Brand Campaigns & Packaging
Milk Bar
Role: Designer → Sole In-House Designer
Timeline: 2017–2020
Scope: Brand Campaigns, Packaging, Digital Marketing, Retail Expansion
Disciplines: Campaign Design, Packaging, Email Marketing, Retail Graphics, Creative Systems
Overview
From 2017–2020, I contributed to the rapid growth of Milk Bar, supporting brand expansion through seasonal campaigns, packaging design, digital marketing, and retail creative.
Working directly with founder Christina Tosi and a small internal creative team, I helped translate Milk Bar’s playful identity across every customer touchpoint — from email campaigns and e-commerce to new storefront launches and in-store experiences.
During periods of organizational transition, I served as the only in-house designer, helping maintain creative output while the company scaled nationally following heightened visibility from Chef's Table.
The Challenge
Milk Bar was undergoing a pivotal period of growth — expanding retail locations, launching new products, and increasing national attention while operating with a lean creative team.
Every piece of creative was produced internally.
The challenge was sustaining a recognizable brand voice while managing:
constant seasonal campaigns and gifting holidays
rapid retail expansion into new markets
daily e-commerce and marketing needs
evolving workflows without established systems
Success depended on balancing creative consistency, production speed, and operational adaptability.
Creative Approach
Our small team approached Milk Bar as a living brand built around nostalgia, everyday celebration, and joyful indulgence.
Rather than treating campaigns as isolated moments, I helped shape a continuous storytelling ecosystem spanning:
major gifting holidays (Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, seasonal launches)
evergreen messaging encouraging everyday celebrations
cohesive visual experiences across digital and physical environments
Working closely with leadership, we concepted and presented seasonal campaigns internally, ensuring each initiative reinforced Milk Bar’s emotional connection with customers while supporting business goals.
Execution
Seasonal Campaign Direction
Designed creative for major commercial moments including Mother’s Day and Father’s Day
Contributed to campaign ideation and internal presentations
Supported evergreen marketing reinforcing daily celebration culture
Highlight:
The Mother’s Day campaign became the highest-performing campaign in company history at the time.
Packaging & Product Design
Developed packaging graphics aligned with Milk Bar’s evolving identity
Supported product launches and gifting initiatives
Balanced playful brand expression with real production constraints
Digital & E-Commerce Marketing
Designed promotional email campaigns and digital marketing assets
Built emails manually in Photoshop before transitioning workflows toward more scalable systems
Supported continuous e-commerce storytelling and conversion-focused launches
Retail Expansion & Environmental Graphics
Assisted Creative Director in opening major new locations including:
NYC Flagship Store
Boston Harvard Square
Los Angeles Flagship
Washington DC Logan Circle
Work included in-store print assets, signage systems, and branded customer experiences during a major phase of company expansion.
Leadership & Collaboration
Operating within a small and evolving team meant roles extended far beyond traditional design responsibilities.
I regularly collaborated with senior leadership, marketing, culinary teams, and retail operations to bring campaigns to life.
Key contributions included:
Maintaining creative continuity during headcount transitions
Acting as sole designer for extended periods
Supporting campaign strategy alongside execution
Improving workflows and introducing more efficient creative systems over time
This environment required adaptability, initiative, and a constant commitment to learning new tools and processes.
Impact
This body of work helped sustain Milk Bar’s recognizable voice during one of its most visible growth periods.
Outcomes included:
Execution of high-performing seasonal campaigns
Support of national retail expansion
Consistent brand expression across digital and physical channels
Development of internal creative workflows that improved long-term efficiency
The experience shaped my ability to operate across disciplines, manage competing priorities, and evolve creative systems within fast-growing organizations.
Reflections
Working at Milk Bar established the foundation for how I approach creative leadership today.
Designing in an environment where everything was built in-house taught me to move fluidly between concept, execution, and systems thinking — wearing many hats while continually improving how creative work gets made.
That mindset continues to influence how I lead large-scale brand and campaign initiatives today.