Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Moss.
Born in 1965, Jeff was brought up in the world of the creative and different. Raised in Maine, his parents realized that he wasn’t going to get the world experience from their small hometown. So, he was allowed to live in Taiwan with his Grandparents when he was 12 years old. Jeff went to a Chinese school just outside of Taipei. He attended first grade to learn the Mandarin language and fifth grade to learn the culture and the history of the island of Formosa. His Mother built a highly successful company along with his Father’s fabric inventions called Moss Tents. These tents were the number one backpacking and extreme whether tents, that revolutionalized the backpacking industry. She then turned the concept of tension structures into the world’s largest, most innovative exhibit design and fabrication corporation. She changed the face the exhibit industry as we know it.
Later on, Jeff attended a boarding school in Massachusetts that had an intense focus on the arts. Jeff had the opportunity to study classical art, drawing, painting as well as several musical instruments. He went to The Boston Museum School for the Arts to study design. After school, he moved to Arizona to learn about the new Macintosh computers for design. This is where he started his business career of design and advertising. In 1985, he began the building of his reputation as a creative. He worked as Art director to AT&T and then on to art direct a few other companies before he decided to start his own agency. During this time, he had been worked in the creative industry of advertising, branding and design as a “hands-on” art director and creative director for over the next 20 years. Through his skills in networking and relationship building, he has brought in and worked with clients such as Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenburg with GameWorks, Petsmart, Polygram Records, Houston’s Restaurants, Diageo; Cuervo, Bailey’s, Ciroc Vodka, Captain Morgans, Smirnoff Vodka, The Phoenix Film Festival, International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival, Morgans Hotel Group, Monterey Homes, The Dial Corporation, Sara Lee Foods, The Phoenix Coyotes and more.
Jeff has been responsible for the many creative concepts and brands have seen all over the world. He has won several awards including Addys and Tellys and has been published in several international design publications. His work experience spans through strategic brand design and development, budget management, print campaigns, television commercials, film/video, outdoor, direct mail, web design, internet marketing campaigns, brand directed event promotions and branded merchandise development. During his thirty year career, he grew his reputation as a creative, as well as his reputation as a fearless social connector. He has met and befriended celebrities, sports figures, comedians, actors, directors, producers as well as several other talented creatives in many different fields.
He was the co-founder of one of the top Ad agencies in Arizona and has won several awards for his creative designs and concepts and helped on the success of several brands and identities know all over the world. Now, he resides in Fort Lauderdale, FL as the owner and Creative Director of Moss Creative. He now works personally for clients all over the world, is partnered in a Whiskey Speakeasy lounge and has started another business called Moss Basecamp. Moss Basecamp is a concept of merchandise and soon, global adventure retreats that will capture the essence of the original Moss Tents brand ethos.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a long road. I had several very large obstacles to overcome over the 30 years of my career, but the two main ones were a disastrous fire that destroyed my entire office building in 1995. I lost everything; my library, my personal artwork from school, my father’s paintings, all of my client work files, all of my equipment along with $130k worth of embroidered sweatshirts for Houstons restaurants and $60k worth of original slides from a national photographer that had left them with me to review for a potential project. After the fire, the Phoenix design community (several large agencies) came to my aid and offered up their equipment and space for me to use to get back on track.
Also, the other large obstacle was the project I worked on for Steven Spielberg and SEGA games – GameWorks. I had a year-long contract with them to design and produce all of the retail merchandise and packaging. The deal brought me a 3 million dollar contract – however, when the year was finished, the people in charge of the project wanted me to “take a hit” on the invoice to the tune of pennies on the dollar. This process took over 9 months and during that timeframe, I owed a lot of the money to the manufactures all over the world. Long story short, my lawyer ($500) advised me not to take the offer and to tell them that if they didn’t pay in full that we would go to all media with the story that Spielberg (and co.) tried to screw the little guy. The immediately wrote me a check for my invoice and all expenses up to that point to basically walk out the door.
I did learn a lot from that year as well as earned a spot on the design map for the size and caliber of that client. and that project.
Please tell us about Moss Creative/Moss Basecamp.
Now, I focus only on build/concepting and designing brands. My client’s industries are cigars, fashion, restaurants, bars and liquor. I’ve been keeping my client list limited now as I have been building my own new company, Moss BaseCamp. MBC is currently outdoor products and clothing for the adventurous. It was formed based on my family business history of Moss Tents which were the number one expedition tents in the world back in the day and still with a huge global following. Soon, my partners and I will be adding physical retreats to the Moss BaseCamp brand, where we will have locations all over the world with “glamping” style accommodations and several expedition packages for the visitors to be a part of.
I also am one of the co-partners in a local 1920s style speakeasy in downtown Fort Lauderdale called The Apothecary 300 – it’s small but comfortable and we offer upwards of 200 different whiskeys, scotches and liquors. It’s a great hideaway and is located directly below my studio!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
One of my favorite memories of my childhood was living in Taiwan and attending the local Chinese school along with being trained being trained by a master in ancient brush painting.
Contact Info:
- Address: 330 SW Himmarshee Street, Suite 201
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 - Website: www.mossbasecamp.com. www.facebook.com/mosscreative.com, www.behance.net/mosscreative
- Phone: 602-410-3203
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @mosscreative, @mossbasecamp
- Facebook: www.mosscreative.com
Image Credit:
Peter Taylor Photography – www.ptpix.com, Andrew Urban Photography – www.andrewurban.com
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