Album covers and their packaging set the course for all the art and marketing that follow throughout the life of an album cycle. Whether it’s 12 full inches or 1425 pixels, fans need to see an album cover and feel something that extends beyond the artist’s face into the meaning and intention of the recording itself.
It’s always a collaborative process with amazing creatives and a fight to keep the perfect balance between art and commerce for that artist at that moment in time. Pretty much everything I love about my work all in one place.
Art Direction: Nick Egan | Photography: Nino Muñoz | Released 2014
Art Direction: Glenn Sweitzer | Photography: Russ Harrington | Released: 1997
Everywhere was the birth of the McGraw brand. The record label always demanded that we put a face on the cover, so Glenn and I schemed that we wanted the cover to be the most face you could see, but done in the coolest way. At the photoshoot, Tim looked down at a polaroid and said, “that’s the cover."
Art Direction: Glenn Sweitzer | Photography: Mark Seliger & Tony Duran
Released: 2004
I think anyone who had anything to do with Live Like You Were Dying, on any level, knows what it’s like to be a vessel for something larger than yourself. A song that special doesn’t come around every day. Glenn and I put our hearts into this package — from the silver metallic ink to my hand-doodled “45" in honor of Tug McGraw.
Art Direction: Glenn Sweitzer | Photography: Steven Klein | Released 2001
Tim had the vision for the cover, Glenn designed a modern circus type and I was obsessed with having Steven Klein shoot Tim.
Art Direction: Glenn Sweitzer | Photography: Nigel Parry | Released 2013
From designing the Born In Georgia cover for my mom to staging a BBQ stain out in the park with Glen Rose, to helping shape the creative around two children as they grew into themselves as artists.....these are some of my favorites through the years.
When you’re working with a music artist, everything has to have an edge of cool and represent the style of the brand. Unfortunately, the souvenir marketplace can be as uncool as buying items at a circus. Solving this creative puzzle has made me happy since 1993.
Tim McGraw Shotgun Rider Tour Fan Shirt | Designer: Doug Hicks
We wanted to communicate the fun of summer in the dead of winter with this shirt, sold exclusively to members of MCGRAWF.A.N. The line of t-shirt, koozie and bumpersticker were used as incentives to fan-only ticket purchases.
Sundown Heaven Town Tour T-Shirt 2014 | Designer: Doug Hicks | Mfg: Crom Tidwell
Despite the fact that no one I know will wear one, the ‘face’ shirt is the top selling shirt of every act in every genre of music. Merchandise created by Crom Tidwell.
Tim McGraw Faith HIll s2s Tour 2000 | Art Director: David Seltzer
At the time, everyone's solution to a kid's tee was a hand-drawn kid font or shrinking adult art to fit a kid-size garment. I wanted something fun that a child might react to at the merch stand or that my girlfriends would want to wear in a kids size L. We nailed both!
In 2012, the Venetian Hotel offered a special area within their retail store as a pop-up store to fans attending the McGraw/Hill Soul2Soul Venetian shows in Las Vegas. Working with LonDell Wright and his team, we designed a space that would feel as fashion forward as the clients. Items included the tour basics along with a jewelry line by Diana Warner, a pashmina, framed autographed lithos and work out clothes. Merchandise by Bravado, Crom Tidwell and Red Star Merchandise.
It’s always incredibly fun for to help build the bridge between a music artist’s vision and a photographer’s style and skill. Often the album or publicity story will dictate the setting, but I always have a stack of ideas and images to inspire for the next photoshoot, just in case. I love bringing my idea for a setup life!
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill | Photographer: Russell James | Published: 2013 Las Vegas Magazine
Creative direction of set ups, back drops, props and pairing.
The Warren Brothers | Photographer: Kristin Barlowe | Published 2005
This shoot was for the packaging and support of their album, Barely Famous Hits. The Warrens are solid family men, legitimate hit song writers and incredible musicians. But they approach life with a sense of humor and not a small amount of irreverence for the system. Our goal was to capture all of these nuances - and Kristin, as always, did a fantastic job.
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill | Photographer: Danny Clinch | Published 2007
It's hard to find the balance of sweet-lovey-dovey and sassy-badass-rock-and-roll when you're shooting a couple. Even an outstandingly hot couple like Tim and Faith. Danny always brings the badass and since 2000, I keep an ongoing file of ideas and tear-sheets of ways to pair these two and settings to put them in. This set up was used in tour marketing and merchandise.
Tim McGraw | Photography: Nino Muñoz | Published 2013
Shot in support of the Sundown Heaven Town project, this image was the first image we used to tease radio for the unreleased music.
2014 Sundown Heaven Town Tour | Photographer: Thien Phan
We err to the side of capturing everything. Across the 40 tour dates, I'll give direction on the overall balance of the types of shots we are getting back from the road and edit the nightly returns to find the most iconic onstage and behind the scenes shots for use in all mediums.
From ideation to producing to guiding third parties in the right direction, I make sure our online content tells the right story with the sexiest visual possible.
My role is different on every video project depending on what’s needed. Sometimes the process between director and artist is necessarily very tight and my goal shifts to big picture branding and managing the budget.
Other times, I am deeply involved in the treatment and in overseeing each production detail from extras to location.
From the album Sundown Heaven Town | Directed by Sophie Muller | Airdate 2014
From the album Two Lanes of Freedom | Directed by Shane Drake |Airdate 2014
From the album Two Lanes of Freedom | Directed by Sherman Halsey | Airdate 2012
From the album Two Lanes of Freedom | Directed by Shane Drake | Airdate 2013
In support of the single American Heart | Directed by Trey Fanjoy | Airdate 2012
From the album Set This Circus Down | Directed by Sherman Halsey | Airdate 2002
From the album Tim McGraw+The Dancehall Doctors | Directed by Sherman Halsey | Airdate 2003
Sponsorships, endorsements and media partnerships offer great opportunities to work with outside producers, directors and agencies. Ultimately, it’s a great test of creative problem solving to find the most interesting visual and thematic cross sections of the two brands.
Tour marketing encompasses everything from marketing materials (tour logo, ads, banners) to the elements that extend the tour brand onto the road (passes, VIP events, onstage video content) and more.
Used in social media campaigns to target specific markets with a 'save the date' message and art that fans could call their own.
The tour aesthetic has to flow into all places -- even if it's just a tent! With the help of Doug Hicks, we created VIP EVENT art that would feel exclusive but still represent the Sundown Heaven Town themes. We worked with CID Entertainment to bring a stage set that could be moved easily but still look clean and modern.
Video screens and the content that inhabits them takes up a lot of stage space in most shows. Each tour is different in the approach -- what kind of content and how it paces through the show. This was an edit I oversaw for content that played during a very personal song, Better Than I Used To Be on tour.
With the exception of our two hotel logos for Hotel Boca Brava and Santa Catalina Surfside Inn, which I did myself, most of the logo development that I’ve done has been with designer Glenn Sweitzer. We each have our own style but share a love for a clean graphic that works well in all sizes and formats.
My grandfather was an accomplished jazz guitar player, physicist and inventor. This incredible texture is his guitar case.
![Tim VOP Comp Option 2 Rd_3[1].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/544e7bc9e4b0399666bacb55/1424653883982-219U9FFP5A21D98PTFOO/Tim+VOP+Comp+Option+2+Rd_3%5B1%5D.jpg)
