Diana Barnes (“DB”) serves as WHY Brands’ Chief Brand Officer and Creative Director, overseeing global brand partnerships and managing the Public Relations, Social Media and Brand Design teams worldwide – running point on all creative content. DB’s work with the company recently earned her the honor of being named among 20 of the top CMOs in the world by Fast Company.
Under DB’s leadership, WHY Brands’ leading baby lifestyle brand Munchkin has won over 120 top international design awards. In 2023, Munchkin ranked 8 out of 300 on Fortune’s Most Innovative Companies list. DB also created and oversees Munchkin’s top-ranked (1%) parenting podcast StrollerCoaster, which recently won a Digiday Content Marketing Award for Best Branded Podcast and was named a Webby Award Honoree.
A passionate advocate for trees, animals and the environment, DB created and leads all Munchkin CSR initiatives, including partnerships with Trees for the Future and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. DB also started the company’s Radiant Colors initiative, which funds anti-racist and inclusive education for early learners. These impactful initiatives put Munchkin on Fast Company’s Brands That Matter list in 2023.
In June 2023, DB co-founded WHY Brands’ newest brand Curio Home Goods with CEO Steve Dunn. Curio creates innovative consumer lifestyle products for every room of the home. Each Curio product has a creative twist or surprise and beautiful product design that is paired with unique functionality.
More recently, DB concepted and established RD8, a dedicated R&D center for WHY to initiate research for efforts in sustainability and maternal health, among other initiatives, including partnerships, for WHY Brands. The first global clinical trial on breastfeeding is currently underway.
Prior to joining Munchkin, DB worked at top agencies on brands such as PIMCO, Cadillac, PBS and others. Prior to this, she was the Global Director of Brand Design at Dell, Inc. where she led international teams. DB’s career began in music and entertainment, where she held creative executive positions at Sony and EMI.
DB holds a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a B.F.A. in Graphics/Packaging from the ArtCenter College of Design. She has also completed several Executive M.B.A. programs at Harvard Business School and is a founding member of the Los Angeles chapter of CHIEF, a private network built to drive more women into positions of power and keep them there.
How would you describe your role as Chief Brand Officer?
I serve as the chief storyteller for WHY Brands Inc., a global design company headquartered in Los Angeles, and the parent company for Munchkin and Curio Home Goods. As Chief Brand Officer and Creative Director, I oversee all verbal and visual articulations of our brands.
We launched WHY Brands Inc. in January 2024, with the goal of broadening our portfolio, deepening our research initiatives, and expanding our commitment to corporate social responsibility — all driven by our passion for innovative positive change.
Our flagship brand, Munchkin, has been a leader in the baby lifestyle space for 35 years. In 2023, our CEO Steve Dunn and I co-founded Curio Home Goods. Our latest venture offers a thoughtfully curated selection of elegant home goods with distinct design twists.
How has the role of the Brand & Creative team expanded within WHY Brands, and what new areas of influence or collaboration have emerged under your leadership?
As the design nucleus of the company, the Brand Design team evolves every project using data-driven research, consumer feedback, and extensively exploring the why behind everything we do. In the past year we launched RD8, a dedicated in-house research center.
The creation of RD8 reflects our commitment to being at the forefront of technological advancements and great ideas. RD8 has brought collaboration to the center of our business and helped us foster a culture of teamwork. Together, we know we can use innovation to achieve shared goals to shape a better future. RD8 is central to our strategy, serving as a hub for creativity and experimentation.
The Company’s Munchkin brand recently debuted its Flow Nipple Shield +, which aims to revolutionize breastfeeding. Can you share the strategy behind the branding and ad campaign for that product launch? What was the goal of the campaign?
Flow represents a groundbreaking leap in breastfeeding, securing its place as one of the first patented advancements in decades. As the first nipple shield that allows mothers to see their breastmilk flow while nursing. For the first time in history moms can see how much milk their baby is getting, its color and viscosity — all in real time. Flow is transforming uncertainty into confidence.
To navigate today’s dynamic media landscape, being bold is essential, especially when introducing a market-disrupting product like Flow. Our campaign utilized educational, elegant, and empowering imagery meant to challenge outdated taboos around breastfeeding. We launched nationwide with billboards in NYC’s Times Square (The Cube) and Nashville (The Nashville Sign), alongside two 30-second commercial spots for Hulu, Max, Peacock, and other major platforms. By highlighting real mothers in raw, heartfelt moments, we reinforced the universal truth that breastfeeding is natural, beautiful, and worthy of celebration — despite bans in Atlanta and restrictions at Times Square’s Great Wall — progress demands we confront these lingering biases head-on.
You’ve spoken about instilling a “moonshot culture” within WHY Brands. Can you share an example of how this mindset has led to significant brand growth or innovation?
A moonshot, by definition, is a goal that seems almost impossible to achieve. Our brand legacy is solving timeless parenting challenges with sleek problem-solving designs, and we continue to set new industry standards. Moonshot ambitions fuel our company-wide drive for innovation.
In 2024, we launched our ultra-compact Night Owl stroller with easy one-touch headlights to transform nighttime strolls into safe stress-free adventures. The idea for this pioneering feature came from our Head of Maintenance, Pietro Capra and is a testament to the moonshot culture permeating every team at WHY Brands.
Flow Nipple Shield + was launched via RD8, RD8 a central moonshot for my vision of WHY Brands. As a category-defining advancement in infant feeding, we could not be prouder of the positive impact it is having. Flow was inspired by a 2013 Pediatrics study that revealed ‘perceived milk supply issues,’ not actual deficits, drive 60% of mothers to stop breastfeeding earlier than they hoped. Flow empowers moms with deeply personal insight and data to help build breastfeeding confidence. Reshaping the cultural narrative around this time immemorial practice has Flow poised to raise breastfeeding rates around the world.
How do you approach designing products that merge functionality with unexpected creativity?
We are a consumer lifestyle brand that invents and develops creative products across an array of categories. Every new undertaking starts with “why.” That spirit of inquiry propels us. With more than 350 patents to date, we believe the “why” behind every product gives us the freedom to delve into untapped areas of research, forge new partnerships, and amplify our global impact.
Innovation is woven into our company culture. Part of every employee’s job description is product development, whether they work in accounting, marketing, or the warehouse. Employees are rewarded for new concepts that turn into marketable products, with higher rewards for ideas that can be patented.
Our executive team encourages everyone to act like an owner and develop moonshot goals that are so ambitious they seem out of reach. Over the last three years, we’ve brought several moonshots to life, including becoming a house of brands and launching RD8, plus a few wonderful advancements to look forward to sharing as soon as we can.
