Jason Snell

Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky are renowned for being rich in design and branding talent. As the effects of COVID-19 continue to take its toll, we look to further highlight local creatives who are making an impact in the community. This month, Graphic Village sat down with Jason Snell, former owner of OTR-based agency We Have Become Vikings, and current Creative Director at BLDG in Covington.

Snell established his design chops early while attending DAAP at the University of Cincinnati.… Show more

Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky are renowned for being rich in design and branding talent. As the effects of COVID-19 continue to take its toll, we look to further highlight local creatives who are making an impact in the community. This month, Graphic Village sat down with Jason Snell, former owner of OTR-based agency We Have Become Vikings, and current Creative Director at BLDG in Covington.

Snell established his design chops early while attending DAAP at the University of Cincinnati. With almost two decades of imposing brand work to his credit, he has worked on such notable brands as Virgin America, Amazon, Third Man Records and F1 Racing. Locally, he’s had the distinction of working for and partnering with creative shops that include FRCH, Lightborne and Landor.

A believer in community, Jason servs on the advisory board for King Studios (King Records), while also finding time to lecture and teach at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Combining illustration, design and motion to bring interactive storytelling to life, his ultimate effort to connect design and community culminated last year in an immersive project with BLDG for the 2019 BLINK Festival in Cincinnati and Covington.

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Jason Snell Wants You To Feel It.

Bob Dylan once sang “The country I come from, is called the Midwest.” For a creative professional, sometimes working in the Midwest really does feel like another country. Finding a way to stand out in your field can be particularly difficult if you’re not on the coasts or in Chicago. But where others find challenge, Jason Snell finds advantage. Having worked for the big clients, and worked in places like Austin and Seattle, Jason has found his place in… Show more

Jason Snell Wants You To Feel It.

Bob Dylan once sang “The country I come from, is called the Midwest.” For a creative professional, sometimes working in the Midwest really does feel like another country. Finding a way to stand out in your field can be particularly difficult if you’re not on the coasts or in Chicago. But where others find challenge, Jason Snell finds advantage. Having worked for the big clients, and worked in places like Austin and Seattle, Jason has found his place in the community of design and music in his home state of Ohio.

Jason is a pure creative. A kid who started out sketching Star Wars pictures, Jason now has his hands in art, design, video & motion graphics, music, and more. For a lot of creative people, balancing the demands of client work and personal artistic work is a struggle. But Jason seems to have mastered the balance of his personal and professional priorities, and that balance is instructive for those of us struggling to find it. Show less

We sat down with Jason Snell, the founder of We Have Become Vikings, a group of rebels, rockers, thinkers and makers who solve problems by using creativity. Snell is an artist, motion designer, graphic designer, art director, illustrator and musician. On any given day, you can find him combining design and strategy to tell stories for clients that range from companies on the Fortune 100 list to local, historic projects in his creative shop’s own backyard, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The clients… Show more

We sat down with Jason Snell, the founder of We Have Become Vikings, a group of rebels, rockers, thinkers and makers who solve problems by using creativity. Snell is an artist, motion designer, graphic designer, art director, illustrator and musician. On any given day, you can find him combining design and strategy to tell stories for clients that range from companies on the Fortune 100 list to local, historic projects in his creative shop’s own backyard, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The clients may vary, but Snell brings a passion for art, music and design to everything the does—which is why we interviewed him. In the process, we discovered the story behind how he started his creative firm and how passion and persistence have helped him in his creative pursuits. Show less

This week on Hear Cincinnati, host Brian Niesz is joined by community reporter Lucy May and senior manager of enterprise/investigative Meghan Wesley to discuss bringing growth to Lincoln Heights, the ban on discrimination based on natural hair and more topics.

Next (at 11:30), Niesz is joined by reporter/anchor Evan Millward, entertainment reporter Brian Mains, transportation and development reporter Pat LaFleur and BLINK artist Jason Snell to discuss the history of BLINK, some of the… Show more

This week on Hear Cincinnati, host Brian Niesz is joined by community reporter Lucy May and senior manager of enterprise/investigative Meghan Wesley to discuss bringing growth to Lincoln Heights, the ban on discrimination based on natural hair and more topics.

Next (at 11:30), Niesz is joined by reporter/anchor Evan Millward, entertainment reporter Brian Mains, transportation and development reporter Pat LaFleur and BLINK artist Jason Snell to discuss the history of BLINK, some of the many attractions, the inspiration behind the art, where to park and more details. Show less

If you consider yourself to be a creative person in Cincinnati and haven’t heard of People’s Liberty yet, get thyself to Google. Or at least walk across the street next time you’re at the Dojo Gelato/Colonel De end of Findlay Market to check things out at The Crown building — People’s Liberty’s temporary home until updates are made to the Globe Building next door. The new Over-the-Rhine-based nonprofit (a philanthropic arm of the Haile/U.S. Bank Foundation and the Johnson Foundation) is making… Show more

If you consider yourself to be a creative person in Cincinnati and haven’t heard of People’s Liberty yet, get thyself to Google. Or at least walk across the street next time you’re at the Dojo Gelato/Colonel De end of Findlay Market to check things out at The Crown building — People’s Liberty’s temporary home until updates are made to the Globe Building next door. The new Over-the-Rhine-based nonprofit (a philanthropic arm of the Haile/U.S. Bank Foundation and the Johnson Foundation) is making a name for itself in its first year of existence by doing something no other local arts organization has: investing directly in individuals — not organizations or businesses, but people — to make their creative visions for this city come true.

And artist/designer Jason Snell’s inaugural installation Good Eggs at People’s Liberty’s Globe Gallery next month will be the first tangible assertion of the organization’s progressive approach to cultivating the work of unconventional creatives. Show less

“Don’t Blink and drive” might be the unofficial slogan for the weekend, but there are no rules against blinking and biking.

And truthfully? That might be the best way to experience Blink. Bikers can ride on the streets, therefore avoiding crowds of walkers. No scooters allowed, though.

The only step above biking must be the peddle wagons. It might be too late to reserve those this time, but the folks we saw boozing and biking along looked like they had won the Blink game. Props… Show more

“Don’t Blink and drive” might be the unofficial slogan for the weekend, but there are no rules against blinking and biking.

And truthfully? That might be the best way to experience Blink. Bikers can ride on the streets, therefore avoiding crowds of walkers. No scooters allowed, though.

The only step above biking must be the peddle wagons. It might be too late to reserve those this time, but the folks we saw boozing and biking along looked like they had won the Blink game. Props to them.

Most importantly for our walkers out there: please look out for moving cars. Not all streets are blocked off for Blink – however, drivers are encouraged to stay out of the Blink zones. Stay smart, stay alert and make sure that pups and small children are looked after. Show less

BLINK returned for its second year, stretching from Findlay Market in Cincinnati to the banks of Northern Kentucky.

Spanning more than 30 city blocks across two cities with more than 100 installations, the festival is the largest light, art and culture event of its kind in the nation.

BLINK is 100 percent free to the public. It's designed around Cincinnati's streetcar route, and meant to be experienced on foot -- it's not a drive-thru event.

The outdoor art phenomenon… Show more

BLINK returned for its second year, stretching from Findlay Market in Cincinnati to the banks of Northern Kentucky.

Spanning more than 30 city blocks across two cities with more than 100 installations, the festival is the largest light, art and culture event of its kind in the nation.

BLINK is 100 percent free to the public. It's designed around Cincinnati's streetcar route, and meant to be experienced on foot -- it's not a drive-thru event.

The outdoor art phenomenon includes large-scale projection mappings, murals and interactive light sculptures and art. The city will literally be glowing -- from luminous facades to twinkling alleyways.

So what are the hot spots around town? Here is our 20 top picks from the first two days. Show less

Now in its second iteration, the BLINK art and light festival is bigger than ever — in scope and expected attendance. Taking place across Over-the-Rhine, downtown and — new this year — across the Roebling Bridge into Covington, the fest will feature a light parade, projection mapping, interactive installations, tons of live music and more from Oct. 10-13.

The fest will span more than 30 blocks, take over two cities and feature more than 80 musical acts, 39 projection mappings and 16 new… Show more

Now in its second iteration, the BLINK art and light festival is bigger than ever — in scope and expected attendance. Taking place across Over-the-Rhine, downtown and — new this year — across the Roebling Bridge into Covington, the fest will feature a light parade, projection mapping, interactive installations, tons of live music and more from Oct. 10-13.

The fest will span more than 30 blocks, take over two cities and feature more than 80 musical acts, 39 projection mappings and 16 new murals with an expected attendance of more than 1 million.

With all those numbers, it can seem hard to digest the expanse that is BLINK, especially because mobility will be limited within the scope of the event itself to pedestrians, bicycles, etc. (There will be nightly street closures and BLINK event producers are suggesting attendees take rideshares, park-and-ride options and other forms of public transit.) Show less

Why We Love Them:

For turning their passion into a career. And using the word “viking” in their company name.

After working for a variety of different creative agencies in town, Jason Snell decided he wanted to strike out on his own so he started a design shop out of his dining room. Eventually outgrowing his home-based business, Snell launched We Have Become Vikings, an OTR-based creative agency that does everything from motion graphics and illustration to branding, with one of… Show more

Why We Love Them:

For turning their passion into a career. And using the word “viking” in their company name.

After working for a variety of different creative agencies in town, Jason Snell decided he wanted to strike out on his own so he started a design shop out of his dining room. Eventually outgrowing his home-based business, Snell launched We Have Become Vikings, an OTR-based creative agency that does everything from motion graphics and illustration to branding, with one of his best buds, Mike Gibboney.

“We’ve worked together on creative projects ever since we met each other in college,” Gibboney says. “So we just kind of chose to do it together professionally.”

The duo currently has their hands in all aspects of the business, from project management and client services to creative development and copy writing, which they’re able to manage because of their breadth of experience. Gibboney, who has a master’s degree in business, has worked in higher education in financial aid and marketing, and Snell, with his creative abilities, has always had a passion for the hustle — especially when he realized no one was hiring when he graduated from college. “It was like you kind of had to learn how to be a freelancer,” he says. “Like you take whatever comes along. And that helped me with my work ethic.”

Now, with the daily freedom to be creative and manage themselves, the pair is thrilled with the challenges each day brings.

“I like that [work] changes every day,” Gibboney says. “Every client is different, every project we do is different. It’s never the same thing twice.” Show less