Contentious Inc. is Steve Whittier, a Brooklyn-based design studio rooted in agency-honed advertising for culturally relevant brands and expanding naturally into brand creation, brand design, and product design built from the ground up.
As an award-winning Creative Director with over 20 years of experience as an agency creative and owner, I saw firsthand how many established brands lacked complete market-ready execution and often fell into copycat creative traps. That perspective shaped my core philosophy centered on building brands through divergent perspectives.
Strategy and positioning are rarely enough on their own, especially since brands do not always look at themselves with an objective eye. Visually separating a brand is the necessary next step. To achieve that, Contentious Inc. by design brings together unexpected combinations of writers, photographers, illustrators, filmmakers, and motion artists, working to deliver solutions that look and feel different than what is expected.
Throughout my career, I have brought this approach to domestic and international audiences, acting as a trusted partner to executive stakeholders and flagship clients to translate complex goals into clear, resonant results.