David L. Penn
penndavid@me.com | www.penndavid.com | www.linkedin.com/in/dpenn | 781-710-4143
Senior Creative Director
Providing brand management expertise and ideation across all media to deliver results-driven
multichannel strategic brand planning and marketing communications that tell a compelling brand
story.
CREATIVE SERVICES & BRAND MANAGEMENT: FASHION & BEAUTY INDUSTRY
More Than 20 Years of Success In Brand Innovation & Planning • Creative Direction •
Book/Catalog/Direct Mail & Website Design • Advertising • Photo Art Direction • Casting • Graphic
Design • Corporate Identity/Logo & Packaging Design • Point-of-Sale Messaging & Design • Post
Production & Press Supervision
Stellar track record leading brand building and marketing communications, ensuring innovative, synergistic
creative development across retail, catalog, and web channels in fashion and beauty industry. Apply 360-degree,
multichannel view and expert brand ideation to quickly pinpoint factors contributing to brand stagnation or
inhibiting brand growth, identify emotional triggers of targeted consumer markets, spot emerging trends in
photography and design, and reposition brands for new audiences. Guided creation of powerful iconic imagery and
positioning across Victoria’s Secret Intimate and Beauty businesses.

Directed creative development for high-profile, evocative print and TV campaigns for Victoria’s Secret.

Led development of J.Jill’s first multichannel marketing campaign, ensuring synergy across retail, catalog,
and web.

Ignited brand awareness with “The Art and Craft of J.Jill” campaign spotlighting philosophy and “story”
of brand.

Recast brand image for Nicole Summers, broadening appeal to younger customers to drive sustained future
growth.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Lane Bryant Columbus, OH
2013-2014
Creative Director
Worked with internal and external partners to recast the company's identity and position in the marketplace.
Spearheaded development and final design of new corporate logo. Brought focus to development of omni channel
creative approach for consistent execution across e-commerce, print collateral and store signage. Lead teams in the
development of creative strategy and execution for new business initiatives and designer collaborations including
Isabel Toledo, 6th & Lane and Livi Active. Drove conceptual development for new look of Semi Annual Sale TV.
Introduced new photography resources to elevate brand and maximize cost efficiencies. Reduced retouching costs by
50%. Restructured creative team for efficiencies and role clarity. Raised creative presentation materials to higher
standards and mentored team of 12 to think outside the box.
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HSN Saint Petersburg, FL
2011-2013
Operating Vice President/ Senior Creative Director
Lead team of creatives in driving brand synergy with seamless look across platforms. Directed development of
campaign concepts for new business opportunities. Instrumental in restructuring creative teams in print, production
and in-house photo studio. Directed team of 10.
Victoria's Secret New York, NY and Columbus, OH
2007-2010
Associate Vice President/ Brand and Creative Services 2008-2010
Promoted to bring successful approach executed as Creative Director to create synergy for beauty and lingerie groups
historically operating as silos. Led creative direction for $5.6B Intimates and Beauty businesses supporting new
product launches and sales initiatives to ensure “one eye branded view” across photo art direction, print
advertising, direct mail, and in-store signage. Oversight included concept development/design for gift card
initiatives, image selection/retouching for marketing collateral in domestic/international stores, and copy direction
for beauty messaging. Directed team of 12.
Spearheaded creation of synergistic brand imagery across lingerie and beauty that has become iconic
in industry, while maximizing efficiency and transforming team culture from one of work execution
to highly creative concepting and ideation:

Garnered “FIFI” awards for creation of compelling and innovative imagery and marketing materials for
Noir (2009) and Love Rocks (2010) fragrance launches.

Reversed declining sales due to stagnation of makeup line, repositioning branding for newly redesigned
formulas in VSMakeup re-launch themed “The Supermodel Beauty Secret.”

Led combined Beauty and Intimates photo direction for all print in Holiday Campaign 2008, driving
brand synergy with seamless look across entire store and leading to public kudos from CEO in leadership
meeting.

Oversaw development and execution of numerous major initiatives including major national print
campaign “Super Model Obsessions,” National Print ads for Fragrance / Body Care Launches and Swim
Collection, and synergistic Mother’s Day campaign.

Elevated quality and impact of visuals by recruiting world class fashion/still life photographic and
makeup talent to work with brand.
Creative Director 2007-2008
Reporting to Vice President of Creative Services with team of 6 creative personnel, led concept development and
execution of print and TV marketing materials and presentation materials supporting new product launches and
sales initiatives. Scope spanned Photo Art Direction, Print Advertising, Direct Mail, and Signage. Coordinated and
partnered with Traffic and Production, Copy and Visual Merchandising, and presented campaign concepts to
senior management.
Applied recognized “360 degree viewpoint” and understanding of how Internet, catalog, and retail
channels work together to ensure powerful, consistent umbrella image for leading women’s lingerie
brand:

Art directed, edited, and developed “Timeless Imagery” Library for cross-functional team use, reining in
and ensuring legal, approved use of supermodel images for store visuals, architectural, and creative
applications.
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
Drove informed consumer purchases with development of “Book of Bras” describing 30+ different types in
both small carry-away booklets and large coffee table book. Included print collateral and interactive
digital media.

Revitalized photo direction for “What is Sexy” positioning for Valentine’s Day campaign, creating striking
images selected later for 3-month national print campaign and corporate office art installations.

Supplied high volume of creative for Brand spanning TV and print advertising, packaging, direct mail and
point-of-sale marketing.
The J.Jill Group Quincy, MA
1997-2007
Operating Vice President/ Associate Creative Director 2003-2007
Recruited as Executive Art Director to revitalize branding for traditional catalog house, brought multichannel
experience to bear as company expanded into online and retail arenas, ultimately taking on responsibility for
oversight of J.Jill brand image synergy across $434MM company’s 3 business channels (retail, catalog, internet).
Directed creative for print advertising, logo and package design, and coordinated internal/external resources for
production of 26 catalogs annually.
Executive Art Director 1997-2003
Made key creative contributions throughout 10-year career with J.Jill, beginning with re-launch of
Nicole Summers brand and culminating in instrumental role evolving positioning and synergistic
concepts for J.Jill lifestyle brand across all channels:

Transformed pedestrian Nicole Summers brand, re-launching it with great success as luxury offering and
strategically shifting consumer target from older women to 35-45 age bracket, including research, copy
and visual direction.

Promoted based on above success to apply skills for introduction of J.Jill brand to retail and internet
channels: Guided catalog-oriented merchants with no prior retail exposure to develop compelling space
including signage, look/feel, POS materials, and logo. Created successful new Internet channel on
shoestring budget by bringing Internet in-house and hiring staff to produce web presence that was highly
synergistic with store experience.

Reduced catalog production costs more than 20% by championing and playing lead role in transferring
creative production for Nicole and J.Jill catalogs from outside agency resources to in-house creative team.

Led strategic development of “The Art and Craft of J.Jill” concept and created brand positioning book to
communicate philosophy and “tell the story” for company’s first multichannel campaign. Scope included
store collateral, advertising concepts, logo redesign, all visual presentations in print, web, and store settings,
packaging, and product development.

Created tremendous brand awareness through direction of creative development for various high-impact
campaigns, including “Compassion Tee” philanthropic campaign still in use today and company’s first
themed catalog campaign “Tickled Pink” that resulted in most profitable catalog sales in nearly a decade.
Talbots Hingham, MA
1995-1997
Senior Art Director 1995-1997
Brought in to leverage international experience gained at I.Magnin to translate classic American concept for
international customers. Oversaw Creative Direction for 23 stores throughout Canada and UK, working closely with
agencies in both countries to develop creative for catalog, seasonal advertising, store opening campaigns, marketing
collateral (billboard, store, direct response, video, bus panels, radio, newspaper), and seasonal “look books.”

Elevated this classic brand, putting together books for stores showcasing head-to-toe look.
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
Delivered outstanding creative, resulting in promotion to responsibility for U.S. accessories catalog and
retail business.
I.Magnin San Francisco, CA
1994-1995
Senior Art Director
Develop seasonal concepts for a $65 million international direct mail division. Contributed substantially to
merchandising and brand image strategy, coaching group in storytelling approach for brand and orchestrating
major magazine campaign for Vanity Fair in collaboration with Mercedes and San Francisco art museum keeping
staff motivated and flexible to achieve quick turnarounds on newspaper advertising designs.
Woodward & Lothrop/John Wanamaker Washington, D.C.
1993-1994
Executive Art Director
Create and implement newspaper and magazine advertising concepts for 31 retail stores posting annual sales of
$875 million. Provided advertising direction in challenging environment of financial uncertainty and constantly
changing requirements,
Spiegel Oakbrook, IL
1989-1993
Senior Art Director
Provide creative direction for 300 pages of Spiegel catalogs per season. Brought in to develop new in-house
department, turn catalog into “mag-alog,” and lead re-branding. Recruited and worked with calligrapher to
design modernized corporate logo used in all media, helped launch children’s clothing line Crayola Kids, and
pioneered bridal registry program.
Pluzynski and Associates New York, NY
1988-1989
Senior Art Director
Delivered successful advertising and promotion for Amex account’s Travel Related Services luxury goods business,
and brought in high-caliber talent resources for photography shoots.
Macy’s New York NY
1986-1988
Art Director
Delivered high volume of creative in fast-paced environment, bringing concept of storytelling through still life
photography. Garnered RAC Award for Father’s Day newspaper advertising campaign and Letter of Appreciation
from Clinique for creating engaging advertising imagery supporting new product launches.
Rich’s Atlanta GA
1984-1986
Designer/Art Director
Gained tremendous exposure to various facets of photography/art direction. Developed newspaper advertising
formats and designed logos for storewide media.
INTERNSHIP
Turner Broadcasting Atlanta, GA
Designer
Designed on screen graphics and logos for Headline News Network.
1983-1984
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EDUCATION
Auburn University Auburn, AL
1984
Graduate
Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Visual Communication and Graphic Design. Studied Art History in Europe for
summer quarter, gaining experience and insights leveraged throughout career