Creative Director · Brooklyn, NY
I’m Gillian Salit, a creative director with 15+ years in experiential, brand and campaign work. Recent projects include three summits at Google Cloud Next ’24 and Prince: The Immersive Experience. I also teach typography and design at FIT.
Open to full-time roles, freelance projects, teaching, and speaking opportunities.
Selected work
About
I’ve spent more than 15 years building campaigns, brand systems and live experiences for some of the world’s most recognizable names, including Disney, Amazon, LEGO and the artist formerly known as Prince. These days most of my work happens in physical space: event environments, signage and wayfinding, and the brand graphics that hold an experience together.
I like being close to the making. On Google Cloud Next and the IQOS events, that meant sample reviews, site visits, choosing materials and finishes with fabricators, and staying on site through install. I work closely with strategy, account and production teams, and I enjoy managing and mentoring creatives along the way.
I’m an independent creative director and a Senior Consultant at Opus Hours. I’m also an adjunct professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where I teach Computer Typesetting and Design, covering digital illustration, print layout and typography.
Helped shape the team’s proposal for N.Y.C. Groceries, a citywide grocery initiative. Drew on grocery retail and experiential design experience to frame how the brand could come to life in stores and refine the pitch’s visual storytelling.
Partner with brands and agencies on digital, experiential and content-driven work. Created a newsreel program and microsite that increased employee engagement 8.3% at Dow Jones, and directed three major experience zones at Google Cloud Next 2024 for 30,000+ attendees and 2,500+ partners over three days.
Teach Computer Typesetting and Design, covering digital illustration, print layout and typography through production-ready files. Develop the syllabus, lectures, assignments and critiques around a professional studio workflow, and mentor students on portfolio presentation, job search strategy and entering the creative industry.
Led creative development and execution of Philip Morris International’s “No New Smokers” global strategy. Produced large-scale activations in Miami and Nashville, leading international teams on live experiences featuring LCD Soundsystem, Ms. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean.
Led national and regional campaigns for Party City, Ekata, FinancialForce, Renalytix and Dorel Juvenile. Helped drive a 15% increase in Party City’s same-day delivery orders through a digital, contact-free experience, and virtualized the FinancialForce Summit for 5,000+ attendees with a 93% positive rating.
Led brand, campaign and experience development for organizations including Girl Scouts of America, Ripplematch, West Elm, Wipro and The LaGuardia Partnership. Led the ICSC rebrand and storytelling strategy, increasing brand awareness 13% in six months, while serving as senior creative lead and client partner across concurrent engagements.
Created campaign and new-business work for One A Day, MiraLAX, Phillips’, Flintstones Vitamins, Coppertone and Purina. Led Petfinder’s visual rebrand and multi-asset campaign, and redesigned Bayer brand experiences with a more conversion-focused content ecosystem.
Led concept-driven video, social, digital and photography for LEGO, Avon, Amazon, TD Bank, Humana and Voya. Voya’s “Born to Save” generated 3M+ first-week views, and Avon’s national recruitment campaign delivered 2M+ first-week views.
Member of the creative team responsible for the concept and execution of the True Harvest rebranding.
Connected creative direction with development and engineering, ensuring digital designs met user and business objectives. Worked on Justin Winery, Pom Wonderful, Wonderful Pistachios, FIJI and Teleflora.
Designed product features, logic and interactivity; developed narratives, personas and use cases; and managed iterative design, user testing and specifications. Worked across BabyZone.com, Spoonful.com, DisneyBaby.com, Go.com, Babble.com, ABC.com and the Story app.
Coordinated presentation design and event production, developed brand guidelines and creative concepts, and established internal processes and departmental structure. Managed internal designers and international developers across Magento, Magento Go and Magento U.
Conceptualized and executed print, online and in-store advertising for Walmart, product promotions and Walmart Soundcheck. Managed studio mechanical artists, vendors and designers while maintaining brand consistency.
Managed creative teams, client relationships and brand development, along with photo shoots, interactive development and radio recording sessions. Worked on Sunoco, Tastykake, Kobrand and Massimo Zanetti.
Work with me
Based in New York and happy to travel for shows and installs. Remote-friendly for brand and digital work.
Full-time
Associate Creative Director or Creative Director roles on experiential, brand or integrated teams.
Freelance & contract
Project-based creative direction for events, environments, identities and campaigns.
Scoped per project · day rates available
Start a projectTeaching
College courses, guest lectures and portfolio workshops in design and typography.
On my own
Contact
Email is the best way to reach me. Tell me a little about the project or position, the timing, and where it’s happening.
