Areas of Expertise

Strategic Creative Leadership

Branding

Design

Studio and Team Building

Creative Management

Creative Direction

Art Direction

Teaching and Training

David Bates got his start in design and art direction for FOSSIL, spending nearly a decade in multiple roles, including developing international brand standards and culminating in leading the creative vision of the in-store experience. He left FOSSIL to join Reel FX in 2002, evolving to become Head of Commercial Production, bolstering in-house talent and broadening the scope of branded projects. Bates returned to Reel FX in 2015 after six years in a strategic creative leadership role at Bedrock Manufacturing, working on the launch, relaunch and management of a diverse range of brands, including Shinola and Filson.