Familiar is
a starting point.

I’m Chris Harrelson. I lead creative teams and stay involved in the making, turning research, overlooked details, and unexpected ideas into stories that connect and creative that converts.

Today, I’m Associate Creative Director, Creative Content & Operations, at WHY Brands (Munchkin), leading more than 20 creatives across work spanning brands, campaigns, packaging, product launches, and film.

With Diana Barnes and Vanessa Donely, I helped develop and launch Munchkin’s Bonded for life campaign. Bond became Munchkin.com’s top seller, accounting for 16% of site sales from June through September 2025. The launch results also included a 300% increase in Munchkin.com revenue after six months.

I like finding the way into a story nobody’s tried yet. Sometimes that means asking a different question. Sometimes it means realizing the people we should be talking to weren’t even on the guest list.

That’s why I start with research. Who might care? Why should they? What are we actually solving? The weird little detail you almost skipped can turn out to be the whole story.

I ask my team to think like students. Stay curious. Dig in. Even a painfully boring brief deserves an interesting answer.

And keep making things. Try riding a skateboard after 20 years. Your brain says, “We’ve got this.” The pavement has other plans.

Then someone asks for 47 versions.

Cool. Let’s find a better way to make them.

At WHY Brands, AI workflows I built increased team output by 15%. More room to try the strange version. Finally, a tool that can keep up with my mind.

A crappy idea might just be a brilliant one from a bad angle. Turn it around before you throw it out.

Ego kills creativity. Nobody needs to spray Raid on the brainstorm.

I’m looking for my next full time Creative Director role with people who get excited when someone says, “This might be weird.”