Client

Tribune Publishing — subscription marketing for regional newspapers.

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Role

Acting Creative Director — led concept development, art direction, and copy refinement for a subscription-focused direct mail campaign.

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Challenge

Tribune Publishing needed fresh ways to boost newspaper subscriptions through direct mail. The piece had to stand out in a cluttered mailbox and connect with the primary decision-makers in many households — often women — while still clearly communicating pricing, value, and subscription details.

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Approach

Insight-Driven Story Concept
While sourcing imagery, I discovered a graphic divided into thirds, each featuring a different young woman. Knowing women frequently drive household purchase decisions, I developed a comic book–style concept where each character’s story tied directly to the benefits of a newspaper subscription.

Visual Language & Style Guide
Gathered references of classic and contemporary comic book art, typography, and layouts. From this research, I created a visual direction package that included sample fonts, panel structures, and color cues to guide the designer’s work.

Collaborative Art Direction
Selected a graphic designer whose skills and imagination fit the comic book approach. Provided ongoing art direction through multiple proofing rounds and creative check-ins, ensuring the narrative, pacing, and visual hierarchy supported the subscription message.

Copy & Layout Refinement
Partnered closely with the designer to refine both visuals and text, aligning headlines, speech bubbles, and callouts so the tone felt authentic, approachable, and on-brand — never cheesy or off-target.

Production-Ready Execution
Delivered a polished comic book–style direct mail piece built for print: clear panels, legible offers, and a strong, singular call to action for readers to subscribe.

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Outcome

Earned positive feedback from internal stakeholders and partners for the fresh approach and tightly integrated design and copy.

Demonstrated how insight and creative direction can transform a simple subscription offer into a story people want to read.

Produced a unique direct mail piece that stood out through storytelling, humor, and strong visual appeal.

Stock Art

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Final Ad