VIEWING… PRINT ARCHIVE
Project Type: Print
TasteCrate Full Package Development
This was the flagship of Inmar’s consumer exploration into subscription commerce. This one is very “me,” folks. I devised and sold the original concept, developed the identity, created the overall style, generated and designed the sales materials, scripted and directed video production, wireframed and creative directed web assets and acted as lead designer on a range of things from outdoor applications to packaging (crucially important for this concept) to “selfie walls.” We were working with a “sensible” budget, but that only added to the challenge and the fun. Though we couldn’t ultimately do everything we wanted, this was playtime to an extent for me. Fun!
Special thanks for working with me on the web for this, Javon Greaves. You are a talented gent! Romeo Mariano got a shoutout on the Baby Bundles work, but he was the man on the video work here. Thanks for putting up with my direction, my man. Big ups to Chris Dick on this one, too. His crazy animation skills were brought to bear.
Propper Tactical Brand Launch
I’m pleased to share the final result of the Propper Tactical brand launch. In an earlier post, I shared a colorful and engaging exploratory concept for this assignment. In contrast, the selected approach shown here is rich, textural and “engineered” with a clear lifestyle focus. It was paramount with this brand launch to do something genuinely different; something real for a real, savvy consumer target audience. The iconography and brand elements here speak to the concept of a “tactical system” with integrated imagery and clarity of purpose. Sleek, tactile textures bring touch and a decided sense of quality to the piece while the white graphic bar overlays underscore the central concept of the rank of “officer.” This is a bold, smart brand for well-engineered gear for today’s intelligent tactical law enforcement professionals.
Again, I was the hands-on designer for all of this, a co-concept lead and wrote the line descriptors (“Be Cool.,” Blend.,” “Perform.,” and “Move.”) for the brand.
Shown Here: Teaser Videos, Brand Identity Elements, Hangtags, Sample Advertising, Site Design
STL Symphony Save Powell Hall Campaign
The Boston Symphony tweets: “Ha. Ha. Amazing. :-)”
The Riverfront Times says: “Save Powell Hall: Concert Marketing Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This”
From STLToday: “SLSO begs public: Save Powell Hall!”
An LA arts and music blog crows: “…By far, the best orchestral marketing and advertising effort I’ve seen lately — probably ever — is St. Louis Symphony’s “Save Powell Hall” campaign.”
STLMag.com states: If we don’t take action now, Powell Hall is going to explode.
And… The St. Louis Business Journal, too.
I love creating disruptive marketing solutions. I feel it’s been a hallmark of my career. This very recent campaign for the St. Louis Symphony was a wonderfully fun example of that.
I acted as the concept, design and copywriting lead for the campaign, creating the initial idea, flowing it out to a signature style for the campaign, penning copy throughout and creative directing any other moving parts with the Symphony’s internal team and contract specialists. The campaign featured postering, an engaging website that acted as a hub for the campaign, outdoor applications (both for billboards and metro transit stops) and a “viral-style” video shot by Brant Hadfield with SFX and production by Terry Coolidge.
All of the coverage for the campaign was gratifying to see, but the fact that sales were up was the real “reward,” here. In all, a fun and engaging solution for a gem of the nation’s arts landscape.
Shown Here: Campaign Video, Mark Design, Sample Poster & Wheatpasting, Website, Sample Outdoor Applications and Poster Concept
Bocek Bros. Brand and Product Launch
You have to love working for clients that really feel your creative work on their bottom line. Clients that see the impact of your ideas and designs very directly. That’s the case in spades with Bocek Bros., a charcuterie start-up here in Missouri that I recently branded. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have always had a deep love for great charcuterie and let me tell you, the product Bocek Bros. is selling is great. Smoky, authentic and artisanal, this stuff is the real deal.
I was involved in all aspects of this one, from naming, to positioning to brand design and packaging (even copywriting and tagline development in the mix for me here as well). Self-performing isn’t something I do everyday with my role as VP / Creative Director; most of the time I’m trying to give the best creative opportunities to my team. I don’t say that solely altruistically, it’s just a great way to keep them motivated and engaged as an integral part of the agency. HOWEVER, this one was too much in my sweet spot on a variety of levels to pass up. LOL!
The goal was to create something that was hip and irreverent, but that retained a high-end “Napa Valley” artisanal sense to it. From the tagline and copy attitude to the mark and wordmark themselves to the site and packaging designs, I think that balance was conveyed.
Shown Here: Identity and Tagline, Brand Colors, Packaging Designs (with Detail), Photography Style (THANKS to Vince on my team for shooting), and Site
Hardee’s 50th Anniversary Campaign + Tour
50 years of great Thickburgers, beautiful girls and good times, now that’s something to celebrate. When Hardee’s was looking for a unique way to spread the word about it’s 50th anniversary, 4ORCE got the call. This concept incorporates a heavy brand push into a buzz-generating tour and social media campaign. The central idea: building the ultimate girl country band for a national Hardee’s 50th birthday party — “Electra Starr and the Heartstrings” (and then “Stealing Angels”). The campaign is a home run for Hardee’s midwestern values with a mildly sexy wink and builds on existing brand sentiment while providing bold new texture to Hardee ’s reputation in the marketplace. I lead the development of all aspects of this brand campaign. From development of the campaign’s central theme and brand integration down to design of all touchpoints personally, I had a ton of fun with this one.
I’ve included just a few selected examples of my design work for the campaign for flavor below. Shown here :: Posters, Vehicle Wrap, Apparel and Digital Assets
Wilburn’s Glen Brand Package
These brand launch materials for boutique natural spring water bottling start-up, Wilburn’s Glen, convey the natural sense of authenticity inherent in the Llano, Texas brand. Based around design principles expressed the Deco, Moderne and WPA architectural jewels studded throughout the Texas Hill Country region, the brand style has a classic modern strength with a hip twist. I created custom typography for the name “GLEN,” giving an ownable center to the identity. Geometric angled lines update and leverage forward classic deco graphic design thematics and symmetry while creating subtle “W”elements throughout the designs. Fun and elegant with a touch of whimsey, this was a joy to work on.
Shown Here: Brand Identity Elements, Packaging and Advertising Samples
Blood Moon Records Identity System and Digital Design
This ID system for an indie label, complete with digital assets, was pure fun. I loved bringing the juxtaposition of elements here, from the clean mark and type to the vintage etching style to the clearly edgy attitude.
Shown Here :: Identity, Colors, Illustration Style, Apparel Designs, Responsive Web Designs
The Goddard School Rebrand
In this business, we all have projects that are as rewarding as they are challenging. This rebrand for peerless early childhood educational leader The Goddard School falls directly into that category.
At once contemporary, approachable, bold and authentic, this new approach to the brand breathes a very fresh wind into the sails of the 25+-year-old franchise education provider. I was a creative lead on the project, filling the roles of Creative Director, Lead Designer, On-Set Director, Producer, Motionographer and (in some cases) Copywriter. Operating on a tight timeline, we executed a full rebrand plus campaign-driven materials to better tell the Goddard story. I was very blessed to work with a very talented crew internally at UPBrand that brought the signature style established here to a variety of additional projects not pictured here, a totally first-class DP and shooting crew, a really great editor / video team and a savvy and very hip client on this as well and I wanted to give props.
When the brand was rolled-out to both internal and franchisee stakeholders at an annual event in Florida, I am gratified to say that the work actually inspired some tears from those closest to the brand. A rarity, but always fun to see.
Shown Here: Sample Television Advertising, Brand Identity Elements, Responsive Site Design, Collateral, Print Advertising
UPBrand Hawaiian Holiday Poster Series
Just something that was pure fun, these large-format pieces were created for a 60’s-jet-set themed winter event that UPBrand was hosting. The goal here was simply to capture the spirit and style of the era’s travel advertising with a touch of the warmth and flavor of the island experience itself. Aloha ke akua!
Propper Tactical Brand Concept
Sometimes I showcase here the concepts that aren’t selected. I believe strongly in presenting only options to clients that are both artful and viable. However, of everything presented, only one can make it. This concept for military and tactical icon Propper International is a great example of something that was not selected, but that retains a strength and beauty that makes it worth sharing.
Let me just say, I love these guys. This assignment was a hell of a lot of fun to create and trust me when I tell you that though I really did love the work featured in this post, the concept they selected (and I have since executed) was the right choice and is VERY compelling. Frankly, I can’t wait to show you that work. We’re all very excited for the official launch.
This concept brings a heavy infusion of lifestyle to a powerful new tactical line of gear Propper is bringing to market. Colorful, iconoclastic and real, the work treats the target audience here with both the intelligence and consumer savvy so often absent in this sector. I was the hands-on designer for all of this, a co-concept lead and wrote the line descriptors (“Be Cool.,” Blend.,” “Perform.,” and “Move.”) for the brand.
Shown Here: Sample Advertising, Brand Identity Elements and Site Design
Flying R Mopeds Brand Exploration
Warm, chewy pizza, soft velvety gelato, the very beautiful Monica Bellucci… The Italians have given us so much that makes our lives rich and rewarding. And very few things maintain the cosmopolitain, outsider sense of cool that the Italian moped does. That’s exactly what fledgeling Flying R Mopeds of Menlo Park, CA thinks, too.
This brand package exploration draws its inspiration from all of that history and savvy sense of cool. Fun and quirky with a clear nod to the classic moto Euro style of yesterday, the package brings a whimsical elegance and pop to the brand and communicates its essence. I also created custom, hand-done typography for the “R” and “FLYING R” portions of the identity. The other elements in the mix add up to a collection with both a classic flair and a sly wink. Fun.
Shown Here: Sample Advertising, Brand Identity Elements, Business Card (Front and Back), Apparel and Site Design
UPBrand “Feel the Swagger” Poster Series
Built to showcase the three main areas of expertise at UPBrand Collaborative — Strategy, Service and Design — this poster series injects some swagger and retro funk into the agency brand. I used personal custom-created illustration and type for the main text elements on each poster to give both a contemporary urban flair to the series as well as an artful sense of touch. I was also responsible for all concept and copywriting on these. Fun!
Shown Here: Poster Series
Paric Corporation Rebrand
It’s VERY gratifying when a client simply does it right. Not only when they engage creatively with a progressive solution in mind, but also when they build out the solution across touchpoints from the macro to the micro. Regional construction leader Paric did exactly that. I was grateful to act as Creative Director and design lead throughout the process, designing both identity materials as well as a full signature style for the brand.
A revisioned Paric wordmark was at the heart of a new visual approach for the brand. The conceptual center of the design for the wordmark is within the “A.” The interplay of positive and negative space creates a dual image of both the cupola of a building, capturing what Paric builds every day and also a red pencil, representing the pre-construction process, a planning cycle that Paric is a recognized industry leader in.
Coupled with the revisioned wordmark is an iconic new logo. The new mark takes the building / pencil shape from the wordmark and builds on it, further driving the concept home. The mark leverages design touches from the international Art Deco period to echo a rich history of building; a nod to a time of fascination with and belief in the power of construction worldwide.
These core elements form the basis for a wide range of materials.
I also personally wrote the new tagline: “EXPERIENCE. EXCELLENCE.” The periods within the tag allow it to be read two distinct ways. Both “experience” and “excellence” are elements essential to a great build process and the periods allow us to call those qualities out in a specific way. The tagline does also read as a directive for clients to “experience excellence.”
I also acted as Director and Creative Director on video pieces for the new brand. I had the VERY distinct pleasure of working with Brant Hadfield as DP on the project, Susan McMichael who crafted the overarching story arc and Kyle Dufendach as editor. I LOVE framing up architecture in-lens and this was wonderful to shoot. The resulting style is progressive and elegant in turns. The motion graphics elements within the piece are also the result of design and motion direction on my part with Kyle using his great skills and knowledge to give it nuance and touch. I am showing a slice of the long format video here with the motion graphics logo build.
Shown Here: Mark, Brand Colors, Site Sign, Advertising Sample, Hard Hat, Truck Concept, Safety Logo, Business Card (Front and Back) and Selected Video Samples
PCL Construction “Horizons” Magazine
Another awesome project for $6 billion building giant and corporate mensch PCL Construction.
This contemporary refresh of PCL’s flagship magazine, Horizons, gives the company a great new outreach tool built around engaging storytelling and confident, progressive design. Evocative, full-page photography gives viewers a unique glimpse into the projects themselves while rich color overlays and forward-looking typography underscore the firm’s commitment to innovation. The grid elements throughout also hearken back to the nature of design-and-build projects.
In all, a wonderful example of the power of design to communicate the intangible aspects of a brand and the heart of an enterprise.
Shown Here: Front Cover and Selected Inside Spreads
STLCC Campaign Approaches
I do a lot of conceptual work. These two campaign approaches for St. Louis Community College were really intelligent and engaging examples of how a basic brand can really come alive at the campaign level.
The first concept, written by a comrade at the agency, illustrates the intelligent “real talk” reasons to explore STLCC as a higher ed option. The campaign really finds a strong sense of “life” and “pop” graphically. A contemporary layered approach and bold typography give this a style that sets it apart in very meaningful ways in the sea of sameness that is higher ed marketing. I self-performed all design on these.
I concepted, wrote and designed the second concept here. Built to deliver on the central idea of “There’s a Place for You Here,” the campaign shows that STLCC students are three-dimensional individuals with varied interests and passions. The core concept here is that it’s really not about co-opting the crest of some ivy-league to represent your personal brand, it’s about creating your own personal brand (represented by the individualized “passion-crests” here) and about how STLCC is one part of that. Overall, a visually engaging personal message of empowerment and validation.
STL Symphony “Naughty” Campaign Concepts
In my work life, I have the privilege of calling the internationally known St. Louis Symphony a client. I’ve shown some of my work for them here before. Simply put, the classical music scene ain’t what it use to be — exciting things are afoot. These engagement concepts show a bit of that new spirit. Fun, irreverent and just a touch naughty, these designs highlight the darker, more subversive side of an avant-garde Prokofiev classic. These are concepts that were not selected, because we actually have some other ideas that are more fun than this (I can’t wait to see those come to fruition), but I had a ton of fun designing these and they had an undeniable beauty. I wanted to share them here.
Shown Here: Posters and Detail
LER Brand Concept
Laclede Energy Resources is a subsidiary of the Laclede Group focused on buying and selling natural gas from and to a wide range of industrial and consumer customers. These style frames were built to communicate the unique position LER holds in the marketplace and their commitment to their client base. Bold, strong, and progressive with a strong sense of movement, these designs give a fresh, compelling and honest face to the organization.
Pear Tree Dressing Packaging Suite
Carrying forward the packaging redesign I started for gourmet brand The Pear Tree, I recently created a new packaging suite for their signature dressing selections. Fresh, clean, contemporary and eye-catching, these designs capture the spirit of the brand while generating new interest in the product among a sea of sameness in the supermarket refrigerated dressing section — see in-store photos below to get a sense of the “pop” inherent in this graphic approach.
Shown Here: Flat Label Designs and In-Store Photos of Packaging
PCL Construction Houston Ad
PCL Construction, a $6 billion international construction giant, the largest construction company in Canada and now #6 in America, asked UPBrand to help them further strengthen their brand position in the U.S. and abroad. To that end, I designed an arresting series of ads meant to generate awareness and interest in PCL’s expansion into the Houston area. This ad had a wonderful layered quality, creating interest through texture, nuance and dimension. In total, a very fun awareness ad for a great company.
Shown Here: Full Ad
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UPBrand Storybook
Delivering world-class creative and brand clarity across the full range of channels and client areas of focus is the UPBrand mission. This “storybook” for the agency tells that story.
Built upon the “signature style” I had previously developed for the brand, this piece acts as the most complete exploration of that style in print to date, bringing an artful flair to the Bauhaus-driven grid present throughout the agency’s materials. The piece balances iconography and razor-sharp typography with rich photography, color blocks and whimsical vintage illustrations to create a unique approach. Overall, it’s a very inventive and engaging piece and was a ton of fun to create.
I also functioned as concept lead and copywriter on a good portion of this as well.
Shown Here: Cover Detail and Interior Spreads
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Precision Foods / Chick-Fil-A Promotional Materials
Dry blending and packaged foods specialists Precision Foods and beloved chicken franchise Chick-Fil-A both have a reputation for unmatched quality. Really, a perfect match. This awareness in-store campaign promotes one of Chick-Fil-A’s best-kept-secrets: hot cocoa. It’s not on the menu, but thousands of customers already know about this delicious drink option on cold days. Here are two concepts for the campaign.
The first concept takes a rich tantalizing approach; juxtaposing bold, contemporary “chocolate” typography with dramatic photography and cheeky attitude. The second is an illustrative, immersive take leveraging texture, humor, color and a classic typographic layout to rich effect. The campaign contained in-store signage, tray liners and drive through window clings.
I also functioned as concept lead and copywriter on these as well.
Shown Here: In-Store Signage
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Parkway Schools Rebrand
Founded in 1954 and now serving over 17,000 students, the award-winning Parkway School District has long had a reputation for excellence, innovation and advanced thinking. However, Parkway was ready for a new face to the world to coincide with an exciting new strategic direction for the district.
The excitement of a “new day for Parkway” catalyzed my work and provided inspiration throughout the process as I developed everything from a progressive new visual brand platform with a new identity and brand standards to new print and video applications to tell the story of the galvanizing change redefining this educational leader. Overall, the approach is fun, clean, classic and friendly.
The mark itself carries a double meaning through a hidden image. At first glance, the strength of a sunrise image provides a clear link to the concept of a new day. With a longer look, the image of a open book, with pages actively spread reveals itself.
For video, I personally created the motion graphics aspects of this including the logo sting and type and graphic animations. I acted as director on shoots for both video and still photography for all district rebrand materials and also directed the edit of video elements. Editor Christina Geisen acted as the video editor here and I had a ton of fun working with her on this. Brant Hadfield and John Fedele did an amazing job of shooting video and still photography respectively and I really enjoyed working with them as well.
As the father of a daughter in the Parkway district, I was thrilled for the opportunity to create such an exciting new face for a brand I care so much about personally.
Shown here: Brandumentary Video, Mark / Wordmark with Color Choices for Individual Schools, Brand Standards Book (In Spreads) and Strategic Plan Book (In Spreads)
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The Salvagery Brand Package
Portland, OR improv jazz trio The Salvagery’s July 2011 release “Triage” is a triumph of experimental work. At once contemporary and exuberant, “Triage” builds on the heritage of great albums in the improv tradition. The work is pure fun.
These designs built around the album build on that iconoclastic spirit and birthright. The look and feel here balances personal, custom-created typography and illustrations with rich color to create a bold approach that captures the essence of vintage 40’s -60’s jazz album covers from great labels like Columbia and Blue Note. I loved working on this one!
UPBrand Promotional Poster
Who doesn’t love The Muppets? And, if you don’t…I’m not sure if you can be trusted. They’re at the center of both the concept and the design of this promotional poster for UPBrand. Created as a piece to reach out to prospects we’re courting from a business prospecting standpoint, the poster brings a metaphorical smile to the concept of working together. Fun.
UPBrand Brand Package
Recently, I started my tenure as the Vice President / Creative Director of UPBrand, a St. Louis-based agency focused on building brands through storytelling. I’ve already been having fun with great design and concept and one part of that has been establishing the aesthetic and visual brand for the agency itself. A good friend and talented independent designer Ben Franklin had started the proceedings with identity work before I arrived. I have taken the mark that Ben established and created a look and feel for digital assets, packaging, presentation materials, apparel and motion / video.
The work strikes a balance between a very clean, linear, type-driven, Bauhaus-inspired approach and found ephemera and organic, hand-wrought design elements used both metaphorically and to bring a human touch to the designs. It’s always very rewarding to bring a brand that I am close to like this to life.
Ad Week STL Poster + Mark
These initial designs for a fledgling concept here in St. Louis are pure fun. Speaking as a creative, I will say that we can be a pretty annoying and self-absorbed bunch. So often, groups and events designed to build a sense of community can devolve into pettiness. That’s where AD WEEK STL comes from — a desire to stop the complaining and infighting and to move forward, building something vibrant in the St. Louis creative community.
I led the theme concepting on this as well as the brand development itself. A senior writer at 4ORCE landed on the title of an Aerosmith song as the perfect way to convey our central idea — “Shut Up and Dance.” The supporting mark and poster materials leverage the edge of the creative mind while cutting through the lethargy and ennui that plague the scene. Fun.
I will be flowing this out to more materials and digital assets. Shown here: Poster + Detail and Mark.
Save-A-Lot Licensee Campaign Concepts
Targeted at potential store owners, this campaign is about making a difference for the future. Current Save-A-Lot store owners express a marked pride in the business they are building to pass down the generations within their own families and a pride in the good they are doing in the economically challenged communities they serve. These designs are a call-to-arms, inspiring through real owner profiles, imagery and stories providing a window into what store ownership can mean for a licensee’s family and for the communities they work in. The design itself is a more progressive and elegant take on the main SAL brand, leveraging basic brand elements, but amping up both elegance and touch.
Shown here: Collateral Cover + Inside Spreads, Site Design and Trade Show Application
Principia College Viewbook
Great college educational opportunities are all about personal touch. The appeal of smaller schools is that they afford students those unique “touchpoints” throughout a student’s college time that make for lasting memories and life-changing experiences. Those concepts are at the center of this viewbook.
Conceptually, the book is built around 10 central differentiators that best describe the unique aspects of the Principia College experience. The concepts are each expressed in different ways at the college and the book brings that to life for prospective students.
The design itself is immersive with bold typography and large, compelling photgraphy and leverages the idea of “personal touch” through a layered, “hand-wrought” approach.
Shown here in cover and sample inside spreads.
NGAGE Company Guidebook
As Creative Director and Vice President, I take great pride in having been a fundamental part of the growth and development of NGAGE, a progressive digital agency in St. Louis with a very progressive culture.
This piece, targeted at all NGAGE employees, gelled both my personal thoughts on culture as well as agency owner Dan Curran’s attitudes, feelings and approach to running an agency. This content, coupled with policies and perks, made the book a wonderful statement about the ethos and soul of the agency. I acted as both the copywriter and the designer on the piece. Bringing together straightforward, boldly stated copy, whimsical photography and a heaping helping of attitude, I leveraged forward the NGAGE brand in a new way that reached audiences both internal and external as the content found a home on the NGAGE site.
Shown here with cover spread and selected inside spreads.
Scottrade Annual Report Concepts
These three annual report concepts reflect a new openness for self-directed investment leader Scottrade. All give a contemporary face to the financial services company, balancing compelling, fresh-faced imagery (including client-supplied assets) with clean lines and optimistic colors. In total a progressive, friendly and fun take.
Shown here in cover and inside spreads.
4ORCE Spring Events Calendar Poster
For this poster assignment for a Spring Calendar of Events, I gave myself a unique challenge: How to convey the central mission of digital agency 4ORCE, “interactivity,” through a static display poster? The solution I devised uses distance to create that sense of discovery and interactivity.
From a distance, the poster appears to be a rich pop-style portrait of Kojak star, Telly Savalas with a foppish birthmark. As the viewer moves closer, the image breaks up into a pixelated pattern of colored blocks, concentric circles and a heart at the center of the composition. The overall effect is fascinating.
Selected Posters
I think that great poster design is so often ignored in the marketing mix. It is a tangible link to our past as designers and I relish the opportunity to work on posters whenever I can.
Principia College Athletics “Think Bigger” Book
This book, created for Principia College, was a clear statement of something that Principia athletes have known for years: The mark of the Principia sports program is in the personal growth and changed lives of the young men and women on the field. A sports program for a small liberal arts school like Principia College can’t compete with Division 1 sports machines on sheer field experience. It can, however, compete when personal growth is the bar for measurement. That’s the goal of this piece — to convey that message.
Used as a recruitment piece for the college, this book carried that “growth” message forward in a very robust way through clear typography, bold use of color, immersive photography and evocative messaging.
“It’s A Totally Different Experience” Brand + Campaign Materials + Video
Faced with a target enrollment pool that were either attending the “feeder” Principia private boarding high school or being pushed by their alumni parents to attend, Principia College had an image problem. The college needed a way to differentiate itself from its’ high school “sister” while conveying to an international student audience that this was definitely not their parents’ Principia College.
To combat this, I led the “itsatotallydifferentexperience.com” campaign. The fully branded campaign featured a compelling site with real stories from real students wrapped in a progressive design that differentiated itself from the more stately main Principia College brand. I also created video motion graphics pieces set to music recorded by college students themselves to help convey the “PC” experience. Live events at unique locations also carried the brand and the campaign directly to select groups of prospecive students with video pieces and live Q / A sessions with current Principia College students. other promotion materials such as posters and a “Summer Survival Kit” helped prospects take the brand home.
