Michelle Bes Email & Phone Number

Ibiza, Spain

Freelance creative director offering design and marketing solutions to a handful of clients, at cost effective rates, in order to build brands and establish long term relationships, I am focused on creating beautiful customer journeys and visual design solutions that communicate effectively with the target audience. I manage every step of the process working alone, within a team or when required assembling a fully scalable team of freelancers, tailored to your needs, in order to get the job done on brief, on budget and on time. Clients include: The Safari Collection, The Private Clinic of Harley Street, G Adventures World wide Travel (UK and Europe), Lux Charters Ibiza, reVOLVER Ibiza, Scott Dunn, Cala Basa Beach Club, vDitto.www.besandco.com

London, United Kingdom

Freelance creative, focused primary on luxury brands, travel companies and boutique hotels. Specialised in the conceptualisation and design of advertising, editorial, strategic marketing, DM and promotional and integrated multi-media campaigns. Clients included: Scott Dunn, Heidi Klein Swimwear, reVOLVER Ibiza, Six Senses, The Safari Collection, Kapacity Furniture, The Specialised Safari, Nairobi Tented Camp, Eseye, Skiplex (London indoor Skiing), Sally and Alice, Eseye Technology, Wills Consulting Group, Square Cash and Cinquanta50 (shoes).

Toronto, Canada Area

Supervised one of two creative groups, working with a total agency staff of 200+ with offices in Toronto and Montreal. I spearhead creative development for major new business pitches, and landed Pepsi QTG (Dole), Second Cup and Novartis business in first year. I worked with my team on a day to day basis to develop, oversee and execute strategic concepts and promotional solutions for tier one marketers, including Bacardi, (worked on the first BLive launch event in Canada), HBC Bank, Laura Secord Chocolate, Walmart, Aeroplan, Serono, CEMA, Foodland Ontario, Purex and Bayer.Attended weekly brainstorming sessions, presented pitch work for brand marketing campaigns, coordinated focus groups, pre-production meetings and directed photoshoots. I was responsible for the creative of multiple promotional events, cross promotional offers and event and ‘retailtainment’ marketing, which focused on achieving and exceeding brand performance expectations.

Toronto, Canada Area

Provided creative direction, conceptual design and marketing driven design solutions for promotional marketing campaigns, POS, packaging, new product launches and co-promotions. Work included the bilingualism of all packaging for Sanford Canada, and all conceptual and creative execution for Cadbury Canada in-store POS. I took an active role in strategic planning, attended client briefings and presented all new creative, developing ongoing relationships with new and existing accounts.During this time I reported directly to C.E.O. and reconfigured internal company structure, implemented a traffic system that doubled creative output and increased overall performance. I supervised and mentored a creative team of four and attained 100% on-time delivery of all projects. I was responsible for time/budget management, performance reviews, salary negotiation and new recruitment within the creative studio, and attended all photo shoots.Clients included: Cadbury Trebor Allan, Benjamin Moore & Co., Dairy Fresh Milk and The Sanford Corp. (Sharpie, Uniball, Rubbermaid, Paper Mate, Calorific, Uni-ball, Expo and Accent Brands), Tupperware North America and co-promoters, Kellogg’s, Effem Foods, Best Foods, Clover Leaf, Shoppers Drug Mart, Taro Pharmaceuticals, The Micro Brewery Co., Wal-Mart, Rexall - Pharma Plus, The Eckerd’s Corporation, Albertsons Inc., Canada Post & Sobeys.

Toronto, Canada Area

Initially worked as Senior Graphic Designer for Saint Laurent Display and Packaging which was taken over by Smurfit Stone (one of North America’s leading manufacturer’s of corrugated and consumer packaging). Since leaving they have changed names to RockaTenn after a subsequent merger.Responsibilities included conceptualisation and art direction of packaging and point-of-purchase. Worked directly with clients in conjunction with the A/M’s, to help target new business. Our combined efforts led to the acquisition of the Ferrero Rocher and Colgate. I was a key player in the integration of the structural and graphic design departments in order to create a greater exchange of ideas and attended and drove all POPAI OMA Awards submissions in 2000. During this time I was a guest speaker at the C&B corrugated seminar.Clients included Sony, Gillette, 3M, Hershey, Colgate, Ferrero Rocher, Kraft, Casio, Bristol Myers Squibb, Reckitt & Coleman, Spalding and Warner Home Video.

Durban Area, South Africa

Complete ownership of creative, from concept to overseeing produced displays for a leading International point of purchase manufacturing and design company based in Southern Africa, with divisions in the United Kingdom and Turkey. As a designer I worked in a team with a structural designer, fibre optics specialists, illustrator and account managers. Each project had a new team and each 6 months we would rotate desks. We worked long hours and loved every minute because we were innovators. From conceptualization and graphic design of in-store point of purchase displays and promotions, the creation of 3D visuals and presentation of mock-up’s, artwork illustration, photographic direction, drafting of cost estimates, pre-press production, handovers and press approvals, we were responsible for everything and the only limit was our imagination.I doubled my salary in less than a year, each time the increase was based on the success of our promotional work and what we had managed to achieve for our clients. In many ways my experience at Barrows has been the backbone of my entire working career, shaping my work ethic and how I measure success.Primary account: Cadbury (S.A. & Ireland), Secondary accounts included: Kellogg’s, Revlon, Duracell, Gillette, Willard’s Chips, SAB, Johnson & Johnson, Adcock Ingram, Disney S.A and Dulux Paints.barrowsglobal.com

Durban Area, South Africa

Worked in a mid-sized agency, specialising in the advertising and promotions for FMCG and wholesale environments. Responsible for conceptualization of creative advertising campaigns, consumer promotions, packaging and on-pack promotions. Designed using traditional mediums and MAC applications. Clients included: Bromor Foods, National Brands (Pyotts, Bakers & Baumanns Biscuits). Lever Brothers, Ponds, Unifoods, Robertsons Spices, Fine Foods, Adcock Ingram and The Tastic Rice Corporation.

Durban Area, South Africa

Designed a wide variety of print, magazine and newspaper ads, product catalogues, brochures, corporate Id, billboards and posters. Worked with traditional mediums, marker rendering, airbrush, oils, acrylics, watercolour and gouache. Attended pre-press approvals and photographic shoots.