Branding for media, which needs to appear both current and timeless simultaneously, is a daunting task, as marrying the two concepts appears akin to trying to keep the positive ends of two magnets together: they simply repel each other. Creative/art director, designer, and leader in the branding and marketing industries Pat King has been able to do just this, however, as he excels in crafting systems that work across all entertainment mediums, from social to web and print or broadcast.
Achievements: Combining Creativity and Business
Although you may not know it, you’ve likely seen or have been influenced by King’s work as a result of the number of programs and organizations the designer has worked with to assist in their branding efforts.
For example, King was part of a small tight-knit team that was responsible for the show packaging and titles for the highly successful and critically acclaimed Harry Potter Reunion Special on HBO Max, which was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Hollywood Critics Association TV Award.
King has also worked with the LGBTQ2IA+ community, as he explains, “I was selected as one of twenty five artists to celebrate world pride in New York with LinkNYC. The work was showcased across 7500+ screens across the city during the largest pride event in the world in 2019.” King also collaborated with the virtual Pride site “them,” helping the organization prepare its social media campaign in celebration of Pride 2020 at a time when Pride events were being postponed and disbanded.
Finally, although the list goes for much longer, King has also made major impacts on sports marketing, specifically in helping launch baseball and Major League Soccer on AppleTV+.
Both launches, King notes, resulted in “design systems that mirror Apple’s penchant for design with high-energy sports,” exemplifying the art director’s knack for bringing creative elements together in such a way that they appear to have been made for each other from the start.
No Creator Too Big or Small
Most attention in design, branding, and marketing goes toward larger corporations like Apple and HBO, but King makes a point of working with smaller companies and start-ups as well, understanding that the biggest names don’t always need the most resources.
The creative director also notes the importance of maintaining direct communication with clientele, stating “I find there’s… a great opportunity working directly with the client to make sure that they’re presenting the best of themselves through visual communication.” This approach corroborates with King’s plans on emphasizing working with startups and companies in their early phases to strategize their branding, marketing, and collateral.
Expert Advice
In his time as a designer and all-around creative individual, King has amassed a bevy of wisdom that reflects his own experiences while serving to improve the experiences of others.
“Say yes to everything—when you’re starting out try and get as much experience as possible across all the mediums,” King offers. “The way that brands are going, everything is on all of the time so the more you can dip your toes across different mediums the better.”
“Take on side projects or fun personal projects that keep your creativity and passion sparked.”
Finally, King reminds people to “Step away from [the] screen and enjoy what’s around you; the nature, the city, the people, inspiration can come from anywhere and sometimes we’re so inundated with images and things from our phones that it can be great to disconnect.”
