Silly little illustration. Animation by Marly Koven
For Google, I created a series of Doodles celebrating cultural moments and influential figures around the world, including U.S. Teachers' Day (2024), Chile's National Holiday (2024), King's Day in Amsterdam (2024), and a tribute to pioneering scientist and nurse Florence Nightingale. Each illustration was designed to capture the unique spirit, history, and visual identity of its subject which involved a fun amount of research as well as staying true to the google doodle branding and legibility.
AICP 24
The AICP Awards is a national advertising industry event held at MoMA in New York, followed by touring across the country. For the second year in a row, we were invited to create the event's complete visual identity, including environmental graphics, sponsor content, and three distinct show opens for the AICP Post, AICP Show, and NEXT Awards.
With so much content spanning multiple ceremonies, the challenge was creating a visual system that felt cohesive while giving each show its own identity and sense of discovery.
Built around a three-chapter narrative, our concept explored the stages of creation and transformation. Beginning with primordial matter and the birth of life, evolving into human ingenuity and invention, and culminating in a cosmic afterlife of pure energy, each chapter represented a different phase of existence while remaining part of a larger journey.
These themes were adapted and remixed across hundreds of graphic elements, appearing throughout all three AICP shows and venues across the United States.
Credits
Managing Director: Neal Cohen
Executive Producer: Kate Smith
Producer: Brittany Maddock
Executive Creative Director: Brian McCauley
Associate Creative Director: Colby Capes, Brad Backofen, Mack Neaton
Senior Art Director: Mack Neaton
Motion Designers: Dean Mosier, Nicole Pappas, Marly Koven, Brad Backofen, Colby Capes, Matt Trudell.
Illustrators: Dean Mosier, Nicole Pappas, Marly Koven, Mack Neaton
Audio: Another Country
Managing Director: Tim Konn
Executive Producer: Louise Rider
Producer: Josh Hunnicutt
Creative Director, Composer/Sound Designer: Joe Philips
Mixer: Logan Vines
Audio Assistant: Nora Strickstein
Our team conceptualized and crafted a package of Intro and Outro sequences for Nike's latest YouTube show, "Nike Sports Lab." This playful series is geared towards inspiring and mobilizing kids and their families to think outside the box, invent, be curious, and move!
Focusing on Nike's mission of fostering sustainability, creativity, and diversity within the realm of sports, we focused on incorporating the expansive array of materials, colors, and textures both found in their products and the show's eclectic set design.
The Nike Lab was envisioned as a distinct world of its own, accessible through a whirlwind tunnel that transported us to the Lab's central stage. The unique opportunity to engage in such conceptual reality - allowed us to create a planet comprised of sports gear and scientific equipment, leaving the audience with a sense of experimentation and play!
Managing Director: Neal Cohen
Executive Producer: Kate Smith
Creative Director: Brian McCauley
Art Director: Mack Neaton, Ella Yoon
3D: Brad Backofen, JC Tecklenburg, Thuc Nguyen, Ella Yoon
2D: Anastasiya Bulavkina, Brad Backofen,
Another silly little illustration for my love of a weird snack. Animation by Brad Backofen.
As a fun introduction to Flavor's website, I project managed and art directed a collaborative montage of artwork from our talented team of designers at Flavor. Reimaging the studio's logo across a range of artistic styles, I established a cohesive vision while supporting each artist in developing their own unique interpretation, guiding the work through concept development, critique, and refinement. The result is a dynamic showcase of Flavor's talent.
Credits
Producer: Brittany Maddock
Executive Creative Director: Brian McCauley
Project Manager: Mack Neaton
Senior Art Director: Mack Neaton
Motion Designers: Dean Mosier, Nicole Pappas, Marly Koven, Brad Backofen, Colby Capes, Matt Trudell.
Illustrators: Dean Mosier, Nicole Pappas, Marly Koven, Mack Neaton, Colby Capes
Audio: Another Country
This project brought a collection of familiar idioms to life through a series of short, playful animated vignettes, inviting viewers to guess each phrase as it unfolded. I led the art direction, guiding the team from early concept exploration through final execution. Working closely with each artist, I helped develop ideas, refine visual storytelling, and shape a cohesive art direction through ongoing critique and collaboration.
Credits
Producer: Brittany Maddock
Executive Creative Director: Brian McCauley
Project Manager: Mack Neaton
Senior Art Director: Mack Neaton
Motion Designers: Dean Mosier, Nicole Pappas, Marly Koven, Brad Backofen, Colby Capes, Matt Trudell.
Illustrators: Dean Mosier, Nicole Pappas, Marly Koven, Mack Neaton, Colby Capes
Audio: Another Country
Pfizer asked us to design an educational video to assist young boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). This condition is the result of inherited or genetic mutations within a child's DNA. Our primary focus was to capture the emotional journey associated with this disorder, while avoiding complex scientific terminology that can often complicate conversations between patients and healthcare providers. By exploring the intimate emotional experiences of confusion, fear, and hope surrounding the diagnosis, we incorporated a synesthetic experience of color and fantastical musical instruments. A metaphorical approach involving orchestration and sheet music to illustrate how DNA functions to maintain our health, ensuring a harmonious unity within our bodies.
Credits
Managing Director: Neal Cohen
Executive Producer: Kate Smith
Producer: Brittany Maddock
Executive Creative Director:”
Credits
Managing Director: Neal Cohen
Executive Producer: Kate Smith
Producer: Brittany Maddock
Executive Creative Director:”
Credits
Managing Director: Neal Cohen
Executive Producer: Kate Smith
Producer: Brittany Maddock
Executive Creative Director: Brian McCauley
Associate Creative Director: Brad Backofen , Mack Neaton
Art Director: Mack Neaton
Motion Designer: Elizabeth Galian, Anastasiya Bulavkina, Dean Mosier, Sam Stucky, Erica Kim, Marly Koven, Elizabeth Galian
Illustrators: Elizabeth Galian + Mack Neaton
CGI Artist: Brad Backoven
The Google Holiday Doodle is displayed for 30 days across 31 countries. This Google Doodle was designed for one of the broadest audiences imaginable, and had to be in light and dark mode. The challenge wasn't creating something visually complex it was creating something universally understood. The goal was to feel welcoming, culturally neutral, and instantly recognizable to hundreds of millions of people from different backgrounds. Early concepts explored widely relatable themes like candles, night skies, and abstract shapes. Ultimately, we landed on the familiar image of string lights.
Over its month-long run, the Doodle was viewed by an estimated 350–500 million unique people, with total impressions reaching into the tens of billions as users encountered it repeatedly throughout the month!
A variety of mural projects ( and one post card) for Google Experience.
Credits
Managing Director: Neal Cohen
Executive Producer: Kate Smith
Producer: Brittany Maddock
Executive Creative Director: Brian McCauley
Associate Creative Director: Brad Backofen, Colby Capes
Typography: Colby Capes
Art Director: Mack Neaton
Motion Designer: Adam Kohr, Anastasiya Bulavkina, Dean Mosier, Erica Kim, Marly Koven, Matt Trudell
CGI Artist: Emily Berveiler, Thuc Nguyen
Finish Artist: Ryan Esboldt
Another Country
Managing Director: Tim Konn
Executive Producer: Louise Rider
Producer: Josh Hunnicutt, Darcy Diplacido
Creative Director, Composer: Joe Philips
Audio Post Manager, Sound Design: Jeremy Schemm
Mixers: Jordan Stalling & Logan Vines
Audio Assistant: Nora Strickstein
Cutters
Executive Producer: Heather Richardson
Producer: Brittany Maddock
Editor: Tom Brassil, Nick Chiou (Sponsor Reel only)
Assistant Editor: Ashley Smith, Leah Fishwick
I created the hero artwork for Mentor Buffet, a podcast hosted by Olympian and author Alexi Pappas. Inspired by the show's central idea that wisdom comes from collecting guidance from many different people, the visual identity imagines mentorship as a nostalgic buffet. I developed the core illustrations and assets used across the project, including cover art for YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, social media GIFs, and the visual elements featured in the animated title sequence. Hyper-realistic Jell-O molds, 1950s comfort food, and retro diner aesthetics combine to create a quirky, memorable introduction that reflects the show's warmth, curiosity, and sense of humor.
Art Direction: Sam Perry
Animator: Sam Stucky
Illustration: Mack Neaton
Some style frames designed for the Kpop Demon Hunters Happy Meal
Art Direction: Mack Neaton
3D Modeling Artist: Thuc Nguyen
Compositing: Mack Neaton
The Flavor team was tasked with creating an intro video for the 'HalfRez' show, an event celebrating the motion graphics community in Chicago and the Midwest. The show's theme, "mograph is dead," humorously addressed the influence of AI in the design and animation industry. Despite the divisive nature of AI's impact, our team took a lighthearted approach, depicting the creative industry as a playful puppet world, complete with an alluring AI-generated apple tree. One puppet succumbed to temptation, underwent a psychedelic transformation, and returned with a burst of creative ideas. However, a surprising twist revealed that the puppet tree was controlled by a robotic hand, leaving the question of who's really in control, humans or artificial intelligence!
Creative Director: Brian McCauley
Associate Creative Directors: Brad Backofen, Mack Neaton, & Colby Capes
Executive Producer Kate Smith
Managing Director Neal Cohen
CG Supervisor: Brad Backofen
Art Director: Mack Neaton
2D animation Supervisor: Colby Capes
Storyboards: Danielle Otrakji
3D: Brad Backofen, Brian McCauley, Ryan Bechtel, Emily Berveiler, JC Tecklenburg, Krzys Pianko, Dan Tiffany
2D: Colby Capes, Sam Stucky, Keith Slawinski, Torey Kervick, Aaron Fisher, Sierra Lee, Marly Koven, Jesse Willis
Production: Dictionary Films
Director Brian: Broeckelman
Technical Director : Adam Kohr
Puppets: Liz Backofen
Sound Mix and SFX Another Country: Tim Konn, Jordan Stalling, Louise Rider, Cathryn Stark, Brett Rossiter
Illustrations for Miralax laxative. Type and character explorations.
15 second spot for broadcast showcasing the McPails containers for McDonalds.
Creative Director: Brian McCauley
Art Direction: Mack Neaton
VFX / Compositing: Rob Churchill
3D Designers: Brad Backofen, Thuc Ngyugen, + Emily Berveiler
Producer: Neal Cohen
Client: McDonalds
Designs for Fusion Academy, an online 1 to 1 school for grades 6-12.
Creative Director: Brian McCauley
Art Direction: Mack Neaton
Character / Storyboard Artist: Danielle Otrakji
Animator : Jake Wilson
Character Animator: Sam Stucky
Live Action Director: Brian Brockleman
Times Square Graphics:
Art Director - Mack Neaton
Animation - Jeff Franko
Client - The Ocean Agency
Adobe Stock Interview
Editorial - Livio Sanchez | Cutters Studios
Production - Kenrick Prince
Illustration - Mack Neaton
Audio - Brad Nayman
Client - Adobe Stock, The Ocean Agency
Miller Lite gave artists freedom to creatively incorporate their logo in any way of their choosing. Here are the frames I contributed to my teams Miller collage.
Intro to Citi Entertainments Youtube Content
Art Direction + Illustration: Mack Neaton
Client: Citi Bank
Vera Bradley is known for their illustrative patterns dense with nature and animals. It was such a treat to get to take my own spin on some classic Vera Bradley designs that so many fans hold dear. Creating a magical world where Vera Bradley bags and decor are more than what fills a home, but what makes a home. Especially when one has to make a holiday from a hospital, instead a house.
Additionally picture book giveaways were produced showcasing the artwork!
Creative Director and Writer: Pip + Brian McCauley
Illustrations : Mack Neaton
StoryBoarding: Danielle Otrakji
Animation: Brad Backofen, Colby Capes, + Katrina Zimmerman
Client: Vera Bradley
Focused on the emotional weight of being diagnosed with cancer, the project challenged me to illustrate heavily emotive scenes. How your world shrinks with one unnerving CT scan. The out of body experience of hearing the diagnosis. The uphill battle and the glistening of hope. It was an incredible experience painting the colors and metaphors of a story so many share.
Storyboarding + Conceptualizing: Brian McCauley, Mack Neaton, Brad Backofen, + Danielle Otrakji
Environments + Compositing : Mack Neaton
Character Design: Danielle Otrakji + Christian Jun.
Animation: Brad Backofen + Adam Kohr
Client: Outcome Health
A quirky fun style to a Youtube content series for Citi Bank.
Creative Director : Brian McCauley
Illustration : Mack Neaton
Client: Citi Bank
3 styles of artwork, each to a different script, as part of a pitch for All State.
Creative Director : Brian McCauley
Illustration + Gif Animation : Mack Neaton
Client: All State Insurance
Concept for an intro title sequence with a playful scrapbook aesthetic.
A collaboration between the American Heart Association and Hulu, the Made You Move campaign targets the average TV watcher to get up and move during the 30 sec commercial break.
Two separate looks and scripts for Century Link.
Animation: Brad Backofen
Design: Mack Neaton
Designs produced for Ronald McDonald House Charities social platform.
Illustration: Mack Neaton
Animation: Colby Capes
2017 AICE nominated spot for National Cable and Television Association.
Design: Mack Neaton + Danielle Otrakji.
Animation: Brad Backofen
Client: National Cable and Television Association
Pitch frames for Planet Fitness.
Quick frames produced for All State. Showing seasonal change in the same environment for their “Pay only when you drive” car insurance campaign.
My cover art for my Punanimation profile. An amazing resource to find talented motion graphics women around the world. http://www.punanimation.com/
Conceptualizing a style for the SC Johnson Entomology Research Center.
Client: SC Johnson
Two of four McDonald's Happy Meal Toy spots I had the pleasure to design with character designer Danielle Otrakji. Sweetheart's Candy, American Greetings, and McDonald's linked up to create a seasonal toy for Valentines day - Sweetheart Lip Gloss Clip and Monster Valentines Cards.
Client: McDonald's + Sweetheart's Candy & American Greeting Cards
Character Design for Abilify, a BiPolar drug. Illustrations are based on a “Manic” personality and a “Depression” personality.
My frames that lead to three spots with Leo Burnett's McDonald's Happy Meal. McDonald's emoji plush toy.
Client: McDonald's
Illustrations designed for Chicago themed children plates.
Lima-A-Rita's pop-art inspired rebrand led us back to 60's. Inspired by Andy Warhol and James Rosenquis, my frames showcase a grungy yet sophisticated aesthetic. A mix of playful and vintage, I stirred up a perfect cocktail for the young cosmopolitan woman.
Client: Lima-A-Rita Bud Light
