An agency that isn’t an agency.
It’s Dan Golden’s eyes on your brand. One direct relationship, and no agency layers. I distill brands down to the essential human idea, then build from there. The category doesn't matter. I get inside the brand, find what matters, and turn it into clear directions across identity, language, strategy, campaigns, products, and the small details that shape how people feel.
Fresh eyes. Sharp thinking. Delivered like a conversation between friends.
THE OFFER
Playtime
For one month, I step outside the day-to-day and examine your brand from every angle: identity, language, positioning, campaigns, customer experience, and anything else that deserves attention.
At the end, you get a focused playbook of ideas, opportunities, and creative direction—structured so your internal team, current agency, or another partner can take it forward.
This isn’t a retainer or a drawn-out agency process. It’s one concentrated month of senior creative thinking. The flat fee is $25,000. You keep everything.
If an idea deserves further development, we can scope that separately—or I can help you find the right people to carry it forward.
ONE-MONTH BRAND DEEP DIVE
For one month, I step outside the day-to-day and examine your brand from every angle: identity, language, positioning, campaigns, customer experience, and anything else that deserves attention.
At the end, you get a focused playbook of ideas, opportunities, and creative direction—structured so your internal team, current agency, or another partner can take it forward.
This isn’t a retainer or a drawn-out agency process. It’s one concentrated month of senior creative thinking. The flat fee is $25,000. You keep everything.
If an idea deserves further development, we can scope that separately—or I can help you find the right people to carry it forward.
Recess
TWO-DAY CREATIVE WORKSHOP
Jen and I will lead your leadership, marketing team, and key stakeholders through two focused days of creative exercises, strategic prompts, and real conversation.
We work with the challenges already in front of you, helping the group loosen habitual thinking, see new possibilities, and bring more imagination and play into the way the business communicates, creates, and makes decisions.
You leave with stronger ideas, a shared creative language, and practical directions your team can keep using. The flat fee is $40,000 + travel & expenses.
Two days. Built around your business. Serious thinking without the serious-face energy.
SEE HOW WE THINK
Three brands, three ideas
Capsule Pharmacy
Every delivery is a chance to build the brand. A distinctive color system, more ownable packaging, and a refreshed wordmark could turn an ordinary handoff into a recognizable—and memorable—brand moment.
See’s Candies
See’s is already an icon. The opportunity isn’t a reinvention; it’s distillation. A warmer, more current wordmark—and the confidence to simply be See’s—could move the brand forward without losing the character people love. A refresh, not a full Cracker Barrel.
Herman
How could one of the world’s most respected furniture brands connect with a younger audience? One idea: a sub-brand simply called Herman. More relatable, playful, and human—without giving up the credibility behind it.
Have a project you think Playtime can help with?