Associate Creative Director

WHAT ARE WE ALL ABOUT AT ELEMENT THREE?

Element Three is a full-service agency that bridges the gap for businesses in the dealer distribution model. We go beyond the obvious, bringing campaigns to life with big ideas, building brand strategies, telling stories, and creating meaningful marketing.

Our purpose is to “foster growth in people and business so they can change the world.” The team at Element Three takes this mission seriously, and it is manifest in everything we do. We make good brands great. We are accountable for delivering results on our strategies. Every single time. What does this mean for you? You will join a team of tenacious, hard-working pros who excel in what they do and lift each other along the way.

Role: Associate Creative Director

Art:

As an Associate Creative Director focused on Art Direction, you are the visual storytelling expert who brings Element Three's strategic insights to life through compelling design and innovative brand experiences. You work closely with cross-functional teams to develop and execute visual solutions that drive results across all touchpoints.

Your role spans from high-level creative strategy to hands-on design execution, ensuring that every visual element performs throughout the customer journey. You provide direction and oversight to art directors and designers while also rolling up your sleeves to personally execute critical creative work. You collaborate seamlessly with paid media managers, strategists, and account teams to create cohesive campaigns that perform across all channels. You understand how visual hierarchy, brand consistency, and user experience principles drive performance across different platforms and audiences. In essence, you are both a strategic creative leader and a hands-on designer who transforms complex business challenges into visually compelling solutions that deliver measurable results.

Copy:

As an Associate Creative Director focused on Copy, you are the voice and messaging strategist who crafts compelling narratives for clients across diverse industries. You work alongside the cross-functional teams to develop verbal brand strategies and messaging frameworks that resonate with target audiences. Your expertise spans from strategic messaging architecture to hands-on copywriting execution, ensuring that every word drives action across all touchpoints.

You provide direction and guidance to copywriters while also personally writing critical copy for key campaigns and client communications. You collaborate closely with paid media managers, strategists, and account teams to create cohesive campaigns that convert at every stage of the customer journey. You understand how messaging must adapt across different audiences and channels while maintaining brand consistency and voice. In essence, you are both a strategic messaging leader and a skilled copywriter who transforms complex business value propositions into clear, compelling stories that drive engagement and conversion.

To land this gig, you need:

Art:

• 6+ years of art direction experience in agency environments
• Proven expertise in designing for B2B, manufacturing, or complex distribution model clients
• Advanced proficiency in design software (Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Sketch) and familiarity with AI design tools
• Strong understanding of user experience principles and conversion-focused design
• Experience with art directing video productions, photography shoots, and motion graphics projects
• Knowledge of web design, email marketing design, and paid media creative optimization
• Leadership experience in managing and developing junior creative talent
• Portfolio demonstrating integrated campaigns across traditional and digital channels
• Understanding of dealer marketing materials, trade show environments, and localized campaign execution

Copy:

• 6+ years of copywriting experience in agency environments
• Proven expertise in writing for B2B, manufacturing, or complex distribution model clients
• Strong understanding of messaging strategy, brand voice development, and narrative architecture
• Experience writing across all channels: web, email, paid media, video scripts, sales collateral, and trade show materials
• Knowledge of SEO, conversion copywriting, and paid media copy optimization
• Leadership experience in developing junior copywriting talent
• Portfolio demonstrating integrated campaigns with measurable business results
• Understanding of dealer communication needs, technical product marketing, and B2B2C messaging challenges

This job might be right for you if:

Art:

• You are a strategic visual thinker who solves complex design challenges with elegance and impact. You balance creativity with business results.
• You are detail-oriented and maintain high standards while working efficiently. You understand that good design serves the strategy.
• You are collaborative and excel at translating abstract concepts into concrete visual solutions. You communicate design rationale clearly to clients and teammates.
• You are adaptable and curious about new design trends and technologies. You push the boundaries of what's possible while staying grounded in results.
• You are a natural mentor who enjoys developing others. You provide constructive feedback and help team members grow their skills.
• You are proactive and anticipate challenges before they arise. You bring solutions, not just problems, to every situation.

Copy:

• You are a strategic storyteller who transforms complex business challenges into compelling narratives. You understand that every word should drive toward a business goal.
• You are curious about industries and quick to learn technical subjects. You can write with authority about products you've never used.
• You are collaborative and excel at translating strategy into clear, actionable copy. You work seamlessly with designers, strategists, and account teams.
• You are data-driven and use performance metrics to refine messaging. You're not precious about your words - you care about what works.
• You are a natural teacher who enjoys developing other writers. You provide constructive feedback and help team members find their voice.
• You are adaptable and can shift tone and style based on audience and channel. You write equally well for C-suite executives and end consumers.

As an Associate Creative Director in Art/Copy, a typical week might look something like this:

Art:

• Art direct a product photography shoot for a heavy equipment manufacturer, ensuring assets work across dealer showrooms, digital ads, and trade show displays.
• Lead the visual development of a dealer portal redesign for an RV manufacturer, collaborating with UX strategists and the development team.
• Review and provide feedback on banner ad concepts created by the design team for a powersports client's paid social campaign.
• Present visual brand guidelines to a marine manufacturer's marketing team, explaining how consistent visual identity drives dealer adoption.
• Collaborate with the Senior Marketing Strategist on competitive visual analysis for a commercial vehicle pitch, identifying opportunities for visual differentiation.
• Art direct motion graphics for a trade show video, working with external video partners to ensure brand consistency and message clarity.
• Meet with Paid Media Managers to review creative performance data and develop new visual concepts based on top-performing assets.
• Mentor an Art Director on client presentation skills, helping them prepare visual rationale for an upcoming brand campaign review.

Copy:

• Develop messaging architecture for a commercial vehicle manufacturer's new product launch, creating distinct but consistent messaging for dealers, fleet managers, and end users.
• Lead a messaging workshop with a marine manufacturer's marketing team, helping them articulate their dealer value proposition more effectively.
• Write and review email campaign copy for a powersports client's lead nurturing program, ensuring messaging aligns with their dealer sales process.
• Collaborate with Paid Media Managers to optimize ad copy based on performance data, testing new messaging angles for better conversion rates.
• Review and provide feedback on website copy created by junior copywriters for an RV manufacturer's dealer portal.
• Partner with the Senior Marketing Strategist on competitive messaging analysis for a new business pitch, identifying unique positioning opportunities.
• Script a series of product demonstration videos for a heavy equipment client, ensuring technical accuracy while maintaining engaging storytelling.
• Mentor a junior Copywriter on client presentation skills, helping them confidently present messaging rationale to client stakeholders.