LINDA ZACKS

McDermott Will & Emery, a global law firm, commissioned me to create the look and feel for their 2023-2025 global Health Private Equity Conferences in Miami, New York and Europe.

I created a series of key art and branding capturing the “spirit of the location” used throughout the indoor / outdoor spaces including video walls, large-scale posters, brochures, floor vinyl, participant IDs, and iPad screens.

I also invented a unique Word Wall - bringing poetry to the brand messaging and a memorable experience for conference goers. I used a lot of handmade elements to create this look - using paint, ink and all kinds of different pens and brushes to create a bunch of dynamic textures and lettering.

The third conference takes place at The Glasshouse in NYC on Oct 13.

The group of visuals that I created for these live events won a 2023 GDUSA award for event series branding.

Branding and poster designs for Broadway's Fiddler on the Roof. Visuals used throughout national campaign including a billboard, lyrical posters, merchandising, interactive, TV spots and print collateral. Agency: AKA NYC

McDermott Will & Emery, a global law firm, commissioned me to create the look and feel for their 2023-2025 global Health Private Equity Conferences in Miami, New York and Europe.

The first conference took place at The Ritz Carlton in Miami on March 8-9. The event doubled in size from last year with over 1,300 people checking in onsite.

I created a series of key art capturing the “spirit of the location” used throughout the indoor / outdoor spaces including video walls, large-scale posters, brochures, floor vinyl, participant IDs, and iPad screens.

I also invented a unique Word Wall - bringing poetry to their brand messaging and a memorable experience for conference goers.

The group of visuals that I created for these live events won a 2023 GDUSA award for event series branding.

Branding and poster designs for Broadway's Holler If Ya Hear Me, a musical inspired by the lyrics of Tupac Shakur. Visuals used throughout national campaign including a billboard at the Palace Theater in Times Square, a series of lyrical posters showcased in subway tunnels throughout the city, merchandising, interactive, TV spots and print collateral. Agency: AKA NYC

Hamilton Jewelers, in partnership with the Arts Council of Princeton, invited me to create artwork for the “The Art of Time” live fundraising event - featuring watches, an art exhibit, limited-edition prints, t-shirts and more, at Hamilton's Princeton headquarters at 92 Nassau Street. Collaboration with Exhibit No.9 in Asbury Park.

Two large art commissions installed in One Vanderbilt in Midtown Manhattan. Both pieces live on the 67th floor of this amazing building! Curated by Los Angeles-based art advisory, Lendrum Fine Art.

“hustle” (20 feet X 6.5 feet, 5 panels)

"RECESS!" (12 feet X 6.5 feet, 3 panels)

Here is a selection of editorial and advertising illustrations that I created for a wide variety of brands and agencies.
Download the PDF.

McDermott Will & Emery, a global law firm, commissioned me to create the look and feel for their 2023 global Health Private Equity Conferences in Miami, New York and Europe.

I created a series of key art and branding capturing the “spirit of the location” used throughout the indoor / outdoor spaces including video walls, large-scale posters, brochures, floor vinyl, participant IDs, and iPad screens.

I also invented a unique Word Wall - bringing poetry to the brand messaging and a memorable experience for conference goers. I used a lot of handmade elements to create this look - using paint, ink and all kinds of different pens and brushes to create a bunch of dynamic textures and lettering.

The second conference takes place at The Langham in London on September 21st.

The group of visuals that I created for these live events won a 2023 GDUSA award for event series branding.

"KIDS DANCE, called “a New York City treasure” by The New York Times, makes its annual visit to The Joyce where Ballet Tech’s remarkably poised, scrupulously schooled, and impeccably rehearsed whiz-kid dancers work all year to dance for audiences young and old."

I designed the Kids Dance annual marketing campaign for Ballet Tech since 2014 including branding, posters, invitations, postcards, T-shirts and awards. People collages by the Ballet Tech students.

Fresh, new 2024 campaign for Kids Dance 30 year anniversary including branding, posters, invitations, and postcards. This program has a travelling theme this year, so introduced the circle to reference a vibrant abstract earth or planet.

I also created two colorful posters and new branding for Ballet Tech's special programs: "Introduction to Ballet" and "Ballet Tech across New York."

Branding and typography for Tony-nominated Hand To God, a provocative show on Broadway. Visuals used for integrated marketing campaign: billboard in Times Square, posters, merchandising, interactive, TV and print collateral.

Agency: AKA NYC

My collection of mixed media New York skylines, "The Greatest City on Earth," was chosen for MoMA Design Store’s Destination: NYC - products all made in the USA by New York City designers. MoMA's Destination: Design series showcases local designers in cities around the world.

Here is the snazzy 2023 campaign for Kids Dance - red, white + blue… these little dancers are a very talented bunch!

I have designed the Kids Dance annual marketing campaign for Ballet Tech since 2014 including branding, posters, invitations, postcards, T-shirts and awards.

RPA in Santa Monica asked me to create an artful interpretation of The Newport Beach Film Festival name. My piece was chosen as the hero art for the festival and was featured around LA on bus shelters and outdoor advertising. The art was also projected on screen at the festival and on many printed materials including the program cover. The project was featured in Communication Arts.

UK-based INQ Mobile licensed a few of my images and photographic collages for giant booth graphics at The GSMA Mobile World Conference in Barcelona. The visuals gave a unique feel to their eye-catching 3D construction for all to walk through and experience. They also used my work for mobile phone packaging and an integrated marketing campaign.

When CMT decided to hold it’s annual award show in Manhattan, they called on me to come up with ideas to merge cowboys and cabs. I created a logo and a series of images which were used on street posters tagged around the city and for lamp post banners decorating main NYC drags and on-site at Madison Square Garden. This campaign also won a Broadcast Design Award.

“Back 2 School Essentials” campaign for Sony flagship store on Madison Avenue in NYC. The campaign ran in all US Sony Style retail stores including branding, large-scale interior and window display graphics, 30-second animation, flyers, mouse pads, plastic figurines, posters and web promotions.

Goodby, Silverstein & Partners asked me to create a crazy “A” for use in the Adobe Creative Suite campaign. Inspired by the dictionary and drawing from many different physical materials, I came up with the concept of “A is for anything.” Elements from my crazy “A” were used throughout the entire campaign.

Re:Construction is a public art program produced by the Downtown Alliance to create colorful landmarks and brightened streetscapes. Excerpts from my "Greatest City on Earth" series were featured on a construction site in downtown NYC on Fulton and Nassau in 2012. Featured on Communication Arts Exhibit.

Apparatus, a design firm based in Toronto, commissioned me to create three snowboard designs for women and boys: SIMS Pristine, M3 Krystal and M3 Filter.

Sundance TV commissioned me to create a large-scale video installation at the 2015 Sundance TV HQ in Park City, Utah. The animation explores the concept of "story" and its importance to Sundance's brand messaging- the light, the scene, scenes that define and the creative process of writing and storytelling. Visuals all created with handmade elements and photographed including type from my beloved 1945 Remington DeLuxe typewriter (typewriters as a magical age-old tool for writers and tale-tellers throughout history.) Animated with Julia Kuswardi.

Branded artwork and typography created in collaboration with Sundance TV for the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Limited edition tote bags silkscreened live at Sundance TV HQ in Park City, Utah showcasing the channel's hit shows: The Red Road, Rectify, The Returned and Babylon, as well as a branding tote for the exclusive channel party. Live shots from Instagram.

Cover art and lettering for Emil Ostrovski's intense teen novel "AWAY WE GO," published by Harper Collins.

I created a large MMA-themed painting called "FIGHT" (54 X 96 inches / enamel on canvas) for Bellator's beautiful new corporate offices in Hollywood. It made an exciting journey from east coast to west coast!

The 1000 Journals Project is an ongoing collaborative experiment following 1000 journals throughout their travels. I got involved in the project as one of a group of artists asked to create an original journal cover. Years later, out of hundreds of journal entries, my art was chosen for the cover of a published compilation by Chronicle Books. The project expanded into a film by Andrea Kreuzhage, where I designed the title credits and worked with an animator. There have been several exhibitions featuring the journals including a show at the SF MoMA.

Curius, a Paris-based design shop, invited me to contribute to a mural project on view at Gare Montparnasse. The theme of the murals: what we think about when we travel – the title in french is “J’avance, Donc Je Pense.” A handful of artists from Montreal, Melbourne, Sao Paulo, London and Paris also contributed to the murals which are giant collages.

“We need you to create unique lettering and designs to advertise our Halloween-themed Converse Create shoes…”

Here are the designs I came up with and the chosen direction at the top.

Agency: Anomaly

Tags: concept development, branding, design, lettering

ACCO / Mead licensed my images for their colorful 2014 and 2015 Back-To-School collection, "painterly expressions." All notebooks were on sale at Target Stores all throughout the US.

Every year, the OFFF Festival publishes a book that will be given to all who attend the festival in Barcelona. I was invited to contribute to the OFFF 2016 official book called “Archetype" by creating a piece of art on the concept of passion and how strong emotions provoke artistic creation.

“We need you to come up with unique concepts for a brand new integrated marketing campaign for YMCA in NYC”

These are pages from my initial concept pitch book.

My concept, “HUMAN Y’s,” was chosen by the client. I was asked to develop the concept.

Concept development and design spanned several rounds.

“WE ARE Y” hashtag is the focal point and soul of the new design concept.

My designs were applied to the final integrated marketing campaign in-house. The campaign ran throughout NYC as well as in print and in digital formats.

Agency: AKA NYC

Tags: pitch, concept development, creative development, integrative marketing

“We need you to rebrand Ballet Tech with new logo versions, print collateral, merch, special awards for the students, new diplomas…you name it. We want something as special and unique as the kids who attend our school!”

Here are examples of the new identity and print collateral. Also pictured is a folder, special awards and diplomas.

I used a lot of hand lettering and hand stamping to create unique typography.

Client: Ballet Tech

Tags: concept development, creative development, branding, design, lettering