Television Academy

The Emmys were on the verge of being stuck in the past. Membership was stagnant and made up mostly of entertainment veterans, many of whom had been out of the business for years. Growing the Academy meant looking current to a younger audience without giving up the credibility built over decades.

As Art Director and second in command, I worked with in-house marketing, event production, and awards teams, along with external vendors and television network executives, year after year and show after show. I oversaw the design department and the Television Academy and Emmy Awards visual system, which was used across member acquisition, print and digital campaigns, large-scale environmental design for live events and galas, and the workflows and vendor partnerships that doubled departmental output.

Over the years, I designed invitations for many Emmy-related events, including the LA Area Emmys, the Performers Nominee Reception, and the Emmy Awards show itself, often using premium printing techniques so the finished pieces could be collectible brand objects, not throwaways.

For the 70th anniversary, the in-house design department and an outside agency both pitched concepts. The mark I designed was chosen. It ran all year long on billboards, stationery, trade, digital, even Governors Ball hamburger boxes. The show and branding reached 10M+ viewers across 120 countries.

For the 73rd Emmys I designed a four-color invitation suite with nine RSVP cards using soft-touch paper and reflective foils in gold, red, blue, and purple.

I art directed and designed event key art throughout the year, from the College Television Awards to Evenings With programs featuring casts from major shows.

I created marks and identities for both the Academy and its Foundation programs, scholarships, and awards.

I oversaw marketing and Emmy Show ad campaigns that ran in People, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety. Key art was adapted across trade, banners, and social. Working closely with marketing and corporate relations, I managed the media budget and partner placements.

Over my sixteen years as Art Director, membership grew 257% from 7,000 to over 25,000, mainly due to the efforts and initiatives of the design and marketing teams. To date, many of the workflows I created and graphics I designed are still in use.

In 2026, I was asked back as Lead Design Consultant on specialty projects, including brand guidelines for the Television Academy’s Televerse Festival and logistics materials for this year’s Emmy shows.