Creative Director / Writer

About

Creative Director / Writer

 

— Talking Points —

Entrepreneurial by nature.
I am a son of an entrepreneur, bringing a builder’s mindset to every role. At Dreyer’s (Häagen-Dazs, Drumstick, and 13 other ice cream brands), the team needed to launch new products, elevate social media output, and redesign all brand websites on tight budgets and timelines. So I built an internal brand creative studio, made up entirely of freelancers, to handle design, video, photography, writing, and content creation under my direction.

Calm and decisive under pressure.
Following an acquisition, The team was faced with a hard eight-month website technology cutoff, and an 18-month agency work estimate. The agency cost and timing were not viable options, so I took ownership of the challenge, directing and producing a 1,500-page redesign and tech migration across 15 brands. I delivered on time and under budget to keep the business online and uninterrupted.

Resourceful and team-focused.
With 15 years of experience as a writer, director, and producer across consumer goods, tech, and sports, I know how to keep projects moving when resources are limited. When teams are lean, I step in to fill gaps, solve problems, and ensure every project meets both creative and operational goals.

Leadership with optimism and connection.
Great teams win together, and that’s how I lead. A UC Berkeley study found that NBA teams who high-fived and fist-bumped more often performed better, showing how simple connection builds trust under pressure. I bring that same mindset to my work, celebrating teammates’ small wins, keeping things light when the pressure is on, and creating an environment where people feel supported and motivated to do their best.

 
 
 

— Experience —

Pro Football Focus (PFF)
Associate Creative Director
PDX 2025
Brands: PFF (B2C and B2B)

Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream
Creative Director
PDX 2020-2024
Brands: Haagen-Dazs, Drumstick, Outshine, OREO, Skinny Cow, Dreyer’s/Edy’s, KitKat, Crunch, IceCream.com

Freelance
Senior Copywriter
PDX 2019-2020
Brands: Haagen-Dazs, Drumstick, Outshine, OREO, Skinny Cow, Dreyer’s/Edy’s, RUNA, Thomas Felice, JOURNI (Cambia)

TheLab
Copywriter
NYC 2018-2019
Brands: Disney Vacation Club, Stearns & Foster, DevaCurl

Universal McCann
Copywriter
NYC 2017-2018
Brands: Hershey, FitBit, BMW, Coach, McCormick

Taylor
Copywriter
NYC 2015-2017
Brands: Captain Morgan, Jordan, Stearns & Foster, Van Heusen, Capital One, Tide, P&G

M80 (GroupM)
Associate Copywriter
NYC 2013-2015
Brands: Jose Cuervo, Sam’s Club, Almay, Bayer

 

 
 

— Skills —

Brand Guidelines
Writing
Voice Development
Web Design
Creative Strategy
Creative Direction
Scripts
Social Media
Prompt Engineering
Concept Development

— Programs —

Figma
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Experience Manager

— Education —

University of Oregon
Journalism/Advertising



— Connect —

tom.sabiel@gmail.com
925.200.4961
LinkedIn