CASE STUDY · CREATIVE DIRECTION & BRAND PARTNERSHIPS
Project Overview · The Cultural Intersection
THE BRIEF
On the heels of the 1989 album release and world tour, the Papyrus creative team was challenged to pitch a bespoke social expression collection to Taylor Swift’s management. The partnership required a delicate balance: translating Taylor’s highly specific, era-driven brand into a premium gifting assortment that resonated with her global fanbase while maintaining the elevated, artisanal hallmarks of the Papyrus brand.
MY ROLE
I partnered with the VP of Creative to lead the strategic trend and concept development for the pitch. This involved an immersive deep dive into the artist's discography, visual cues, and personal style to architect over 10 distinct trend stories. Following a successful pitch in Nashville, I oversaw the end-to-end creative execution, managing the voice, material selection, and artist collaborations that brought the collection to life for its nationwide launch at Target in June 2016.
CASE STUDY · CREATIVE DIRECTION & BRAND PARTNERSHIPS
Strategic Narrative · The Nashville Pitch
The strategy for the partnership was built on a foundation of authenticity rather than parody. Instead of creating a collection that functioned as celebrity merchandise, the goal was to develop an assortment of 44 cards that felt like something Taylor would instinctively send to her own inner circle. We sought to capture her personal voice by balancing a range of price points—from accessible, minimalist lettering to elaborate, "heavy" handmade designs.
This strategic framework was presented during a high-stakes pitch in Nashville to Taylor Swift’s management and family. Rather than showing pre-developed designs, I led the presentation using high-level mood boards that defined the visual and emotional direction of each trend story. By showcasing Papyrus’s existing premium capabilities alongside these curated moods, we secured full creative autonomy over both design and copy—a critical milestone that allowed the team to execute the vision without further external approvals.
CASE STUDY · CREATIVE DIRECTION & BRAND PARTNERSHIPS
Trend Architecture · Distilling the Voice
To build a collection that resonated with the artist’s brand pillars, I initially developed 20 conceptual trend stories. This expansive exploration was eventually distilled into 12 refined narratives, ensuring the final 44-card assortment maintained a strategic balance of color, art style, and messaging. The architecture of these trends was deeply influenced by the cultural context of the era—specifically the high-style, "1989" New York aesthetic and the values of loyalty and friendship that defined her "squad era".
Each trend story was meticulously mapped out through physical mood boards that functioned as a visual and tactile roadmap for the collection:
NARRATIVE MAPPING
Trends like Girl of the Year were built around the consumer's desire for connection and friendship, while I ❤️ New York captured a chic, urban independence inspired by her move to the city. We developed stories like Be Bold to address core caption needs, such as birthdays and gratitude, ensuring the messaging felt authentic to her personal brand and social voice.
MOOD CURATION
Each board featured curated tears and references, suggested lettering styles, and specific material suggestions, allowing us to define the "soul" of the product before a single design was executed.
CASE STUDY · CREATIVE DIRECTION & BRAND PARTNERSHIPS
Visual Stewardship · Curating the Assortment
With the strategic framework established, the project moved into a phase of rigorous creative management to ensure the 44-card assortment felt like a singular, cohesive vision. I maintained a top-level view of the entire program, ensuring that the visual language remained balanced across every price point and aesthetic narrative.
My stewardship during the execution phase focused on:
ARTIST CURATION
We kept the artist pool to a thoughtful minimum of approximately ten creators to ensure consistency across the vast collection.
CREATIVE CONTINUITY
By assigning multiple projects to nearly every artist, we built a visual rhythm that allowed for a unified brand story and provided ample material for cohesive marketing and styling.
INTERNAL CONCEPTING
I partnered with another creative lead to pitch individual card concepts to the internal product management team, bridging the gap between our Nashville-approved moods and final production execution.
MATERIAL INTEGRITY
We balanced the assortment by intentionally mixing minimalist, lettering-focused designs with "heavy" handmade cards that utilized complex art and rich tactile finishes.
CASE STUDY · CREATIVE DIRECTION & BRAND PARTNERSHIPS
Impact · A Cultural Moment
The launch of the Taylor Swift x Papyrus partnership marked a significant milestone for the brand, landing first-to-floor at Target stores nationwide in June 2016. The collection’s success was a direct result of a design strategy that prioritized brand authenticity over celebrity novelty. By grounding the assortment in the conceptual moods established during the Nashville pitch, we created a product line that felt uniquely tailored to the "Swiftie" community while maintaining the high-art standards of the Papyrus brand.
The cultural resonance of the collection was immediate, generating substantial national press coverage:
EDITORIAL RECOGNICTION
The program was featured prominently in major fashion and lifestyle publications, including Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour.
BRAND ELEVATION
Media outlets highlighted the "secret" and sophisticated nature of the line, noting that the designs felt "SO Taylor Swift"—a validation of our goal to capture her authentic voice rather than just her likeness.
COMMERCIAL SUCCESS
The ability to translate a massive musical era like 1989 into a tangible, 44-card retail experience demonstrated the power of the "Sullivan Street" approach to brand stewardship and visual storytelling.