DENVER, CO
20:08 UTC
Paul Gildard
Creative Strategist | Growth Designer
About
I'm an ultra-scrappy creative director who builds performance-driven ads for mobile, fintech, and consumer apps. I've worked across startups and consulting teams, creating ads, UGC, and creative systems designed to scale paid channels.
Not only do I write and cast for my ads, I edit, animate and publish them, too.
"Paul is a creative powerhouse of one"
-Eddie Behringer, CEO of Copper App
Recent Works - 2026
Experience
Creative Strategy + UGC Consultant (Moonshot App, Batch App, CoinIn App)
Gildard Visuals
·
2025-Present
• Led creative strategy and UGC systems for mobile app growth, from research and angle planning through briefs and iteration.
• Wrote UGC scripts and creator direction, including talking points, shot lists, on-screen text, and b-roll needs, optimized for strong hooks and clear value sequencing.
• Produced and iterated performance creatives, including UGC edits, motion, and statics, shipping rapid variants to support fast testing cycles across paid channels.
Creative Director, Paid Social
Copper App
·
2026-Present
• Own paid social creative strategy and production across 16 live channels supporting ~$500K/month in paid spend — AppLovin, Moloco, Bidease, Apple Search Ads, Meta, Tapjoy, TikTok, and a continuously tested long tail.
• Run the creative testing system end to end (hypothesis, hook, concept, format), turning performance reads into the next round of tests rather than variations of existing winners.
• Direct a freelance UGC creator roster and editor pipeline — scripts, shot lists, briefs, and per-creator AppsFlyer attribution — so creative decisions tie back to installs, not views.
• Built AI-assisted production pipelines that replaced manual Photoshop and desktop-app steps, raising weekly creative volume without adding headcount.
• Drove ~114K paid installs in the last 30 days at a ~$4.30 blended eCPI, with concept-level reads identifying the winners carrying the majority of spend.
Creative Director, Paid Social
Copper App
·
2026-Present
• Own paid social creative strategy and production across 16 live channels supporting ~$500K/month in paid spend — AppLovin, Moloco, Bidease, Apple Search Ads, Meta, Tapjoy, TikTok, and a continuously tested long tail.
• Run the creative testing system end to end (hypothesis, hook, concept, format), turning performance reads into the next round of tests rather than variations of existing winners.
• Direct a freelance UGC creator roster and editor pipeline — scripts, shot lists, briefs, and per-creator AppsFlyer attribution — so creative decisions tie back to installs, not views.
• Built AI-assisted production pipelines that replaced manual Photoshop and desktop-app steps, raising weekly creative volume without adding headcount.
• Drove ~114K paid installs in the last 30 days at a ~$4.30 blended eCPI, with concept-level reads identifying the winners carrying the majority of spend.
Growth Designer
Copper App
·
2022-2026
• Owned creative strategy + production for paid social, partnering with media buying to build a repeatable testing system (hooks, angles, variants, learnings, then next cycle).
• Developed and scaled UGC frameworks (native-style-scripting, shot lists, creator direction, edit formats) tailored to platform best practices across Meta, TikTok, AppLovin, and IronSource.
• Led creative performance analysis (hook/angle-level readouts, winner diagnostics, iteration plans) to improve retention-focused and IAP-focused performance against quarterly KPIs.
• Launched and managed AppLovin creative testing supporting monthly budget of ~100K, translating network signals into rapid creative updates.
Growth Designer
Copper App
·
2022-2026
• Owned creative strategy + production for paid social, partnering with media buying to build a repeatable testing system (hooks, angles, variants, learnings, then next cycle).
• Developed and scaled UGC frameworks (native-style-scripting, shot lists, creator direction, edit formats) tailored to platform best practices across Meta, TikTok, AppLovin, and IronSource.
• Led creative performance analysis (hook/angle-level readouts, winner diagnostics, iteration plans) to improve retention-focused and IAP-focused performance against quarterly KPIs.
• Launched and managed AppLovin creative testing supporting monthly budget of ~100K, translating network signals into rapid creative updates.
Senior Multimedia Designer
Common Thread Collective
·
2020-2022
• Led UGC-driven creative strategy for DTC brands, translating product insights into hook/angle matrices, UGC concepts, and conversion-minded story structures.
• Owned the creative development pipeline: scripts + briefs, creator direction, and edit execution (2D/3D + motion where it improved clarity and scroll-stopping).
• Built scalable creative systems (templates, brand kits, production workflows) that increased team throughput by ~30% while maintaining brand consistency.
• Directed and mentored a team of junior designers, guiding creative iterations based on performance signals and ensuring deliverables aligned to testing priorities.
Senior Multimedia Designer
Common Thread Collective
·
2020-2022
• Led UGC-driven creative strategy for DTC brands, translating product insights into hook/angle matrices, UGC concepts, and conversion-minded story structures.
• Owned the creative development pipeline: scripts + briefs, creator direction, and edit execution (2D/3D + motion where it improved clarity and scroll-stopping).
• Built scalable creative systems (templates, brand kits, production workflows) that increased team throughput by ~30% while maintaining brand consistency.
• Directed and mentored a team of junior designers, guiding creative iterations based on performance signals and ensuring deliverables aligned to testing priorities.
Senior Performance Video Editor
Tubescience
·
2019-2020
• Edited and produced performance video ads with a UGC-first mindset: rapid hooks, clear value-prop sequencing, strong proof moments, and clean CTAs.
• Collaborated with strategists and account teams to turn briefs into testable creative hypotheses, then iterated based on what actually moved results.
• Directed/assisted onboarding and creative execution for client launches, helping teams ship fast while maintaining consistent creative quality.
• Created modular motion/graphics systems (titles, overlays, packshots, transitions) that made it easier to generate high-volume variants without losing clarity.
Senior Performance Video Editor
Tubescience
·
2019-2020
• Edited and produced performance video ads with a UGC-first mindset: rapid hooks, clear value-prop sequencing, strong proof moments, and clean CTAs.
• Collaborated with strategists and account teams to turn briefs into testable creative hypotheses, then iterated based on what actually moved results.
• Directed/assisted onboarding and creative execution for client launches, helping teams ship fast while maintaining consistent creative quality.
• Created modular motion/graphics systems (titles, overlays, packshots, transitions) that made it easier to generate high-volume variants without losing clarity.
Education
Bachelor's in Digital Media Production
Missouri State University
·
2012-2018
• Emphasis: video production + post-production workflows (editing, motion, audio)
Bachelor's in Digital Media Production
Missouri State University
·
2012-2018
• Emphasis: video production + post-production workflows (editing, motion, audio)
SPEAKING
CONTACT
Paul Gildard
Creative Director, Paid Social | Performance Creative
About
I'm an ultra-scrappy creative director who builds performance-driven ads for mobile, fintech, and consumer apps. I've worked across startups and consulting teams, creating ads, UGC, and creative systems designed to scale paid channels.
Not only do I write and cast for my ads, I edit, animate and publish them, too.
"Paul is a creative powerhouse of one"
-Eddie Behringer, CEO of Copper App
Recent Works - 2026
Experience
Creative Strategy + UGC Consultant (Moonshot App, Batch App, CoinIn App)
Gildard Visuals
·
2025-Present
• Led creative strategy and UGC systems for mobile app growth, from research and angle planning through briefs and iteration.
• Wrote UGC scripts and creator direction, including talking points, shot lists, on-screen text, and b-roll needs, optimized for strong hooks and clear value sequencing.
• Produced and iterated performance creatives, including UGC edits, motion, and statics, shipping rapid variants to support fast testing cycles across paid channels.
Creative Director, Paid Social
Copper App
·
2026-Present
• Own paid social creative strategy and production across 16 live channels supporting ~$500K/month in paid spend — AppLovin, Moloco, Bidease, Apple Search Ads, Meta, Tapjoy, TikTok, and a continuously tested long tail.
• Run the creative testing system end to end (hypothesis, hook, concept, format), turning performance reads into the next round of tests rather than variations of existing winners.
• Direct a freelance UGC creator roster and editor pipeline — scripts, shot lists, briefs, and per-creator AppsFlyer attribution — so creative decisions tie back to installs, not views.
• Built AI-assisted production pipelines that replaced manual Photoshop and desktop-app steps, raising weekly creative volume without adding headcount.
• Drove ~114K paid installs in the last 30 days at a ~$4.30 blended eCPI, with concept-level reads identifying the winners carrying the majority of spend.
Creative Director, Paid Social
Copper App
·
2026-Present
• Own paid social creative strategy and production across 16 live channels supporting ~$500K/month in paid spend — AppLovin, Moloco, Bidease, Apple Search Ads, Meta, Tapjoy, TikTok, and a continuously tested long tail.
• Run the creative testing system end to end (hypothesis, hook, concept, format), turning performance reads into the next round of tests rather than variations of existing winners.
• Direct a freelance UGC creator roster and editor pipeline — scripts, shot lists, briefs, and per-creator AppsFlyer attribution — so creative decisions tie back to installs, not views.
• Built AI-assisted production pipelines that replaced manual Photoshop and desktop-app steps, raising weekly creative volume without adding headcount.
• Drove ~114K paid installs in the last 30 days at a ~$4.30 blended eCPI, with concept-level reads identifying the winners carrying the majority of spend.
Growth Designer
Copper App
·
2022-2026
• Owned creative strategy + production for paid social, partnering with media buying to build a repeatable testing system (hooks, angles, variants, learnings, then next cycle).
• Developed and scaled UGC frameworks (native-style-scripting, shot lists, creator direction, edit formats) tailored to platform best practices across Meta, TikTok, AppLovin, and IronSource.
• Led creative performance analysis (hook/angle-level readouts, winner diagnostics, iteration plans) to improve retention-focused and IAP-focused performance against quarterly KPIs.
• Launched and managed AppLovin creative testing supporting monthly budget of ~100K, translating network signals into rapid creative updates.
Growth Designer
Copper App
·
2022-2026
• Owned creative strategy + production for paid social, partnering with media buying to build a repeatable testing system (hooks, angles, variants, learnings, then next cycle).
• Developed and scaled UGC frameworks (native-style-scripting, shot lists, creator direction, edit formats) tailored to platform best practices across Meta, TikTok, AppLovin, and IronSource.
• Led creative performance analysis (hook/angle-level readouts, winner diagnostics, iteration plans) to improve retention-focused and IAP-focused performance against quarterly KPIs.
• Launched and managed AppLovin creative testing supporting monthly budget of ~100K, translating network signals into rapid creative updates.
Senior Multimedia Designer
Common Thread Collective
·
2020-2022
• Led UGC-driven creative strategy for DTC brands, translating product insights into hook/angle matrices, UGC concepts, and conversion-minded story structures.
• Owned the creative development pipeline: scripts + briefs, creator direction, and edit execution (2D/3D + motion where it improved clarity and scroll-stopping).
• Built scalable creative systems (templates, brand kits, production workflows) that increased team throughput by ~30% while maintaining brand consistency.
• Directed and mentored a team of junior designers, guiding creative iterations based on performance signals and ensuring deliverables aligned to testing priorities.
Senior Multimedia Designer
Common Thread Collective
·
2020-2022
• Led UGC-driven creative strategy for DTC brands, translating product insights into hook/angle matrices, UGC concepts, and conversion-minded story structures.
• Owned the creative development pipeline: scripts + briefs, creator direction, and edit execution (2D/3D + motion where it improved clarity and scroll-stopping).
• Built scalable creative systems (templates, brand kits, production workflows) that increased team throughput by ~30% while maintaining brand consistency.
• Directed and mentored a team of junior designers, guiding creative iterations based on performance signals and ensuring deliverables aligned to testing priorities.
Senior Performance Video Editor
Tubescience
·
2019-2020
• Edited and produced performance video ads with a UGC-first mindset: rapid hooks, clear value-prop sequencing, strong proof moments, and clean CTAs.
• Collaborated with strategists and account teams to turn briefs into testable creative hypotheses, then iterated based on what actually moved results.
• Directed/assisted onboarding and creative execution for client launches, helping teams ship fast while maintaining consistent creative quality.
• Created modular motion/graphics systems (titles, overlays, packshots, transitions) that made it easier to generate high-volume variants without losing clarity.
Senior Performance Video Editor
Tubescience
·
2019-2020
• Edited and produced performance video ads with a UGC-first mindset: rapid hooks, clear value-prop sequencing, strong proof moments, and clean CTAs.
• Collaborated with strategists and account teams to turn briefs into testable creative hypotheses, then iterated based on what actually moved results.
• Directed/assisted onboarding and creative execution for client launches, helping teams ship fast while maintaining consistent creative quality.
• Created modular motion/graphics systems (titles, overlays, packshots, transitions) that made it easier to generate high-volume variants without losing clarity.
Education
Bachelor's in Digital Media Production
Missouri State University
·
2012-2018
• Emphasis: video production + post-production workflows (editing, motion, audio)
Bachelor's in Digital Media Production
Missouri State University
·
2012-2018
• Emphasis: video production + post-production workflows (editing, motion, audio)
SPEAKING
CONTACT
Paul Gildard
Creative Director, Paid Social | Performance Creative
About
I'm an ultra-scrappy creative director who builds performance-driven ads for mobile, fintech, and consumer apps. I've worked across startups and consulting teams, creating ads, UGC, and creative systems designed to scale paid channels.Not only do I write and cast for my ads, I edit, animate and publish them, too.
"Paul is a creative powerhouse of one"
-Eddie Behringer, CEO of Copper App
Recent Works - 2026
Experience
Creative Strategy + UGC Consultant (Moonshot App, Batch App, CoinIn App)
Gildard Visuals
·
2025-Present
• Led creative strategy and UGC systems for mobile app growth, from research and angle planning through briefs and iteration.
• Wrote UGC scripts and creator direction, including talking points, shot lists, on-screen text, and b-roll needs, optimized for strong hooks and clear value sequencing.
• Produced and iterated performance creatives, including UGC edits, motion, and statics, shipping rapid variants to support fast testing cycles across paid channels.
Creative Director, Paid Social
Copper App
·
2026-Present
• Own paid social creative strategy across 16 live channels supporting ~$500K/month in paid spend, including AppLovin, Moloco, Bidease, Apple Search Ads, Meta, Tapjoy, TikTok, and a continuously tested long tail.
• Built the Creative Intelligence Pipeline for UGC, an AI-assisted production system that raises weekly creative volume without adding headcount.
• Set the creative testing agenda end to end (hypothesis, hook, concept, format), using performance reads to decide what to iterate and when to go net-new.
• Direct a freelance UGC creator roster and editor pipeline, owning briefs, feedback, and the quality bar, with per-creator AppsFlyer attribution so creative decisions tie back to installs, not views.
• Accountable for ~114K paid installs in the last 30 days at a ~$4.30 blended eCPI, with concept-level reads identifying the winners carrying the majority of spend.
Growth Designer
Copper App
·
2022-2026
• Designed and animated performance creative for paid social, producing UGC edits, motion graphics, and statics at high weekly volume across Meta, TikTok, AppLovin, and IronSource.
• Built modular motion systems in After Effects (title cards, overlays, packshots, transitions, captions) so winning concepts could be re-cut into new variants in hours instead of days.
• Produced platform-native cutdowns in every required ratio and duration, keeping a single shoot working across channels without reshooting. - Ran hook and angle level readouts (winner diagnostics, iteration plans) to improve retention-focused and IAP-focused performance against quarterly KPIs.
• Launched and managed AppLovin creative testing on a ~$100K monthly budget, translating network signals into rapid creative updates.
Senior Multimedia Designer
Common Thread Collective
·
2020-2022
• Led UGC-driven creative strategy for DTC brands, translating product insights into hook/angle matrices, UGC concepts, and conversion-minded story structures.
• Owned the creative development pipeline: scripts + briefs, creator direction, and edit execution (2D/3D + motion where it improved clarity and scroll-stopping).
• Built scalable creative systems (templates, brand kits, production workflows) that increased team throughput by ~30% while maintaining brand consistency.
• Directed and mentored a team of junior designers, guiding creative iterations based on performance signals and ensuring deliverables aligned to testing priorities.
Senior Performance Video Editor
Tubescience
·
2019-2020
• Edited and produced performance video ads with a UGC-first mindset: rapid hooks, clear value-prop sequencing, strong proof moments, and clean CTAs.
• Collaborated with strategists and account teams to turn briefs into testable creative hypotheses, then iterated based on what actually moved results.
• Directed/assisted onboarding and creative execution for client launches, helping teams ship fast while maintaining consistent creative quality.
• Created modular motion/graphics systems (titles, overlays, packshots, transitions) that made it easier to generate high-volume variants without losing clarity.
Education
Bachelor's in Digital Media Production
Missouri State University
·
2012-2018
• Emphasis: video production + post-production workflows (editing, motion, audio)