Case Study Creative direction & systems leadership
Jack Link’s
Role
Creative direction
Context
Jack Link’s was one of the most recognizable brands in American advertising. For more than a decade, it was defined by Messin’ with Sasquatch — high-affinity, surprise-driven spots built for memorability, not message. But the category was quickly shifting toward functional benefits, and protein had become a primary purchase driver. The brand needed to join that conversation without sacrificing the cultural equity of Sasquatch — a character whose appeal depended on staying wild and unpredictable.
What Was Broken
The brand needed to evolve from pure humor to protein-led messaging without losing equity
Television could no longer function as a standalone deliverable
Social required always-on, continuous output
Budgets demanded efficiency, not single-use production
Each campaign needed to perform across formats, channels, and brands
Strategic Focus
The challenge wasn’t simply messaging. It was structural. Jack Link’s needed a way to evolve what the brand stood for, while also evolving how creative was conceived, produced, and scaled across an increasingly complex ecosystem.
Key Decisons
1. Don’t Explain Protein. Embody It.
Sasquatch can’t speak, so we paired him with elite athletes whose bodies already communicated strength, training, and results.
2. Preserve the Wildness of the Brand
The character needed to remain wild, funny, and slightly dangerous to retain credibility — no housebreaking allowed.
2. Preserve the Wildness of the Brand
The character needed to remain wild, funny, and slightly dangerous to retain credibility — no housebreaking allowed.