Overview

I started worked on Guy Harvey in the performance creative space, focusing on the design of digital and motion assets for paid social channels.

While the ads were performing well, they felt informative and transactional, pushing the product without telling the story of the brand.

There was an opportunity to rethink how the brand was represented in paid social by bringing more of its identity to the copy and design by means of its heritage, storytelling, and iconic illustration styles.

Challenge

The challenge was to create work that could still perform in the performance creative space, but felt more like a story or mission and less like an ad.

Concept

I worked closely with my Creative Director and Copywriter and built a direction and style that shifted the focus from product to storytelling through the lens of the ocean and adventures on the water.

The idea was to make the ads feel more persona, tapping into the lifestyle and mindset of the customer, not just what they’re buying.

We leaned into:

• Illustration & line work as the hero, using Guy Harvey’s signature artwork to lead rather than support.

• Photography that captured real, in-the-moment raw human experiences.

• A more narrative, reflective copy voice that moved away from purely promotional language.

Solution

The system was designed to feel simpler and cleaner, but more intentional:

• Reduced visual clutter to create a single, clear focal point in each ad.

• Used bold, impactful headlines to draw people in.

• Incorporated the brand’s line work and framing devices to create a branded visual language that could be used as a system.

• Showed action-driven imagery that felt raw and dramatic to draw people into the story,

The result was a new suite of paid social assets that felt more aligned with Guy Harvey’s brand identity. It brought the story back to the brand’s purpose, art, and connection to the ocean, while still functioning within the performance environment.