B R A N D I N G P R O G R A M S – I’ve found I do my best work with people that have an over-the-top enthusiasm for their business. I enjoy catching the fever. These case studies showcase some of the comprehensive branding work that we did together.
Schacht Spindle Company
This was an extensive rebranding project. Schacht has close to a 5o year history in the weaving and spinning markets and that was both a blessing and a problem. The challenge was to update their brand to attract a younger audience and more of the knitting market, while reassuring their long-time customers that they hadn’t lost their focus on quality and innovation.
The design brief called for the brand to be more feminine and fun which we accomplished with a 25 color palette of brights and neutrals, soft graphics and playful typography. An additional production challenge was that all the print materials had to be reproducible on the company’s high end copier, so no bleeds and not large areas of color were permitted.
Parisi
Parisi’s is an Italian restaurant in Denver that is well-known and recognized nationally for their fast, casual and affordable dining. The studio developed a host of marketing materials, including the identity, interior and exterior signage, menus, ads, various mailers, a series of t-shirts, and advertising.
I worked closely with Christine Parisi to develop a custom font for the restaurant that was in the hand-wrought venacular of an italian small town market.
D&K Printing, Inc.
I have had a thirty year relationship with D&K Printing. Over those years commercial printing has undergone tremendous technological change. The marketing strategy was to educate print buyers to the benefits of the new processes and allay fears about the perceived complexities of printing today.
The studio created and scheduled a program of 26 items that were a mixture of useful information tools and lighthearted gifts. These items opened the door for the sales people to visit their prospects every other week for a year. The program was executed emphasizing the professionalism and friendliness of the company and highlighting the core of their business— color. The advertising and website followed suit with playful presentations of the company flooded with color. All materials displayed the tagline: We make great companies look even better.
Outbound Guitars
A travel guitar is smaller than a full size guitar. The budget for this marketing program was small so we had to be resourceful. Each piece had a specific task and message: the postcard to show the product in color; the poster to show the actual size; the business papers, undersized, with a travel theme to underscore the concept; the ads to get the word out with a down-home sense of humor, the website to carry the specifications and more purchasing details. There was also a CD sent out so you could hear the instrument.
Frasier Meadows Retirement Community
Frasier Meadows is Boulder’s oldest and largest retirement community. It had a history of a long waiting list and no vacancies. Then several new retirement communities were built in the area and the market changed significantly. Frasier’s marketing director called on me to revitalize Frasier’s identity and help them tell Frasier’s story. We spent two months re-evaluating the market, creating a marketing plan, and refining Frasier’s message.