DL Operations, Author at Dotted Line

Branding Isn’t Enough. Just Ask Pinocchio

By Ron Villacarillo, Head of Creative at Dotted Line

There are a lot of brands out there that remind me of Pinocchio.

Not the sweet, wooden boy from the first page, but the awkward in-between version. The one dressed up, talking the talk, trying really hard to be “real,” but still, deep down, made of pine. They’ve got the right outfit. A carefully carved logo. A color palette chosen with great ceremony. But when they speak? You don’t feel it. Something’s missing. The spark. The soul.

They’re not lying. (Well, maybe a little.)

But they are pretending.

And who can blame them? Becoming a real brand, just like becoming a real boy, isn’t about looking polished. It’s about becoming something with depth. With values. With conviction. With heart.

At DLA, we’ve learned that a brand’s journey isn’t all that different from Pinocchio’s.

Here’s how it plays out:

Know Yourself

Pinocchio didn’t get very far until he started asking big questions: Who am I? What do I believe? What am I meant to be? Brands are no different. You need a clear purpose, strong values, and a compelling vision. This is your foundation. Your truth. Without it, you’re just a puppet dressed for the part.

Define the Brand

Once you know who you are, you need to learn how to speak. Not just in soundbites, but in a clear, confident voice that reflects your unique stance in the world. Pinocchio tried to blend in with the wrong crowd. Real brands resist mimicry. They own their story.

Bring It to Life

This is the Blue Fairy moment, where your strategy transforms into something people can see, hear, and feel. Visual identity. Messaging. Tone. This is how your brand starts walking and talking. But remember: just because it moves, doesn’t mean it’s real. Not yet.

Make It Real

Now comes the test. Does your brand show up the same way inside and out? Do your people embody it? Do your customers experience it? For Pinocchio, becoming real meant living his values. Same goes for brands. Authenticity isn’t a slide in the deck. It’s lived behavior.

Keep It Strong

Pinocchio didn’t stay wooden, and your brand shouldn’t stay frozen in time either. Real brands evolve, learn, adapt – but they don’t lose themselves in the process. Consistency and growth have to dance together. That’s how your brand stays alive.

So what makes a brand real?

It’s not a logo.
It’s not the tagline.
It’s not even the most clever campaign you’ve ever launched.

It’s alignment.
It’s authenticity.
It’s action.

A brand becomes real when it knows who it is, speaks with clarity, shows up with intention, and is lived. Every day, by everyone connected to it.

And when that happens? You don’t need a fairy. You just need a team that knows how to bring wood to life.

LBB: Creative Lessons from DLA’s Head of Creative

In our latest interview featured on LBBOnline, DLA’s Head of Creative, Ron Villacarillo explores the dynamic relationship between agencies and their clients when it comes to creative ideation. While agencies bring expertise and strategic thinking to the table, some of the best and most innovative ideas often originate from the clients themselves. By fostering a collaborative environment, we can harness their clients’ unique perspectives, leading to campaigns that resonate more deeply and authentically.

Curious to learn more about Ron’s perspective on how client collaboration can drive creativity?

Read the full LBB interview here.

Ron Villacarillo Named Head of Creative at Dotted Line Agency

Independent, award-winning marketing agency Dotted Line has hired ad agency veteran creative leader Ron Villacarillo as Head of Creative. Villacarillo reports directly to Lauren Sweeney, Founder and CEO of Dotted Line.

Villacarillo brings a wealth of experience, having worked with agencies nationwide, shaping brands from Fortune 100 companies to non-profits. His diverse portfolio reflects his deep industry understanding. While his background is in visual storytelling, he takes pride in collaborating with teams to discover and express the soul of a brand through any medium. He believes in creating work that is authentic, entertaining, and culturally resonant.

“I’ve watched Lauren and Dotted Line grow since their early days as an agency, consistently impressed by their tenacity and evolution. I’m thrilled to unite our efforts, aiming to enhance creative excellence and ensure ongoing success, said Ron.”

See full coverage in Little Black Book.

DLA earns Bronze Award from Advertising Club of Richmond

Honored to share that our rebrand work for Shades of Light has earned us a bronze award in the Design category at this year’s Richmond Show! It’s humbling to stand among such creative giants in the Richmond community. Thank you Advertising Club of Richmond. Massive thanks to Shades of Light for trusting us with their vision, and to our team whose dedication brought it to life!

DLA 5X Winner HDMA

A big congratulations to the team and to our clients as DLA takes home a gold, a bronze, and three merit awards at the Healthcare Digital Marketing Awards. Thank you to all of the many people involved in making work that gets notices—work that works.

Tech Partners Podcast: Interview with Lauren Sweeney

Our CEO and Founder Lauren Sweeney spoke about what she brings as “Something Extra” to this podcast from our friends at Technology Partners. Host Lisa Nichols – and Technology Partners CEO – interviews to share their stories and show us what it takes to influence, encourage, and be a true leader in our daily lives.

Listen here.

How the right teams help you reach your marketing growth goals faster

By Lauren Sweeney

Emerging companies often focus on developing a silver-bullet marketing approach or a proprietary process or product to help sell – important elements in the scaling journey of a business. But many of those companies fail to invest energy or resources into where ideation starts.

An effective marketing formula draws in both art and science. Creating engaging ideas that grab attention or educate customers about your offer begins with expertise before you even start thinking about those concepts. Many different disciplines come together to create this magic formula.

When you partner with an agency, you’re not partnering with a business: You’re partnering with talent who possesses refined, specific skills. This talent, when built for the right team and challenge at hand, is poised to deliver great creativity, which, in turn, generates results. And the best agencies hire top talent, which is a core ingredient of their success.

Dotted Line takes this one step further because we’re in invested in your growth to drive our growth. Our model starts by having the right A-level talent engaged in a business problem up front to develop work that makes a measurable impact on your business.

But talent is only part of the equation. We also bring together the right “fit” of team members, who demonstrate positive energy and shared values. Then we give them the freedom to do what they’re great at: shine for our clients.

How effective are your marketing teams?

We believe you should start with your people and how they work together, peeling back the layers to understand what energy is going into your marketing efforts. After all, consumers ultimately buy into stories and momentum above all else. Forming and nurturing high-performing teams with design, branding, and content experts – who care as much about the business impact as the creative output – is the first step.

But you need to keep digging, by asking yourself questions to analyze your marketing team’s performance:

Does your team understand the global picture of what you are working to accomplish? In simplest terms, do they get it?
Does your team buy into and work under the same shared values?
Do you see healthy working dynamics, such as collaboration and communication?
Is the development of your marketing pieces flowing seamlessly across the team? Or do things always seem to be coming off the rails at the handoffs?
Do your weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports show forward progress?

Partnering to hit shared goals

Our niche at Dotted Line is working with emerging companies, many of whom likely have growing in-house marketing teams. We come in as a partner to augment those internal capabilities, as we work together to reach your business goals more quickly.

To us, having high-performing teams both within our client and agency is the secret sauce that positions your brand to lead your business in growth.