A Creator’s Mindset for Modern Brands
approach
I believe in building with and for the audience. I push brands to behave less like institutions and more like creators—curious, human, and open to co-creation. It means leading with point of view, not perfection. Instead of waiting to be invited into culture, we make work that earns a place there. I shape content and experiences as invitations—designed to resonate, respond, and evolve.
I design brand experiences as platforms for shared authorship. That means creating space for fans, customers, and creators to contribute meaningfully—not just through feedback, but through visible storytelling and product innovation. When brands lead with humility and curiosity, communities show up not just to consume—but to co-create.
see work
→
149M+
Impressions - Xbox Year in Review
$230M
Revenue lift - Microsoft 365 Attach Campaign
20%
Engagement increase - Xbox CRM
me
Dan V.
Creative Director and Tinkerer
Skills
Award-Winning Creative Leadership • Copy Playbooks & Brand Voice • Creative Ops • Cross-Platform Content at Scale • Creative Team Leadership • GenAI Integration
Experience
AAF Seattle
Board of Directors, Education Director 2025 — Present
T-Mobile Studio, Bellevue
Sr. Manager, Creative Direction 2023 - 2024
- Built and led T-Mobile's in-house B2B creative team, scaling operations and evolving brand systems to support enterprise storytelling while doubling creative output
- Led major cross-platform campaigns, including 5G Adventure and Unconventional Awards
- Directed social activations on SailGP and PGA partnerships, blending influencer content with real-time event storytelling
- Built comprehensive copy library and playbook ensuring consistency across all marketing channels
- Cut design cycles 90%, implementing Figma-based design system & GenAI workflows
Creative Consultant, Seattle
Creative Director & Strategist 2019 — 2023
- Spearheaded the creative strategy for Microsoft accounts at Indigo Slate (2021-2022):
- Led creative for global advertising toolkits for Microsoft 365 across US, Canada, LATAM, APAC, and Europe, increasing attach rates by 18% ($230MM)
- Applied AI analytics—eye-tracking and heuristics modeling—to refine customer journey performance
- Reimagined Microsoft onboarding with 3D motion-based storytelling system reinforcing cultural engagement
Wunderman Thompson, Seattle
Group Creative Director 2016 - 2019
- Creative lead for Xbox & Minecraft, pioneering digital storytelling strategies that redefined engagement
- Directed Xbox Year-in-Review strategy and concept development transforming player data into personalized interactive trophies earning 149M impressions & 4 Gold Addy Awards
- Built CRM frameworks with narrative personalization and modular design, increasing engagement 20% while cutting production costs 49%
- Mentored a team of writers and art directors, fostering a culture of creative excellence
Razorfish, San Francisco
Creative Director 2012 - 2016
- Led Microsoft Windows digital and Mozilla Firefox and Qualcomm social accounts
- Revitalized Acura's social strategy, developing a scalable content strategy and delivering stronger content quality and increased community engagement
Isobar, San Francisco
Associate Creative Director 2007 - 2012
- Developed award-winning creative for EA Sports, Dolby & Adidas campaigns
- Successfully pitched and won Sprite's digital campaign with an innovative creative approach
Education & Certifications
• Empowering Marketing and Communications with AI, Certification, University of Washington
• Design Thinking for Innovation, Certification, University of Virginia, Darden School of Business
• Advertising and Copywriting, The Creative Circus, Atlanta, GA
• Bachelor of Arts (BA), Journalism and Political Philosophy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
Awards
• 4x Addys Gold Winner, Xbox Year-in-Review
• Effie's Gold, "The Win" Campaign for EA Sports
• OMMAs, Adidas "In the Game" TV/Social integration, Dolby "Update Theater" Social Innovation
• Mi6 Awards, EA Games
• One Show, Cambridge Technology Partners
• Telly Awards Gold, T-Mobile for Business 5G Adventure
see work
→
holler
(415) 336-1154
A Creator’s Mindset for Modern Brands
approach
I believe in building with and for the audience. I push brands to behave less like institutions and more like creators—curious, human, and open to co-creation. It means leading with point of view, not perfection. Instead of waiting to be invited into culture, we make work that earns a place there. I shape content and experiences as invitations—designed to resonate, respond, and evolve.
I design brand experiences as platforms for shared authorship. That means creating space for fans, customers, and creators to contribute meaningfully—not just through feedback, but through visible storytelling and product innovation. When brands lead with humility and curiosity, communities show up not just to consume—but to co-create.
see work
→
149M+
Impressions - Xbox Year in Review
$230M
Revenue lift - Microsoft 365 Attach Campaign
20%
Engagement increase - Xbox CRM
me
Dan V.
Creative Director and Tinkerer
Skills
Award-Winning Creative Leadership • Copy Playbooks & Brand Voice • Creative Ops • Cross-Platform Content at Scale • Creative Team Leadership • GenAI Integration
Experience
AAF Seattle
Board of Directors, Education Director 2025 — Present
T-Mobile Studio, Bellevue
Sr. Manager, Creative Direction 2023 - 2024
- Built and led T-Mobile's in-house B2B creative team, scaling operations and evolving brand systems to support enterprise storytelling while doubling creative output
- Led major cross-platform campaigns, including 5G Adventure and Unconventional Awards
- Directed social activations on SailGP and PGA partnerships, blending influencer content with real-time event storytelling
- Built comprehensive copy library and playbook ensuring consistency across all marketing channels
- Cut design cycles 90%, implementing Figma-based design system & GenAI workflows
Creative Consultant, Seattle
Creative Director & Strategist 2019 — 2023
- Spearheaded the creative strategy for Microsoft accounts at Indigo Slate (2021-2022):
- Led creative for global advertising toolkits for Microsoft 365 across US, Canada, LATAM, APAC, and Europe, increasing attach rates by 18% ($230MM)
- Applied AI analytics—eye-tracking and heuristics modeling—to refine customer journey performance
- Reimagined Microsoft onboarding with 3D motion-based storytelling system reinforcing cultural engagement
Wunderman Thompson, Seattle
Group Creative Director 2016 - 2019
- Creative lead for Xbox & Minecraft, pioneering digital storytelling strategies that redefined engagement
- Directed Xbox Year-in-Review strategy and concept development transforming player data into personalized interactive trophies earning 149M impressions & 4 Gold Addy Awards
- Built CRM frameworks with narrative personalization and modular design, increasing engagement 20% while cutting production costs 49%
- Mentored a team of writers and art directors, fostering a culture of creative excellence
Razorfish, San Francisco
Creative Director 2012 - 2016
- Led Microsoft Windows digital and Mozilla Firefox and Qualcomm social accounts
- Revitalized Acura's social strategy, developing a scalable content strategy and delivering stronger content quality and increased community engagement
Isobar, San Francisco
Associate Creative Director 2007 - 2012
- Developed award-winning creative for EA Sports, Dolby & Adidas campaigns
- Successfully pitched and won Sprite's digital campaign with an innovative creative approach
Education & Certifications
• Empowering Marketing and Communications with AI, Certification, University of Washington
• Design Thinking for Innovation, Certification, University of Virginia, Darden School of Business
• Advertising and Copywriting, The Creative Circus, Atlanta, GA
• Bachelor of Arts (BA), Journalism and Political Philosophy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
Awards
• 4x Addys Gold Winner, Xbox Year-in-Review
• Effie's Gold, "The Win" Campaign for EA Sports
• OMMAs, Adidas "In the Game" TV/Social integration, Dolby "Update Theater" Social Innovation
• Mi6 Awards, EA Games
• One Show, Cambridge Technology Partners
• Telly Awards Gold, T-Mobile for Business 5G Adventure
see work
→
holler
(415) 336-1154
A Creator’s Mindset for Modern Brands
approach
I believe in building with and for the audience. I push brands to behave less like institutions and more like creators—curious, human, and open to co-creation. It means leading with point of view, not perfection. Instead of waiting to be invited into culture, I make work that earns a place there, shaping content and experiences as invitations—designed to resonate, respond, and evolve.
I design brand experiences as platforms for shared authorship. That means creating space for fans, customers, and creators to contribute meaningfully—not just through feedback, but through visible storytelling and product innovation. When brands lead with humility and curiosity, communities show up not just to consume—but to co-create.
see work
→
149M+
Impressions - Xbox Year in Review
$230M
Revenue lift - Microsoft 365 Attach Campaign
20%
Engagement increase - Xbox CRM
me
Dan V.
Creative Director and Tinkerer
Skills
Award-Winning Creative Leadership • Copy Playbooks & Brand Voice • Creative Ops • Cross-Platform Content at Scale • Creative Team Leadership • GenAI Integration
Experience
AAF Seattle
Board of Directors, Education Director 2025 — Present
T-Mobile Studio, Bellevue
Sr. Manager, Creative Direction 2023 - 2024
- Built and led T-Mobile's in-house B2B creative team, scaling operations and evolving brand systems to support enterprise storytelling while doubling creative output
- Led major cross-platform campaigns, including 5G Adventure and Unconventional Awards
- Directed social activations on SailGP and PGA partnerships, blending influencer content with real-time event storytelling
- Built comprehensive copy library and playbook ensuring consistency across all marketing channels
- Cut design cycles 90%, implementing Figma-based design system & GenAI workflows
Creative Consultant, Seattle
Creative Director & Strategist 2019 — 2023
- Spearheaded the creative strategy for Microsoft accounts at Indigo Slate (2021-2022):
- Led creative for global advertising toolkits for Microsoft 365 across US, Canada, LATAM, APAC, and Europe, increasing attach rates by 18% ($230MM)
- Applied AI analytics—eye-tracking and heuristics modeling—to refine customer journey performance
- Reimagined Microsoft onboarding with 3D motion-based storytelling system reinforcing cultural engagement
Wunderman Thompson, Seattle
Group Creative Director 2016 - 2019
- Creative lead for Xbox & Minecraft, pioneering digital storytelling strategies that redefined engagement
- Directed Xbox Year-in-Review strategy and concept development transforming player data into personalized interactive trophies earning 149M impressions & 4 Gold Addy Awards
- Built CRM frameworks with narrative personalization and modular design, increasing engagement 20% while cutting production costs 49%
- Mentored a team of writers and art directors, fostering a culture of creative excellence
Razorfish, San Francisco
Creative Director 2012 - 2016
- Led Microsoft Windows digital and Mozilla Firefox and Qualcomm social accounts
- Revitalized Acura's social strategy, developing a scalable content strategy and delivering stronger content quality and increased community engagement
Isobar, San Francisco
Associate Creative Director 2007 - 2012
- Developed award-winning creative for EA Sports, Dolby & Adidas campaigns
- Successfully pitched and won Sprite's digital campaign with an innovative creative approach
Education & Certifications
• Empowering Marketing and Communications with AI, Certification, University of Washington
• Design Thinking for Innovation, Certification, University of Virginia, Darden School of Business
• Advertising and Copywriting, The Creative Circus, Atlanta, GA
• Bachelor of Arts (BA), Journalism and Political Philosophy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
Awards
• 4x Addys Gold Winner, Xbox Year-in-Review
• Effie's Gold, "The Win" Campaign for EA Sports
• OMMAs, Adidas "In the Game" TV/Social integration, Dolby "Update Theater" Social Innovation
• Mi6 Awards, EA Games
• One Show, Cambridge Technology Partners
• Telly Awards Gold, T-Mobile for Business 5G Adventure
see work
→
holler
(415) 336-1154
dan@danvanderhei.com