Brand Strategist / Creative Director (Brand Philosophy & Direction)

THE CONTEXT: BOKKCŌ is a Dubai-based modern luxury lip care and cosmetics brand. The foundation is built: brand statement, product pillars, visual identity, tone of voice, and our first two hero products are in production. What we need now isn't someone to build a brand from zero. We need someone to look at what exists, understand it at a deep level, and help resolve the gap between where the brand is conceptually and where it needs to go as we add products, enter new categories, and scale. This is a strategic gap, not an execution gap. We can design, write, and produce. What we're missing is an experienced second perspective who can sit inside the brand philosophy with us and tell us honestly where the disconnect is, where the next product should go, and how the brand should evolve without losing what already works. WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING: Reviewing the existing brand system in full: positioning, pillars, identity, tone, and product roadmap, and identifying where internal contradictions or gaps exist. Acting as a sounding board and challenger to the founder's thinking, not just an executor of direction already decided. Advising on product and category sequencing: what should come next, what the brand can credibly claim, and what would dilute it. Helping translate brand philosophy into concrete product, content, and positioning decisions as the catalogue expands beyond lip care. Identifying where the brand's current expression (visual, verbal, product) doesn't yet match its ambition, and proposing what closes that gap. Working directly with the founder in an ongoing advisory capacity, not a one-off deck. WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR: You have real experience building or directing brand strategy for beauty, fashion, or luxury consumer brands, ideally at a stage where you've taken a brand from early-stage to a defined market position. You think in systems, not just mood boards. You can hold a brand's existing identity in your head and tell the difference between a deviation that strengthens it and one that dilutes it. You ask hard questions before giving answers. You've worked with founder-led brands before and understand the dynamic of being a thinking partner, not a vendor executing a brief. You're comfortable being direct, including telling a founder something they don't want to hear, if that's what the brand needs. Experience in the GCC or MENA beauty market is a strong plus but not required if your strategic instincts are sharp. TO APPLY: Tell us about a brand you've worked on where you identified a strategic disconnect that wasn't obvious to the founder, and how you resolved it. Two to three sentences is enough. Include your day rate or project rate. Attached are the Visuals of the brand for you to have a look and identify if this is an opportunity you would consider.