Harman Kardon Harley Davidson
Harman Kardon designs many audio systems for virtually anything that moves, including Harley Davidson. This poster was one of a series that highlights the custom systems that are available, and can be installed on your Harley Davidson motorcycle.
Salvos
Value Quest Food developed a new candy line for adults. It was intended to compete with a popular Hazelnut rolled candy. This premium candy was developed in Turkey where the Hazelnut crop is considered the finest. A unique arrangement with estates of famous artists was negotiated and the use of their work for the package design was arranged. This gave the candy a more premium look and the artwork was switched out every three months.
Natural Sweets
Value Quest Food developed a new candy line for adults and children the gummy snacks that are so popular. This design was created to show off the many flavors and show the candy in a fun character type treatment.
Confetti
Value Quest Food developed a new candy line for adults and children who love fruity chewy treats. Confetti packaging design was created to highlight the whimsical nature of the fun candy treats. The multi colored candies looked like confetti falling form the air and this idea was designed into the packaging.
Gazillions
Value Quest Food developed a new candy line for kids. The candy was small and chewy and came in many flavors. Gazilly, a fun crazy and mischievous character was created. Packaging included 12 individual boxes, multi packages and displays. The packaging was designed to humor and entertain the kid in all of us. The Gazilly character was designed to show many facets of his personality and each different character was used in the 12 different flavors.
Financial Crunch
Financial Crunch was an idea some people had to capitalize on the financial situation in the country. A Nestle Crunch type candy was called “A Bankers Dozen 11” and the packaging was designed to be fun and inviting.
Christ Church
Christ Church Grosse Pointe needed a poster to announce the DeHaven Endowment for Music Fund, which was intended to raise money to secure the future of the quality music that was performed at the Church.
Shark Bite
Shark Bite Abrasives Company needed a dynamic poster to display in retail stores selling their line sandpaper products.
Hyundai Lexicon Logic 7
Hyundai needed a display for their dealerships that announced the new Lexicon Logic 7 Discrete Surround Sound audio system in the new Genesis. The display was two sided and featured the cut away drawing of the Genesis and the position of the 17 speaker sound system in the vehicle.
JBL EON Sound System
JBL, a division of Harman Kardon, the leader in automotive audio systems, designed the perfect audio system for the Toyota Scion. It combines the power and performance young drivers and consumers demand. EON is the number one choice of more musicians and DJ’s.
The unique and youthful poster was part of a total branding campaign that combined this poster with direct mail, posters, mailers and print advertising.
Grosse Pointe Farms Foundation
The Grosse Pointe Farms Foundation, an organization established with private funds and donations, contributes to the community in building projects, renovation, new amenities and historical renewal.
The foundation wanted to celebrate its newest projects: a new hot house, paddle tennis courts and tennis court renovation. They were looking for a way to bring residents to the park to see these new additions. Most visitors of the park are boaters using the marina or people who use the pool. A reason was needed to bring the non boaters and swimmers down to see these new additions, which were underwritten by the Foundation.
A Concours d’Elegance was created to draw new people to the park. The Concours was a tremendous success, drawing over 600 people and over 50 classics domestic and foreign cars. Posters and banners were displayed throughout the city announcing the vent and a direct mail piece was created to bring the great automobiles out of their garages.
MotorCities National Heritage Area
MotorCities National Heritage Area is an affiliate of the National Park Service dedicated to preserving, interpreting and promoting the automotive and labor heritage of the State of Michigan. National Heritage Areas are places where natural, cultural, historic and scenic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape arising from patterns of human activity shaped by geography.
MotorCities needed a series of posters and banners which would demonstrate to the consumer, their many events and special promotions. These posters and banners were designed to be informative as people toured the city. They were set up at car shows, the Woodward Dream Cruise and many events related to the automobile in the area.
Harman International
This poster stand was designed for Harman International to highlight their legendary brands which share the same DNA as all Harman products. The poster features an entertainer and references the fact that most movies, TV shows, music recordings and concerts were probably produced with one of the many products they offer. The poster highlights their premium brands: Becker, Crown, DigiTech, Harman KArdon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon, Mark Levinson, QNX and Soundcraft Studer.
General Dynamic Abrams Tank
This poster was designed to highlight Abrams successful tank in a bold and graphic way for use in military shows.
Grosse Pointe Farms Foundation
The second year for the Grosse Pointe Farms Foundation Concours d’Elegance event Poster.
Orchard Farms
Orchard Farms had a new product being introduced and needed a round label to put on the plastic packaging. A series of labels were designed for their many products.
Shark Bite Products
Shark Bite created a new line of abrasive products ranging from sandpaper for industrial users to do-it-yourselfers. These products ranged from sanding disks to sheets. A unique graphic was designed to catch the consumer’s eye and reinforce the toughness of the product.
Airfoil PR
Airfoil PR is a mid-size Public Relations firm and one of the fastest growing firms in the Midwest, with national accounts that include Microsoft, Ebay and Starbucks.
Winner of the 2008 Technology Agency of the Year, Airfoil wanted to freshen their image and create a new look. A total new identity was established, including a new logo. All internal communication devices like Power Point, Word Documents, web and presentation packages were redesigned to highlight their new look.
Conex Energy
Conex Energy, headquartered in South Dakota, is a developer, constructor, owner and operator of a wide variety of green power generation projects. They needed a new branding and identity program to introduce their new company to the industry. A simple, but clean web was developed to telegraph this message.
Shark Bite
Shark Bite Products needed an identity and web to launch their new company. A fun and dynamic graphic web look was established to highlight this new company.
Sporting Carp
Sporting Carp was created to have fun with the potential invasion of Asian Carp into the Great Lakes. The website invites people to participate and join the Sporting Carp Unlimited club and enjoy the potential of PURE MICHIGAN where you can boat, hunt and fish…all at the same time!
Carhartt
Carhartt has a unique bond with the working man. A relationship that goes back to 1889, sewn together by a consistent obligation that they provide workwear clothing to the worker in all his efforts.
This promise can be continued by supporting the Prostrate Cancer Foundation and their goal to make men aware of the threat of Prostrate Cancer. Currently men have a one in five chance on getting this disease. Unfortunately the trend is leaning towards one in four males. Carhartt can help build awareness with this hard working group by providing an opportunity to have a simple PSA blood test conducted on site. The PSA is usually 30% effective in diagnosing prostrate cancer.
The average white collar man has insurance that pays for this Prostrate Exam. The blue collar working man, is working. Plain and simple. More case’s than not, he can make his haircut appointment, but leaves medical care and preventive diagnosing off his hot list. Reverting to medical care for emergency only.
The concept is have van that would hold a nursing station for these simple blood tests. The vehicle would follow the SWAT or the Showcar around the country and provide this service. Giving back to the American worker.
Bankers Integration Group
Bankers integration Group was looking for a campaign that would establish them as the place to go for quick and instant vehicle financing. This campaign used print, direct mail and the web to communicate this message. OPTIMideas created a series of ideas that created a buzz in the convention. These ideas were “AMBUSH” ideas.
OPTIMideas created a series of ideas that help demonstrate the fact that BIG was the “FASTEST” finance approval system. These ideas focus on the “FASTEST” concept.
OPTIMideas created a series of ideas that help demonstrate the fact that BIG was the “INSTANT” finance approval system. These ideas focus on the “INSTANT” concept.
Automotive Hall of Fame
The Automotive Hall of Fame needed some ideas to help promote more people to come and visit their great collection. They sit close to the Henry Ford and Greenfield Village structures, actually sharing the same parking lot. OPTIMideas suggested a some graphic ideas that would catch people eyes as they walk through the parking lot. They ideas were to drive them towards the building and invite them in.
Pinnacle Race Course
Horsepower returns to the Motor City via live thoroughbred racing at Pinnacle Race Course, after a ten-year absence. To celebrate this great occasion, a web site was developed to announce to the press and the community that thoroughbred racing was returning. The web site was updated daily to show the fast progress of the track construction and the many buildings that were being built to accommodate the visitors and the horses.
Jimmy’s Potato Stixs
Jimmy’s Potato Stixs is a new product on the market and needed dynamic looking packaging to break through the clutter. “IDY”, the character that represents the Jimmy’s line of Potato Stix, was created and the chips were offered in four flavors.
Sophie Mae Brittle
Sophie Mae was an old established brand in the south that needed a boost in image and sales. A new exciting package design was created to reintroduce it back into the retail market. In addition to Peanut, a Cashew Brittle was created for the relaunch.
Neutron Energy Drink
Neutron, a new entry into the booming energy drink category, needed a unique and graphic look to jump off the shelves. An atomic looking approach captured the feel and look of the drink. Neutron came in two flavors and each flavor was offered in regular and sugar free.
Almondina
Almondina is one of the countries largest producers of almond type biscuits. They were approaching their 20th Anniversary and did not know what to do. OPTIMideas created a series of ideas that highlighted, enhanced and celebrated this 20th Anniversary.
A logo was designed to own and to brand the Almond as a Heart Healthy snack.
Carhartt Historic Wall
Carhartt needed a display to recognize the history of the company.
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HARMAN BECKER
This was a poster done for Harman Becker to announce and highlight the premium sound system available on the Harley Davidson Motorcycle.
HURON CAPITAL PARTNERS
Huron Capital Partners LLC is a Midwest based equity investment firm focused on investing in growing, established and profitable companies. They specialize in partnering with management teams to facilitate corporate spin-offs, family succession transactions, recapitalizations, buy-and-build strategies and management buyouts. As part of their efforts to help stimulate the business economy in their investment field, a series of ads were created to announce their own “Stimulus Package”.
West Branch Regional Medical Center
West Branch Regional Medical Center needed a campaign to announce new services and technologies now available in the area for the first time. Their new Catheterization Imaging Laboratory was the first in the area.
FORD MODEL T 100TH ANNIVERSARY
August 2008 marked the 100th Anniversary of the Model T and Ford Motor Company had scheduled many celebrations marking this historic event. To assist people in the celebration and to help them find the historic areas in town, Ford needed a device that would inform and direct visitors to the many celebration and recognition areas. A folded “Zip” map was designed that highlighted the key events. The map provided a brief history of the Model T and the back-side featured a detailed map of the area that showed the location of some of the events being celebrated.
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NARSAD
NARSAD is the world’s leading charity dedicated to Mental Health Research. NARSAD supports scientific research to find better treatments and ultimately prevent severe mental illness. As part of The Detroit News’ “Partnership for Humanity”, a newspaper contest that partners agencies together with lesser known charities, OPTIMideas created this ad to boost awareness of their presence and mission. The ad won national recognition placing in the top three ads produced for non-profits and was also recognized at the National NARSAD convention in NYC as one of their top advertisements of the year.
KIMBALL ENGINEERING
Kimball Engineering, one of the country’s largest engineering firms, was looking for a way to capitalize on the incoming administration’s plans for “Rebuilding America”. They hoped with the emphasis being put on the rebuilding of the national infrastructure in the country, their expertise in government, schools, hospitals and security could grow. A new logo was developed to symbolize these efforts, and this design was used on all their communications, ranging from print, web, posters, and direct mail.
DETROIT HERITAGE AREA
In partners with the Detroit Heritage Area, the MotorCities National Heritage Area needed an informative map for people enjoying the newly designed Detroit River Walk area. This area, over two miles of paths, has been designed to highlight the river and its historic surrounding area.
MotorCities National Heritage Area wanted to capitalize on this new tourist attraction in Detroit by highlighting the areas that were a part of the city’s robust automotive heritage. The map was designed to inform, entertain, and guide visitors through this rich historical area.
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AIRFOIL PR
Airfoil PR is a mid-size Public Relations firm and one of the fastest growing firms in the Midwest, with national accounts that include Microsoft, Ebay and Starbucks.
Winner of the 2008 Technology Agency of the Year, Airfoil wanted to freshen their image and create a new look. A total new identity was established, including a new logo. All internal communication devices like Power Point, Word Documents, web and presentation packages were redesigned to highlight their new look. A series of magazine ads were also created to tell their unique story.
GROSSE POINTE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce needed a brochure to highlight the quest to help inspire people to get fit by exercising, eating well and enjoying life in the Pointes. A campaign was created to highlight “Live Well in Grosse Pointe.”
ALMONDINA BRAND BISCUITS
Almondina Brand Biscuits are a gourmet cookie, health food and snack, all in one. These extraordinary gourmet treats are created from a secret family recipe, passed down from generation to generation. Almondina needed a series of ads to promote their unique taste and healthy snack in Weight Watchers magazine. A series of ads featuring many of their products were created.
THE FRANCISCAN PROJECT
Thousands Shocked – Hundreds Volunteer.
This was a newspaper ad done under the “The Detroit News — Partnership for Humanity” program. The program pairs agencies and small community services organizations that do not receive media attention like the bigger ones. The goal is to create ads that would run in The Detroit News and The Detroit Free Press that would inform people of these unique community services.
The Franciscan Project is comprised of a group of Catholic nuns who moved to inner city Detroit to promote literacy. The program is very successful and has impacted many families.
The ad created quite a stir in the media when it ran, due in part to the attention it drew to illiteracy numbers in Detroit. The ad was a great success, and the project enjoyed a surplus of volunteers.
W.Y. CAMPBELL & COMPANY
30% Increase in Responses.
This Direct Mail card was designed for W.Y. Campbell & Company to announce their completed deals in Mergers and Acquisitions. These completed deal announcements, normally sent out as “tombstones” because they resembled a tombstone, would fall empty on a desk or straight to the trash. A unique see-through envelope with just the end-user image in the window would be sent out to their client base. These cards were successful in cutting through the banking business mail clutter and contributed to a response rate of over 30%.
W.Y. CAMPBELL & COMPANY
This is another spread in a series that W.Y. Campbell runs that highlights their unique and varied experience in the automotive business. The ad features a list of companies that they have help sell or merge. These ads were very successful in gaining awareness and responses form other companies looking to do business in Michigan, or looking for businesses to merge or purchase.
MOTORCITIES NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA
This Magazine ad was done for MotorCities National Heritage. It was designed to announce the MotorCities area and the many talented people who have created the country’s best automobiles.
W.Y. CAMPBELL & COMPANY
This is part of a Direct Mail program for W.Y. Campbell & Company sent out to a specific industry to highlight their experience and work in the Waste Management sector. The direct mail was designed to inform the potential clients of W. Y. Campbell & Company’s services and talents.
HURON CAPITAL PARTNERS
This is an ad in a series of announcements for Huron Capital. They are continually adding companies to their portfolio and announce these transactions to the investment community.
W. Y. CAMPBELL & COMPANY
This is a spread in a series that W.Y. Campbell runs that highlights their unique and varied experience in the automotive business. The ad features a list of companies they have helped sell or merge. These ads were very successful in gaining awareness and responses from other companies looking to do business in Michigan or looking for businesses to merge or purchase.
COMMUNITY CENTRAL BANK
This is a spread for Community Central Bank that announced their arrival in the Grosse Pointes. They featured local companies that have benefitted from CCB investments. CCB takes great pride in having local businesses as their customers. They have a quick and easy business loan approval system that doesn’t require the approval of the other banks’ home offices. The other banks are located in Europe, Chicago and Dallas, which gives Community an advantage over the others, as they are local.
FISHER & COMPANY
Design meets Technology.
This 24 page corporate brochure was designed to highlight the contrast of high technology and the industrial assembly process. Fisher & Company specializes in Tier 1 components for safety and seating for the world-wide automotive industry. The brochure was designed to show all aspects of their business. It was produced in three languages.
HARMAN KARDON – JBL SCION
Radical and Expressive. This ad, done for a supplier, features the young hip look of the Toyota Scion that features the new JBL sound system EON for the Scion. The ad needed to be young, hip and aggressive. The campaign featured a series of posters, displays and web.
SHARK BITE
Shark Bite Abrasives needed a printed piece for brochures, displays and direct mail to highlight their products in the Automotive and Wood Finishing sectors.
GENERAL DYNAMICS
General Dynamics needed a dynamic poster to highlight their new M1A2 Abrams Tank.
The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
The University of Detroit School of Law needed an annual list of Donors to the school. The list varied year to year but contained a large number of people. A large plaque was designed that is updated every year.
St. Joseph Mercy Brighton
St. Joseph Mercy Health System needed a donor recognition wall for their Saline facility. This was created a challenge in that it had to incorporate a large list of multi fund raising activities form the past. With over 50 years in the community, there had been three major fund raising drives that needed to be recognized. A background of wood was engraved to identify the original hundreds of donors from its start. The multi layered panels on top range form other wood pieces to marble depending on the giving level.
St. John Health System VanElslander Cancer Center
The Van Elslander Cancer Center, located in the St. John Hospital complex, provides patients seeking treatment as they journey down the troubling path of cancer treatment. The Center provides a variety of treatments and has a great track record in helping people get back to their normal lives.
The Center was looking for a way to inspire and give these many patients a uplifting feeling and to highlight the hope in their treatment.
There is an old Chinese proverb that says that a 1000 Cranes will bring you hope and peace. To illustrate that proverb I had 1000 hand folded Cranes constructed out of colorful paper and strung together inside a large box frame. These Cranes were folded by a group of teenagers whose lives were touched by my wife, including my three sons.
This display hangs proudly in their lobby extending the hope that the Cranes bring to the patients who visit the Cancer Center.
My wife was one of their patients and I created this display in her memory.
The Country Club of Detroit
The Country Club of Detroit, located in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, recently completed a major restoration of their Golf Course. Noted course designer Tom Doak, was asked to restore the golf course back to its original design that was done by Henry Colt. In doing this major course restoration many of the trees were moved, or removed.
The Club wanted to recognize the many members who have donated trees to the Golf Course over the past fifty years. Some of these trees, in time had been removed, and some were not needed in the newly lengthened championship redesign.
A Donor Recognition Plaque was created that recognized and celebrated their generous efforts over the past fifty years to help beautify the Golf Course. Over 650 names were recognized and used to create this large solid wood recognition display.
St. Joseph Mercy Brighton
St. Joseph Mercy Hospital of Brighton needed a freshening of their display in their lobby. A design was done that used existing Marble and repurpose it for new verbiage. The result was a dramatic Donor Recognition Display that highlights 10 different category levels of giving. To compliment this display a series of individual plaques recognizing individual donors for their gifts of selected rooms in the facility.
The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
The University of Detroit Mercy Law School had just completed a major fund raising plan that helped make possible the renovation of the school major campus building. A donor recognition plan was designed to recognize all levels of donors, including separate areas in the building for major contributions.
St. Joseph Mercy Oakland
St. Joseph Mercy Hospital of Oakland completed a major fund raising event that helped renovate most of the critical care areas, receiving major funding from individual donors. A series of recognition plaques and lobby lettering was created to recognize these generous donors.
The Grosse Pointe Academy
The Grosse Pointe Academy, a private school, relies on donor contributions to provide the quality education that people go there for. Every year they hold a major fund raiser where a large amount of money is raised for the children and their education. At the end of the event a final donation rally is held. This plaque was designed to identify these generous people, who in most cases, have already participated in donating money earlier during auction and other fund raising activities. The final drive is collected and this plaque reflects their generosity.
St. John Health Foundation
St. John Health System needed a proper recognition display for the recent gift by a Donor. The project included a recognition signage area over the entrance to the area and a Donor Plaque that would hang in the lobby and in the surgical area. An additional plaque was done that was smaller that was given to the donor.
WRCJ FM
WRCJ FM is a public supported classical and jazz radio station that broadcasts from the Detroit School of Performing Arts. The station receives no funds from the State or the City. For this reason their listeners are very important to their survival. Every year their key donors are recognized in a plaque in the lobby of the station.
AUTOMOTIVE HALL OF FAME
The Automotive Hall of Fame needed an invitation to their annual inductee ceremony. Instead of a traditional invitation, a poster was designed to highlight the new inductees. The poster was designed to highlight their accomplishments, and provide a graphic reference to the event. The front side of the poster carried the invitation to the event. The piece was folded and mailed. In addition, the poster on the back side was printed in extra quantities and sold in the lobby gift shop.
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Breadcrumb
Breadcrumb, is the global leader in Location Based Services (LBS). They specialize in providing locating solutions for Corporations, Family Members and Vehicle applications that allow you to locate, contact and protect what’s important to you. Breadcrumb came to us with a request to design their whole brand from start to finish. A total branding campaign was developed using a hi tech computer GPS look to the material. This look was reflected in all their communication pieces, Lobby decor, Web, Print, Direct Mail and all their printed pieces.
Midwest Eye Bank
Midwest Eye Bank, needed a comprehensive donor recognition program to move into their new building. Starting with the consolidation of all past donor recognition, to a current display of their very active benefactors.
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St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor
St. Joseph Mercy Hospital needed a recognition display to highlight and recognize their employees as they reached individual milestones while working with the hospital. This display was designed to highlight the many years the employees have spent with the hospital.
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The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
University of Detroit Mercy Law School needed a display to recognize the history of the school, its proud faculty and the rich tradition of its past graduates.
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The University of Detroit Mercy School of Liberal Arts
University of Detroit School of Liberal Arts wanted to recognize a single donor who made possible the Jane & Walter Briggs Liberal Arts Building. A recognition wall was designed to highlight Mr Briggs accomplishments in the City of Detroit and the building of the structure.
The University of Detroit Mercy College of Business Administration
The University of Detroit Mercy College of Business Administration faced a unique challenge, they needed to do a historical wall, a current faculty listing and recognition for their original donors and their annual donors. To make matters worse, they had to work with an oddly shaped wall. The finished design combines all these elements and delivers a great visual display.
Grosse Pointe South High School
Grosse Pointe South High School built a new Natatorium for their students. The school originally planned to build a pool with eight lanes. Some parents thought adding four more lanes would make the pool more useable for competition and events beyond normal school functions. These parents decided to commit to funding the additional costs for the four new lanes. A design was submitted to highlight and recognize the donors to this great project. The Grosse Pointe South High School team mascot was the Blue Devil, and this logo was also incorporated into the wall design.
The finished Donor wall overlooks the pool, giving competitors the evil Blue Devil eye during swim meets!
Harman Becker
Harman Becker needed a display to highlight their new Infotainment system. The display was used at electronic and automotive events.
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