Ketan Mekarta

Overview
Semrush, a leader in digital marketing tools, wanted to connect more emotionally with its global B2B audience. I led the creative direction for their first-ever brand campaign, focused on telling a real, relatable story instead of leading with product features.

The Idea
We spotlighted Gabrielle Alias - an SEO analyst with a side passion as a DJ. Her dual identity helped us reframe Semrush as a brand that supports the whole person, not just the marketer.

Execution Highlights
3 x Hero Videos telling Gabrielle’s story
400+ content assets across social, web, and CRM
Localized landing pages in 6 languages
Nurture track and retargeting journeys
Short-form social videos showcasing her tools and lifestyle

The Results
+24% increase in payments
Highest engagement of the year
Campaign extended beyond its initial 5-month timeline

Finalist at The Drum Awards Festival for B2B Social Media

What I loved most about this project was proving that even in B2B, emotion drives action and great storytelling still makes all the difference.

Agency - Hey Honey Amsterdam
Ketan Mekarta - Associate Creative director
Olivia Rynkiewicz - Art director / Designer
Barbara Ryan - Art director
Anastasia Bettin - Copywriter
Marco Kruk - Editor
Prunelle Mathet - Motion designer
Taylor Handsley - Content director

Overview
In a bold fusion of fashion and music, we partnered with Grammy-winning artist Jacob Collier to create a cultural moment for Crocs - centered on creativity, self-expression, and community.

The Idea
Merge Collier’s vibrant artistic identity with Crocs’ brand ethos. Celebrate individuality through music, storytelling, and playful engagement.

Execution Highlights
🎵 Music Video Launch - The campaign kicked off with Collier's new single, “WELLLL,” paired with a visually stunning music video where the limited edition Crocs were on display.
🎤 #WELLLLChallenge - Fans remixed the track on TikTok & IG for a chance to win the collab pair.
👟 Instagram Live Q&A - Collier held an Instagram Live session with his Crocs, bringing humor to the conversation by asking his left Crocs clog questions (you had to be there)
📍 OOH Takeover - Organic buzz elevated to billboards in Times Square & Hollywood Blvd.

The Results
27M+ organic views across TikTok, IG, YouTube & OOH
Viral fan engagement & remixes
Gold Lovie Award winner

Agency - Hey Honey Amsterdam
Ketan Mekarta - Creative director (Art)
Jérémy Froideval - Creative director (Copy)
Barbara Ryan - Art director
Ioana Iancu - Copywriter / Senior creative
Celine Boubekri - Head of client services
Liam Hesketh - Account manager
Gussie Peile - Executive Producer
Morgan Beattie & Lea Enghelabi - Producer
Mike Harvey - Director
Gemma Tickle - Set Designer

Based on a Story is a one-of-a-kind traveling pop-up store series that brings emerging brands and local culture together through immersive, authentic retail experiences. Each edition unfolds a unique narrative - spotlighting the stories behind the brands in a way that feels honest, engaging, and deeply connected to the spirit of the location, from vibrant Los Angeles to wherever creativity takes us next.

As Creative Director, I shaped the entire experience - from concept and branding to spatial design and storytelling - crafting a seamless, memorable identity across every touchpoint. Collaborating closely with my co-founders and local partners, we curated events that went beyond shopping: art nights, wine tastings, and cultural happenings that blurred the lines between retail and community. The result? A fresh, thoughtful, and vibrant celebration of creativity and connection that leaves a lasting impression.

Creative director/ Designer: Ketan Mekarta
Brand - Based on a Story

https://www.basedonastory.co/

ECHO THE STREET - Footlocker x Crocs collaboration

The core idea: Echo The Street celebrates creators by taking them back to the streets that shaped their identity, style, and community impact - highlighting how their story continues to echo today alongside the Footlocker x Crocs Echo collection.

We celebrate unique personalities by joining them on an exploration of the urban streets that shaped them into artists and community leaders who create a real echo through their meaningful work and beliefs. We explore the European streets of Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt and Milan that inspired the lives of these unique people, and which still carry the echo of their early life experiences, moments of inspiration and places that shaped who they are in the present.

Influencers who are making an echo with their style, work and meaningful community initiatives go to the streets that shaped them.

They will relate their own stories by walking around the streets/ neighbourhood. This walk will allow us to showcase the Echo shoe in a natural way, while highlighting each influencer’s style, personality, and the places that inspired them to do the meaningful work that they’re involved with in the present.

We collaborated with influencers who not only have a unique style, but they have a real impact in their communities.

Agency - Hey Honey Amsterdam
Ketan Mekarta - Creative director
Ioana Iancu - Senior creative / Copywriter
Ines Mourao - Designer
Mariona May - Designer
Paulo Magalhaes - Editor
Morgan Beattie - Producer

Love Xmas your way

The core idea: JBL creates space for individuality - helping people express themselves authentically, whether that’s turning up the volume or tuning everything out.

For some, the busy Christmas period can be anything but exciting. The reality for many is that the Christmas period is chaotic, overwhelming and an absolute drag. From visiting annoying family members, going to one too many Christmas parties, eating Christmas food you don’t even like and not to mention the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping. Instead of labelling these people as the Grinch, we want to help them drown out the noise and fall in love with Christmas their way. We want to celebrate the Christmas time icons that choose to celebrate their way. Gen Z’s are more attracted to non-conformists and people willing to stand out of the crowd. We want to show them that JBL feels the same way.

The red thread is how JBL is creating space to express who they are, and how they express themselves. They choose their own story and put themselves out there to inspire others.

Agency - Hey Honey Amsterdam
Ketan Mekarta - Creative director
Ines Mourao - Designer
Paulo Magalhaes - Editor

Launch Social media campaign across Europe for the HONOR 9X, a bold and affordable smartphone packed with flagship features. The campaign spotlighted its standout 6.59″ FullView display - a bezel-free immersive viewing experience and the powerful 48 MP triple camera setup, designed to deliver exceptional photography without the premium price .

We developed Electrifying visuals and motion content that highlighted key features: AI-enhanced night mode, pop-up selfie camera, geometric reflective design, and long-lasting battery. The tone was youthful and authentic, tailored to connect with European audiences eager for premium quality without the premium cost.

My role: Lead Creative/AD - from ideation to final execution, ensuring every piece celebrated HONOR’s promise: next-generation design and camera tech, fully realized on social-first platforms.

Team:

Art Direction: Ketan Mekarta
Copywriter: Sid Guha
Visual Design: Farid Bawa / Ivaylo Klissarov
Motion: Cris Adajar

Agency: DDB & Tribal Amsterdam

Mood images are sourced from unplash.

Team:

Art Direction: Ketan Mekarta
Copywriting: Sid Guha
Visual Design: Ivaylo Klissarov /Esmée Lechner
Motion: Marco Kruk

Agency: DDB & Tribal Amsterdam

Collaboration with TBWA Amsterdam. Assets were provided by them for digital translation.

“Beter voor Natuur & Boer”

The core idea: Highlighting Albert Heijn’s commitment to sustainable farming by visually connecting the care given by farmers to nature and the food we enjoy, using a zoom-out animation that reveals the full journey from soil to store.

Together with their dedicated farmers, Albert Heijn is committed to offering products that are crafted and grown with genuine care and respect for both the food and the natural environment. This initiative highlights the journey from farm to store, ensuring sustainable practices that benefit nature and support responsible farmers.

For this campaign, we brought the story to life using a smooth zoom-out animation style that visually expands the view from the intimate details of the soil, crops, and nurturing hands, to the broader picture of nature and community. This animation emphasizes the interconnectedness of the process and the people behind the food.

Team:
Creative director: Lennart Wienecke
Creative lead: Ketan Mekarta
Art director: Ketan Mekarta & Yvette van Keulen
Motion: Evert Ybema
Illustration: Raag Raisinghani

Agency: APS Group Amsterdam

Modu, a platform for rekindle old memory. Share stories and remember beautiful memories with your friends and family.

The goal was to trigger emotions via old shared memories to get more and more people to talk and meet up. Modu is an icebreaker, a simple way to rekindle friendship and go from online to offline.  

Team. Angelica Askvik, Wonjun Song, Abraham Abbi Asefaw, Ketan Mekarta, Christian Grandin and Arnaud-Arthur.

Client : Volontaire and Lofbergs
 

The summer 2021 campaign for Albert Heijn. Showcasing the summer flavours in pop colors and tropical shadows.

Team:
Creative director: Lennart Wienecke
Art director: Ketan Mekarta
Designer : Elena Ivanova
Photography: Tobias Reymond

Agency: APS Group Amsterdam

Amsterdam-based brand MWM is redefining sustainable fashion by transforming vintage warm blankets into cozy, one-of-a-kind winter coats. I’ve been closely involved as a creative partner from the very beginning, helping to shape their vision, develop a distinctive brand identity, and execute a comprehensive digital & social campaign that brings their story to life. The brand’s unique blend of heritage craftsmanship and modern style creates a fresh take on conscious fashion, and I wanted the art direction to reflect that balance - warm, authentic, and effortlessly cool.

To showcase the diverse collections, we shot in three vibrant cities - Amsterdam, Paris, and Barcelona - each adding its own cultural flavor and energy to the campaign. The locations helped underline the brand’s European roots and cosmopolitan spirit while highlighting the versatility and timelessness of the pieces. It was exciting to craft visuals that felt both intimate and dynamic, perfectly capturing MWM’s commitment to sustainability and style, and making sure the campaign resonated with a new generation of conscious consumers.

www.masha-maria.com

My role: Branding, Design & Art direction

Winter photographer - Neige Thebault

Summer photographer - Passian Smit

INTOUCH is travel insurance company and my freelance client. The brief was to come up with game to promote Summer Eurotrip and get the clients to the calculator page for the insurance. We created a game, based on 3 main choices that we make when we decide where to go: weather hot/cold, landscape mountain/sea and budget cheap/expensive. The test-game works when you scroll down the screen, based on the parallax effect. The final result is fun and colorful illustrated journey through different worlds!

My role - Concept, Designer and Art director

Team : Olga Kotova & Ketan Mekarta

Freelance project

Client - Intouch/Awsmpssm

Birdhouses made of upcycled cigarette filters. Sick project that's saving the environment by Isaac Monte.

Creative director: Bram Holzapfel
Art director: Ketan Mekarta
Copy writer: Sid Guha

Royal Canin Breed campaign 2019
Veterinary focus TV Idents

DDB Unlimited Amsterdam
Ketan Mekarta - Art director
Sid Guha - Copywriter
Ivaylo Klissarov - Designer
Bahram Hosseinpour - Motion designer

The Hive platform celebrates, supports and engages with people who see the world differently and want to bring positive change through creativity.

My role - Art director & concept

Agency: DDB & Tribal Amsterdam