Laura Wilkens (class of 2013), double-majored in Visual Communication and film at Loyola.

She started her professional career working as a graphic designer at Matrix Partners in Chicago. Matrix is an award-winning brand strategy and communications firm specializing in pet product advertising, publicity and promotions.

Laura worked on package design, trade show design, and similar advertising work at Matrix, as well as designing and editing interactive videos for Matrix clients, putting her video editing and motion graphics skills to work.

In 2016, Laura became the Art Director at TracyLocke, an advertising and shopper marketing firm. The company’s clients include Audi, Pepsi, Samsung and HP, but here in the Chicago office they work primarily with SC Johnson. Laura’s job is to help design and develop in-store marketing campaigns for brands such as Shout, Raid, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day, Scrubbing Bubbles, Kiwi Shoe Care and Ziploc.

The global nature of the brands Laura works with means she’s done things like designing Kiwi campaigns specifically for Russia and Raid work specifically for Ghana and Brazil. They also have to design for all store types across the world from the largest Walmart in America to the smallest mom and pop bodega in India.

Like most modern marketing and ad firms, TL has also begun  building storyboards and scripts for sales videos and doing some work with VR, so Laura she still has to call on her film production skills from time to time.

You can see more of Laura’s work on her web portfolio here.