After 36 years on the playground, our founder Maureen McHale has decided to pursue new adventures involving less screen and more sunscreen time. Donning her hiking boots and backpack, she hands over the creative wheel to Joe Campos, who takes on the title of President, Owner, and Chief Creative Officer of McHale Design.
McHale Design’s commitment to branding and design excellence will not wane with this leadership change. We’ll continue to be experts in the field of toys and entertainment. The same dedicated team will still be here and Joe will be backing our customer goals at McHale Design, always looking for better ways to support you. Maureen will also be taking a consultant role to ensure a smooth transition.
Intro to Joe
Joe spent 10 years as Lead Art Director at Mattel, overseeing Hot Wheels and licensed brands such as Star Wars, Batman, and the WWE. With previous Art Director stints at Skechers and Activision, he’s well-equipped to lead the seasoned McHale team as we continue to successfully Build Brands by Design.
An L.A.-bred, 80’s-kid influenced by comic books, videogames, film-noir movies, and an exuberant love of toys, Joe graduated from Otis College of Art and Design and went on to fulfill his dreams working on Hot Wheels and Batman. But his dreams didn’t stop there. When the opportunity to obtain McHale Design appeared, Joe knew it was time for a whole new adventure.
The desire to break out of his comfort zone and grow as both a leader and mentor was key. “I felt like my entire career was leading me to this moment. With enthusiasm, vision, and such a talented, experienced team, we could take the agency to a whole new level.”
Joe is all about growth. “Despite several setbacks in my career; creative department shutdowns and 2 major recessions I never gave up on my goals. Setbacks are a part of life, but when you push beyond them, that’s when real growth happens. A lot depends on how you react, how you pivot or reinvent yourself. What if you chose to see a downturn as an opportunity too? ”
Covid introduced an unexpected challenge to taking on a new business endeavor. Joe contemplates, “I think the Post-Covid decade will be a true crossroads in the toy industry. Will the toy space move more fully towards digital where kids will no longer want traditional play? Will tech introduce even more integration with stats, tracking, etc.? Can we envision tech-enabled hopscotch with each jump tracked and gamified? There are so many possibilities but consumers will ultimately drive the direction with their dollars. At McHale Design we are excited with the opportunities these trends present and are ready to meet them with resourceful design solutions.”
The Future of McHale Design
“My main goal is to help make us one of the leaders if not THE Leader in the branding and design industry. Our accumulated creative knowledge, expertise, and industry insight are areas we stand on to give our clients full confidence they can trust us to help solve their branding, creative and strategic problems. After all, we’ve been “Helping Brands Thrive since 1985!”
A Little More About Joe:
What else makes Joe, Joe? I’m kind of goofy, love to laugh…and enjoy tongue-in-cheek humor.
I could really go for an In-N-Out burger and for a snack, you can’t go wrong with Chips and Guac.
Fave Movie: So many favorite movies, but I’d say Godfather 1 & 2 as one epic combined movie.
Fave TV show: Three’s Company
Fave Comic Book: That’s a tough one! I’d say overall, Batman.
Fave Music: Hip Hop
Fave Band: The Beastie Boys
Fave Designer: Frank Lloyd Wright
Fave Sports Team: The Los Angeles Lakers
Fave Toy: Either my Transformers Jetfire or my Etch-A-Sketch Animator
If you’re a long-time friend of McHale Design or a new acquaintance, be sure to drop us a line and welcome our new skipper Joe Campos!
