Check Out Britt Else’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Britt Else.

Hi Britt, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m an Atlanta-based Creative Director, designer, writer, and photographer.

I graduated from Rollins College as an English major and took graphic design courses at Ringling College of Art and Design. I began my career as a copywriter, then as an art director, at advertising agencies in Orlando and later in Atlanta. I opened my own boutique branding firm called Signal Design in 1997. Most of my clients were in the cable TV industry like CNN, HLN, TBS, TNT, National Geographic Channel, and PBS. We were sought out for our international award-winning graphic design capabilities and our ability to come up with big ideas. Our largest client was Turner Classic Movies, for whom we did branding, publishing design, and advertising from 2002 to 2015.

Due to Turner’s ever-shrinking budgets due to consumer cord-cutting trends, I downsized my firm while seeking clients in new industries. One new industry was commercial Real Estate, and I approached local Multifamily Apartment giant Cortland as a potential client. Instead of becoming their new agency, they asked me if I would be interested in leading their in-house creative department. Given that all of my eggs were in the financially contracting cable TV market, I agreed.

I joined Cortland in July of 2017 and have been their Creative Director for nearly nine years. In my first year, I rebranded the company, rolling out a new master brand identity for their corporate entity and over 250 apartment communities. I have developed several Cortland advertising campaigns over the years, the latest of which features Cortie the talking pug, who plays the part of a furry and very cheeky Cortland resident. The campaign has been highly successful and has increased Cortland’s brand awareness significantly.

Besides creating all the graphic design for our communities, Cortland’s in-house agency also shoots photography and videos showcasing the communities and resident lifestyles, which populate all our multi-channel marketing initiatives.

In my free time, I enjoy oil painting, nature photography, writing fiction (my first novel is finished and should be published this summer), and designing/building furniture. I built a tiki room in my basement with a working lava rock waterfall that Trader Vic’s would be envious of.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Having to tone down creative concepts to suit the more conservative tastes of corporate environments.

Another headwind to creative professionals is the recent misappropriation of the title “Creative Director” to every job under the sun because it makes any job sound creative, even if it’s not. The term used to mean only one thing: the creative lead of an advertising or branding agency who was experienced at developing the art, copy, and the big idea. But ninety percent of the so-called “Creative Directors” in the marketplace now are just web developers, social media coordinators, or event planners.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
If there is one common thread that runs through my writing, graphic design, photography, and art, it’s bold elegance. At least that’s what I strive for. Most people think elegance means fancy. To me, it means the opposite. It means achieving a timeless, arresting simplicity with as few ingredients as possible. Like the solution seemed so primal and inevitable to the viewer, it’s as if it had always existed.

How do you think about happiness?
Happiness has to be found within yourself. I don’t know anyone who is happy all the time, and I think the idea that everyone should be happy all the time puts unfair pressure on everyone if they are not achieving that goal. Aligning my work and relationships with who I am has helped, as has my family, exercise, my hobbies, and the occasional well-crafted cocktail with close friends.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.brittelse.com and www.brittelsephoto.com
• Instagram: @britt_else
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/brittelse411/