Paul Winter / Copywriter

Even though I was more than happy with the name “Skelevision,” it was “Gooze',” the name for a piece of content, that went on to launch an entire category for Jakks Pacific. Turns out, when Jakks picked up the Nickelodeon contract, the names I created went along as IP. As a result, they launched an extensive line of licensed compound products.

As for ThingMaker, it had a good 3-year run. The Skelevision skus, Reptiles and Bugs, were year 2, and a successful line extension.

Driving Imagination

Toys require a dual sales approach to instill desire in the kid and acceptability for the adult. The large fantasy graphic, name, and tagline present an exciting experience for kids.

Driving Acceptability

The bar along the bottom shows an “honesty shot” of the product for scale, with an info box containing battery and assembly details for adults. This also made our attorneys happy.

Driving Collectability

This bliser card redesign was aimed at helping the the Hot Wheels collector “shop the peg.” The color of the strip designates the segment — Track Aces, Treasure Hunt, etc — with the copy providing model name and number in relation to total vehicles in the segment.

With flagging open stock sales and tooling underway for two playlets, it was time to either pull the plug on the brand or take some action. My team and I came up with this “Try Me” blister card demonstrating the low-geared friction motor and magnetic features of the vehicle. Utilizing a piece of metal-enhanced track from the upcoming playlets, we were able to execute a gravity-defying, slow-motion loop in package!

Lightning McQueen talks, his eyes and mouth move, and he can be programmed for endless combinations of zip-around driving patterns. Luckily, one push of the “Try-Me” button delivered the full features set, but the price point necessitated a listed hierarchy of all on the face panel.

With a hefty Ferrari license and a motorized, rechargeable motor, this 1/50th scale vehicle commanded a solid price point. We did all that was economically possible with ink, paper and PVC. The 50/50 branding and overall packaging were executed with economic elegance. Notice how the blister and graphics merge fantasy and reality. The messaging drove all things speed. Surprisingly, this was the first instance we listed “scale speed” on a package, in this case an impressive 300mph.

When there’s a product and a budget, there’s a way. The Rugrats Slumber Party and Mini Plush dolls were definitely cost challenged. But I worked with the team to spend our pennies wisely. We packed out the Slumber Party dolls in a chipboard fry container-style package with sleeping bag graphics. The mini-plush package is sandwiched e-flute with a die-cut and flare at the bottom for crazy ride-on action. Both packages hit costing targets and afforded aftermarket play value.

Jakks had an MXS value pack that did a commendable job of calling out and showcasing piece count, but it was static and undersold the benefit, the imaginative play the set provided. Utilizing an active packout and relevant graphics we upped the fun quotient with some free-style arial antics.

Linksys was always a brand appreciated by no nonsense tech savvy consumers—and the packaging traditionally delivered what those customers wanted, speeds and feeds on the front with tech specs on the back, all delivered with a conservative “Brooks Brothers” graphic style.

Right before Belkin acquired the brand from Cisco, Linksys underwent a rebranding effort with a reputable agency. To say it was a departure from the classic brand look would certainly be an understatement. During focus groups, one of the participants said it looked like “robot vomit.”

I was brought in to rebrand the rebrand. This was a strategically surgical procedure in that the newly rebranded packaging had been established at retail occupying complete planograms. Whatever packaging I helped create would live onshelf with rebrand #1. The goal was to swing the pendulum back toward the classic presentation without further destabilizing the brand.

It wasn’t easy getting consensus on design with marketing and sales, and it took several closed door meetings with Belkin’s CBO to sell the design on the strategy outlined in the brief. But, in the end, everyone agreed rebrand #2 met the objectives of the brief.

My first day on the job I was shown this video and asked to write a script. Two hours later, script and tagline.

A spot for Suddenlink, a provider of enterprise grade connectivity. The strategy was to show all the ways Suddenlink solved slow performance and the anxiety and pain points that accompany it.

Here are the top 3 executions.