AFL ORIGIN

Taste as Strategy

The brief was simple.

Reignite tribalism.
Sell out Optus Stadium.
Make Origin matter again.

This wasn’t a campaign.
It was a resurrection.

The creative challenge was to bring Origin back in a way that felt historic, not nostalgic.
Tribal, not exclusive.
Premium, not detached.

I led the development of a visual system built around the core symbols of Origin — allowing the rivalry itself to carry the story.

Patterns grew from these hero marks, creating movement and energy without losing their roots. The result was a design language that felt both traditional and contemporary, capable of scaling seamlessly across broadcast, retail, digital and live environments.

The system allowed the campaign to build momentum over time, from early announcements through to game day, with each creative release reinforcing the identity of Origin.

It also enabled rapid pivots: player announcements without physical access, PR moments that could land quickly, and a consistent visual language that compounded brand equity with every drop.

By the time the first siren sounded, Origin had already come back to life.

Origin stopped being a campaign and became an experience.

Coming Soon

GOOGLE — ‘HOURS’ IN SEARCH

Insight as Creative Direction

In Mexico, food culture is spontaneous. A late-night taco run often begins with the same question: ¿Estará abierto?‍ ‍Is it open?

To highlight Google Search’s ability to check business opening hours, I led the development of a culturally grounded campaign built around a familiar street icon: the trompo, the rotating spit used to cook tacos al pastor.

The creative idea was simple and shareable:

“Comparte este trompo y nunca te faltarán tacos.”
Share this trompo and you’ll never be without tacos.

By linking a universally recognised food ritual with Google’s opening-hours feature, the campaign translated a functional product tool into a culturally resonant behaviour.

I directed the visual approach and illustration style, guiding the animation and craft to blend Google’s global design language with a distinctly local Mexican tone.

The result was a campaign that felt native to the culture while reinforcing a simple behavioural message:

Make sure it’s open. Hours in Google Search.

DÍA DE MUERTOS

Storytelling Through Cultural Tradition

For the 2017 Día de Muertos season, I led the creative development of an animated short exploring the idea of life beyond the human world.

Rooted in the traditions of Mexico’s Day of the Dead, a time when families honour loved ones who have passed, the film imagined how the celebration might unfold from another perspective.

The story follows the reincarnated spirits of a man, a chicken, a pig and a mouse as they return briefly to the world of the living, sharing with their loved ones the unexpected stories behind their untimely ends.

I directed the concept and visual tone of the piece, guiding the animation, character design and storytelling approach to ensure the work felt both playful and culturally respectful within the context of Día de Muertos traditions.

The 20-second animated film aired nationally on Canal 5 through Televisa during the lead-up to the festival and received recognition at Pixelatl, one of Mexico’s leading animation festivals.

COCA-COLA - KUKLA

Predicting the World Cup

For the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Coca-Cola introduced Kukla, an artificially intelligent Matryoshka doll designed to predict the outcome of each match.

I led the creative direction for the character and broadcast system that would bring Kukla to life across Central and South America. Drawing inspiration from the traditional Russian Matryoshka doll, a cultural reference to the host nation, Kukla would transform on screen from a classic wooden figure into a robotic version of herself as she calculated match predictions.

Powered by real-time data and probability modelling, Kukla appeared ahead of every match to forecast the score, the result and the likelihood of that outcome. These predictions became a talking point for commentators and fans, extending the conversation from broadcast into social media.

To support the scale of the tournament, I directed the creation of a complete animation system for broadcasters.
Kukla was illustrated in 32 variations, representing every national team competing in the World Cup, with an extensive library of animations prepared in advance to account for every possible match-up and outcome.

This modular creative system allowed broadcasters across the region to integrate Kukla seamlessly into live coverage, turning predictive data into a distinctive character-led storytelling device.

CDMX — CHIDOJI

Turning a City’s Symbols into Digital Language

Mexico City is a city defined by its symbols — from the eagle devouring a snake on the national flag to the visual language of the Metro, street vendors and the trajineras of Xochimilco.

To celebrate that identity in the digital world, I helped lead the creative development of CHIDOJI, a downloadable sticker and emoji package designed to capture the spirit of Mexico City through contemporary iconography.

Working alongside illustrators and cultural experts in symbolism and design, we curated and directed a collection of stickers that translated the everyday language of the city into shareable digital expressions.

Released on Google Play and the App Store, CHIDOJI allowed citizens to communicate through images that felt unmistakably local, celebrating the humour, pride and cultural shorthand of Mexico City.

The project resonated widely, with international media highlighting the way the stickers captured the personality of the city.

“At last there’s an emoji that captures our love of tacos al pastor.”
— The New York Times, 2017

MATTEL — MATTELITOS

Reimagining Christmas for Latin America

Mattel’s challenge was to increase product discovery and video views on YouTube during the Christmas season across Latin America.

Rather than push traditional product advertising, I led the development of a story-led digital platform designed to turn toy discovery into an interactive Christmas experience.

At the centre of the idea were the Mattelitos — mischievous characters responsible for delivering toys around the world. Inspired by the vibrant culture of Latin America, the story imagined these characters travelling from the North Pole into the colourful streets of the region, often distracted by the world around them.

The Mattelitos became the narrative device guiding children through a digital content hub where they could watch videos of their favourite toys and add them to a personalised letter to Santa.

To organise Mattel’s wide range of brands, I directed the creation of illustrated “toy worlds”, allowing children to explore categories through storytelling rather than product lists.
High-energy worlds such as Adrenaline housed Hot Wheels and Matchbox, while Encantada introduced brands like Barbie and Polly Pocket.

The campaign blended narrative, illustration and animation across the platform and social channels, transforming a functional toy catalogue into a playful digital ecosystem.

Results

• 350,000 unique visitors
• 750,000 page views
• 195,000 additional video views
• 5,000 letters to Santa generated

The Mattelitos concept continued into the following season, expanding the story world and evolving the visual system for future campaigns.

BARBIE — DÍA DE MUERTOS

Designing a Digital Ofrenda

For the launch of Barbie’s limited-edition Día de Muertos doll, I led the creative direction of a social-first campaign celebrating the traditions of Mexico’s Day of the Dead.

Rather than a single post, the idea was to build a 12-part illustrated series designed specifically for Instagram. Each post functioned as an individual artwork while collectively forming a larger visual composition across the Barbie profile grid.

Drawing inspiration from the small-town streets and altars that define Día de Muertos celebrations, the environment imagined a world in which the doll could exist beyond the product itself.
Cempasúchil flowers, papel picado banners and traditional street details created a vibrant festival atmosphere, balanced against an understated colour palette aligned with Barbie’s brand.

By combining cultural storytelling with the structure of Instagram’s grid, the campaign transformed the Barbie profile into a digital ofrenda, a living tribute that unfolded post by post.

CERVEZA INDIO — BARRIOS DE MÉXICO

Local Culture Through Illustration

Cerveza Indio launched an initiative inviting illustrators from across Mexico to reinterpret the brand through the lens of their own neighbourhoods.

I contributed creative direction for an interpretation representing Polanco, one of Mexico City’s most distinctive districts. The project replaced the traditional Aztec warrior on the Indio label with a portrait of the modern Polanco resident, reflecting the character and lifestyle of the area.

Where the original symbol spoke to Mexico’s ancient past, this interpretation explored the contemporary identity of the neighbourhood — from its colonial Californiano architecture and café culture to the everyday scenes of residents walking designer dogs through tree-lined streets.

The design used a restrained palette that allowed the metallic foil of the label to emerge through the illustration, subtly transforming yellow and grey into gold and silver.

The result was a modern reinterpretation of the Indio label that connected the brand to the evolving identities of Mexico’s urban communities.

A safety messaging campaign for the Amy Gillett Foundation, raising awareness of the dangers associated with bicycle road use. Each Ride Rule provides an engaging way to help improve bike riders' awareness and understanding about how they can batter their safety.

This Campaign was seen in public transport areas in capital cities along Australia’s east coast in 2013. Postcards, web banners, posters and billboards were also created.

Check out their great work at www.amygillett.org.au

DEL VALLE - MESSENGER STICKERS

Turning Brand Interaction into Play

To deepen Del Valle’s relationship with its audience on social platforms, I led the development of a custom sticker set designed specifically for Facebook Messenger.

The goal was to move beyond traditional advertising and create a more playful, conversational way for the brand to live within everyday digital interactions.

The creative direction combined photographic textures of real oranges with whimsical illustrations inspired by goldfish, creating a distinctive visual language that felt both natural and character-driven. The hybrid approach allowed the fruit itself to become expressive, transforming simple ingredients into animated personalities users could share in conversation.

Designed for social behaviour rather than promotion, the sticker set gave Del Valle a presence within everyday messaging, allowing the brand to appear naturally within the language of its audience.

What Gets My Goat is a combination of my interest in children’s books, illustration and animals.   It tells the tale of Billie, a grumpy old goat tethered to a post who harbours a deep dislike for other creatures. iFull of  arrogance he dreams up different ways for them to serve his daily needs, such asan ‘Umbrellaphant’ to provide shade, ‘Gi-laughs’ for comedy and a ‘Gorilla-grump’ as a bodyguard. As the story progresses, Billie gets caught up in his own schemes, filled with darkness and delight.

Using the Gradient Mesh tool in Illustrator, I managed to bring real depth to vector illustration

Marty Cook | Creative Director | Brand Strategy | Integrated Campaigns | Creative Leadership

Marty Cook | Creative Director | Brand Strategy | Integrated Campaigns | Creative Leadership

Illustrations for Crowd Curity, a website

Marty Cook | Creative Director | Brand Strategy | Integrated Campaigns | Creative Leadership

Marty Cook | Creative Director | Brand Strategy | Integrated Campaigns | Creative Leadership

Designed to be recognised immediately on social media, the  BootyFit logo was created as a simple icon and overlaid on photography of clients and models. Its simple faceted typographic style gives the identity coherency and visibility, even at iPhone-screen size and helps BootyFit content stand out on Facebook and Instagram

Marty Cook | Creative Director | Brand Strategy | Integrated Campaigns | Creative Leadership

Marty Cook | Creative Director | Brand Strategy | Integrated Campaigns | Creative Leadership

Marty Cook | Creative Director | Brand Strategy | Integrated Campaigns | Creative Leadership

Marty Cook | Creative Director | Brand Strategy | Integrated Campaigns | Creative Leadership

The most powerful creative work doesn’t rely on constant reinvention. It builds systems that allow culture, stories and people to lead.

My work focuses on shaping those systems, guiding creative direction across teams, partners and platforms so that brands show up with clarity, consistency and cultural relevance.

Across brand platforms, cultural programs and global campaigns, the goal is the same, to ensure creative decisions compound over time and create lasting impact.

Marty Cook

Creative Director | Brand Strategy | Integrated Campaigns | Creative Leadership