Senior BTL Designer / In-Store Collateral Specialist

Publicis Groupe · Johannesburg

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LePub, powered by Publicis Groupe, was created combining creative excellence with best-in-class data, media, and technology expertise. We believe in transcending traditional communications focusing on helping brands integrate into people's daily lives by delivering culturally relevant experiences fueled by extensive global data and world-class creativity. Recognized as the "Creative Agency of the Year "by WARC in 2022 and 2023, and featured in the Contagious Pioneers ranking of 2022, LePub is the place where brands meet culture.

Senior BTL Designer (In-Store Collateral Specialist)

Role level: Senior
Discipline: BTL design, shopper marketing, in-store collateral, retail adaptation and technical artwork
Category focus: Alcohol / liquor portfolio experience across multiple trade environments

Role Purpose

We are looking for a senior BTL Designer with strong experience creating, designing and adapting cut-through in-store collateral for alcohol brands across multiple trade environments. This person must be able to take a campaign idea or brand platform and translate it into high-impact retail materials that are visually distinctive, commercially effective and technically ready for production.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on designer who understands both the creative and practical demands of BTL work — from standout shelf visibility and point-of-sale impact to correct sizing, roll-out adaptation, print specifications and production-ready artwork.

• Design and adapt BTL, shopper and in-store collateral for alcohol brands across modern trade, traditional trade, on-consumption and off-consumption environments.
• Create cut-through retail materials including point-of-sale units, posters, wobblers, shelf strips, gondola ends, cooler branding, menu inserts, counter units, tent cards, banners, decals, display units and event collateral.
• Translate campaign concepts and brand guidelines into consistent, high-quality design systems across multiple retail formats and trade touchpoints.
• Develop channel-specific design adaptations that consider shopper behaviour, visibility, hierarchy, legibility, space constraints and retail context.
• Prepare accurate artwork layouts, technical drawings, size adaptations and production specifications for printers, fabricators and implementation partners.
• Ensure all creative output is print-ready, correctly sized, properly specified and aligned to production requirements, brand standards and retailer guidelines.
• Work closely with creative, shopper, strategy, account management, production and activation teams to deliver work that is both visually strong and operationally practical.
• Manage high-volume roll-outs and adaptations across multiple brands, formats, sizes and campaign phases while maintaining quality and consistency.
• Review proofs, mock-ups and supplier outputs to ensure final production matches the approved creative intent and technical specification.

Required Experience

• Senior-level design experience in BTL, shopper marketing, retail, trade marketing or in-store collateral design, preferably within an agency environment.
• Proven experience designing for alcohol, liquor or beverage brands, with a strong understanding of how these brands show up across different trade environments.
• Strong portfolio of in-store and retail collateral that demonstrates design craft, shopper impact, brand consistency and production understanding.
• Experience creating and adapting collateral for both on-trade and off-trade channels, including bars, restaurants, clubs, bottle stores, supermarkets, wholesalers, taverns, events and informal trade.
• Excellent technical artwork ability, including layout accuracy, sizing, scaling, bleed, safe areas, resolution, colour management and print-ready file preparation.
• Experience developing specification sheets, artwork guides, roll-out kits, mock-ups and production notes for suppliers and implementation teams.
• Strong working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite and relevant design tools used for layout, artwork, adaptation and production preparation.

Key Skills and Attributes

• Strong eye for retail impact, visual hierarchy, brand presence and shopper-facing communication.
• Excellent attention to detail, especially around sizing, technical specification, artwork accuracy and production readiness.
• Ability to work quickly and accurately across multiple formats, sizes, brands and campaign deliverables.
• Strong understanding of materials, print processes, fabrication methods and practical implementation requirements.
• Comfortable balancing creative ambition with real-world production constraints, budgets, timelines and retail limitations.
• Collaborative, responsive and able to work closely with creative leads, production partners and client service teams.
• Confident enough to challenge layouts or specifications when they will compromise visibility, legibility, craft or production quality.

Ideal Candidate Profile

This role is best suited to a senior designer who knows how to make brands stand out in busy retail environments while still delivering technically precise, production-ready work. They should be equally comfortable designing from scratch, adapting master creative across multiple touchpoints, building artwork to exact specifications and ensuring every asset can be produced and implemented correctly.

Nice to Have

• Experience across beer, cider, spirits, RTDs or premium alcohol portfolios.
• Knowledge of South African or African trade environments, including formal, informal and hybrid retail channels.
• Experience working directly with printers, fabricators, POS suppliers and activation implementation teams.
• Ability to create realistic mock-ups, presentation visuals and production guides for client approval and supplier briefing.
• Understanding of alcohol category codes, retailer rules and responsible marketing requirements.

Le Pub is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits any forms of Discrimination or Harassment. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees in line with our Employment Equity Plan. All appointments will be based on qualifications, experience and best fit but preference will be given to candidates from designated groups.

Interested candidates must please submit a concise CV including a link to your portfolio and an indication of a notice period and start date.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Should you not hear from us within 2 weeks after submitting your application, please consider your application as unsuccessful.

• Design and adapt BTL, shopper and in-store collateral for alcohol brands across modern trade, traditional trade, on-consumption and off-consumption environments.
• Create cut-through retail materials including point-of-sale units, posters, wobblers, shelf strips, gondola ends, cooler branding, menu inserts, counter units, tent cards, banners, decals, display units and event collateral.
• Translate campaign concepts and brand guidelines into consistent, high-quality design systems across multiple retail formats and trade touchpoints.
• Develop channel-specific design adaptations that consider shopper behaviour, visibility, hierarchy, legibility, space constraints and retail context.
• Prepare accurate artwork layouts, technical drawings, size adaptations and production specifications for printers, fabricators and implementation partners.
• Ensure all creative output is print-ready, correctly sized, properly specified and aligned to production requirements, brand standards and retailer guidelines.
• Work closely with creative, shopper, strategy, account management, production and activation teams to deliver work that is both visually strong and operationally practical.
• Manage high-volume roll-outs and adaptations across multiple brands, formats, sizes and campaign phases while maintaining quality and consistency.
• Review proofs, mock-ups and supplier outputs to ensure final production matches the approved creative intent and technical specification.

Required Experience

• Senior-level design experience in BTL, shopper marketing, retail, trade marketing or in-store collateral design, preferably within an agency environment.
• Proven experience designing for alcohol, liquor or beverage brands, with a strong understanding of how these brands show up across different trade environments.
• Strong portfolio of in-store and retail collateral that demonstrates design craft, shopper impact, brand consistency and production understanding.
• Experience creating and adapting collateral for both on-trade and off-trade channels, including bars, restaurants, clubs, bottle stores, supermarkets, wholesalers, taverns, events and informal trade.
• Excellent technical artwork ability, including layout accuracy, sizing, scaling, bleed, safe areas, resolution, colour management and print-ready file preparation.
• Experience developing specification sheets, artwork guides, roll-out kits, mock-ups and production notes for suppliers and implementation teams.
• Strong working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite and relevant design tools used for layout, artwork, adaptation and production preparation.

Key Skills and Attributes

• Strong eye for retail impact, visual hierarchy, brand presence and shopper-facing communication.
• Excellent attention to detail, especially around sizing, technical specification, artwork accuracy and production readiness.
• Ability to work quickly and accurately across multiple formats, sizes, brands and campaign deliverables.
• Strong understanding of materials, print processes, fabrication methods and practical implementation requirements.
• Comfortable balancing creative ambition with real-world production constraints, budgets, timelines and retail limitations.
• Collaborative, responsive and able to work closely with creative leads, production partners and client service teams.
• Confident enough to challenge layouts or specifications when they will compromise visibility, legibility, craft or production quality.

Ideal Candidate Profile

This role is best suited to a senior designer who knows how to make brands stand out in busy retail environments while still delivering technically precise, production-ready work. They should be equally comfortable designing from scratch, adapting master creative across multiple touchpoints, building artwork to exact specifications and ensuring every asset can be produced and implemented correctly.

Nice to Have

• Experience across beer, cider, spirits, RTDs or premium alcohol portfolios.
• Knowledge of South African or African trade environments, including formal, informal and hybrid retail channels.
• Experience working directly with printers, fabricators, POS suppliers and activation implementation teams.
• Ability to create realistic mock-ups, presentation visuals and production guides for client approval and supplier briefing.
• Understanding of alcohol category codes, retailer rules and responsible marketing requirements.

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