How brands really do art direction
+ the modern event content playbook
Welcome back to another HYPER!
Last week Oren was exploring AI in video creation in marketing at Google Cloud Next (more on this in a future newsletter), while Clayton was being tasteful in London.
In today’s HYPER we venture out into the freezing cold of New York to go on set with one of our favorite brands as they shoot their new spring campaign in pt3 of our new longform series with Air. Plus event marketing and some visual inspiration.
Enjoy.
The Reality of Art Direction in Branding
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been digging into what it really takes to run creative work as a modern brand. Over the last few weeks, we’ve dropped one on creative strategy and one on social tactics. Today, we’re back with Episode 3 of our series with Air—this one’s all about art direction.
While we traveled all over the city, this episode was a particularly hands-on, as we shot part of the episode with Bandit Running on-set while they shot their Spring campaign in Red Hook, Brooklyn. It was single temps outside, but we were real for it.
We chatted with Tim West, co-founder and creative force behind Bandit’s rise. It was a pleasure to speak with him about how he views art direction, the way he thinks about bringing an idea to life, and the process behind how he takes that idea and pushes it into a full-fledged production.
Despite the freezing cold, it was one of those moments that reminded us why good art direction matters. You can really tell the difference between subpar and good from great, and how putting in the effort shows.
Not long after, we sat down with Jason Murray (ex-Amazon, now in the brand world) at Shopify’s beautiful Greene Street space to talk about what it really takes to direct creative work at scale.
Jason worked for at Amazon for years, so he understands it on a level that most do not, but he also stays ahead of the curve when it comes to producing truly creative work.
In this episode, we unpack:
Why great campaigns start with strong references and clear direction
How Bandit Running nails tone and story across every shoot
Jason’s approach to building creative systems inside big organizations
Creating visual toolkits for seeding, social, and brand consistency
Making art direction a foundational layer across your brand—not just your campaigns
We also put together a free Art Direction Toolkit—complete with examples, prompts, and a Notion-friendly framework for better moodboarding—which you can find below when you watch our episode 👇
The new era event content playbook
In one of his latest videos, Oren talked about the death of the sizzle reel, and how brands should treat events like a content opportunity as much as a physical event.
Gone are the days of a single event recap and a handful of posts. Today's most successful brands are turning events into true content machines. The Masters posted 33 times on Sunday alone, Coachella pushed out 50 posts just on weekend one, and Wimbledon set the gold standard with a staggering 1,000 posts during their last tournament.
The modern event content playbook is about creating as much content as works, with no arbitrary limits on posting frequency.
Here’s a playbook of content ideas for your next brand event
Event Narrative Building
Create carousel breakdowns explaining the event concept and backstory
Build anticipation through behind-the-scenes preparation content
An example from Sunnies Face:
Design For Virality
Structure activities specifically to be shareable
An example from Travis Scott’s simple but effective cage soccer:
Value-Adding Experiences
Offer documentable services like makeup touch-ups, blowouts, tattoos, or artist sketches
Create product customization stations with video-worthy processes
Host mini-masterclasses that deliver genuine value while creating content
The more before and after content you can capture related to your product at an event… the more posts you can get out of it. An example from Morphe recently:
Capturing life’s most thrilling moments & there’s nothing like a lil Cheek Thrills touch up at the club 🪩 Which shade is your fave??! #Che... See more
Influencer Integration Strategy
Work with influencers not just to attend, but to host portions of the event, or create content in collaboration
Real-Time Production Pipeline
Develop the content plan before the event so teams can shoot and post as you go
Set up on-site editing space and a prepped team for immediate content turnaround
Establish a content calendar with assigned posting times throughout the event
The LinkedIn Playbook
As much as we all dislike it… there’s serious advantages to using LinkedIn inside your content strategy both as person, and as a brand, but not how you’d think. Oren breaks down a modern strategy for professionals and brands below.
For Consideration
For Heinz Brazil’s new Campaign they designed Grillz that open the sauce sachets easier🤝
— Outlander Magazine (@StreetFashion01)
10:50 AM • Apr 16, 2025
Oof! Another Easter delight. Another form factor that looks absolutely divine.
The ‘Espresso Martony’. Love the play here. An espresso martini with Absolut vodka and #Kahlua coffee liqueur, served in a glass made entirely of Tony’s #Chocolonely chocolate.
Want. Like, now!
Ties into Oren’s recent video on fancy food being a new focus for luxury, and getting increasingly mainstream.
Xiao Wen Ju has the best editorials, I just know the photographers love to see her
Hyper Reports
Check out our market reports. We spend many hours researching markets, categories, and brands & products within the consumer space so you don’t have to.
The guide to making great Merchandise — HERE — a guide to finding and producing your own merch
Reports on Running, Golf, and Tennis — HERE — a guide to each sport, the market opportunities, and how to launch your own brand
Inquiries? Shoot us a note here: [email protected]
We’d love to chat!