Carl — A Living Brand Platform

TLDR

Zero-to-One Creative Leadership

Led Carl from concept through global film, character system design, and live activation — transforming a commercial idea into a scalable brand platform that humanized enterprise AI.

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Phase 1: Brand Film

Global commercial launch. Partner direction. Localization across markets.

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Phase 2: Character System

20+ page character handbook. Product immersion. Scripted dialogue system.

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Phase 3: Live Activation

Dreamforce performance. Real-time interaction. Enterprise audience engagement.

📊 Impact: Humanized complex AI • Created scalable brand asset • New approach to technology storytelling

Project Overview

Carl was created to humanize Docusign's Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platform — a complex, evolving AI system — during a period of active product development and brand transformation.

The Work

The work spanned film, live experience, performance, and character design, transforming Carl from a one-off commercial concept into a scalable, character-driven brand platform.

My Role

Internal Creative Lead (End-to-End)
I owned Carl from first concept through execution — across film, live activation, and character system design.

The Challenge

IAM was:

Technically sophisticated
Difficult to explain quickly
Still evolving as a platform

How do you make enterprise AI feel understandable, credible, and human… without oversimplifying it?

The Insight

People connect with characters, not platforms.

Carl wasn't designed to explain everything. He was designed to embody the intelligence, clarity, and confidence of the platform itself.

Brand Film (Global Launch)

Introducing Carl to the world

Scope

Flagship brand commercial
Global audience
Localization across regions

My Leadership

Led creative development and narrative direction
Partnered with Brand New School to produce the film on-site in Poland
Approved and refined storyboards, scripts, and visual language
Directed tone and performance to ensure Carl felt intelligent, not gimmicky
Oversaw localization to ensure the character translated across markets

Outcome: A character-led film that introduced IAM with clarity and confidence — positioning Carl as a credible guide, not a mascot.

Carl Brand Film — Global Launch Commercial

Character System Design

Carl couldn't stop at the screen

But to work in real environments, he needed rules.

What I Built

A 20+ page scripted character handbook, defining:
- Who Carl is — and who he is not
- How he speaks about IAM and AI
- What he can explain, deflect, or escalate
Deep platform immersion:
- Studied the full IAM architecture
- Translated product capabilities into character logic
Wrote scripted dialogue that mapped directly to real platform functionality

This ensured Carl was: Consistent. Accurate. Safe. Scalable.

Live Experiential Activation (Dreamforce)

Bringing Carl to life in front of enterprise audiences

Scope

High-visibility, live enterprise audience
Real-time interaction
No margin for error

My Leadership

Led Carl's transition from film to live experience
Oversaw costuming, physical presence, and performance direction
Ensured Carl could:
- Respond in real time
- Stay aligned to platform truth
- Maintain brand integrity under pressure
Designed the experience so Carl felt like an extension of the platform, not a novelty

Result: Enterprise audiences engaged with Carl. They didn't just watch him.