About

I'm Matt Gustafson — a creative director, writer, and narrative strategist who's spent the last decade building campaigns and storytelling systems for brands like BuzzFeed, Hyundai, Walmart, Subaru, and Stanford Medicine.

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I've defined brand voices, scripted educational content that actually teaches, designed UX story flows for app experiences, and led creative that's generated over $100M in revenue. My work has been recognized at Cannes Cinéfondation, won Shorty and Internationalist Awards, and more importantly — it worked.

 

I taught storytelling at Columbia University, Interlochen Center for the Arts, and 911 Media Arts Center. Not just how to make things look good, but how narrative structure actually functions and why certain stories land while others don't.

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As AI reshapes creative work, I'm focused on what it can't replace: the human instinct for what resonates. I use AI to move faster and prototype smarter... but strategy, voice, and emotional logic are still human work. They always will be.

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Whether I'm building a campaign framework, writing a script, or leading a team — the goal stays the same: make the complex feel clear, and the clear feel human.