The CEO of Verified Comments
Slim Jim was a faded 90s meat stick struggling to connect with modern audiences In 2018, we made a radical change and quit all advertising to focus exclusively on organic social media, on a mission to be the snack that cures digital boredom.We started off on Instagram and Twitter, but knew that we needed to take a radical approach if we were going to make an impact on TikTok. We stopped behaving like a brand, and started behaving like a creator on the platform, adopting the persona of "The CEO of Verified Comments".
Our approach was an immediate success, leveraging the brand's reputation as an amplifier of culture and content to earn us 4.2 million followers, 8 million UGC clips, 1.6 billion organic views, and 15% average engagement rate within the first six months following launch. This was equivalent to $19 million in earned media, with zero spent on paid ads within TikTok.
Hello!
Email me: darylgorellana@gmail.com
Education:
Pratt Institute
BFA: Art Direction
Nassau Community College
A.A.S.: Graphic Design
Experience & Awards:
‘21—Current: 180GlobalTech forward lead creative. Helped lead the creative department and managed creative projects across the agency in the absence of a ECD/CD (Aug. 2023 to Jan. 2024). Additionally, I led the art direction and conceptual development of AI/Web3 ideas for all brands. Frequently assisting on 180LA, 180AMS pitches. Collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to ideate and establish new business opportunities for existing and prospective clients. Clients include: Slim Jim, MTN DEW, Sony, Hard MTN DEW.
‘19—’21: TBWACHIATDAYCollaborated with a cross-functional team to provide art direction and create digital native content. Designed, art directed, illustrated, animated, and more for Conagra brands such as Slim Jim, Reddi-wip, Angie's Boom Chicka Pop, Duncan Hines, and others. Was part of the team which launched the Slim Jim Instagram account into what it is today. Helped develop organic social tactics to exponentially drive the growth of social pages that grew Slim Jim from 400k followers to over 1.2M in 8 months. Work with dozens of influencers, freelancers, and makers to create outstanding content for culture driven social activations.
‘18—’19: D3-NYC Worked with a diverse range of clients across all stages of creative, from new business pitches to concept to execution. Led the design team to execut on-brand creative that met clients brief. A multidisciplinary hands-on role, with a specialty in design and motion. Managed projects through production and presented final creative to clients, including Jet, Spacious, JetBlack Hello Alfred, and Luminary.
‘17—’18: Retina Inc.
Led design/VFX and art direction of two VR experiences: PLAYBACK, funded by Oculus and featured on the Oculus app store, and NuVision, the standalone hit VR experience. Executed work for NuVision that got them funding.
‘16—’18: Macy’s Fashion Office Played a pivotal role in the strategic development and enhancement of the Fashion Office branding, which included graphic design elements, effectively amplifying the voices and distinct identities of all Fashion Directors within the organization.
'16: The Participation Agency
Worked across multiple projects, within various roles; including art direction, concept development, design, and production. Clients include Mondelēz International, Nike, Sour Patch Kids, B. Bonin Bough, Asbury Park Now! + new business (brand identities, web design, decks, video, motion).
'15: MTV
Art Direction and Design of original interstitial content for MTV's No Chill segment. Provided support and collaborated with the No Chill team
Skills & Software:
Art Direction
AI augmented creative
Graphic Design
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign,
After Effects, Premiere
Cinema 4D
Spark AR
Web 3.0 ideation
Figma
Memes
Other Interests
Memetics
Emerging tech
Education:
Pratt Institute
BFA: Art Direction
Nassau Community College
A.A.S.: Graphic Design
Experience & Awards:
‘21—Current: 180GlobalTech forward lead creative. Helped lead the creative department and managed creative projects across the agency in the absence of a ECD/CD (Aug. 2023 to Jan. 2024). Additionally, I led the art direction and conceptual development of AI/Web3 ideas for all brands. Frequently assisting on 180LA, 180AMS pitches. Collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to ideate and establish new business opportunities for existing and prospective clients. Clients include: Slim Jim, MTN DEW, Sony, Hard MTN DEW.
‘19—’21: TBWACHIATDAYCollaborated with a cross-functional team to provide art direction and create digital native content. Designed, art directed, illustrated, animated, and more for Conagra brands such as Slim Jim, Reddi-wip, Angie's Boom Chicka Pop, Duncan Hines, and others. Was part of the team which launched the Slim Jim Instagram account into what it is today. Helped develop organic social tactics to exponentially drive the growth of social pages that grew Slim Jim from 400k followers to over 1.2M in 8 months. Work with dozens of influencers, freelancers, and makers to create outstanding content for culture driven social activations.
‘18—’19: D3-NYC Worked with a diverse range of clients across all stages of creative, from new business pitches to concept to execution. Led the design team to execut on-brand creative that met clients brief. A multidisciplinary hands-on role, with a specialty in design and motion. Managed projects through production and presented final creative to clients, including Jet, Spacious, JetBlack Hello Alfred, and Luminary.
‘17—’18: Retina Inc.
Led design/VFX and art direction of two VR experiences: PLAYBACK, funded by Oculus and featured on the Oculus app store, and NuVision, the standalone hit VR experience. Executed work for NuVision that got them funding.
‘16—’18: Macy’s Fashion Office Played a pivotal role in the strategic development and enhancement of the Fashion Office branding, which included graphic design elements, effectively amplifying the voices and distinct identities of all Fashion Directors within the organization.
'16: The Participation Agency
Worked across multiple projects, within various roles; including art direction, concept development, design, and production. Clients include Mondelēz International, Nike, Sour Patch Kids, B. Bonin Bough, Asbury Park Now! + new business (brand identities, web design, decks, video, motion).
'15: MTV
Art Direction and Design of original interstitial content for MTV's No Chill segment. Provided support and collaborated with the No Chill team
Skills & Software:
Art Direction
AI augmented creative
Graphic Design
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign,
After Effects, Premiere
Cinema 4D
Spark AR
Web 3.0 ideation
Figma
Memes
Other Interests
Memetics
Emerging tech