THE CHALLENGE

Recruit new walkers in big numbers to take on 39.3 miles in 2 days. This is the AVON 39 Walk to End Breast Cancer, and it's tough. But we had to be tougher, like the walkers. We had to rally new recruits to devote not only 2 days of sweat equity but also to pledge $1,800 in funds. Of all the walks, AVON 39 is known to be the most hard core. We had to refocus attention on the reward-factor.

THE INSIGHT

Previous campaigns spoke to the already converted, to the stalwart walkers and their teams who had been pounding the pavement for years. These walkers were invaluable to the cause, but AVON 39 couldn't survive on alums alone. We had to change the paradigm – fast. We had to speak a new language to a new demographic of walkers. And we had to do it loudly, boldly, rousingly.

THE SOLUTION

We looked at the best recruiters out there – the United States military – and asked ourselves how do they do it? How do they ask our young men and women to take that challenge, to go into battle, to possibly make the ultimate sacrifice? They do it, we discovered, by tapping into the warrior in all of us. No matter the fight, the warrior's answer is to bring it. So that's what we did. We brought it to traditional broadcast, radio, print, social media and an updated user experience.

THE RESULTS

AVON 39 was poised to crush breast cancer with renewed energy and a new bad-ass, unified and unifying message that powered more eyeballs than ever to the AVON 39 website. And more eyeballs meant more walkers, and more walkers meant more research, more screenings, more access to care – more survivors.

BTW, the original music was such a draw, we produced and released it as a single, “Walk Like a Warrior,” by Green Man, featuring Emily Jaye. Rock on!

THE CHALLENGE

Retail was lagging in general, and Lord & Taylor was flagging in particular. Founded in 1826, Lord & Taylor is the oldest department store chain in the United States, which makes it an icon. And, in 1914, it was the first major department store to move to Fifth Avenue, and that makes it a trendsetter. But time can be a cruel mistress, and even icons get tired.

THE INSIGHT

Trendsetting is in Lord & Taylor's DNA, but their existing marketing said dowdy instead of diva. The fix? Bring back the razzle-dazzle with a head-to-toe makeover that will make L&T relevant again by introducing the brand to a new generation of trendsetters and influencers.

THE SOLUTION

Our strategy was to refresh by being fresh. To clear out the visual clutter and give the brand breathing room to soar. To achieve the look we were after, we got off the streets and into the studio, where a clean white background would become L&T's new canvas. We also cleaned house and brought in our own team of A-list stylists, hair and makeup artists and cinematographers who executed our vision to a T. Now cue the band(s). With a new look, came a new sound. We added up-and-coming bands to our roster of new talent to heighten the fresh factor.

THE RESULT

The campaign was a success across all media, consistently increasing year-to-year comps and significantly boosting revenue with our targeted retail and online sales events. An icon was back. And who doesn’t love a comeback?

THE CHALLENGE

This 124-year-old stalwart, dedicated to promoting the work of emerging, professional, and mid-career women in the literary and visual arts, came to us for a total brand refresh. They needed it all, from a comprehensive aesthetic redesign, to a completely fresh web experience, to a digital and print campaign. 

The challenge? How do we find a current and authentic voice that will still speak to the Pen + Brush core constituency of donors, seasoned curators and, at the same time, attract the next generation of female artists? 

THE INSIGHT

Rock the boat without capsizing it. Be bold, like the 12 decades and counting of Pen + Brush artists who have come before. Because you get what you give.

THE SOLUTION

We created an omnichannel campaign that speaks cross- generationally to female artists and curators alike in a language and style that is at once familiar but also possesses a uniquely Pen + Brush twist. Then we engineered and redesigned the web experience from the ground up, adding an innovative, easy to use track-and-maintain system for work submissions.

THE RESULT

Literary and visual arts submissions increased beyond expectations. Digital and print advertising increased brand awareness threefold, capturing a whole new audience for a whole new generation of female artists. The Grrrly Show marches on…

Four generations of innovation have led Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition to where they are today – a global leader in providing premium nutrition and solutions-based services for Livestock, Aquaculture and Pet & Companion Animals. When Wilbur-Ellis wanted to reaffirm their commitment to their Pet & Companion Animal customers, we encouraged them not to be afraid to show their soft underbellies.

THE CHALLENGE

Create both anticipation and buzz via local outdoor billboards and digital banner ads for the launch of a flagship Lord & Taylor store in Boca Raton, Florida.

THE INSIGHT

The demographics show that a high percentage of Boca Ratoners used to call themselves New Yorkers. And where there are expat New Yorkers, there are fashionistas in general, local influencers in particular and Lord & Taylor loyalists to be sure. All of the above were undoubtedly jonesing for a New York fashion fix, sans the snooty factor.

THE SOLUTION

Bring the Fifth Avenue flagship experience to Boca, with all of its cache and glamour. And bring it with love – love letters. To woo local consumers in anticipation of the launch, we sparked a love affair between New York and Boca and shouted it writ large from billboards, social media, online and in print. Then we went further. We brought taxi cabs, street vendors, performers, stylists and more to Mizner Park mall for the grand opening. Hello, Boca. Love, New York.

 THE RESULT

We showed Boca the love, and they showed it back. The launch was both highly anticipated and hugely successful, netting increased brand awareness in the Boca area, while mitigating any risk of fashion resentment. The launch was so successful, it became the template for all future Lord & Taylor store openings across the country.

(Some images are speculative in nature.) 

Hunterdon Healthcare has been serving the needs of northwest New Jersey since 1953. Having grown into a 30-location premiere community-focused network of hospitals, they came to us in 2017 to position and future-proof both a new primary care patient membership program and reposition their Hunterdon Healthcare Foundation. Our data and analytics, in concert with hours of interviews with key stakeholders and members of the healthcare community and community at large, gave us our North Star and Hunterdon two focused positions from which to launch their initiatives.

Meridian came to us to position Hackensack Meridian Health Affiliated Foundations. The objective was to both prove the value HMHAF provides to the New Jersey community and compel high-net-worth donors to make significant contributions to their four-year $100MM capital campaign. Our research and analytics revealed that 95% of past donor contributions came from just ~5% of the donors and, when compelled by the promise of healing, those donors would “give until it heals.” A positioning was born. And so was our recommendation NOT to advertise. Why? It was a waste of the client’s resources. Instead, we recommended direct engagement with their high-net-worth donors via experiential events. In speaking to these  donors, we uncovered that they wanted to be a part of something, to experience the community they were supporting – to see for themselves who they were healing, not what their dollars were buying. HMHAF reached their $100MM goal in one year, not four. 

THE CHALLENGE

Nestlé came to us with a unique challenge. The global giant was poised to head in a distinctive and disruptive direction, to not only innovate but also “pre-innovate” – to own the space where prevention meets innovation and the future of skin health advances exponentially. Nestlé was going to launch SHIELD; Skin Health Investigation, Education, Longevity Development; a global network of innovation hubs, whose mission would be to create, observe, test and debate new ideas in order to promote radical thinking surrounding skin health. Our first challenge was to position the venture in time for the grand opening of the flagship SHIELD Center in New York City. Our second challenge was to mount a recruiting campaign aimed to enlist a diverse panel of today’s brightest and most inquisitive thinkers.

THE INSIGHT

Speaking to physicians, nurses, clinicians, caregivers, scientists, entrepreneurs, tech leaders, academics and advocacy groups we discovered they all felt driven to be part of something vital, to contribute in their own way, to engage with like-minded ideators and innovators. All were hungry to become tomorrow’s innovators today, to meet each other at the forefront of skin health, to propel the conversation forward, together.

THE SOLUTION

Speak the universal language of thinkers, dreamers and doers. Create a wholistic campaign where an experiential and interactive installation; when combined with digital, video and collateral print; effectively and emotionally told the SHIELD story to the audience we sought to engage with.

THE RESULT

The launch of the flagship SHIELD Center was a resounding success. Today, the Center is the vibrant home to the SHIELD Stammtisch™, an ongoing networking event series. Each event brings together an audience of dynamic professionals from the varied disciplines targeted in our initial campaign for an open and provocative discussion on skin health. Per the challenge, Nestlé Skin Health SHIELD is firmly positioned at the forefront of this competitive industry.

We were tasked with repositioning two legacy brands at once to reflect a changing demographic and paradigm-changing times: The 160-year-old M&T Bank and the century-old wealth management firm Wilmington Trust, M&T Bank’s premiere provider of wealth and institutional services.

Critical to client standards and ours was to be ever-mindful of the DNA of both brands when crafting each next-generation positioning statement. Our team got to put Wilmington Trust’s positioning to work in building both “Navigating the Wealth Transfer Landscape” and its companion infographic, “The Family Wealth Journey.”

THE CHALLENGE

Raymond James’ competitors were flooding the marketplace with content about wealth management. They came to us to brainstorm ideas that would make them stand apart from the crowd with a customized, streamlined tool to generate leads and direct consumer engagement.

THE INSIGHT

Consumers don’t want a flood of information; they want a life raft. They want information tailored to their individual retirement needs, their goals, their dreams – themselves. And they want actionable solutions.

THE SOLUTION

Move both consumer and client farther down the customer journey faster than ever before. How? By creating an interactive questionnaire experience that streamlines the retirement planning process by allowing the customer to have ownership over the what, so a Raymond James representative can more expertly assist with what’s next.

THE RESULT

Engagement far-exceeded expectations, proving that a critical differentiator plus the use of visual cues and tactile triggers equal maximum audience conversion.

THE CHALLENGE

The largest building materials business in not only North America but also the world was launching a new business division, The Building Solutions Group, and that group needed to feel like a local shop, like a business you’ve been doing business with your whole life, like a group of highly-skilled boots-on-the-ground professionals who can successfully steer your project from napkin sketch to state-of-the-art stadium with aplomb. In a category that’s known for being notoriously disconnected, how do we make people the priority and connectivity the prize?

THE INSIGHT

We build a new kind of connectivity for the next age of industry. We’ve never been more connected than we are now – by phone, text, email, twitter, facebook, Instagram. Yet, being truly connected has never felt more important, more vital. Real connectivity is like oxygen; we humans need it to survive, and thrive. Enter the Building Solutions Group.

THE SOLUTION

Connect the Dots. This is a campaign that builds on the idea of building from the ground up, of connecting the people of the Building Solutions Group to the wider CRH teams, and wider still to building owners and developers, architects and engineers, contractors and subcontractors. This is a campaign about connectivity.

THE RESULT

A sweeping brand campaign that shone a light on the strikingly singular capabilities of the Building Solutions Group, humbly differentiating them from their competition. Connect the Dots touched every aspect along the customer journey, fulfilling on the promise of offering solutions unlike any other in a style and voice that put people at the forefront of a materials business.

CaringKind is New York City’s leading expert on Alzheimer’s and dementia caregiving. With over 40 years of experience, they work directly with our community partners to develop the information, tools and training to support individuals and families affected by dementia. We were honored to donate our time, passion and resources to this essential member of New York City’s medical support system.

THE CHALLENGE

With licensees across the globe, it was every man, woman and polo-wearing child for themselves. Countless licensees were brazenly flouting brand guidelines with their "unique" ideas of what it meant to be an American Classic. The results were anything but American, or Classic. But our job was more than to simply reign in the rogue licensees. Instead of building animosity via a slap on the wrist, our goal was to create a plethora of compelling reasons to be brand compliant.

THE INSIGHT

The United States Polo Association, USPA, is the very origin of organized polo in America. USPA not only defined the king of sports, it helped define classic American style in all its James-Deanian cool glory – then, now, always.

THE SOLUTION

Show the licensees they’re part of a proud tradition, part of a storied tradition. Rally them to the cause, thereby ensuring global unity, compliance and loyalty. How? By creating an anthemic brand video that both defined Classic American style and also placed U.S. Polo Assn. squarely at the center of this iconic fashion and lifestyle category – a style that has outlasted trend after trend, decade after decade. By simultaneously publishing an epic brand guidelines book that became an instant collector item among licensees around the globe.

THE RESULT

A standing ovation at The Licensing Expo by hundreds of U.S. Polo Assn. attendees (and a non-compliant viral sendup via iPhones). The result after the Expo? Increased global compliance by 42%. Increased enthusiasm to be an American Classic? 100%!

THE CHALLENGE

Floral design was just the beginning. B Floral had big plans. They wanted to change the perception of their brand so they could own the space where one brand’s purpose is to make another brand shine. The challenge? How to be a brand while making other brands shine.

THE INSIGHT

B Floral is with Chanel. They’re with what looks good on their clients. They’re devotees of everything their client is devoted to, defined by and differentiated by. They take their cues from their clients, who are, each and every one, a singular muse.

THE SOLUTION

We positioned B Floral like an in-house agency. By crafting and implementing a verbal and visual language that clearly articulated their promise to dig deep into designing experiences that were reflective of their clients’ brand, B Floral was able to shine on and on by making their clients shine.

THE RESULT

Sharing the limelight never felt so right. B Floral totally leaned into their new positioning, becoming the go-to event designer and brand activator for some of the biggest brands out there. The bloom won’t be off this rose anytime soon.

The CEO of start-up Cast Clothing Co., a custom adaptive clothing maker, was looking for a way to position his unique brand to potential investors. For somewhere in the neighborhood of four years, clarity of messaging – and funding – had eluded Cast, despite their compelling and clear purpose: to create the materials and craft the clothing that would not only bandage the wounded warrior, the Lymphedema sufferer or the amputee but also heal emotional wounds. After a thorough brand identity discovery and audit of the brand DNA, we drafted a positioning statement that became Cast’s North Star, and everything fell into place from there. Fun fact: The CEO cried tears of joy when we presented the brand video for the first time.

THE CHALLENGE

Restaurants in Manhattan open and close in a New York minute. It's a world of celebrity chefs, master mixologists and patrons who are as particular as they are social-media powerful. So how do you position a restaurant for success?

THE INSIGHT

You go big or stay home. And Macao, brought to you by the infamous Employees Only team, with its nod to the opium dens of its namesake, its speakeasy vibe and its collection of erotica, begged for big.

THE SOLUTION

We made gastronomists of their award-winning chefs and mixologists of their award-winning bartenders before those terms were on everybody's lips – and twitter feeds. We leaned into sexy, into decadence, into the exotic, into everything that made Macao, Macao – in other words, heat. We opted for major print ads and social media blasts to get our sultry message out in high style.

THE RESULT

Macao has been on fire for over a decade. If gastronomy, intoxicology and blasphemy fit, wear them like a badge of honor – or a dragon tattoo.

THE CHALLENGE

An iconic jewelry brand that found smashing success on QVC wanted to reclaim their prestige brick and mortar clients without distancing themselves from their hard-won and loyal digital customer base.

THE INSIGHT

In a world where high-profile jewelers rely on celebrity endorsements and even higher-profile photographers, we opted out of that racket and into illustration.

THE SOLUTION

An icon of fashion meets an icon of illustration. Bold color treatments and strong lines were simpatico with the Judith Ripka brand DNA, creating a campaign that was both surprising and inevitable, of its time and timeless.

THE RESULT

Golden.

(Some images are speculative in nature.) 

THE CHALLENGE

How do you launch another artisanal vodka as not just another artisanal vodka?

THE INSIGHT

You find the differentiator. And once you've found it, you give it wings.

THE SOLUTION

We put Akvinta to the test to prove what we already knew: 100% organic Akvinta Vodka is the cleanest super-premium brand on the market. Made from the purest quintuple-filtered water in the world, it's as pure as the Soviet-driven snow. And knowing this, we asked the world one deceptively simple question: What's in your vodka?

THE RESULT

Akvinta Vodka not only won hearts and minds with its clean taste and clean look, it soared to the top shelf of top restaurants and spirit purveyors around the world, including Jean Georges and Virgin Airlines.

THE CHALLENGE

This DIY frozen yogurt shop enjoys high acceptance among teens and young adults. The challenge was to expand the appeal to kids, tweens and moms.

THE INSIGHT

The retail experience was like totally teen-centric, with little to attract younger kiddos and even less to appeal to moms. We needed to add something to the customer experience that transcended age, appealed to both mom and kids alike.

THE SOLUTION

A brandicon, a/k/a a brand icon, for everyone. A branding device with personality and character can cross all media platforms, including branded merchandise and content. First, the teaser. We wild-post sidewalks with penguin footprints, laid out in dance-step patterns that lead you to a 16 Handles store. For the kiddos, we create a lovable, affable and dynamic character that’s straight outta the frozen yogurt tundra. For the staff, we make them part of the party with their own line of branded T-shirts. For customers, we offer a line of merch, including earth-friendly “green” bowls and beverage containers that come with a forever 10% discount on in-store purchases. And for moms, we create eye-popping digital, print, kiosk and in-store ads promoting weekly flavor favs, which elevate the brand and give fro yo a stylish makeover.

THE RESULT

The work exceeded expectations.

(Some images are speculative in nature.) 

EY was hungry for content that would speak to the next generation of global thinkers and positive change makers inside and outside of their four integrated service lines – Assurance, Consulting, Strategy and Transactions, and Tax . Utilizing whiteboard animation and motion graphics, we wrote and produced a series of communication tools for both internal and external audiences, garnering more views than any other videos in EY history. Engagement was on multiple levels – as sales tools, educational tools and recruitment tools. EY “helps their clients solve their toughest issues.” We’d like to think we did the same for them. 

EY was hungry for content that would speak to the next generation of global thinkers and positive change makers inside and outside of their four integrated service lines – Assurance, Consulting, Strategy and Transactions, and Tax . Utilizing whiteboard animation and motion graphics, we wrote and produced a series of communication tools for both internal and external audiences, garnering more views than any other videos in EY history. Engagement was on multiple levels – as sales tools, educational tools and recruitment tools. EY “helps their clients solve their toughest issues.” We’d like to think we did the same for them.