PBS, “Anywhere” Brand Campaign

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PBS

“Anywhere” Brand Campaign

Sketch to System: Turning a Spark of an Idea Into a Strategic Multichannel Brand Campaign

PBS needed a brand campaign that would live within their existing identity but speak to their new streaming capabilities. A simple sketch and a core idea sparked a massive idea and they came ready to run.

In my initial meetings with the client, they shared a couple very rough sketches explaining they needed creative help for a single :30 spot focused on telling the target demographic that PBS was now streaming on any device virtually anywhere.

I am a fan of PBS and have been since watching Sesame Street as a kid. Knowing there was likely a bigger need than what they were specifically asking for I started digging. Their brand was stale and really needed a kick start. They werent able or willing to do a full rebranding yet but I proposed shifting this one spot to a series that would act as a facelift and reorientation for the brand as a whole. It would be a brand campaign "plus". There was a challenge though, as the budget was tight and would happen little by little through the course of the year. I had to think beyond one spot and one execution and strategically build creative that could bend from animation to live action to digital, print, OOH and even experiential executions, all whlle addressing various marketing beats and goals.

This was going to be a challenging but fun and ultimately hugely rewarding project. PBS was excited about our style frames and the story i sketched out for them. They were amazing partners along for the ride with open minds and full of enthusiasm to see where the road would take them.

Creating a Unified Visual Story for PBS Through Strategic Design Thinking

Rather than approaching this brief as a one-off production task, I recognized an opportunity to develop a long-term brand and marketing strategy that would modernize PBS’s identity while preserving its trusted legacy. Though the ask was a single 30-second spot, I knew the real value would come from creating a scalable creative system—one that could flex across video, print, digital, out-of-home, and even experiential platforms.

Given PBS’s broad and inclusive mission, traditional audience targeting didn’t apply. Instead, I applied design thinking to reframe the challenge: rather than appealing to one type of viewer, we needed to craft a compelling, emotionally resonant story supported by a flexible and innovative visual language.

The concept that emerged—a journey through handcrafted shadowboxes—was deeply rooted in PBS’s heritage of tactile, artful storytelling. Inspired by my own early experiences with their programming, I leaned into a look and feel that evoked paint, paper, glue, and imagination. The shadowbox motif gave us a strategic framework to represent diverse people, environments, and everyday moments—communicating the idea that PBS is everywhere and for everyone.

This was not just about a single execution. It was a case of creative vision development—building a modular system that could scale across an entire year’s worth of yet-to-be-defined content. I created a library of potential vignettes, mapped out storyboards and spatial transitions, and experimented with visual motifs that could carry through across formats.

Leading this kind of project required strong multimedia creative direction and inspiration. From detailed camera planning to reference gathering to real-time collaboration with 3D artists, my role was to ensure cohesion across every piece of the campaign. When a complex camera move risked overwhelming the viewer, I worked closely with my 3D lead to rethink the solution without compromising the creative integrity of the piece.

At the core of the project was team building and leadership. I wasn’t just directing assets—I was guiding a cross-functional group of talented designers, animators, producers, and strategists, aligning them around a shared creative vision while ensuring each contributor had the space to bring their best ideas forward.

Ultimately, this wasn’t about delivering a spot. It was about reframing PBS’s brand moment into a strategic creative opportunity—an investment in storytelling that could grow and evolve alongside their platform.

Creating a Unified Visual Story for PBS Through Strategic Design Thinking

Three teens watching programming on PBS colored phone

Project Impact Overview

What began as a straightforward request for a single 30-second spot with a singular message grew into a multi-year, cross-platform creative campaign that reshaped PBS’s brand presence and marketing strategy. Originally intended to run for just one quarter before transitioning to the next promotional beat, the campaign quickly gained momentum. Multiple versions were created—including a live-action component—and the work ultimately served as a springboard for how PBS would reinterpret and express its brand identity moving forward.

This wasn’t just a campaign—it became a catalyst for brand transformation.

I knew the concept would resonate, but when the spot debuted at SXSW to a standing ovation, it was clear we had hit the bullseye. What followed was a powerful validation of strategic creative leadership, thoughtful design thinking, and multimedia direction that scaled far beyond the original ask.

The impact was significant:

89% increase in grants and contributions
7.5% rise in total revenue
38% growth in online users in 2015, reaching 37.5 million—10 million more than the year before
12% increase in total viewership
Nearly 15% growth in household reach

By reimagining a one-off assignment into a long-term, brand-defining initiative, we not only elevated the creative—but fundamentally changed how PBS showed up in the world.

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