A major personnel coup in Stuttgart: The multi-award-winning top creative Eva Stetefeld is returning to her roots and will assume the position of Managing Creative Director at Jung von Matt Neckar on September 1st.

Together with Dirk Hibbeler and Tim Bögelein, she will strategically and creatively develop the Stuttgart office. One of her key responsibilities will also be the creative direction of the newly integrated B2B specialist unit, JvM Industry.

For Eva Stetefeld, this move marks a return to the agency group where she enjoyed considerable success in Hamburg from 2011 to 2019. During this time, she shaped award-winning campaigns for renowned clients such as Sixt, Zalando, and Beiersdorf. Among her most famous works is the internationally acclaimed "BVG Ticket Shoe" for the Berlin public transport company.

Most recently, Eva Stetefeld served as Managing Partner and Executive Creative Director at DDB Germany. Following the recent structural changes within the Omnicom group - which saw the long-established brand DDB transition to BBDO - the top creative talent is now returning to JvM.

With over 150 national and international awards (including Cannes Lions, D&AD, and Effies) under her belt, she brings top-tier expertise to Stuttgart to further enhance the innovative strength of the Neckar region.

 
14.07.2026 show complete article

Sarah Schwarz is one of those creative leaders who not only design brands but rethink them strategically. Following positions at MEIRÉ, THJNK, PEEK & CLOPPENBURG Düsseldorf and, most recently, as Global Creative Director Digital at WELEDA, she now advises companies through her own studio on brand development, digital design systems and transformation processes. In this GoSee interview, she talks about the Weleda rebrand, consistent brand management, design systems, and why creativity today is ultimately about creating clarity.

To begin, Sarah Schwarz shares a brief introduction to her background and her work as a Creative Director.

With more than 14 years of experience in design and brand development, I work at the intersection of design, technology and communication. As a Creative Director, I develop brand strategies, visual identities, typography and layout systems, as well as campaigns, digital products and experiences that come together as holistic design systems. I lead transformation processes and translate strategic change into clear, contemporary and high-quality design solutions.

As Global Creative Director Digital at WELEDA, I was responsible for the digital transformation of the global brand. I supported the rebranding process, developed comprehensive design systems, led the overall creative direction of the global website redesign, and created digital campaigns and communication concepts. My goal was to build a contemporary brand world that delivers a premium and consistent brand experience across all digital touchpoints.

Before that, I played a key role in shaping the global rebranding of PEEK & CLOPPENBURG Düsseldorf as Creative Director, Team Lead Design and Senior Brand Manager. Working closely with the marketing leadership, we redefined the brand strategy and sharpened its core positioning. I was responsible for the logo redesign, the development of a custom corporate typeface, the brand guidelines, and the creation of a modern visual language. Based on a modular design system, we established a new brand identity across every touchpoint – from retail, print and social media to the relaunch of the e-commerce platform. In addition, I led the in-house creative team, managed external agencies, oversaw cross-channel campaigns, and directed photo and film productions.

At THJNK, I worked as Senior Art Director and Team Lead Design, developing strategic branding and campaign concepts for international clients while leading the design team and overseeing projects from concept through execution.

My creative perspective and appreciation for contemporary, premium aesthetics were shaped during six years at MEIRÉ, where I worked closely with Mike Meiré. There, I contributed to international brand development and design projects for clients including Rimowa, Dornbracht, Lamy, Deutsche Telekom and Schwarzkopf Professional, while deepening my understanding of premium brand management, editorial design, architecture and interdisciplinary design.

Today, I bring all of this experience together through STUDIO SARAH SCHWARZ. I help companies and agencies strategically evolve their brands, lead creative transformation processes, and create impactful brand experiences that connect strategy, design and technology. I firmly believe that every brand has a unique story to tell, and that great design is the most powerful tool for making that story visible, tangible and memorable.

GoSee: You spent almost two years as Global Creative Director Digital at Weleda. What did that role involve?

Sarah: As Global Creative Director Digital at Weleda, I was part of the company's global brand transformation, helping to build and lead the Group Digital Creative Department. My role was to support the rebranding process, further develop the brand's strategic visual vision across digital experiences, imagery and campaigns, and, as Brand Guardian, ensure a consistent brand identity throughout the entire transformation.

For me, strong brand management always starts with a solid strategic foundation and clearly defined guidelines that provide global direction. Based on a modular design system, we successfully implemented the new brand identity across every touchpoint – from print and point of sale to social media, e-commerce, the website and moving image. Starting with virtually no established visual standards, we created more than 7,000 consistent assets, laying the foundation for a unified global brand experience. To me, great creative direction is not about creating as many rules as possible – it's about creating clarity. A well-designed system simplifies decision-making, ensures consistency and gives creative teams the freedom to do their best work.

Another key focus was the development of a contemporary, reduced visual language for both cosmetics and pharmaceuticals that could be applied consistently across international markets. The objective was to translate the brand's strategic vision into a visual experience that expresses the relationship between people, nature, science and efficacy through an emotional yet premium visual world.

A major part of my role was the strategic and creative leadership of the global website redesign. We completely restructured and redesigned Weleda's digital ecosystem, translating the brand values into a contemporary digital experience. The real challenge was delivering a design-led relaunch under demanding technical and organisational conditions – from tight deadlines and fixed budgets to building a newly established team at the same time. We significantly improved brand consistency, user experience, accessibility and conversion. The results spoke for themselves: online shop revenue increased by 159% in Germany and 55.7% globally during the first year after launch.

Beyond that, I was responsible for the creative direction and quality assurance of all digital communications – from the initial strategic concept and creative direction through production and final approval. I developed communication concepts and digital campaigns for product launches and product refreshes, while creating social-first campaigns that translated brand strategy into compelling creative solutions. My focus throughout was to establish creative excellence and deliver a consistent, high-quality brand experience across every platform.

GoSee: Weleda is a heritage brand with more than 100 years of history. How do you translate that legacy into a contemporary digital brand world?

Sarah: For me, the challenge with a brand that has existed for more than a century isn't to reinvent it, but to translate its identity precisely into the present. Great brand management preserves a brand's core while continuously evolving the way it expresses itself.

The key was to make the connection between people, nature and science more visible, and to bring the brand purpose – "Health and beauty for body, mind and spirit in harmony with nature and people" – to life through design. Weleda has often been perceived primarily as a natural cosmetics brand, yet its true point of difference lies in the combination of naturality, scientific research and proven efficacy. Our goal was to sharpen that brand truth both strategically and visually.

This was achieved through the refinement of the logo and emblem, preserving Weleda's anthroposophical roots and its commitment to nature and imperfection while interpreting them in a more precise and contemporary way. We complemented this with the new "(Swiss) Natural Science" subline, a carefully crafted typography system and a deliberately reduced visual language. The result was a cohesive design system that consistently expresses the balance between nature and science through typography, imagery, materiality and tone of voice. It created a brand world that feels contemporary while remaining unmistakably Weleda—standing out through calmness, clarity and authenticity in an increasingly visually overloaded world.

Looking ahead, I see the greatest opportunity in expanding Weleda into a truly living digital ecosystem, using subtle micro-interactions, natural transitions and a calm, organic motion language. Nature shouldn't simply be shown—it should be experienced.

Another essential step is embracing stronger editorial thinking: fewer isolated campaigns and more carefully curated brand worlds. Less campaign-driven communication and more continuous storytelling. The goal is to create an immersive digital universe that people want to explore rather than simply consume as advertising.

At the same time, Weleda is defined not only by its products, but also by the dialogue it maintains with its customers, experts and community—people who actively carry and shape the brand's values. A heritage only remains meaningful when it is not just communicated, but shared and experienced together.

For me, this rebranding demonstrates that innovation doesn't have to be loud. It happens when emotional heritage and design clarity come together within a coherent system—allowing a heritage brand to be translated into the present with both respect and precision.

GoSee: How do you know when a creative is the right fit for a campaign? Is it the portfolio, the pitch, the personality, or the ability to truly understand a brand?

Sarah: For me, it's never just one factor—it's the combination of portfolio, personality and a deep understanding of the brand. A strong portfolio demonstrates creative excellence and a distinctive visual signature. Equally important, however, is the ability to read each brand individually and translate its identity into a precise visual language, rather than applying the same aesthetic to every project. Especially in beauty and fashion, experience is essential, as these categories demand a refined sensitivity to visual culture, imagery and the spirit of the times.

Personality is just as important. The best work happens when the team has strong chemistry, collaborates openly and shares the same ambition. That's why, during conversations, I rely heavily on my intuition about how someone thinks, communicates and responds to feedback. A pitch isn't always the deciding factor for me. When the portfolio, experience and personal chemistry are right, they often tell me much more about the potential for a successful collaboration than a single presentation ever could.

GoSee: What does a photographer or director need to bring today for their portfolio to land on your desk?

Sarah: Curiosity is the most important quality for me. I'm looking for creatives who observe the world closely and develop their own perspective rather than simply reproducing trends. A strong portfolio doesn't just showcase beautiful images—it demonstrates the ability to tell stories, evoke emotion and interpret the character of a brand in an authentic and compelling way.

GoSee: You've worked with fashion, design and lifestyle brands. What can these industries learn from a brand like Weleda - and vice versa?

Sarah: Fashion, design and lifestyle brands, as well as a heritage brand like Weleda, all follow the same fundamental principles: clarity of purpose, consistency in their visual and cultural codes, and the ability to sell meaning rather than simply products.

Fashion and lifestyle brands excel at creating desire. They build aspiration through imagery, cultural relevance and storytelling. They don't sell the object itself—they sell the identity behind it. Weleda, on the other hand, stands for radical consistency. The brand doesn't need to reinvent itself constantly because its values provide a stable foundation. That sense of calm has become a form of luxury in itself and represents a real strategic advantage.

What fashion can learn from Weleda is this discipline of clarity. What Weleda can learn from fashion is emotional translation: telling its story more boldly, engaging more naturally with contemporary culture, and making its values even more tangible without compromising their authenticity.

Great creative direction doesn't change the essence of a brand - it translates it precisely into the present. Truly strong brands aren't defined by constant change, but by the consistency of the role they play within culture.

GoSee: How can brands create a consistent yet emotional experience across every digital touchpoint?

Sarah: Today, a strong brand needs two things: recognisability and differentiation. And in a world increasingly shaped by AI, above all, it needs genuine human connection.

Everything starts with a clear brand idea. It defines what the brand stands for, the role it plays in people's lives, and the cultural and visual codes that shape its identity. That core remains constant. Rather than relying on rigid campaign thinking, it forms the basis of a flexible design framework built on clear principles for typography, imagery, tone of voice and motion.

Different channels—whether social media, e-commerce, CRM or out-of-home—serve different purposes and therefore require different forms of expression. Emotion is created through relevance within each context, not through uniform communication. A brand shouldn't feel identical everywhere; it should feel right everywhere.

To achieve this, teams need guiding principles rather than excessive control. They should be empowered to work independently within a clearly defined framework. This allows the brand to remain agile without losing its identity. Strong creative direction therefore doesn't think in terms of individual assets or isolated campaigns—it creates brand worlds that generate coherent and meaningful brand experiences across every touchpoint.

In short: the core remains constant while the system stays flexible. That's what enables a brand to work everywhere while remaining unmistakably itself.

GoSee: When was the last time you saw, read or experienced something that genuinely surprised you creatively?

Sarah: Travel is my greatest source of inspiration. Most recently, that has taken me to Sri Lanka, Hawaii and Japan. One experience that has stayed with me was a cycling tour on Naoshima. There, contemporary art, minimalist architecture and the tranquillity of the landscape merge into one immersive experience.

What fascinated me most was how consistently space, light and nature interacted with one another. It reminded me once again that outstanding design isn't created by individual objects alone, but by the relationship between every detail and the context in which it is experienced.

GoSee: Which brands, designers, photographers, artists or digital experiences are inspiring you the most right now - and why?

Sarah : Right now, I'm particularly inspired by brands and creatives who combine a distinctive creative signature with genuine emotion. For me, Rhode is a great example of how a consistent social-first approach can make a brand culturally relevant. Brands like Loewe and Simon Porte Jacquemus fascinate me because they represent a new kind of luxury—playful, culturally connected and approachable. They create content that feels organic rather than like traditional advertising. It's less about exclusivity and more about identification and emotion. That's exactly what I find so exciting. Today, the strongest brands don't simply sell products—they create immersive brand worlds that can be experienced emotionally across every medium. This combination of strategic clarity and emotional storytelling is what inspires me most.

I'm also deeply inspired by the work of Tyler Mitchell. His photography tells stories of beauty and desire through poetic optimism, documentary honesty and a dreamlike sense of lightness. His images never feel overproduced—they feel authentic, intimate and deeply human.

One experience that has had a lasting impact on me was teamLab Borderless in Tokyo. There, light, movement and space merge into an immersive environment where visitors become part of the artwork itself. For me, it's a powerful reminder that design extends far beyond individual media—it has the ability to create genuine, lasting memories.

 
11.07.2026 show complete article

For its first pan-African brand campaign, AXA has joined forces with Publicis Conseil to celebrate the power of human connection and handcrafted storytelling. The result is a visually striking film created by stop-motion studio Jungler and director Paulo Garcia, placing care, solidarity and community at the heart of the narrative.

Developed by Publicis Conseil, the campaign builds on AXA’s global platform, “Why should the future be a risk?”, translating it into a universal message: “Keep caring for each other. It's the most beautiful form of protection.” At its core is the idea that protection extends far beyond insurance. Having operated across Africa for more than 50 years, AXA positions itself as a partner that supports people and strengthens communities.




For the visual execution, the creative team deliberately embraced a fully handcrafted aesthetic. Together with Jungler, Paulo Garcia developed a poetic stop-motion film using fabrics, fibres and real materials, whose textures and subtle imperfections bring warmth, authenticity and humanity to the story. Through the journey of its protagonist, the film transforms the concept of care into a powerful and universal experience, expressing protection and solidarity through compelling visual storytelling.

“We are incredibly proud to have helped bring this story to life through a film created entirely in stop motion – a meticulous craft shaped frame by frame, celebrating mutual support as the most universal form of protection. Our sincere thanks go to the AXA teams for their trust, to Publicis Conseil for their inspiring creative vision, to ZOMBIE STUDIO for the wonderful collaboration, and of course to our director Paulo Garcia, whose talent, sensitivity and dedication brought this beautiful project to life.” - Jungler

The original score, “Sékou's Story” by Ronan Maillard, further enhances the film’s emotional impact while anchoring the narrative in the cultural identity of the continent. The campaign is supported by print visuals, DOOH executions and social content extending the film’s themes of care, connection and community. Launched in Morocco on June 29, 2026, the campaign will subsequently roll out across Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gabon and Egypt.

Paulo Garcia is Founder and Creative Director of the award-winning animation studio Zombie Studio. Under his leadership, the studio has received more than 400 international awards, including over 40 Cannes Lions and several Grand Prix. Named Best Animation Director in Brazil in 2023, Garcia has created acclaimed work for brands as well as artists including Moby, Gorillaz and Vintage Culture, and has served on the juries of Cannes Lions, D&AD and the Clio Awards.

jungler.tv
zombiestudio.tv
france.publicisgroupe.com

 
07.07.2026 show complete article