Cooking Light Magazine
Cooking Light Magazine
Creative Director
I have a deep passion for food and all of the culture around it, so I was excited when Cooking Light came onto my radar and invited me to put my money where mouth is. The aim was to give the brand a whole new flavor. So we began, deliciously, in the test kitchen, the heart and soul of the brand where we were rethinking the creation process of every recipe in light of the new food movement. It was a great feeling to be a part of this moment and to push the magazine to its fullest potential on every platform.
ASSIGNMENT: Overhaul and elevate the largest epicurean magazine in the US into a stylish, smart, energetic lifestyle brand for a highly educated, high-income female demographic. To push the brand to become a leader in food and health & wellness categories. Evolve the brand from print-only into an omni-channel, experiential brand.
UNIQUE CHALLENGES: To change perception of the product name. To manage, recruit and collaborate, with a remote creative team in Birmingham, Alabama.
See more Cooking Light in Food+Travel and Covers.
EXPERTISE
Brand Positioning
Project Management
Content Development
Department Reorg
Recruiting
Team Management
Budget Management
Creative Direction
Design Direction
Editorial Design
Packaging
Book Design
App Design
25th Anniversary Cover and ipad edition post redesign
Select Features from Cooking Light
RESULTS
Increased revenue and readership in two years from 1.2 to 1.8 million monthly readers.
Spearheaded innovative technology initiatives, including tablet editions and the launch of the profitable, award-winning “Healthy Menu Maker” app, named an Apple 2011 Favorite.
Key player in generating brand-defining cookbook, “The New Way to Cook Light”.
Collaborated with team to create the sold-out celebrity chef celebration called “Light Up the Night!” with a “Healthy Gets Sexy” themed event held at the High Line in New York City.
Won brand’s first-ever industry recognitions: ASME National Magazine Award (2011, 2013), SPD (2012, 2013), IACP 2 Nominations (2013) and James Beard Nomination (2013).
“I was honored to work with Carla at Cooking Light magazine, where she successfully managed a huge redesign and consistently tweaked the look to be as fresh, modern, and exuberant as possible.”