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Creative Direction & Promotional Title Strategy
As a lead of strategy and creative direction at Netflix’ Product Discovery & Promotion team I am responsible to help members choose from an ever-growing entertainment catalogue using data-driven insights on audiences and asset performance, as well as my consistently proven creative judgement & sense for industry-leading execution.
Since 2018, I have led the creation of thousands of artwork and AV assets across hundreds of unique and diverse titles, including high budget prestige shows & films like The Witcher, All Quiet On The Western Front, DARK, The Empress, etc.
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Creative Direction & Strategy
Among many titles that I had the privilege to work on (such as “The Witcher” or the Oscar-winning “All Quiet on the Western Front”), one particular highlight was the creative direction of promotional materials for the sci-fi mystery show “1899”.
I have collaborated closely with cross-functional partners from design, marketing, social, publicity and content to ship a campaign that was cohesive, bold and intriguing across all channels – and that won several CLIOs for both artwork and AV.
The opportunity and goal of the campaign
One of the first steps I took in developing the title strategy for 1899 was mapping out the phased rollout of promotional materials. At the time, fans had little information about the series, but extremely high expectations, given it was the follow-up to DARK, a show with a fiercely loyal and highly engaged fanbase.
The campaign strategy focused on two key goals:
1. Fuel online speculation by fully embracing the show’s mysterious, puzzle-like nature.
2. Gradually increase the amount of context to the audience. Just enough to spark intrigue, but never enough to disclose any critical plot details.
Over six months ahead of the show's release, I led the creative & strategic development of the campaign’s very first asset: the Morse Code Pre-Teaser.
Conceived as both a riddle and signal to the fans that the campaign is starting now, it was intentionally crafted to ignite fan curiosity and set the tone for a promotional rollout rooted in discovery, speculation, and engagement.
The Morse Code Asset
This asset marked the very first beat of the 1899 campaign – both on- and off-platform.
The opportunity was significant: to offer fans a first glimpse into the world of 1899, while playfully establishing the campaign’s “rules” in a way that felt true to the show’s tone. At the same time, it served to deepen fan engagement and build anticipation from the very start.
1899_S1_80234387_Morse Code Teaser_3840x2160_2CH_V1_Bug.mp4Morse Code Pre-Teaser | Editor: Adam Bozsik
As you may have guessed (the fans certainly did), the asset contains a hidden message…
- . .- ... . .-. / -.-. --- -- .. -. --. / .--- ..- -. . / -....
…or in plain text: "Teaser coming June 6".
Without any further context or nudging from our end, it took our fans less than an hour to discover the teaser's hidden message, to transcribe and to share their discovery across social media.
Main Trailer
The goal for the main trailer was a different one: "putting the cash on the screen". 1899 is the most expensive German series ever produced for Netflix—shot on a cutting-edge virtual production volume, featuring lavish costumes, meticulously designed sets, and ambitious visual effects.
After weeks of carefully crafted teasers, the trailer was designed to deliver what fans had been eagerly waiting for: a bold and dramatic showcase of the series’ scale, ambition, and cinematic quality – one that made it clear no expense had been spared.
EN-ROW_1899_MainTrailer_Full Length_1920x1080_H264_2CH_PRE_Bug_Sub_Compressed.mp4Main Trailer | Agency: Intermission
Designer (all 1899 artwork): Emily Ware
"What's up with all those triangles?"
The response from fans to the campaign rollout was overwhelming – excitement was palpable, and the recurring triangle symbolism sparked a wave of speculation across social media. It created the perfect environment to surprise and engage fans with more conceptual, elevated creative.
Enter: The Triangle Match Cut Motion Teaser. A meticulously crafted piece that seamlessly weaves together every triangle motif from the show, set against a haunting poem recited by our protagonist in the series’ opening scene.
1899_S1_80234387_Match Cuts Triangles Mood Teaser_MCM_3840x2160_2CH_V1.mp4Triangles Motion Graphics Teaser | Editor: Adam Bozsik | Motion Work: Dawn Chenette
Launch Day
On launch day, the full suite of on-service assets was unleashed to Netflix members, offering a variety of entry points into the world of 1899. Each asset was designed to appeal to different viewer interests and viewing behaviors, allowing audiences to engage with the show in a way that resonated most with them. I led the strategy, development, and curation of the entire on-service experience.
A L L Q U I E T O N T H E W E S T E R N F R O N T
Honoring the legacy of a literary classic
Among the many prestige titles I’ve had the privilege of leading on-service creative strategy for, Oscar-winner All Quiet on the Western Front stands out as one of the most distinct.
The challenge was to craft a promotional visual language that honored the legacy of a world-renowned literary classic while approaching the subject of war (particularly in its country of origin) with the utmost sensitivity and respect. The goal was to deliver a full suite of assets with a polished, awards-worthy aesthetic, carefully avoiding any hint of heroism or glorification.
Like most of the artwork suites I’ve had the pleasure of developing, this one was composed of a mix of film stills, on-set unit photography, and conceptual artwork created in collaboration with creative agencies.
The film went on to win four Academy Awards at the 2023 Oscars.
T H E W I T C H E R
The right image for the right audience
Netflix’ approach to artwork and AV is equally centered around data-insights as it is around creative judgement. Each title is promoted with a meticulously curated blend of a wide range of artwork and AV assets covering a range of tonalities, genre cues, contextual cues, story lines and predicted target audiences – making each title’s promotion an exercise in flexing the muscle of creative diversity & bandwidth while staying tonally consistent and true to the core genre or IP of a the title in order to align with audience expectations.
32% Take Rate
18% Take Rate
8% Take Rate
5% Take Rate
MM_Mood Teaser_1920x1080_Portfolio.mp4Mood Teaser | Editor: Alex Alonso
MM_Story Teaser_1920x1080_V1_2ch_Portfolio.mp4Story Teaser | Editor: Oana Galloway
The right trailer for the right audience
One exercise I particularly enjoy in my role is asking, “How else can we promote this title while staying true to its essence for our members?”
Exploring that question often leads to bold, audience-specific creative solutions across both artwork and AV. A strong example is this pair of teaser trailers for The Witcher Season 2, each tailored to different audiences:
The top piece, labeled Mood Teaser, is designed to immerse viewers in the show’s epic, grand-scale atmosphere. By intentionally placing characters and narrative in the background, it lets tone, scope, and cinematic world-building take center stage – appealing to a broad, pre-engaged audience of fantasy enthusiasts and fans of The Witcher IP.
In contrast, the bottom piece, labeled Story Teaser, focuses on the character of Ciri and her training with Geralt in Season 2. This teaser was carefully crafted to resonate with our female audience, a group we identified as highly engaged with the show and its characters through detailed member insights gathered after Season 1.
Both assets remain true to the series’ genre, tone, and narrative – but are designed to speak to different viewer mindsets in a targeted and authentic way.
M O R E T R A I L E R S | C R E A T I V E D I R E C T I O N & S T R A T E G Y
What's special about it…
Fully embracing the film’s guilty pleasure spirit, I creatively directed a trailer that pays homage to the golden era of the Grindhouse genre.
In addition to leading the creative direction, I was personally hands-on with the picture treatment and motion graphics, ensuring the final piece captured the raw, stylized energy of classic exploitation cinema.
Blood & Gold | Special "Grindhouse" Trailer| Editor: Alessandro Innocenti | Image Treatment & Motion Graphics: Michael Friebe
Paradise_Alt Trailer_81288179_3840x2160_2CH_V3_ENsub_230621.mp4Paradise | Time Ticking Teaser | Editor: Lilian Schiffer
What's special about it…
In a world where lifetime is quite literally currency, this teaser trailer was crafted to make every second count.
The result was not only a tightly paced, high-impact piece, but also a Clio Award winner for Best Editing.
What's special about it…
I personally edited this asset myself with the following goal in mind: to create a “living room–safe” teaser for one of Netflix’s most-watched (and most controversial) erotic thrillers.
The challenge was to "give the people what they want" while remaining tasteful and not stirring up old or new controversy.
365 Days Part 2_Teaser Finish 1080p 2ch.mp4365 Days II | First Look Teaser | Editor: Michael Friebe
DE_KingOfStonksS1_Main Trailer_1920x1080_H264_2CH_PRE_BUG_SUB.mp4King of Stonks | Main Trailer | Editor: Marcell Feher | Music Labs: Jeff Kirchner
What's special about it…
High energy trailer about one of Europe's biggest financial scams featuring a custom in-house trailerization of DJ Khaled's "All I Do is Win".
What's special about it…
When a casual game night with a new date goes a bit sideways and ends in a loaded game of naked ping pong, one just has to be creative with it.
NFX_Spieleabend_Ping_Pong_Teaser_81663095_1920x1080_2CH_V4_Prelaunch_2406014.mp4Spieleabend (Blame The Game) | Ping Pong Teaser | Editor: Adam Bozsik
M O R E A R T W O R K | C R E A T I V E D I R E C T I O N & S T R A T E G Y
"Your strategic thinking on campaigns like Kleo S2 or HTSDOF has been instrumental and I have always appreciated how you apply past learnings to help us stay sharp and one step ahead."
Fana Giorgis, Marketing
"I'm always impressed with how you continue to come up with ideas and original ways to approach creative, even for titles where it's not as straightforward."
Daniel Kabai, Practices Lead
"Your creative mind is so inspiring and energizing. I love talking about creative with you and getting your input on ideas, as your perspective is super valuable."
Cansu Özata, Marketing
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