Branding, campaign strategy, and event design for AdvaMed, a trade association that represents the medical technology industry. Every year AdvaMed hosts a medical technology showcase on Capitol Hill. This annual event was used as a launch pad for the “When it Matters” campaign, which is focused on making the connection between medical technology and the affects it has on patients’ lives.

PR Week 2019 Short list
Best Campaign on a Small Budget

Branding and campaign strategy for AdvaMed, a trade association that represents the medical technology industry. The “End Device Tax” campaign was focused on advocating to end the medical device tax. In December of 2019 it was permanently repealed.

Art Direction: Nate Smith-Grasse
Graphic Design: Nate Smith-Grasse and Kevin Morales
Illustration: Nate Smith-Grasse and Getty Images
Photography: Getty Images

Case Study

Teach For America is a nonprofit that is working towards the day when every child will receive an excellent and equitable education. The main thing they are known for is a two year program where they train new teachers and strategically place them in schools where they will have the most impact.

In 2023 TFA had 2,000+ new teachers (corps members) they needed to put through their inaugural training course known as "Pre-Service". Pre-Service is a critical moment when new corps members are introduced to the Teach For America organization as official members.

The desired outcome of the campaign brand is for corps members to think, “I have made the right choice to join TFA, I feel valued, prepared to teach, and connected to a larger movement.”

Graphic Design and Motion: Nate Smith-Grasse
Illustration: Erick M. Ramos

Teach For America is a nonprofit that is working towards the day when every child will receive an excellent and equitable education. The main thing they are known for is a two year program where they train new teachers and strategically place them in schools where they will have the most impact.

This welcome video is shared with all new teachers when they officially start their two year program.

Teach For America is a nonprofit that is working towards the day when every child will receive an excellent and equitable education. The main thing they are known for is a two year program where they train new teachers and strategically place them in schools where they will have the most impact.

This social media campaign for TFA aimed to increase reach to new audiences, engage followers, and support organizational objectives by drawing a connection between the student and teacher experience.

The campaign successfully expanded its reach to new audiences by 12%, and the average engagement rate stood at an impressive 3%. This surpassed the average engagement rate for brands on social media, which typically falls below 2%.

Social Concept and Graphic Design: Nate Smith-Grasse
Social Management: Kiana Tipton

Teach For America is a nonprofit that is working towards the day when every child will receive an excellent and equitable education. The main thing they are known for is a two year program where they train new teachers and strategically place them in schools where they will have the most impact.

Between 2022 and 2023 TFA produced a podcast called "Changing Course". It was a focused on conversations with innovative nonprofits from across the country that are committed to attracting, training, and retaining BIPOC educators.

This social-first promotion of the podcast demonstrated a strong understanding of effective social media design and content. By leveraging bite-sized video clips, A/B testing content formats, making small design adjustments, and collaborating with influential guests and the host, the campaign successfully drove awareness and interest in the podcast. The engaging content and strategic targeting resulted in increased video views and generated traffic to the podcast episodes.

Graphic Design and Motion: Nate Smith-Grasse
Social Management: Kiana Tipton

Teach For America is a nonprofit that is working towards the day when every child will receive an excellent and equitable education. The main thing they are known for is a two year program where they train new teachers and strategically place them in schools where they will have the most impact.

“Teacher Talk” is TFA’s primary newsletter to current teachers and alumni. With 18,000 subscribers it is a key indicator of teachers engagement with the TFA brand.

I led a redesign that resulted in a 48% increase in click rates YOY.

Teach For America is a nonprofit that is working towards the day when every child will receive an excellent and equitable education. The main thing they are known for is a two year program where they train new teachers and strategically place them in schools where they will have the most impact.

For the 2023 Teacher Appreciation Week, Teach For America wanted to lean into its new internal brand statement, “Illuminate the light in every learner.”

I led a series of brainstorms in which the team collaborated on ways to embody that statement in a single marketing deliverable. The pitch that I created, and we ultimately chose, was a video piece that would illustrate how one teacher and her students have illuminated the light in each other.

Concept, Art Direction, Graphic Design: Nate Smith-Grasse
Script: Catherine Sun

A logo pitch for Beyond, the advocacy arm of The Internet and Television Association.

Branding for MAD (Making a Difference). MAD is a community development organization whose mission is to provide apprenticeships and employment to under represented communities in the DC area. MAD specializes in landscaping, but long term they plan to expand to real estate, construction, and other areas. A flexible identity system was designed to accommodate their broad vision.

Case Study

Poster for a kombucha workshop hosted by the Lutheran Volunteer Corps. LVC is a non profit that connects young people with one to two year volunteer positions at social-justice organizations.

Brochure designed for AdvaMed, a trade association that represents the medical technology industry.

Video for IP Progress, an organization dedicated to championing the value and benefits of a global IP ecosystem.

Graphic Design, Motion, Illustration: Nate Smith-Grasse
VO and Sound: Alter Ego
Script: Nate Smith-Grasse

Winning campaign pitch to the American Dental Association. The ADA is the nations leading dental association.

Art Direction: Nate Smith-Grasse
Graphic Design: Kelley Brown and Nate Smith-Grasse
Motion: Nate Smith-Grasse

Reputation campaign for the American Health Care Association. The AHCA is an association of long term and post-acute care providers.

Case Study

Campaign branding and website for the Community Oncology Alliance. The COA is a non-profit that advocates for community oncology practices and their patients.

Art Direction: Nate Smith-Grasse
Graphic Design and Illustration: Holly D'Zmura

Website re-design of the American Trucking Associations; the largest national trade association for the trucking industry.

Art Direction: Nate Smith-Grasse
Graphic Design: Loudmark

Commercial for AdvaMed’s “When it Matters” campaign. AdvaMed is a trade association that represents the medical technology industry.

Graphic Design, Motion, Illustration: Nate Smith-Grasse
Script: Adfero and Nate Smith-Grasse
Music: Defacto Sound

Various projects created for Adfero’s marketing efforts. Adfero is a communications agency that turns challenges into opportunities.

Art Direction, Graphic Design, Motion, Illustration: Nate Smith-Grasse
Graphic Design: Kristie Beyer
Photography: Aryeh Schwartz
Scripts: Adfero and Nate Smith-Grasse

Education Advisory Board brochure about student recruiting. EAB is a consulting firm focused on the education industry.

Title sequence for “Royall Digital”, a video series by Royall & Company. After being acquired by the Education Advisory Board, Royall & Company sought to establish their executives as leaders in technology for higher education consulting.

In order to achieve this goal, they produced a series of short videos titled "Royall Digital” featuring Emily Bauer. (Managing Director of Program Marketing at Royall & Company)

Graphic Design: Nate Smith-Grasse and Sarah Ostrander
Motion: Nate Smith-Grasse
B-roll: Joe Shrum

Case Study

Identity for "Pop After Dark" the 2016 year end party for the Advisory Board employees. The Advisory Board is a health care consulting agency specializing in identifying industry best practices.

Case Study

Logo and brochure for the The Advisory Board’s recruiting program. The Advisory Board Company is a health care consulting agency specializing in identifying industry best practices.

Website design and brand update of Stateside; a leader in state and local government affairs services.

Recruiting video for The Advisory Board Company. The Advisory Board is a health care consulting agency specializing in identifying industry best practices.

Graphic Design and Motion: Nate Smith-Grasse
B-roll: Joe Shrum
Script: The Advisory Board Company and Nate Smith-Grasse

2016 Gold Award for Web Video
MarCom Awards

Infographic and original illustrations explaining how hospitals can save money by placing pharmacists in ambulatory care. The Advisory Board is a health care consulting agency specializing in identifying industry best practices.

Social media recruiting campaign for UCB, a global pharmaceutical company. This campaign led to an expanded scope of work with the client.

Art Direction: Nate Smith-Grasse
Graphic Design and Illustration: Kristie Beyer

Presentation designed for Nicor Gas, the largest natural gas distribution company in Illinois.

Slides have been omitted for privacy.

Graphic Design: Nate Smith-Grasse

Spec work for a new Chewy private brand dog food. Chewy is the largest online pet retailer in the United States.

An ongoing personal project.

A collection of personal experiments.