Ideas First.

I'm Pete Hurdle, a Creative Director based in North Carolina. I build the idea before I build the deck, then build the team and culture to execute it at scale.

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There is never a dull day as a Creative Director. One moment it's developing a cartoon mascot or writing a new jingle, the next it's finding the perfect typeface or shaping the tone of the big campaign. I've always loved the whole process, from the first idea scribbled on a napkin to the strategy, collaboration, and execution that brings it to life.

  • Everything starts here. Mood boards, rough scripts, logo sketches on the back of whatever's nearby. Art direction is the process of taking those raw instincts and shaping them into a visual language that carries through every piece of the work.

  • Great ideas can come from anywhere. I've spent my career building creative departments where people feel challenged, supported, and confident enough to share the half-formed thought in the back of their mind. That's usually where the best work comes from.

  • The best way to lead a creative team is to work alongside them. I stay close to the work at every stage, not because I don't trust the team, but because proximity is where good becomes great.

Want to know more?

  • Inspiration is everywhere. I keep a collection of reference books that runs from TV repair manuals to vintage airline brand standards. I pull color and composition from old paintings, French New Wave films, packaging from the 1940s. Good design has always been good design. I just like finding it in unexpected places.

  • Long story short, Pete is a nickname. DP HURDLE was my dad’s custom jewelry business when I was growing up, and this name is a tribute to him and my grandfather.

  • I've loved TaB since I was a kid. Over the years I built a collection of cans, ads, and memorabilia. The drink was fine. The branding always hooked me. When Coca-Cola discontinued it in 2020, I ended up being interviewed about it on CBS Evening News, which remains one of the stranger things that has happened to me professionally.

  • The kind that makes you happy. Personally, I want a slice I can hold with one hand and trust not to fall apart. A good margherita or white pie is hard to beat. I will also, without apology, defend pineappl