. I have designed and built over half a dozen of these, with content covering over 15 brands. This includes auditing existing content, building out user flows, creating UI in Figma, building in Webflow and managing the client relationship throughout. Some of these sites are private, but can be shared upon request.

New Brand Development

When MI decided to launch a new mid-scale hotel offering (that is positioned to become one of their largest brands by hotel number), they came to our agency to help develop it from the ground up. My role was to lead the project as we built out the entire brand, including the name, logo, visual identity, positioning and tone of voice. The new brand hasn't launched yet, so any more specifics can only be provided upon request.

The Learning Festival

A dynamic events  complex that features complex CMS item management, client side event updates, intricate internal variable visibility logic, and beautiful animations.

"It’s hard to give a testimonial as I don’t know the full extent of Julian’s technical mastery. Yet as a client that is exactly what you need, absolute trust in an area you have no expertise, and trust was plentiful due to the consistent communication and clear demonstrations of complex technical requirements to test fit with purpose. There was multiple platform integration into a seamless user experience. No challenge was too small, and Julian was able to rapidly problem solve to retro-fit new functionality to seamlessly respond to user needs as they emerged. Embracing the iterative design approach that made this entire project a success."
- Nicole Barling

Website here

Guided Resolution, Promo Video

A sharp and funny advertisement that uses high production values and visual cues to sell the platform.

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