Archive

27 Nov

Posted at 21:36h in

Recently we designed a traveling exhibit, Grandmother Power, in conjunction with the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Based on the book Grandmother Power: A Global Phenomenon by photojournalist and author Paola Gianturco, the exhibit is a visual narrative highlighting the work of grandmother groups fighting for political, economic and social justice around the world. The installation is constructed from humble, sturdy materials like cardboard pillars and textile pop-up walls that suggest resourcefulness. A digital component allows visitors to share personal stories about their own grandmothers. We also developed the marketing campaign for the exhibit, which pairs traditional grandmother imagery with unexpected messaging. From Grand Rapids, a national tour for the exhibit is being planned....

26 Nov

Posted at 20:24h in

Steelcase is a US-based global company designing work space, furniture, and technology for business, education and healthcare. Insight-led innovation has made it a thought-leader on work collaboration. 2012 marked its 100th anniversary, and CEO Jim Hackett asked us to help position the company for the next century. We created a company manifesto in the form of a storybook and three-minute animated film, and a multimedia social initiative discussing the future of work. This discussion began with the "dreams" of children from around the world, captured in a documentary film.  A web platform for the debate - "100 Dreams, 100 Minds, 100 Years" - went live at the TED conference that March.   Learn more about our anniversary work and approach....

25 Nov

Posted at 22:32h in

We helped our client, the publicly-owned Grand Rapids Public Museum, articulate their vision "to instill passionate curiosity and a deeper understanding of the world around us" in a new tagline, Be curious. In order to increase museum membership, a simple and fun premise was devised: by buying a museum membership, you become the owner of the Museum and all it has to offer - including over 250,000 scientific, cultural and historical artifacts. The "Become a Proud Owner" campaign featuring the new tagline includes magazine, outdoor and digital advertising, radio ads, direct mail, and guerrilla tactics - lamppost tear sheets, mock Craigslist ads and eBay listings - as well as a social component. The Museum relies on the goodwill of the West Michigan community and this campaign encourages a sense of individual ownership....

24 Nov

Posted at 18:42h in

Our client, the Grand Rapids Public Museum, is located at the heart of the city which, in 2012, was named "Beer City USA." The museum was mounting an exhibition to celebrate the brewer's art through the rich history and cultural influence of the hallowed beverage. We were asked to name and market the exhibition. In gratitude for seven thousand years of service to mankind, we called the exhibit simply "Thank you, BEER!". We designed the identity, signage and merchandising. We created advertising online, on posters and radio, and in a prolific newspaper and magazine campaign. We also initiated an online grass-roots social media and guerrilla promotion....

22 Nov

Posted at 04:36h in

In 1987 our client Steelcase meticulously restored the Meyer May House, a Prairie-style Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece. The home's 100-year anniversary was placed at the heart of a strategy to generate discussion of "The Next 100" for Steelcase. We designed a website to showcase the house through the lens of Wright's principles, a digital advertising campaign, and communications including a new identity and collateral materials. All in support of a symposium called "A critical dialogue on 21st-Century Architecture and Design and the ongoing relevance of Frank Lloyd Wright," which explored Wright's design principles created 100 years ago and brought the Master himself into a dialogue about the future.   Learn more about our anniversary work and approach....

21 Nov

Posted at 17:36h in

Our long-standing client Steelcase is a global thought-leader in the world of work and workspace. In collaborating on the company’s centenary campaign, CEO Jim Hackett asked us to envision the hundred years ahead. The campaign theme was Unlocking Human Promise, and we proposed a film in which 10-year-olds around the world would imagine the future they would inhabit. We shot in Mexico City, Munich, Capetown, Mumbai, Shanghai and Denver with Oscar-winning director Daniel Junge, and cut a 17 minute documentary. The film, One Day, launched a social campaign in which thought leaders and the public also shared their dreams of the future....

20 Nov

Posted at 23:22h in

Intrawest is a leader in experiential destination resorts. We are working with Club Intrawest, a Vancouver-based vacation club exploring innovative ways to expand their markets. We are agency-of-record for Snowshoe Mountain, a year-round resort in the Allegheny Mountains. And we’re helping with the launch of Passport, a ski pass the press has called revolutionary....

19 Nov

Posted at 23:21h in

We helped reposition this community institution with a new strategic focus, identity, brand promise, and emphasis on innovative programming. Museum Director Dale Robertson and his team include us as a strategic and creative partner. We have created a member acquisition campaign, a celebration of beer, exhibition design of Paola Gianturco’s global phenomenon “Grandmother Power,” and a re-launch of the Museum’s planetarium....

18 Nov

Posted at 23:19h in

Vail Resorts is one of the world’s largest ski companies, and core members of our team were engaged in a variety of roles from 2004 to 2014. They include re-positioning and the AOR assignment for flagship brands Beaver Creek and Vail, and subsequently integrating the Vail summer business, funded by the Town of Vail, into the winter brand platform. Also, working directly with CEO Rob Katz, helping to position, name, and launch EVERVAIL, a LEED certified resort community, and APPETITE FOR LIFE, a sustainable food initiative. And along the way, helping in the design and development of the corporate website. ...

17 Nov

Posted at 21:27h in

Steelcase is a global work space, furniture, and technology company for business, education and healthcare. We helped CEO Jim Hackett position the company for its second 100 years through a year-long global initiative celebrating its first. We have created an online design symposium around Frank Lloyd Wright’s Meyer May House, owned by Steelcase. We helped develop new brand and marketing stategies for Steelcase brands Coalesse and Designtex, and we’ve worked with the research group, Workspace Futures, to better communicate the value of its insights....