February 2014 — November 2015

(Onsite Aquent Creative Partners Contractor)

DIRECT MARKETING FOR PRINT AND DIGITAL | MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS DESIGN | CAPITAL ONE BANK’S INTERNAL AD AGENCY

Rebranding a major player in the banking industry

BEFORE

Above is the “old” brand identity prior to our arrival as Capital One’s internal advertising agency. The imagery was all “see say” and the loud primary colors were almost too offensive to the reader’s senses—projecting random, punny images and a lot of visual clutter.

One of the proudest chapters of my career took place at Capital One Bank, where I joined as a Senior Art Director during a time of major transformation. Capital One had recently acquired nearly a dozen regional banks—each with its own identity, account perks, and loyal customer base. Internally, the brand feared it might retain only 30–40% of those inherited customers.

Two weeks into the campaign, our Creative Director exited unexpectedly, and the team fell into disarray. Strategy teams began dictating creative decisions, revisions ballooned, and morale plummeted. I was asked to step into the creative leadership role, and I accepted without hesitation.

Drawing from my background in direct response and regulated industries, I realigned the team around a clear process, rebuilt cross-functional trust, and led the development of a targeted campaign that reached more than 1.2 million customers across print and digital.

The result? We retained 87% of those at-risk customers—more than doubling internal projections—and elevated Capital One’s brand from a kitschy online credit card provider into a credible force in the commercial banking industry.

“While working under his leadership in the Brand Creative group at Capital One, he taught us to raise the bar across the creative process. He’s a mentor to subordinates and an asset to superiors. A design Jedi, Fletcher’s precision and eye for detail are masterful.”

—MEGAN PATRICK, SENIOR COPYWRITER