OUR STORY:
Hello & Welcome! I’m Kristen Shenk, the Founder + Creative Director behind MLTI NYC.
Here at MLTI (pronounced “multi”) we are — admittedly and unapologetically — design snobs, lovers of visual storytelling, and have a soft spot for Sport, Fashion, and Start-Ups with vision. We love what we do, and we thrive on delivering best-in-class creative work while having fun along the way.
I began my design career at Nike, where I worked across a variety of disciplines — including Brand Design, Campaigns, Experiential, Design Strategy, and Apparel — within Nike Basketball, Men’s & Women’s Running, and Global Brand Initiatives — for almost 10 years. It was at Nike (arguably the top marketing & design company in the world) where I grew up as a Creative and cultivated a penchant for concise, compelling storytelling that cuts through the noise, delivers a succinct marketing message, and creates an emotional connection. Following Nike, I relocated to New York City to join the PepsiCo Design & Innovation Center, where I cut my teeth on the world of CPG — leading Packaging, Campaigns, Design Strategy, and the creation of rigorous yet inspiring Visual Systems & Brand Standards for Global Beverages.
Throughout this professional journey, I felt compelled to translate the knowledge and skills I had gleaned — from remarkable leaders, organizations, and experiences — into a boutique agency that delivers bespoke creative services for both Fortune 500s and Start-Ups alike. Thus, MLTI NYC was born.
“MLTI” is derived from our multi-disciplinary approach and creative philosophy. Design is no longer 2-dimensional and finite, but rather a complex living, breathing, expanding, and evolving entity. Our forte is creating 360-degree concepts, art direction, and design systems across a multitude of media. The concept and ideation phase is arguably our favorite part of the creative process — We like to have one foot in dream land and the other rooted in pragmatic reality.
MLTI’s capabilities include Branding & Brand Systems, Photography, Brand Films, Copywriting, Illustration, Graphic and Motion Design, Experiential, Social Media, and more. Whether we’re establishing the brand identity for a hot new start-up, creating a brand campaign for a footwear icon, or filming a commercial for an innovative fashion client, our approach remains the same: We listen attentively, partner closely, assemble the right team, and always enjoy the journey.
Our business methodology is a little different than most agencies. We’ve structured our business model to create best-in-class work, all the while keeping overhead costs low and our creative team nimble. We do this by curating the best team for every job — aligning our global and diverse pool of talent with your business. MLTI NYC is not merely another agency, but rather a “collective” of the best-of-the-best art directors, strategists, designers, editors, and storytellers.
Shockingly, only .1% of creative agencies are founded by women. At MLTI NYC, we believe that the world of advertising and design plays a critical role in shaping society’s view of the world—and, thus, the people and perspectives behind the stories we tell matter. We’re here to tell compelling visual stories and powerfully bring brands to life in order to build brand love. We are visionary thinkers and relentless craftspeople with great taste and a modern aesthetic. We strive to consistently deliver results that are aspirational, culturally relevant, and pack a bold (and sometimes playful!) punch.
For new business inquiries, please reach out to info@mltinyc.com. We’re excited to partner with you to build thoughtful, impactful creative.
We partner with brands to create Campaigns, Stories, Films, Experiences, & Multi-Disciplinary Design in order to Engage, Inspire, & Build Brand Love.
Creative Disciplines:
New York City based, female founded, and obsessed with visual storytelling, we are smart, big picture thinkers with ambitious vision and great taste.
Concept, Design, & Production oversight for an interactive 40×40’ Prime Video booth at ComplexCon 2021, featuring 2 Amazon Original shows—Fairfax and The Boys. We designed the Fairfax side to exude a tone of “Satirical Cool Retail” and The Boys side to express “Anti-Establishment Underground Rebellion.” Over the course of 2 days, 3000+ people experienced the booth, everyone walking away with free stuff. The experience was designated as 1 of “10 brands that won ComplexCon 2021.”
Creatively Charged, Community Driven.
We developed the social campaign for Foot Locker’s Collaboraid program—a series of 16 limited-release product collections, created in collaboration with leading creators and culture-drivers. The Collaboraid Collection was created to help aid global youth communities most affected by the pandemic.
To launch Brisk Canada’s new packaging, we created a visual identity system and five flavorful videos. Bold, chuggable refreshment called for bold color, bold typography, and a bold journey into the wonderfully creative world of Brisk.
Launch Campaign, Film, Photography, and Storytelling for Zi, a Shanghai-based maternity apparel & footwear company. We wanted to bring an aspirational tone to this category—celebrating the strength and beauty of creating new life.
Brand Identity, Naming, Photography, Film, Web, and Launch Campaign for DWNTWN Run Co, a new female-focused running brand merging function and style. The art direction and tone of voice was inspired by the energy of New York City running.
Naming and Brand Identity for (Co)Laboratory, a first-of-its-kind studio and content incubator at the intersection of sports and entertainment. We wanted the name and visual identity to reflect themes of collaboration, creation, and partnership.
Brand Identity and Visual Center for Selenic, an astrological consulting company. To connect with the brand’s target audience of C-Suite executives, we wanted to give the brand a modern yet luxe look & feel, with simple, restrained symbology.
Visual Center & Social Campaign for Foot Locker’s NBA All-Star Weekend product drops. We developed a flexible visual system, then delivered 100+ still and animated assets to be deployed across Foot Locker’s social channels.
Film Campaign celebrating the Nike Air Max Home & Away collection. We created 5 films, across 5 US cities, collaborating with professional athletes, artists, musicians, and influencers to tell each city’s story through the lens of sneaker culture. The campaign was Foot Locker’s Tier 1 initiative for Q1 2019.