Baylor University student designer Nick Rhea channels his lifelong passion for sports and storytelling into bold, concept-driven work that challenges visual conventions. Guided by his faith and a deep sense of purpose, Rhea approaches every project with precision, integrity, and a drive to connect creativity with identity. His Red Bull Series, a Platinum-winning campaign from the Graphis New Talent Annual 2025, demonstrates how strong conceptual thinking and technical execution can merge to create powerful, memorable design narratives that energize both audience and artist alike.

By Nick Rhea

The Project
The goal of this project was to develop a concept-driven advertising campaign for one of our
favorite products; I chose Red Bull. I approached the campaign by identifying and amplifying
what I understand as the brand’s core attributes: energy, adrenaline, and the spirit of pushing
boundaries. These product qualities became the foundation for a bold visual strategy that
positioned Red Bull as a powerful drink.
Instead of showing typical consumption scenes or out-of-this-world stunts, I chose to exaggerate
the product’s effect by showcasing the Red Bull drink fueling high-performance vehicles that
defy any expectations.

The Process
To build this campaign, I applied three conceptual strategies drawn from Mario Pricken’s
Creative Advertising: exaggeration, literal interpretation, and product transformation. These
strategies helped me craft a strong visual narrative with a clear message and a strategic
foundation.
Each piece featured a high-powered machine “fueled” by Red Bull, paired with a tagline that
used a double entendre to reinforce the visual metaphor and exaggeration. One of the main
challenges was integrating the product into the mechanics of each vehicle in a way that felt
seamless and visually compelling. I focused on rendering shadows and depth to enhance realism,
while maintaining a clean and unified layout throughout the series.
To ensure the campaign felt authentic to Red Bull’s brand, I incorporated signature elements,
such as the blue background and its brand typeface. This helped strike a balance between brand familiarity and personal style, thus allowing the work to resonate with the intended
audience—adrenaline lovers.

The Impact
This series of posters, or advertising campaign, resulted in a visually cohesive and conceptually
strong series that successfully communicated the metaphor at its core—Red Bull is an
accelerating fuel. Receiving the Platinum Award from Graphis New Talent Annual was a deeply
affirming moment, but the most meaningful impact was internal: the project reshaped my
perspective on design.
It taught me to prioritize clarity and conceptual strength over personal attachment to specific
aesthetics. Yet, I was able to merge both, creating work that functions effectively in a
commercial context while still reflecting my own creative sensibilities. The process reinforced
my belief that bold ideas, when executed with precision and purpose, can resonate powerfully
with their audience and stand out in competitive creative spaces.

The Creative Journey
What gives me the most satisfaction about this project is that I was able to fully execute an
original concept without compromising its integrity. From the beginning, I envisioned a
campaign that could stand alongside professional Red Bull advertisements, and the result
remained true to that vision.
Also, this project pushed my creative boundaries by challenging me to use bold conceptual
strategies within a recognizable brand’s framework. It made me think critically about how far I
could push an idea while keeping clarity and coherence. I was surprised to see how naturally my
personal style aligned with Red Bull’s visual identity—proof that strong ideas can blend
individuality with brand consistency when we, as designers, understand and reframe the problem
to be solved.
While the Platinum Award was a proud achievement, the deeper reward was discovering how to
balance originality with strategic design and critical thinking. This campaign helped refine my
creative voice, showing me that concept and execution are equally vital—and that when they
work in harmony, the results are impactful and authentic.

Design Education at Baylor
This project was developed in my Digital Imaging course at Baylor University, where Professor
Genaro Solis Rivero encourages us to treat concept as the heart of design. His emphasis on
concept-driven work challenged me to think beyond surface-level visuals and pretty imagery,
instead focusing on strong storytelling, messaging, and conceptual solutions. That mindset
shaped every decision I made in this project—from the exaggerated visual metaphors to the
tagline, which helped develop a strong storytelling approach.
Under the leadership of Dr. Heidi J. Hornik, the Department of Art & Art History offers graphic
design as a concentration within the BFA in Studio Art major. Participating in this program has
provided me with a strong foundation in fine arts and critical thinking, while also teaching me
conceptual strategies, typography, branding, packaging, and publication design. More
importantly, it has taught me how to think critically and creatively. Additionally, working in a
studio environment with professional equipment has taught me how to bring bold ideas to life
with clarity and craftsmanship.

About Nick Rhea

Nick Rhea is a graphic design student from San Diego, California, with a passion for sports
design and uniform creation. Since high school, he has been fascinated by the storytelling power
of design—how color, typography, and structure can influence identity and foster pride in sports.
His faith in Jesus Christ guides his creative work, anchoring each project in purpose, gratitude,
and integrity.
Nick’s work has received international recognition, including Graphis Platinum and Silver
Awards, but he values most the chance to combine creativity with his passion for team culture.
At Baylor University, he has built a solid foundation in collaboration, competition, and critical
thinking. Whether rebranding a team or creating digital visuals, Nick excels in high-pressure
environments that push him to grow. His ultimate goal is to design uniforms for a major sports
brand, with aspirations to contribute to organizations like the NFL, MLB, NCAA, or one day,
Nike.