Hi! I’m Mars Nevada.

I’m a gendercreative, fun and funky feminist art director and designer working with brands and nonprofits to do no harm, create cool things, and make the world a better place.

From design to brand identity, illustration and photography, to SparkAR and games, I'm passionate about all forms of creative storytelling. I'm also an advocate for social justice issues, especially DEI and LGBTQIA+ rights. I believe that no matter what your brand statement or mission statement is, the creative work we do together can do good, as well as meet your strategic needs.

My background: I graduated summa cum laude from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2020 with a BSc in Journalism & Media Communication, majoring in Advertising and PR, with a focus in Design. I’ve created work for corporations, nonprofits, agencies, festivals, government, and more.

In my free time you can find me at art exhibits, trying to revive discount plants, collaborating with other creatives on shenanigans, and trying out every single coffee shop in New York City.

Give me a shout via LinkedIn or email! I love discussing everything from diversity and equity, accessibility, controversial rebrands, and whatever I’m currently binge-watching!

My Curriculum Vitae

Arnold Worldwide

Art Director | April 2021 - Present

• Conceptualize and develop creative ideas for various visual media, including print, digital, social and television projects and campaigns.

• Collaborate with copywriters to create visual assets to effectively communicate key messages and brand identity.

• Work hand in hand with vendors to ensure quality of produced assets, from print production, to web development, animation and more.

Junior Art Director | November 2021 - April 2021

• Work with senior art directors and creative directors to art direct and design projects from brief to production.

• Design everything from print ads, brochures, guides, digital display banners, and social media ads.

Organic

Freelance Junior Designer | August 2021 - October 2021

• Coordinated with strategy to translate input briefs and client needs into digital designs.

• Assisted in prototyping and building digital experiences, assets, wireframes and iconography in Figma.

• Prepared comps and wireframes for developer handoff in Zeplin to meet deadlines and turn-arounds for launch dates.

UI/UX Design Intern | Summer 2021

• Assisted with research and strategy, competitive and comprehensive audits of online experiences, and distilling insights into digital designs across multiple breakpoints.

• Built out component library resources to facilitate fast-paced and consistent design work.

• Worked on design and hand-off of digital design components in Figma and Zeplin to ensure internal and client deadlines were met.

4A’s Multicultural Advertising Internship Program

Summer 2021 Cohort Fellow

• Served as team lead, creative director and art director on short spec campaign sprints with a team of fourteen fellows across media, strategy, creative, public relations and more.

• Provided peer support to fellows through copy editing advice and graphic design support.

A/B Partners

Creative Strategy Intern | February 2021 - May 2021

• Researched and put together data and insights for creative strategy and strategy documents.

• Designed decks for successful presentations, pitches, and client meetings.

• Sourced creative assets and put together art direction inspiration for creative teams.

• Designed, wrote copy for, and built out creative concept pitches, campaigns, and creative assets (social, video, print, OOH) for clients.

Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts

Communications Assistant | February 2020 - December 2020

• Designed social media creative, marketing and communication materials, exhibition materials, and development materials to promote programming, guide visitors, and develop the critical fundraiser base.

• Wrote and edited copy for marketing materials and communications, including scripts for radio spots.

• Created and managed email campaigns to promote programming and initiatives.

• Promoted programming through press releases, paid advertisements and organic social media.

• Shot and edited photos for use in marketing materials and social media.

• Managed the Bemis website through a content management system to ensure up-to-date content and a clear user experience.

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) | University Communications

Multimedia Intern | August 2019 - December 2019

• Shot and edited photos of campus features, events and highlights for use in marketing campaigns, social media and website content.

• Created fun and engaging GIFS for UNO’s official GIPHY brand channel which reached more than a million views soon after launch.

UNO | Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center

Marketing and Social Media Management Student Worker | August 2016 - August 2019

• Managed social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) through content creation, copy-writing, and social media metric analysis.

• Wrote and edited engaging copy for internal and external communications to promote programming, initiatives, and operational updates.

• Wrote feature stories for web to highlight key figures on campus furthering the department’s mission of community engagement.

• Shot and edited photos of programming, staff, and architecture for use in marketing materials and social media.

Women’s Fund of Omaha

Get Checked Omaha Social Media Intern | May 2019 - August 2019

• Brainstormed fun and engaging social media content to promote pro-active health behaviors in local youth.

• Organized shoots, art directed shoots, and shot content for social media.

• Illustrated and animated content for social media.

• Wrote copy for social media posts to promote the Get Checked initiative and outreach events.

• Worked outreach, distributed learning materials, and answered questions at community events like Heartland Pride and food festivals to promote Get Checked as a community resource.

Havas New York

Production Intern | June 2018 - August 2018

• Helped producers meet deadlines by assisting with day-to-day production needs from on-set production assistance, art sourcing, talent paperwork, selecting music for commercials, cutting video clips and more.

• Led production and project management on a team of 30+ creative and media interns on a mental health awareness campaign for a nonprofit client.

• Main accounts: TD Ameritrade and tulo

Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area Planning Agency

Public Relations Intern | May 2017 - August 2017

• Managed and created content for social media to promote the Little Steps, Big Impact ozone awareness campaign.

• Wrote content edited copy for social media, press releases and governmental media advisories.

• Assisted with fundraising outreach, awareness initiatives, school and community outreach, and more.

• Shot and edited photos of government functions, events and outreach for use in communication materials.

The Gateway at UNO

Imagery Specialist | May 2019 - December 2020

• Designed opinion and feature article illustrations and cover art on quick turn-arounds to meet editorial deadlines for both print production and web content.

• Designed and animated engaging animations for digital stories to drive reader traffic.

Photo Editor | May 2018 - May 2019

• Managed and recruited a roster of photography contributors and directed story assignments to ensure visual components for stories to drive reader traffic and social media metrics.

• Shot and edited photos for photo essays and for news pieces, from protests to music festivals, and more.

• Edited and taught editing to contributors and staff according to journalistic standards.

• Created illustrations for Opinion section pieces.

MaverickPR

Brand and Web Design Consultant | December 2019 – December 2020

• Provided education to account associates on brand strategy and design techniques and best practices.

• Met with clients to facilitate and educate them on the branding process.

• Guided the branding process with creative team members.

• Designed and built out websites for clients.

Creative Director | May 2019 - December 2019

• Guided the creative strategy and vision of campaigns, brand identities and creative assets for clients.

• Provided guidance and oversight for designers, and gave insight into the creative process for clients.

• Reviewed and provided feedback on creative assets and campaign materials during process and execution.

• Discussed and led creative strategy with account executives and clients.

• Hands-on design work.

Account Associate | August 2018 - May 2019

• Wrote and edited copy for materials and social media, press releases, media kits and more for clients.

• Shot and edited photos for clients for use in marketing materials, social media and web.

• Researched and complied data and insights using analytics tools and databases.

• Designed creative assets for campaigns, including social media graphics, print layout designs, and out of home creative.

EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT

The University of Nebraska at Omaha

Graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s of Science in Journalism & Media Communication with a concentration in Public Relations & Advertising and a secondary field of study in Graphic Design

• Scholarships: the UNO College of Public Affairs and Community Service Goodrich Scholarship, the Public Relations Society of America Foundation's Gary Yoshimura Scholarship , and the American Advertising Federation of Omaha’s 2020 Scholarship.

Public Relations Student Society of America, UNO Chapter

Creative Director, Vice President of Publications

• Created content, designed assets and print layouts for newsletters and communication materials and social media.

• Provided mentorship to chapter members, encouraging community engagement, professional development and leadership.

• Assisted with planning and promoting programming and community engagement initiatives.

UNO Advertising Club

Secretary and President

• Helped plan speaker events bringing professionals on campus to share their experiences and knowledge with students.

• Served as liaison with American Advertising Federation of Omaha members for partnerships and collaborations.

American Advertising Federation of Omaha

Communications Committee Member

• Collaborated with committee members to plan communications to engage members.

• Brainstormed and created effective communications and content for social media and email newsletter.

Public Service Committee Member

• Collaborated with committee members to strategize, create and execute a campaign to benefit local nonprofits and help them achieve their strategic goals.

American Institute of Graphic Arts | AIGA UNO

Communications Officer

• Created, wrote copy for, and designed engaging social content and graphics.

• Planned and executed events to engage members and students.

Kappa Tau Alpha

Member

Kappa Tau Alpha is an American college honor society which recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism and mass communication. Membership must be earned by excellence in academic work at one of the colleges and universities which have chapters.

COMPETITIONS

Oath Advertising Knockout, 2018

First Place

A 12-hour challenge to solve a business problem for Verizon Media Group (then called Oath). Researched, brainstormed, created display ad creative, and pitched a strategy and media plan to Verizon Media Group executives and team members.

PRSSA Annual Bateman Competition, 2019

Honors

Planned and executed a fully-fledged awareness campaign around diversity in public relations and advertising.

VCU Robertson’s Rush, 2021

Led art direction and developed a creative strategy, visual identity, and landing site in a one-week sprint for an innovative and new cleaning product brand.

Still here? Jam with me!