Seventeen years of turning brand strategy into work people actually feel.
Head of Brand & Creative at Barclays U.S. Consumer Bank. Seven-plus years before that at Capital One. Still a creative at heart, and I also know how to run the business.
Selected Work
▶ FilmGame Day
They set alarms for 6am kickoffs and rep their team like it's the only thing that matters that day. For a few hours, it is.
Director: Tom Day · Agency: VCCP
National Bank Campaign
When you're known for credit cards, how do you convince the country you're also a bank?
▶ FilmTap for Premier League
Earn the placement instead of forcing it, and let a little fun carry it.
Arena Entrances
Two entrances, one shared system, built around what it means to be a fan.
MontBucks 7s Rugby
▶ FilmOut of Office Challenge
5.5 sec average watch time vs. 2.2 sec industry average. Presented at ANA.
Agency: Iris
Green Leaf Consulting
Photography, Thailand
▶ FilmTap for Wimbledon
Barclays' toughest room, and 30 seconds people actually want to watch.
▶ FilmTiered Savings
Turning the co-brand playbook toward Barclays' own deposit brand.
▶ FilmShe Made It Happen
Their story, told in their own words. Not ours.
Street Photography
▶ FilmF-Street Animation
Meet fans at the door and match their energy.
▶ FilmOrange Bowl Ribbons
LED ribbons that grew up with the brand.
CIAA Fan Fest
Other banks count change. We make it.
Film Photography
AFP 2022 Conference
A business that puts more back into the world than it takes out.
Debit Card Carrier
The same excitement as pulling the new card out of its sleeve.
Film Photography, Arizona
My ALL CAPS Story
Follow the fan, not the product.
Photography, Rome
Photography, Seattle and Portland
A Story of Creative Representation
We live in color. We should create with it.
Photography, Thailand II
About
Do you know Chris Irwin?
Of course I know him.
He's me.
Hi, I'm Chris Irwin. Creative, leader, marketer. I grew up with a paintbrush in my hand and stumbled into graphic design somewhere between a fine arts degree and figuring out what I actually wanted to do with my life. Turns out, I wanted to do all of it.
Today I lead Brand & Creative for Barclays U.S. Consumer Bank, a team of 43 people spanning brand, social, sponsorships, and internal creative, plus five agency partners I work with every day. I report to the CMO and spend most of my time thinking about how brands show up in the market, how it connects to the business, and how to build an environment where people do their best work.
Before Barclays, I spent seven years at Capital One, where I helped introduce their savings product to the nation, then led the creative strategy for the national banking launch across six markets. That one still means a lot to me. We took a company known for credit cards and helped it become something bigger. I also ended up as the creative lead for Capital One Arena for most of my time there, which nobody planned. It just kept finding me. I'll take that as a compliment.
Some things I'm proud of along the way:
- Launched GM's co-brand card with a positioning no one had defined yet, and watched it land 19% above acquisition forecast.
- Contributed to creative strategy supporting Barclays' $25B cumulative deposit milestone: 20% year-on-year growth, with the final $1B closed in just 59 days.
- Took a team with a 53% satisfaction score and got it to 84%. Not through programs, through leadership.
- Developed the brand standards framework that let Capital One's business units build their own creative identities without drifting from the core.
- Was consistently the person sponsorship leads called when they needed a creative gut check: from MLB to the Final Four.
Throughout nearly two decades, I've written briefs and blown up briefs. I've led photo shoots, presented to C-suites, built creative systems from scratch, and coached people through the kind of career moments that actually matter. I've managed budgets, agencies, contractors, and the occasional difficult conversation nobody else wanted to have.
I'm still a creative at heart. I just happen to also know how to run the business.