Summer flew by and AIGA is ready for the new season! We have been busy planning our upcoming year and are excited to share it with you all. This Fall at our Community Meeting, help us kick off our 2021-2022 year with special guest speakers Elliot Gerard and Keith Stoeckeler from HEARTLENT Group on Wednesday, October 6th!
HEARTLENT Group is celebrating its one-year anniversary, and the managing partners will offer insight on lessons learned and the "big agency" style goals they’ve achieved by remaining true to their values — spending time on the things that matter and elevating creative talent from across the world.
At our Community Meetings, you can also:
- Learn about what AIGA Connecticut has been up to and get a peek at what’s around the corner for events & initiatives!
- Talk back: Let us know what you need, what’s working, and what’s not.
- Network with other CT creatives and AIGA Board Members
- Share your ideas for improving our local design community.
- Find out more about how you can get involved!
This community meeting will be conducted virtually, so feel free to bring your favorite snack or beverage. A zoom link will be provided via email 30 minutes before the meeting starts. Both Members and non-Members are welcome!
When & Where
Wednesday, October 6
7 PM–8:30 PM
AIGA CT Zoom
Pricing
Free for everyone!
About the Collective
HEARTLENT Group is a social-first sports marketing collective that was born out of the pandemic one year ago. The three partners (Keith Stoeckeler, Jonah Ballow and Elliot Gerard) worked together at a Dentsu agency in sports marketing and were let go at the height of the pandemic in 2020, inspiring them to create the company they always wanted to work at. Galvanized by the desire to do things differently, they worked to create a culture and a business that embodies "heart" and "talent", the impetus for the name HEARTLENT Group.
HEARTLENT's first major project was a partnership with Rock the Vote to create a campaign that would engage the basketball community during the historic 2020 election. The campaign, which included the creation of over 400 unique digital content pieces for current and former pro athletes, celebrities and influencers, was a huge success — garnering eight industry awards so far — and a launchpad for the company.
HEARTLENT Group is a digital and social strategy + creative content collective specializing in exceptional storytelling that stands out in today’s digital world. The collective is built from years of sports marketing and creative experience on the professional league, team, and agency sides. With offices in New York, Los Angeles, Denver, and Connecticut, HEARTLENT Group is focused on the core areas of digital content, animation and illustration, marketing strategy, social campaigns, and video production including broadcast commercials, industrial videos, web and social videos, and motion graphics. Uniquely, HEARTLENT Group collaborates directly with athletes to create innovative content and intellectual property to fuel their brand while maximizing impactful opportunities for revenue-generating sponsorships.
Website
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
Vimeo
Our Speakers
Elliot Gerard
Managing Partner, Head of Creative | HEARTLENT Group
A graduate of The Pratt Institute, Elliot has spent over 15 years in the creative industry, playing an integral role in the creation of award-winning campaigns for various brands and major media outlets including ESPN, Hitachi, and IBM. In 2020, Elliot co-founded HEARTLENT Group, a social-first marketing collective specializing in innovative content that stands out in today’s digital world. As Head of Creative, Elliot leads creative strategy and content development for the collective’s roster of clients.
During the historic 2020 election, Elliot led the HEARTLENT Group’s efforts around Rock the Vote campaigns Hoopers Vote and Kickoff The Vote, which included the creation of over 400 custom digital content pieces for current and former basketball players and influencers. As a result, Hoopers Vote + Kickoff The Vote received over 85,000 social engagements and was covered in more than 40 publications including ESPN, MSNBC, Fansided, SBNation and more during the six-week campaign. The work won 2 Hermes Creative Awards, and was Shortlisted for an ADC Award.
Currently, Elliot also co-hosts “We Need to Be Doing That”, a podcast often focused on sports, social media and content featuring interviews with a variety of guests across the sports industry spectrum.
His creative work in professional sports spans teams and leagues, and has been featured in publications such as NBC, CBS, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, The Boston Globe and The Washington Post. Along the way, Elliot has collaborated with some of the world’s most influential athletes, including Renee Montgomery and LeBron James.
Elliot credits his wife and two children for inspiring his creative direction.
Follow Elliot on Twitter
Keith Stoeckeler
Managing Partner, Head of Strategy + Operations | HEARTLENT Group
A 15-year advertising industry veteran with a trusted ability to develop unique and impactful strategic execution for a wide range of clients, Keith has successfully built and grown teams across various advertising holding companies including Dentsu, Interpublic Group, Omnicom, and Publicis. In 2020, Keith co-founded HEARTLENT Group, a social-first marketing collective specializing in innovative content that stands out in today’s digital world. Keith leads growth strategy and operations for the group, developing strategic partnerships and acquisitions, and driving the strategic ideation and execution plan for HEARTLENT Group’s roster of clients.
Keith also co-hosts “We Need to Be Doing That”, a podcast often focused on sports, social media and content featuring interviews with a variety of guests across the sports industry spectrum.
In his career, Keith has worked across television and print, and grew his career from the rise in digital and social media, influencing the creative work of brands such as AT&T, Citi, Harley-Davidson, IBM, Procter & Gamble, and Subaru.
A cheeseburger addict and a typeface admirer who drinks iced coffee year-round, Keith is a husband, father of two and dog advocate – ask his Boston Terrier, Aeva.
Follow Keith on Twitter
Zoom Instructions:
Step 1. Just as you do for any of our events, sign up on the registration event page
Step 2. Your event access via Zoom is delivered to your inbox 30 minutes prior to the start of the event. Note: If you've never used Zoom, you can download the app ahead of time here. Be sure to have the latest version of zoom installed to the best event experience.
Step 3. Click the Zoom link in your email a couple of minutes before the event starts. Do your best to arrive on time; we’ll take a few minutes to get settled and then we’ll get started.
