As a Strategist, at both publishers and agencies I’ve built a career bridging brands and their respective audiences through innovative, purpose-driven storytelling across industries and platforms.
Creative Strategy at Publishers | Vox Media & VICE
As a Strategist at Vox Media and VICE Media, I developed stories that connected brands with their respective audiences across each publishers portfolio. For example, I aligned brands with culinary trends for Eater; for The Verge, I created tech-focused content that resonated with its audience; and forVox, I shaped campaigns around political and cultural narratives.
At VICE, I defined the white space within youth counterculture, creating brand strategies that resonated with young, rebellious audiences. By tapping into emerging trends and subcultures, I positioned VICE’s sub-brands in ways that felt authentic and aligned with the values of the respective core audience; from underground music scenes, to Art & Technology, I worked to tap into what cool kids would think is cool.
Brand Strategy at Creative Agencies | DEPT, Digital Kitchen, Leo Burnett:
As a Brand Strategist at Dept, Digital Kitchen, and Leo Burnett, my role was to dive deep into the ethos of the brands I collaborated with, understanding their core values, culture, and vision. This foundation allowed me to develop authentic and differentiated brand strategies that resonated on a deeper level with consumers. My work spanned a wide range of initiatives, from crafting brand visual identities and packaging design to leading rebranding efforts, 360-degree integrated campaigns, product launches, and even architectural experiences. Every strategy I developed was tailored to reflect the brand’s true identity within the broader cultural landscape.
PEER REVIEWS
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PEER REVIEWS 〰️
“Where do I even start... My team has been transformed by Hasan’s energy and creativity. Taking radical approaches that inspire others, Hasan has an innate ability to take mundane brand and business objectives and spin them into incredibly strategic creative approaches. I cannot recommend Hasan enough for pushing forward the importance of diversity and humanity in our work, the team, and the industry, and at the end of the day, for being an all-around great coworker and friend.”
-Creative Strategist
“Hasan is great at organizing the troops for priority projects, makes beautiful decks, & follows up with internal stake-holders”
-Account Manager
“Hasan is great at taking initial info and feedback and running with it, crafting a complete story that has all angles worked out. They are mindful of scalability, tone and what will be most important to the client down the road. Additionally, they are able to look at content opportunities from multiple angles and unearth “stories” that may not immediately be obvious. “
-VP Sales
“Hasan makes the most beautiful decks. When they get inspired by an idea, you can see the creative juices flowing and it comes through in the final work product.”
-Senior Account Director
“Hasan is creative and stays on point. They call it how they see it, and I truly respect that. “
—Producer
"Hasan comes up with a number of great ideas, pulling from a vast swath of material and references.”
-Executive Producer
“When pulling things together, Hasan buttons things up - concepts and visuals are succinct, clear and premium.”
-Account Director
Brand Launch Strategy
Suntory Whiskey TOKI
I worked as a creative strategist for the launch of Suntory Whisky TOKI in major U.S. markets, developing a comprehensive and fully integrated brand launch strategy. This included crafting a challenger brand positioning, establishing a cohesive brand identity, overseeing package design, and designing experiential programming to engage target audiences. Additionally, I developed an influencer strategy and leveraged various non-traditional media tactics to amplify brand awareness and drive consumer engagement.
Digital Strategy
VICE Interactive Firework Show
To celebrate the launch of Thump and Samsung's Galaxy S4, VICE pulled off an unforgettable night of lights, music, and interactive fireworks on Manhattan's Pier 84. Hundreds of attendees were given the opportunity to launch professional fireworks with lightning-fast responsiveness off of Samsung Galaxy devices. Each participant was given three levels of firework customization via the phone app, then witnessed their choice light up the sky immediately after pressing the big red “FIRE" button.
Brand Partnership | Strategy | Experiential Design
Doha Debates at SXSW
The Doha Debates address global challenges through collaborative solutions, debate, and inspiring individual action.
At SXSW 2019, I led sales partnerships, creative strategy, and experiential design for their activation, including an immersive Portal experience that connected global audiences via live audiovisual interactions. Hosted within Vox Media’s “The Deep End,” the experience showcased the power of open dialogue.
Doha Debates also co-hosted a talk led by Vox Media co-founder Melissa Bell, inspired by their short film (Un)divided, exploring bridging divides and fostering meaningful conversations.
Experience Design
The Mercedes Benz Stadium
Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium sought to redefine the fan experience, setting a new benchmark for innovation and engagement. As part of the creative team, I helped conceptualize and deliver an immersive visual experience designed to captivate and inspire.
Home to two premier sports franchises—the newly established Atlanta United Soccer Club and the legendary Atlanta Falcons—the stadium required a game-day experience as iconic as its teams. At Digital Kitchen, we embraced the challenge of creating unforgettable moments that honored the energy of the games while elevating fan engagement to unprecedented levels.
Eater Young Guns
Eater has long celebrated the best talent in the restaurant industry, and Eater Young Guns serves as a platform to spotlight individuals who shape the culinary world—whether in kitchens, front-of-house roles, offices, or beyond traditional frameworks.
For the 2019 Eater Young Guns, the largest iteration to date, I led the creative strategy, partnerships, and creative direction for Grey Goose’s sponsorship. This collaboration allowed us to align Grey Goose’s messaging of celebrating everyday victories with Eater’s mission. Together, we executed a comprehensive program, including an immersive day-long experiential event, a VIP dinner series, and two branded videos featuring Eater Young Guns talent.
Creative Strategy
Experiential Design
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
A mash up of art, architecture, innovation, and experience driven design.
When it comes to competitive real estate, the Vegas strip is one of the toughest places on earth to stand out. Hotels, resorts, and casinos spend millions courting adventure seekers, those looking to trade in their 9-5 routine for a few glorious days of spontaneous abandon. Whether it’s a Mediterranean Villa, Italian opulence, a visit to the Eiffel tower, or 6am nights, Las Vegas has become a market of soulless imitation and excess, cultivating an anything goes, “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” mentality.
I worked as a creative with The Cosmopolitan to create a unique, experiential destination that would energize their guests and draw them back again and again. We took an inside-out approach, looking anywhere and everywhere for opportunities to engage visitors. From lobby columns to the marquee, every space, however remote, seemingly inconsequential, public, private or unusual, was considered an integral part of The Cosmopolitan story.
Digital Strategy
VICE x YouTube Music Awards (YTMA’s)
I worked with VICE on the development and strategy of the the inaugural YouTube Music Awards. We wanted to make this the most unique awards show - and my role was to define the elements that make an awards show special in the first place.
VICE wanted to bring YouTube IRL. Inside this place M.I.A. hula hoops next to a gigantic pink box created by Earl Sweatshirt. Eminem is there too, as is violin wunderkind Lindsey Stirling, Avicii, and a bunch of other people you know from YouTube and the regular tube. There was a laundry list of artists and directors involved, all overseen by creative director Spike Jonze.