Ashlee Hollis leads Helm Creative Studio, a woman-owned, award-winning marketing agency in Philadelphia, dedicated to investing in the next generation of creatives and championing people, creativity, and social impact as industry standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q1. Congratulations on winning the MUSE Design Awards! Can you introduce yourself and share about what inspired you to pursue design as a career?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank you so much for this honor. I\u2019m Ashlee Hollis, President and Founder of award-winning Helm Creative Studio, a certified woman-owned marketing and creative agency with a production house based in Philadelphia, and with clients throughout the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Co-Founder of The Story Factory, a space that houses stories and creates content while building people up in the process, my husband, Elijah, who is also Helm\u2019s Chief Storyteller, and I, have set in motion a new era of storytelling in the heart of Philadelphia. Our focus is investing in the next generation and creatives, and we\u2019ve built a foundation to value people over production and ensure creativity and social impact are the new industry standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have multiple degrees in Business Administration, Digital Marketing, and Philanthropy, and have done my best to build a team culture where creatives can thrive and are focused on growth, excellence, clarity, creativity, passion, and heart. I\u2019m fiercely dedicated to making an impact with the work that we do, proving it by ensuring that for each and every creative project we create, a portion goes back to youth and creative communities within Philadelphia and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re determined to continue to accelerate both the causes we care about and the causes of our clients, and we\u2019re honored to have received a citation from the City of Philadelphia for our commitment towards positive social impact within the city, while recognizing our clients who we work with on a global scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Q2. What does being recognized in the MUSE Design Awards mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While we don\u2019t submit awards just for the sake of winning them, we recognize that winning builds trust with clients and potential collaborators. It also creates greater impact by highlighting our clients and the causes they hold dear, while enabling us to give back more meaningfully to youth and creatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Winning shines a spotlight on the incredible clients we work with, in this case, Philadelphia Ballet. As storytellers, being able to share the stories of those we support in their impact or pursuit of their dreams is deeply meaningful. I have the privilege of working firsthand with these artists and creatives, and filming with Ashton Roxander, Principal Dancer and the Deborah and Kurt Hilzinger Principal Dancer with Philadelphia Ballet, was no exception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He\u2019s kind, talented, and dedicated to his craft, with a story we believe deserves to be witnessed. In this way, we support Philadelphia Ballet\u2019s initiative to raise funds and awareness about the importance of their dancers\u2019 shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s an honor to win for this video because excellence and art are inherently part of their brand and organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q3. Can you share the story behind your success? What inspired its creation, and what do you feel it represents in today\u2019s industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I currently work at Ant Group, a company focused on technological innovation. My role primarily involves <\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the video represents the humanity behind what we see on stage. It\u2019s important not to forget the human element that moves us, creating stories and experiences that stay with us. We live in a world filled with highlights, reels, and on-stage content featuring actors and performers all the time. As an agency and creatives ourselves, it\u2019s an honor whenever we can pull back the curtain and speak with these artists. We love discovering what matters to them and their personal creative journeys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For this video, we used our creativity at Helm to create a platform for Ashton\u2019s story about the impact of having properly fitted shoes. Because of this, Philadelphia Ballet was able to secure funding for additional dancers\u2019 shoes. It means a lot to us that we\u2019re encouraging creativity to progress through our own creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A core cultural value at Helm is valuing people over production. Part of that is meeting people where they are\u2014focusing on them as individuals beyond what they do\u2014and then highlighting their creativity, ingenuity, and journey as artists and creatives, as this video expresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q4. What role does experimentation play in your creative process? Can you share an example?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the elements people have responded to is the rawness in the video. There\u2019s a humanity present that resonates with anyone who performs on stage. It\u2019s the experience of seeing someone who is inherently a performer come off stage and be featured in a personal, relatable way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At Helm, we\u2019re committed to focusing on personal connections, empathy, and even curiosity in every situation and through every aspect of our filming, and this commitment is reflected in the video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Q5. What’s the most unusual source of inspiration you’ve ever drawn from for a project?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To be honest, I don’t have a specific favorite style. I tend to create designs that make an immediate visual impact or evoke thought-<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the elements people have responded to is the rawness in the video. There\u2019s a humanity present that resonates with anyone who performs on stage. It\u2019s the experience of seeing someone who is inherently a performer come off stage and be featured in a personal, relatable way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At Helm, we\u2019re committed to focusing on personal connections, empathy, and even curiosity in every situation and through every aspect of our filming, and this commitment is reflected in the video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n concepts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Winning Entry <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nPhiladelphia Ballet Shoe Campaign<\/a><\/h6>\n\n\n\n