We’re a branding agency with experience driving success for some of the world’s most admired brands. 

R. Daniel Dahlen
Partner

Dan has enjoyed an amazing career in the marketing and advertising business. A few years after college, the trajectory of his career would skyrocket. When he was the Director of National Advertising and Promotion at Wendy’s International when he drafted a simple thought that he shared with their New York agency. From that brief “Where’s the Beef?” was created and the rest is history. Dahlen was promoted to the youngest VP in Wendy’s history…and his career enabled him to work and live in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. While in Chicago as Worldwide Account Director on the Subway account, Dahlen made the first call Jared Fogle who was attending Indiana University. The campaign has been honored as the most effective restaurant ad campaign in the past 20 years.

He has held executive positions for some of America’s most admired ad agencies including J. Walter Thompson/Chicago, Publicis/Hal Riney/Chicago and Campbell-Ewald/L.A. He has also worked on the corporate side with not only Wendy’s but also Rally’s and Shoney’s where he was CMO. He also directed the Restaurant Sector for the Nielsen Company in New York City.

In addition to his Dahlen Communications practice, he is a marketing professor at Ohio University and is also the founder of the Consumer Research Center.

He has been named to Advertising Age’s ‘100 Brightest Ad Clients’.

He holds a BS in Journalism / Advertising Management and Masters of Sports Administration, both from Ohio University.

Kristen Eads
Account Director

Kristen has a Master of Fine Arts in Communication Media Arts from Ohio University. She specializes in digital media production, experiential design, and marketing.

During her time at Ohio University, Kristen not only excelled academically but also made significant contributions as an educator. As an instructor of record, she led courses such as Introduction to Basic Publication Design. Her dedication to teaching extended to mentoring students in Visual Communication and Graphic Design Learning Community, fostering an environment of creativity and collaboration.

Kristen's talent and hard work have been internationally recognized through numerous awards. She has earned accolades for her Integrated Marketing Campaigns from the prestigious University and Collegiate Designers Association and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education for her work on the Forever Ohio Integrated Marketing campaign. Additionally, Kristen's excellence as a graduate student has been acknowledged with awards such as Exemplary Thesis, Graduate Student Teaching Award in Visual Communication, and Graduate Student Award for Exemplary Service.

Beyond academia, Kristen has showcased her expertise on an international stage. She has participated in esteemed conferences like the Visual Discovery Conference in Switzerland (2022) and in Miami, FL (2024).

Dave Bull
Graphic Designer

Dave’s vast experience has straddled teaching and practice. He has taught research methods applying to strategy and visual identity/branding systems, as well as information design, visual language theory and design history. He was a full-time faculty member at The Ohio State University. He has lectured at programs throughout the nation and delivered brand strategy and information design papers at conferences in Sweden, Italy, Switzerland and NYC. 

He is recognized as the visual architect of the OhioHealth brand, one of the nation’s largest and highest ranking healthcare systems. He has also provided coaching to internal marketing communications departments and support to noted international branding firms such as Siegel Gale. As the design lead at VIA, an integrated agency with offices in Zürich, Columbus, New York City, San Francisco, Boston and Portland, Dave drove the design strategy for many of the firm’s Fortune 500 clients.  

Dave dual majored in Graphic Design and Advertising Management to receive a BS in Journalism from Ohio University.  His advanced design education lists a virtual who’s who of international practitioners and educators. He holds a MFA in Graphic Design from Rhode Island School of Design and participated in Yale University’s summer program in Switzerland.

Dave’s professional work has received many regional, national and international awards.