Former Job Chyron
Assisted Living Facility Puree Station Tech
Sundance Institute Manager
Orphaned Lamb Ranch Hand
Beef Jerky Smokehouse Jockey
Architecture Firm Intern
Ski Resort Lift Operator
Ad Agency Project Manager
Bagel Shop Barista
Shady Startup Telemarketer
Creative Agency Producer
Landscaper Lawn-boy
Digital Art Director
Failed Luxury Mobile Auto Detailing Entrepreneur
Boutique Creative Agency Founder
Editorial Contributor Cool Hunting Magazine
LEED Green Building Certified Jr. Project Manager
Grocery Store Bagboy
Ligne Roset Studio Designer
Ski Resort Timeshare Sales Agent
Assisted Living Facility Puree Station Tech Sundance Institute Manager Orphaned Lamb Ranch Hand Beef Jerky Smokehouse Jockey Architecture Firm Intern Ski Resort Lift Operator Ad Agency Project Manager Bagel Shop Barista Shady Startup Telemarketer Creative Agency Producer Landscaper Lawn-boy Digital Art Director Failed Luxury Mobile Auto Detailing Entrepreneur Boutique Creative Agency Founder Editorial Contributor Cool Hunting Magazine LEED Green Building Certified Jr. Project Manager Grocery Store Bagboy Ligne Roset Studio Designer Ski Resort Timeshare Sales Agent
You're in the right place.
Here’s a bit more about my background, and a few ways to think about working together:
-
I've built brands and then stuck with them and managed them in the real world, where the strategy meets the messy reality of actual rollout, internal adoption, and keeping it coherent when a dozen different people start to get their greasy hands all over it. I've done that as a one-man-band creative department, as an in-house creative director alongside a talented team, and as an outside partner embedded in someone else's org. I've managed boutique agencies, found & hired talent, and mentored the people doing the work. I'm resourceful by nature and savvy about realistic constraints. Some of my best work has come from limited budgets, tight timelines, and situations where the obvious solution wasn't available yet. I've learned to get busy working with what's there rather than wait around for what isn't.
-
I studied and started my career in interior architecture and design. What it taught me is to step back and look at the whole space before touching anything. What's working. What's missing. What needs to last. That instinct has stubbornly followed me around on every brand and creative problem I've worked on since. It's also why I tend to be useful in situations where nobody can quite agree on what the real problem is. I'm good at finding that, and good at figuring out what to do about it once we do.
-
My background runs from traditional ad agencies to social justice advocacy firms to digital brand shops, with a lot of independent practice woven through all of it. That range taught me to be resourceful, to work with what's there, and to find solutions that don't require doubling the budget or the timeline. I stay current on the tools and technologies reshaping how creative work gets made. More importantly, I know when to use them and when the work calls for something tech can never replicate.
-
I've run my own independent practice alongside staff roles, agency gigs, and everything in between for most of my career. That means I've done the work at every level, from brand strategy and creative direction down to the production details most senior people hand off. I bring that full range to every engagement, whether it's a single project or an ongoing relationship. Whatever you're working on, I've probably done something like it before, and I’m willing to bet that I know how to make it good.
If this sounds like a potential fit for what you’re needing, let’s talk.
“While working on the Nike North America Marketing team my group hired Russ and his partners to manage all the creative for large, complex community relations initiatives that were introduced simultaneously in multiple major markets. Russ is a skilled creative mind and an extraordinarily organized person; his skill in this area was often vital to our success. At all times, Russ demonstrated strong conceptual abilities, flexibility and an enviable work ethic. To be clear, most of Nike’s projects involve many moving pieces in many markets at the same time. The degree of difficulty is extremely high and so is the bar. Nike demands perfection. We were pleased with our results from Russ and hired his team repeatedly. Any company would benefit greatly to have Russ as part of the team.”
— Michelle Lacy, Community Relations Manager, Nike, Inc
"Russ was more than a consultant... he became a foundational partner of the project. He helped me think through various design choices, ultimately producing a website that clearly communicates the covenants research to a global audience. Since launching the site in July 2022, the MRC website has received more than 23,000 website visits from 80 countries around the world. Russ is, without question, one of the most impressive brand and design consultants I have had the opportunity to work with over the past 16 years. He lives his values, including through his work."
— Jason R. Jurjevich, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, School of Geography, Development & Environment, University of Arizona
“Russ gets it. He digs deep to understand the ‘what’ the ‘how’ and, most importantly, the ‘why’ of each client and their digital needs. He uses process to get feedback and better understand the vision, culture and stakeholders of each client. He develops solutions that strive for simplicity and flexibility. He is great to work with, a straight shooter who says it like it is, a team player invested in everyone’s success and a passionate champion for people and place.”
— Eric Friedenwald-Fishman, Founder, Metropolitan Group, Portland, Oregon
“Russ is a truly multifaceted individual, a rare thing in a time of increased niche focus and specialization. He can manage and drive large, complex projects one day, and then turn around and write witty, moving short-form video treatments the next. He has an innate comfort with changing technologies and mediums, and is always looking for new ways to bring them together. Oh yeah, he’s also a badass designer with an incredible eye for both 2D and 3D layouts and environments.”
— Otis Rubottom, Writing Director, Dropbox
“Russ Lowe is the creative multi-tool that any organization would love to have in its pocket; he exudes and ensures competence and agility in every stage of the creative process – including and especially communication and execution. His ability to see and engage holistically with a project is deeply valuable, and his dedication to craft is of the sort that makes others eager to interact with him and elevate their own game. Russ gets it done – successfully.”
— Shannon Holt, Founder, Eso Esto