Creative Studio Built from Scratch

Creative Director & Head of Studio | Horizon Media

Launched an in-house creative department that delivered millions in campaign value.

Context

When I joined Horizon, the agency had strategic media muscle but no formal creative department. Clients were asking for performance campaigns, social assets, and platform-native creative — but execution was either outsourced or siloed. The opportunity: build a creative studio from the ground up that could deliver high-quality, fast-turn, measurable work at scale.

My Role

As Creative Director and Head of Studio, I was responsible for both creative output and team operations. I built the studio from zero — hiring talent, defining roles, establishing workflows, and pitching in creatively. My team grew to 10 cross-functional creatives including art directors, copywriters, motion designers, and content strategists.

I partnered closely with internal strategy, media, and analytics teams, and served as the primary creative lead on top accounts such as UnitedHealthcare, Honda, HealthMarkets, and AmeriSave.

Process

• Team Assembly: Sourced and hired a nimble team with diverse skills — able to flex across performance marketing, social, and video.

• Creative-Performance Bridge: Worked hand-in-hand with media leads to align creative execution with targeting, analytics, and platform strategy.

• Workflow Design: Introduced streamlined creative processes for high-velocity delivery without sacrificing quality.

• Client Integration: Acted as both creative leader and translator in client meetings — especially important for data-heavy brands like UnitedHealthcare.

Outcomes

From 0 to 12 in Months:
Built and scaled a fully functioning internal creative studio from the ground up.

Revenue Growth:
Delivered campaigns that drove multi-million dollar wins and year-over-year renewals.

Full-Funnel Execution:
Shipped creative across TV, social, display, and in-platform media for top-tier brands.

Cross-Team Impact:
Established new workflows for creative-media collaboration, improving campaign cohesion and measurable outcomes.

Notable Campaigns:

• Medicare Advantage campaign for UnitedHealthcare

• Performance work for Honda

• Brand and conversion campaigns for HealthMarkets and AmeriSave

“

Tim brought creative rigor and sharp instincts for what worked across performance, brand, and storytelling. He built a department that felt essential within months.

”

CEO (NH)