Nashville-based creative powerhouse Dead Horse Branding is celebrating a remarkable decade of industry innovation in 2025, marking ten years since founders Melissa Core-Caballo and Rick Caballo established their distinctive full-circle approach to talent development and brand management.
The agency, which opened its doors in 2015, has built a reputation for extensive brand development across music, fashion, automotive, restaurant, and lifestyle industries, with headquarters strategically positioned in both Nashville, Tennessee, and Sydney, Australia.
The company’s success stems largely from its proprietary “DH7 Branding Module,” a seven-component formula encompassing consulting, logo design, photography, web development, marketing, social media, publicity, and licensing. This methodology has proven so effective that it now features in university curricula at Kennesaw State University and Middle Tennessee State University, including an international experience component at London’s Abbey Road.
Under the leadership of CEO Melissa Core-Caballo, a veteran entrepreneur and branding expert, and Co-Founder Rick Caballo, a two-time International Design Award winner who serves as Art Director, the agency has assembled an impressive client roster.
Their work spans projects with Steven Tyler’s Loving Mary Band, Duck Dynasty, Cyndi Lauper, TEDx, HGTV, Universal Music Group, and the Bo Diddley estate, among others. Their impressive collaborations extend to major brands including Fender, Yeti, Taylor Guitars, showcasing their versatility across industries. Beyond traditional branding, the agency has helped numerous independent musicians navigate streaming distribution and develop strategic approaches to platform-specific features. Their music promotion strategies consistently emphasize clear goals when developing campaigns across social platforms.
The agency operates with a lean, eight-member team that includes President of Operations Brittany Hambrick and Publicity Manager Danielle Reiss. The company’s branding philosophy consistently focuses on simplifying brand identity while maintaining each client’s essence in a noisy marketplace. This efficient structure employs a hybrid operational model that maximizes adaptability and responsiveness to client needs.
Dead Horse Branding’s work has garnered significant recognition, including over ten Graphic Design USA Awards and several IDA Gold Design Awards. The team also received acclaim for “Elvis, Strait, to Jesus,” a book project that won the NYC Big Book Award.
As multiple media outlets reported in November 2025, the tenth anniversary represents not just a milestone for the company, but a reflection of the durability of their innovative approach to creative development and brand management in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
