The short version

the basics

I'M A CREATIVE DIRECTOR WITH HEAVY DESIGN, GRAPHICS & FILM MAKING EXPERIENCE. INCLUDING MANAGEMENT OF PRE- AND POST-PRODUCTION.

I'VE SPENT A DECADE IN INTEGRATED AGENCIES, AND ANOTHER 15 YEARS INDEPENDENTLY WORKING ON GLOBAL BRANDS, SPECIALISING IN 360 CAMPAIGNS.

I'M CLIENT-FRIENDLY, ABLE TO PRESENT WORK, CAN GO SOLO OR IN A TEAM. BASED IN UK BUT USED TO WORKING REMOTELY.

WHAT'S MY EXPERIENCE?

I started out in graphic design and print production, gradually shifting those visual skills into film, writing, editing and motion graphics (skilled in all major Mac design apps).

I’ve worked in many environments including small agencies, big agencies, graphics studios, production houses and even banks.

I’ve had a close relationship with OMEGA watches for 14 years, helped start-ups and run my own business. All of this has taught me valuable understanding of the “client’s perspective”.

WHAT DO I DO?

I’m all about brand stories. I believe a great idea is the foundation of any great project, and over time I’ve extended myself into film directing too.

In summary, my particular experience is in producing global campaigns which cross languages and platforms.

Since film is usually a core aspect of communication, I focus heavily on the story and how it gets extended into other media. These turn into multi-level projects, executed with design that’s efficient and works in the all formats that exist out there, whether digital or physical media.

where do I fit in?

My value is bringing quality and confidence to a project. I'm able to manage the process from beginning to end. From the idea to final delivery.

As a long-time free-lancer, I’ve learnt to be adaptable to internal agency processes and really try to get seamlessly involved, wherever I may be dropped. I aim to be like an agency’s secret weapon by providing extra experience and skills quickly. I’m here to help the situation.
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I’m able to work with internal teams or manage/produce the project externally with the Alpha team. I can also be available to consult, bounce ideas or just chat over a coffee :-)

Vitals

Dario Renato Nucci
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Italian / South African nationality.
Born 30 November 1977

Based in Somerset, UK

Email: dario@thealphastudio.net
Mobile: +44 07903 820 454

WORK HISTORY

Worked at Williams Lee, CitiBank, 180 Amsterdam, The Alpha Studio

Working knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom, Acrobat, Premiere, FCP X, Compressor, Keynote, Powerpoint

MULTIPLE AWARD WINNER (agency)

Cannes Gold and Silver,
Clio Gold, Bronze
Eurobest Gold, Bronze
ADCN Gold
Shark awards Silver, Gold and Baby Shark Gold
Loerie Gold
Epica Silver
One show finalist, in-book
D&AD In-book
AICP Honouree
ADC Merit

Bio

Since 2010, I’ve worked closely with my founding client OMEGA watches alongside a selection of emerging sports and luxury brands. During this time I lived between South Africa and Italy.

While in Italy, I started a side-hustle producing custom bicycles with handmade steel frames and wild paint work. I run it as a business which can scale up or down depending on my availability.

Before that, I lived in London and Amsterdam (1999-2009) working for various design and ad agencies which exposed me to many exciting projects and introduced me to many talented people. I’ve blessed to worked on
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In my personal life I’m also a cyclist, runner, photographer, watch collector, tech nerd, husband and dad of 2 human, and 2 furry babies. I love the outdoors and am an all-round happy camper (I mean, I actually love camping).

Skills

My core skill is concept development, but the digital age has pushed me to master post-production skills as well... I’m like a one-stop content-shop.
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I have strong experience in conceptual thinking, brainstorming, strategy, graphic design, layout design and film editing.

I’m able to manage creative teams to inspire ideas and drive progress. I have managed large projects and developed campaign CI, able to expand concepts into 360º collateral materials.
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Office manners include punctuality, patience, being nice, and team priorities above my own.
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I’ve also spoken to students and taught graphic design and conceptual thinking classes. Something I’d like to pursue further in the future.

DOWNLOAD PDF CV

A picture of OMEGA's factory building lit up at night.

Working with OMEGA

I’ve worked closely with OMEGA Watches of Switzerland since January 2010.

Since going independent, I’ve produced countless projects for them in a Creative Directorial capacity. I’m proud to have been part of their exponential growth over the last 10 years, navigating the rise of social media and the ever-changing landscape of advertising.

What’s it like working with one brand? Industry people often wonder if it feels ”limiting” to have one client. The answer is "no". In my experience woking with big companies, I find that once you’re in this deep, dealing with individual departments is like having separate clients, really. They just share the same logo! Each have their own challenges, needs, budgets and deadlines. And when you work with their partners, you have to consider their values and procedures too.

Working with OMEGA means working with their partners too.

I've regularly worked with global sports partners like the Ryder Cup, the Olympic Games Committee and the Volvo Ocean Race.

My roles with them have covered strategy, creative direction, writing, film direction, being a producer and even an “actor” a couple of times - although I prefer to use professional talent like Daniel Craig, Cindy Crawford, Rory McIlroy or Michael Phelps in my shoots.
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Through OMEGA, I’ve regularly worked with global sports partners like the Ryder Cup, the Olympic Games Committee and the Volvo Ocean Race.

One benefit of being small is being allowed further into OMEGA’s business than any other agency has done so before.
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Along the way I’ve touched many different marketing aspects like social responsibility and technology partners. I’ve designed books, gifts and boutique take-overs. I’ve consulted on museum presentations, events, product launches and their online presence. The scope has been very diverse indeed.

– Some of the brands I've worked with–

The long version

Currently based in Somerset, UK, I’ve survived as an independent creative director working under The Alpha Studio handle, for 10 years.
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As every lone-wolf knows, being the only employee can be a wild ride of risks and steep learning curves. The only compass I had during this complicated journey was holding on to my core skill: strong design.
I finished art school in 1999 (yep, that’s 20+ years ago) and since then I’ve lived in London, Amsterdam, Venice, Cape Town and now UK.
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My first job was in London with Williams Lee, a temp agency who sent me all over the city, seeing the inner workings of companies ranging from small creative agencies to big banks. I wasn’t earning, but I was learning!

Surprisingly, the most experimental design studioI worked in was CitiBank. We could try anything.

In 2003 I moved to a quaint little town called Amsterdam where I jumped into my first permanent agency job. Back then it was called 180 Amsterdam and when I joined, there were just 27 people.
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What followed was 7 years of warp-speed learning under ECDs Andy Fackrell and Richard Bullock. The talent and drive in the company were so exceptional that by the time I left in October 2009, the agency had grown to around 300 people and had added a fancy office in Los Angeles where I temp’ed at also.

I’m proud to say that I was part of building that. At 180 I worked on campaigns for both Adidas Performance and Adidas Originals. Also Dunlop tires, Dr. Pepper, Heineken, Amstel, Absolute Vodka, SONY along with many winning pitches.

I made some lasting friends too. 180 is where I met my OMEGA clients who took my career in a whole new direction over the next 10 years...

The Alpha Studio was born in early 2010 to service OMEGA directly. Since then, I’ve had an unparalleled opportunity to develop myself alongside the client, in real-time.

Our personal relationship has always been at the core of our success.

Over the past decade, OMEGA have grown exponentially. Together we’ve navigated the ever-shifting rules of business and dived head-on into the world of social media, charitable partnerships, retail design and events.
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We’ve produced global campaigns with celebrities. Big and small productions. Quick turn-around and slow-burners - we’ve done it all together.
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As the central figure of the Alpha team, I had to become a smarter team leader. Over the years I learned to keep good people close. I also needed to become a producer, budget negotiator and controller! It wasn’t easy, and I hated it at first.

I often considered money the “dark side” of advertising. I wanted nothing to do with it, but as it turns out, it’s how a project gets made!
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It sounds obvious to say, yet I believe agency creatives are too sheltered from understanding it most of the time. I genuinely feel like I have a better handle on the reality of the business and the client’s needs. Creative thinking time should be considered an investment and can return more than a single purpose.
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Being in the middle of world-time allows me to engage clients in the US as well as wrangle directors and other talented people from as far as Australia and New Zealand.
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Assisting start-ups has taught me to be scrappy and very agile. So after years of solving other brands’ business challenges, I finally took the most daring step of all: starting my very own business.

When a client asks for their logo bigger, I get where they’re coming from.

My Wild Love cycles is a company forged by the cycling passion of two friends. But even though it’s a side-hustle, being a business owner helps me understand the marketing manager’s challenges and ultimately the purchase impulse in a profoundly new way.
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It’s way harder to waste time and make thoughtless decisions when it’s your own money on the line. I recommend trying this to any creative who’s serious about the business! ♠

You can find more of my agency work on Behance

About Dario.