ZIPCAR — BRENDAN STEPHENS

I joined Zipcar at an exciting time of growth, establishing the overall creative direction for the brand, translating business objectives into creative strategies, initiatives and designs, and driving acquisition and retention results, contributing to growth from 650,000 members, 15 major metros in the US and 250 universities to over 900,000 members, 30 major metros globally and 400 universities. I art and creative directed, managed, mentored, and developed a team of ten designers, copywriters and production members, on all online and offline work, ensuring that the team operated in a highly efficient manner while maintaining top quality standards by looking at and optimizing processes. I also worked with agency partners and a freelance network (including directors, producers, casting agents, location scouts, stylists, and visual designers) on campaign work, collaborating on process, the work, budgets, timelines and talent.

SCROLL DOWN to see all the work.

Integrated campaign // Get out and zip

The big idea was to get off the couch, into a car and onto your next adventure. That could be to a hot vacation destination, a great date spot or to do your big shop (yeah, that can be an adventure.)

Working with agency partners in Boston and London, and shooting in LA, Austin and London, we built a fully integrated campaign that ran two years, optimizing along the way to get the best results.

OUT OF HOME campaigns

OOH proved to be one of the strongest ways to build brand awareness and consideration in both the US and the UK for Zipcar. Concepting, creative direction and production was split between our in-house team and agency partners.

product launch // one > way

ONE > WAY was a new offering from Zipcar, with the ability to take the car from one spot and leave it at another (as opposed to picking up and returning to the exact same location.)

This was a fun, and at times scrappy, launch piloting how members would take to a new way to zip. (The offering evolved after I left, so some of the work here was proposed.)

VIDEO

As the need for video content increased, we dove in, organizing and outlining in-house what we wanted to shoot, concepting our how-tos, testimonials and “I’d Tap That” misdirection series. In the case of our first foray into DRTV, we engaged our agency partner to bring our brief to life. In all cases, we were always on-set and in the editing studio.

BRANDING

We moved from Cambridge, MA to the “Innovation District” in Boston, MA and had a near blank slate to start from, partnering with Margulies Perruzzi Architects to bring our new five story HQ to life.

And of course with a new place to call home, we wanted new Business Cards to hand out. We turned to the amazing MOO (foreshadowing) which made us look just as good out of the office as we did in it.

We also took a new spin (sorry) on our vehicle branding, going from looks that differed between the US, the UK and Spain, to one consistent global look and feel.

Courtesy: Margulies Perruzzi Architects

ZIPTOPIA

When we launched our online magazine (okay, okay, our blog…) I oversaw the site architecture, experience and design and managed the monthly editorial, budget, and production meetings. I directed the creative direction and voice, taking an editorial approach, mixing profiles with service with city guides, working cross country (and in some cases across the Pond) to hire local talent to shoot still and video content.

A BIG THANKS for the great work:

Art Directors and Designers: Andrew Lee; KC Lee; Shyla Lindsey; Scott Leonard; Julie Shulman; Kali Winkler

Copywriters: Mandy Donovan; Daniel Kelsall; Allison Tanenhaus

Agency Partners: Campbell Ewald (Detroit) “Save Your…”; Champion (London) “Get Out and Zip” London; Full Contact (Boston) “Get Out and Zip” North America; Hayden5 (New York) “I’d Tap That”; Iron Creative (San Francisco) Ziptopia; Margulies Perruzzi Architects (Boston) Zipcar HQ; Sandwich (Los Angeles) DRTV and “How Tos”; Werehaus (San Francisco) ONE>WAY launch video and Testimonials

Photographers: Joel Benjamin (Boston); Frame88 (Atlanta) “Compost Wheels”; Tim Klein (Chicago) “Ted Gonder”; Noravera Visuals (Portland, OR) “Green Couch”

*Something mislabeled? Did I forget about you? Apologies! Email me and I’ll be sure to write the wrong (pun intended.)