This unique campaign turned a typical Black History Month brief on its head, and launched a program for lasting impact. We partnered with the Nissan marketing team to build a pipeline for emerging Black artists to create original music for Nissan, reshaping how the brand sources and celebrates sound.
The spot honored the roots of rock & roll through the lens of Black creativity, featuring rising talent both on-screen and in the soundtrack. What started as a commercial became a blueprint for authentic representation in advertising.
Role: Creative Director
Agency: Fluent360
Client: Nissan
At the 2024 Olympic & Paralympic Games, Xfinity invited fans to experience the “fastest connection to Paris” through exclusive post-game interviews with Team USA at the Xfinity “Cafe de Connexion.”
Upon entering the set, athletes were happy to take a seat on the Xfinity Couch in our Parisian-inspired cafe and play “Fast TAkea, share, and connect with fans back home. We built the experience with accessibility at its core, adapting gameplay for athletes with limited sight or wheelchair mobility.
Across two continents, I directed content capture, editing, and posting in real time, delivering highlight moments within hours of Team USA wins. The activation earned a Silver Medal for Best Olympic Activation at the 2025 Event Marketer Ex Awards and was shortlisted for two ADWEEK Experiential Awards: Best Use of Social Media and Best Use of Video.
As Creative Director, I helped shape a film that connected the resilience of a brand to the resilience of a people. Tasked with showing the strength of Nissan’s Armada and Pathfinder, we drew a bold parallel to the Black experience: a story of uphill battles, unexpected twists, and showing up strong every time.
Through powerful narration and cinematic storytelling, the spot positioned Nissan not just as a brand that pushes boundaries, but one that recognizes and reflects the strength, pride, and progress of the culture driving it forward.
Role: Creative Director (Copy)
Agency: Fluent360
Client: Nissan
As Creative Director, I helped bring to life a story every parent can relate to - that funny, nostalgic moment when your kid reminds you just how long ago “back in the day” really was. The spot follows a father and his kids on a drive through the woods, flashing between the Dad’s present life and teenage years behind the wheel, cruising to his old mixtapes.
Set against the capability of the Nissan Pathfinder, their journey through rugged terrain becomes a reflection on how far we’ve come as drivers, as parents, and as people. It’s a playful blend of humor, heart, and horsepower that celebrates the ride and the memories that come with it.
Role: Creative Director
Agency: fluent360
Client: Nissan
We experience music most vividly behind the wheel. It scores our commutes, road trips, and the memories made in between. That connection inspired this campaign: a celebration of the producers and engineers whose beats have powered America’s drives for decades.
The idea was to shift the spotlight from the artists on stage to the sound architects behind them, and pay homage to the innovators who created the anthems we still sing along to today.
Featuring Just Blaze (Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Kanye West), Ebonie Smith (audio engineer for Hamilton and founder of Gender Amplified), and Willie Green (producer for The Roots, Wiz Khalifa, and creator of Press Play), the series honored the unseen creators whose genius fuels the soundtrack of the road.
Role: Creative Director
Agency: fluent360
Client: Nissan
When fewer than 1% of American brewers are Black, representation matters, especially in the wake of a national call for racial equity. In 2020, Budweiser set out to do more than a statement and create real opportunities within the industry. The result was a new scholarship and internship program designed to open doors for the next generation of diverse brewers.
I joined Draftline NYC as a Creative Consultant to tell the story through the lens of Natalie Johnson, Budweiser’s only Black Senior Brewmaster. The film celebrated her 20-year legacy while positioning Budweiser as a brand willing to champion meaningful change in the beer industry.
Role: Consultant
Agency: Draftline NYC
Client: AB InBev
By the time “representation” became a trend, we had already built a movement. In 2011, my co-founders and I created Curly Girl Collective to empower women with textured hair and celebrate those long underrepresented in the beauty industry. What began as an intimate gathering in my Brooklyn home evolved into CURLFEST®, the world’s largest natural beauty festival and a global symbol of Black joy, sisterhood, and self-love.
As Co-Founder and brand visionary I’ve guided the festival’s evolution, from designing its signature experience to shaping a brand that’s left an undeniable mark on the beauty landscape. Instead of launching another music festival, we created a celebration of culture and confidence. Every zone is intentionally curated to spark connection through shared passions in beauty, hair care, cosmetics, and wellness.
On the marketing front, I spearheaded the growth strategy that expanded CURLFEST beyond New York, using storytelling, social media, and influencer partnerships to sell out festivals of 30,000+ guests in NYC and launch our first Atlanta edition with 10,000 attendees.
Today, CURLFEST stands as a cultural movement, a creative blueprint, and proof that when there isn’t a seat at the table, we can build a bigger one where everyone is seen and heard.
Roles: Co-Founder, Executive Producer, Marketing Director
Agency: Curly Girl Collective
When Cantu debuted at the ESSENCE Festival, they were the new kid among beauty giants. As the lead creative and executive producer of my agency, Show & Tell Creative, I set out to curate an experience that would break through the notoriously crowded space at the New Orleans Convention Center.
We introduced a fresh visual language for Cantu’s festival presence, a vibrant orange-and-yellow pattern that became the cornerstone of their summer tour design system. The look came to life both in our Convention Center footprint and the “Curls & Waves” rooftop pool party, a bespoke invitation-only experience that brough their “refresh” collection to life in an unforgettable way.
In both spaces we leveraged culturally-resonant talent to ensure brand messaging was communicated in an authentic way. From content creators and beauty scientists to a live performance by the Emmy-winning Syncopated Ladies, there were more endless share-worthy moments for guests to capture all weekend long.
Our results: Over 20,000 attendees were engaged, we won “Rookie of the Year” at their Sponsor Awards, and created a design and experiential playbook that shaped Cantu’s national tour strategy for seasons to come.
Client: Cantu Beauty
Agency: Show & Tell Creative
Role: Executive Producer & Creative Director
Agency: Walton Isaacson
Client: Courvoisier (Beam Suntory)
Role: Creative Director
After years of battling a perception of being an older cognac brand, our team was tasked with creating new energy and launching 3 new variants that appealed to a younger audience.
Creative & Design
Instead of visually emulating the leading spirit brands in the category, we chose the opposite. Our “Be the Exception” campaign was a call to action for our millennial audience to embrace their originality and dare to be different. Visually we chose a brightly colored, artistic design system to set the brand apart, and bold headlines to draw attention to the campaign. The tone was daring and unapologetic, and gave the brand a new attitude.
Media
Billboards and wild postings were placed in key markets around the country, and a partnership with Complex magazine amplified the campaign with print, digital, and a multi-sensory experience called the Courvoisiology Lab that launched their new, unique beverages in a powerful way.
Click here to view full agency case study
Credits: Shain Wahlen, Senior Designer
Client: Cantu (PDC Brands)
Agency: Show & Tell Creative
Role: Creative Director; Executive Producer
With every beauty brand for multicultural women in the same city at the same time for ESSENCE festival, how does one stand out from the noise?
With the first rooftop pool party the festival weekend has ever had!
My agency was tasked with launching the new Cantu “Refresh” collection for scalp care & hair extensions, but the product benefits weren’t clear for the brand’s core consumers that were most familiar with their products for natural hair.
Strategy: Create a connection between the new collection and the popularity of “protective styling” with hair extensions during the summer season.
Execution: “Curls & Waves” Rooftop Pool Party at Essence Festival in New Orleans with social media campaign and video content.
Creative & Design
To transform the Ace Hotel into a branded experience, we loaded the space with memorable, instagrammable elements including poolside lettering, branded towels and cocktail glasses, and a custom hedge wall for photo opportunities.
PR/Influencers/Social Media
We worked with a local PR team to connect with influencers in town for ESSENCE. The event was so well-shared that staff from other events were drawn to it from official events! Each attendee went home with a branded bag full of Cantu products and information.
We extended the campaign on social media with vacation-themed product photography and influencer tutorials around protective styling.
Credits: The Grant Access (Event Production); Candace Queen (Senior Designer)
Client: Cantu
Agency: Show & Tell Creative
Role: Creative Director; Copywriter; Executive Producer
While the rest of New York was sending models down runways to walk and smize, our team started a whole dance party on the catwalk at Naturally Curly’s annual Textures on the Runway fashion show!
We partnered with the Emmy-nominated dance team the Syncopated Ladies, and use them as both models and entertainment for the show. With 5 different hair textures, we were able to demonstrate the versatility of Cantu Beauty products, and show off the styles in a fun way through dance.
From the script and flow to the wardrobe direction and styling, our team produced the show in its entirety, managing a team of 5 dancers, 2 recording artists, twin girl models (the McClure Twins) and our emcee, HGTV’s Maria Antoinette.
Client: Courvoisier
Agency: Walton Isaacson
Role: Creative Director
Courvoisier hadn’t been cool since Busta Rhymes passed it in 2001, so our task was to create an experience that reintroduced the brand to a millennial audience in an engaging way.
Concept & Experience
The Courvoisiology Lab was a multi-sensory, interactive experience that allowed guests to enjoy the spirit through the senses - taste, touch, smell and sound. Upon entering the venue guests experienced the new cognac blends via scented fog, and could sip at 3 Courvoisiology tasting stations for each variant (C by Courvoisier, Courvoisier Rose & Courvoisier Gold). They were also treated to Courvoisier-infused hors d’oeuvres crafted by Bravo’s celebrity Chef Roblé.
Consumers were invited to make their mark on a digital graffiti wall, and shared their photos to an interactive photo wall using the #CVology hashtag that allowed the brand to gather data and create a social media presence. The event was also promoted and streamed live on Complex.com via a media partnership with Complex magazine, extending the reach beyond our guests.
Results
The lab garnered a total of 250M impressions and helped reintroduce the brand to a new consumer within the cognac category.
Client: Degree Men (Unilever)
Agency: Walton Isaacson
Role: ACD/Art
To promote their partnership with the U.S. Soccer Team’s Clint Dempsey at the 2014 World Cup, our team was tasked with creating a digital program that galvanized their community and positioned Degree as the deodorant for athletes and “Doers.”
Since we knew most soccer fans would not be able to attend the World Cup in Brazil, our team found a way to send them their virtually by creating a tifo (huge fan flag) with fan photos.
Fans were invited to upload their photos on the Degree website, which was added to the large mosaic of the U.S. Soccer Team. At any point consumers could zoom in and see their photo and search for other fans on the tifo.
Once the tifo was completed, it made an unprecedented appearance on Good Morning America before heading to Brazil to cheer the team on. This campaign not only engaged their consumers in an organic way around a global sporting event, but garnered major PR impressions for the brand.
Client: Clear Hair & Scalp Ultra Shea (Unilever)
Agency: Walton Isaacson
Role: ACD/Art
CLEAR Hair & Scalp Care launched a new Ultra Shea collection targeting women with textured hair, and our agency was tasked with generating brand awareness among multicultural millennial women, and distributing over 2 MM samples of the product nationwide.
Strategy: Tap into the audiences of young African-American talent to increase awareness of the brand, and encourage trial through digital and event sampling programs.
The Experience
We launched the campaign with an exclusive, 3-city concert series featuring Grammy-award winning singer Elle Varner in Atlanta, and other artists in Chicago and NY. We used the concert as an opportunity to not only distribute samples, but create content leading up to Elle’s first Grammy Awards appearance.
Digital + Sampling Sweepstakes
Our team created an online sweepstakes that allowed fans to vote for the hair style she would wear at her first Grammy appearance. Each entrant was sent CLEAR samples, and was entered to win other prizes. Elle debuted the chosen look, created with CLEAR by celebrity stylist Oscar James, on social media at the Grammys, garnering valuable media impressions for the brand.
Client: Cantu
Agency: Show & Tell Creative
Role: Creative Director; Art Director & Copywriter
Photography: Emmanuel Hahn
Cantu hair products have been a favorite among textured hair care consumers for over a decade, but as the natural hair aisle grew, their image was in need of an update to overcome perception of being a legacy brand for previous generations.
Additionally, the account lacked a content strategy, with the majority of content being reposted consumer photos.
Strategy
Shift from a lifestyle-focused content strategy to a product-focused one, and refresh the creative.
Execution
A new brand style guide with a more modern look, new photography and an influencer program to create fresh content. We also shifted from a 20% to a 70%+ product focused content across social media and YouTube.
Results:
200%+ increase in followers on the @cantubeauty page, and a pronounced increase in sales in 2016-2017. Our social media strategy and growth also helped elevate the standing of the brand within the textured hair category from #4 to #2.
Client: AVYA Skincare (Global Beauty Science)
Agency: Show & Tell Creative
Role: Creative Producer & Copywriter
AVYA Skincare launched their skincare collection in 2018 with a focus on melanin-rich skin. With a premium price point, our launch strategy was to highlight the luxe product and packaging, and establish a high-end brand personality.
I worked with our photographer to create beautiful product imagery for the brand which had very few assets, and created a Mother’s Day campaign with beauty influencers that combined audio with visual design to tell real-life stories of beauty after motherhood.
