Samantha is available for hire
Hire SamanthaSamantha Ahhee
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Location
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Toptal Member Since
January 18, 2023
Samantha is a senior art director with over a decade of experience, which includes working for global agencies like Saatchi & Saatchi and Leo Burnett. She's also led the creative direction for international brands like Beyond Meat, Recharge.com, and BOS Ice Tea. Her experience lies within a diverse collection of tech, FMCG, and blue-chip brands. Samantha is a modern art director with the skill set to execute her vision, helping brands create scalable design systems.
Work Experience
Art Director of EMEA
2022 - PRESENT
Beyond Meat
- Created the packaging archetype for EMEA-specific packaging.
- Designed the packaging for their existing products as well as 20+ new innovations rolled out across five country clusters. This involved over 120 SKU variations.
- Tailored the US brand book to be EMEA-specific, which included toolkits for general marketing, field marketing, and trade shows.
- Managed all creatives—overseeing all work created internally and with agency partners.
Technologies: Illustrator CC, Photoshop CC
Senior Brand Designer
2020 - 2022
Recharge.com
- Drove conversations and workshops with internal stakeholders to develop a strong, cohesive brand.
- Built a brand identity guide and toolkits for the mother brand and its five sub-brands.
- Developed scalable design solutions for marketing assets that were used across various languages and regions.
- Collaborated with the UI/UX team to align on brand and deliver graphics.
- Created brand-led and partner-led campaigns for clients such as Google Play, iTunes, Apple, and PlayStation.
Technologies: Figma, Illustrator CC, Photoshop CC
Senior Art Director
2019 - 2020
Saatchi & Saatchi
- Led the design of the integrated media launch of the Old Mutual App.
- Conceptualized AVs targeted at multiple African markets.
- Developed the initial creative for an interactive digital magazine series for a blue-chip brand.
- Conceptualized the creative direction for a music festival hosted in five different countries.
- Created key visuals for campaigns, digital, and above-the-line media.
Technologies: Illustrator CC, Photoshop CC
Design Lead
2018 - 2019
BOS Ice Tea
- Built out their brand book to include through-the-line advertising, partnership marketing, trade show stands, experiential activations, demo tasting stands, in-store FSUs, POS materials, and merchandise.
- Developed packaging and marketing collateral for the launch of two new product ranges that included seven SKUs.
- Created brand toolkits for tactical on-trade and off-trade marketing for the French and Benelux regions.
Technologies: Illustrator CC, Photoshop CC
Senior Art Director
2016 - 2018
Leo Burnett (Acquired by Radar)
- Won the account for Africa's largest bank and conceptualized the design of the event—Economy Roadshow—to be held in three major cities across South Africa.
- Took on briefs and created strategic concepts and key visuals for integrated campaigns.
- Designed and rendered activations through walk-through experiences and oversaw material deadlines throughout production.
- Developed brand identities and packaging for various clients.
- Designed engaging websites and digital marketing materials.
- Created and developed storyboards for AVs and TVCs.
Technologies: Illustrator CC, Photoshop CC
Junior and Mid-weight Designer
2013 - 2016
Radar Advertising (Acquired by Leo Burnett)
- Created key visuals for campaigns and assisted creative directors and senior designers on the roll-out of campaign artwork.
- Designed and compiled pitch presentations that led to the winning of new accounts.
- Focused primarily on logo design, packaging, retouching, research, and illustration.
Technologies: Illustrator CC, Photoshop CC
Education
2011 - 2013
Diploma in Graphic Design in Art and Design
Cape Peninsula University of Technology - Cape Town, South Africa
Certifications
JULY 2017 - PRESENT
Short Course in Social Media Marketing
University of Cape Town
Experience
Collaboration That Works
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