Roles
• Joshua Dacucos—Art Director
• Joshua Wong—ACD
• Victoria Worthington—Art Director
• Marta Brulinski—PD
• Bryce Hooton—CD
• Rita Albert—Art Director
• Maddie Horn—Copywriter
• Sebastian Piancentini—CD
• Grant Heslov—Director
Problem to Solve
Mucinex faced a business challenge: young, high-performing consumers were starting their day groggy and symptomatic, with no product truly designed for the morning. Nearly half of category shoppers were asking for a solution tailored to that moment—yet the market offered none.
Solution/Rationale
Reframed cold and flu relief as a morning ritual, not a recovery tool—positioning Kickstart as the first cold medicine built for the AM hustle. With energizing menthol and fast-acting relief, it meets a cultural and functional white space: helping young go-getters power through their day. A disruptive launch plan, from pop-up care cafés to NHL partnerships, anchored the product squarely in the morning moment.
MUC-
INEX
Project/Campaign
Kickstart
Navigation
Roles
• Joshua Dacucos—Art Director
• Joshua Wong—ACD
• Victoria Worthington—Art Director
• Marta Brulinski—PD
• Bryce Hooton—CD
• Rita Albert—Art Director
• Maddie Horn—Copywriter
• Sebastian Piancentini—CD
• Grant Heslov—Director
Problem to Solve
Mucinex faced a business challenge: young, high-performing consumers were starting their day groggy and symptomatic, with no product truly designed for the morning. Nearly half of category shoppers were asking for a solution tailored to that moment—yet the market offered none.
Solution/Rationale
Reframed cold and flu relief as a morning ritual, not a recovery tool—positioning Kickstart as the first cold medicine built for the AM hustle. With energizing menthol and fast-acting relief, it meets a cultural and functional white space: helping young go-getters power through their day. A disruptive launch plan, from pop-up care cafés to NHL partnerships, anchored the product squarely in the morning moment.
1A—TVC
The ad dramatized the tension of waking up sick with no time to slow down, positioning Kickstart as the jolt that helps you rise and rally. It introduced a new behavior in the category—treating cold and flu the moment the alarm goes off. Broadcast nationally, it cemented Kickstart as the go-to AM remedy.
2A—Anamorphic OOH
The 1540 Broadway corner board used anamorphic illusion to stop high-traffic eyes in their tracks—bringing Kickstart’s sensory jolt to life in bold, 3D form.
3A—Branded Social
Social-first content developed in collaboration with culturally relevant influencers to drive deeper engagement and relevance with the target audience.
3A—Experiential Activation
Led the visual direction and execution of the Kickstart Café—an immersive pop-up designed to meet consumers where their mornings begin. By serving refreshments alongside product education during the AM commute, the activation made the brand experience tangible while embedding Kickstart into real morning rituals.
Designed to mirror real morning rituals, the café brought Kickstart to life with comfort, energy, and momentum. A photo op and interactive iPad experience invited visitors to engage with cold and flu insights in a tangible, memorable way.
Social support amplified the café experience, with targeted content and a celebrity appearance by Nick Viall driving buzz, foot traffic, and shareability.
