The Work
The DISCOVER it Card
THE CHARGE
Discover was floundering in the personal financial credit space. Not being identified by the broader millennial consumer base. It was also being outspent 5 to one in the mass media market which was driving a dilution of its existing consumer base. Discover needed a new more economical solution that would allow it to reach this fragmented group. Having launched the original rewards program for CC back in the 80’s something new and more contemporary needed to be developed.
BP Amoco Castrol
DEFINING A SLIPPERY SLOPE
International industrial lubrication brand looking to be repositioned as a more contemporary environmentally considerate manufacturer concerned about the environment
THE CHALLENGE
Castrol was floundering in a myriad of other competitive industrial lubricant options that were at a better price points. The consumer didn’t realize the advantages of using Castrol’s environmentally safer products. The fact that they were bio-degradable, cut waste and added dollars to the bottom line needed to get across to the distributors as well as the end consumer. It also needed to be apparent that Castrol had been focusing on products like these for over 30 years.
Navy Pier Chicago
CATCH A NEW WAVE
Breath life into an aging family destination that is a popular one visit tourist attraction that is event, vendor and retail driven with little or no brand awareness that is relevant to the Chicagoland consumer base.
THE CHALLENGE
Attract more Chicagoland visitors all year-round. Do this by retooling the Navy Pier brand and begin developing Navy Pier’s own unique brand identity separate from that of. Its managing authority. There were a lot of negative perceptions swirling around amongst the local population: too touristy, too expensive to park and too crowded. We chose to turn the negatives into positives by creating points of differentiation from other area destinations.
Grossmont Center
NATURAL SELECTION
San Diego has the world’s second best climate. And some of the world’s top-ranked shoppers, too. So when Grossmont Center – a sprawling, garden inspired, open air shopping center – needed a memorable marketing campaign, the idea was a natural.
THE CHALLENGE
Grossmont Center is a place where people can come and enjoy the natural beauty of San Diego while browsing shops for all their wants, needs and desires. Easy sell, right? Wrong. With three competitor shopping centers located within an 11-mile radius, Grossmont Center needed to find a simple, powerful way to promote their earth loving shopping experience. But before the plan could grow, Grossmont Center had to convince their 115 retailers that the new theme would have them seeing green, in more ways than one.
White Sox
PLAY BALL...!
The Southside Chicago baseball team had been stagnating in the previous 5 years even though they had built a new state of the art baseball facility that was second to none.
THE PITCH
A new coach, new players and a new stadium that people were not going to. All located in a less than desirable location on the City of Chicago’s south side. Oh, and the team had been wiping up the cellar for many years. Did I mention that public transportation was an issue as well
Four Winds
BUILD IT THEY WILL COME
Opening a new casino is difficult. Opening the second largest casino in Las Vegas – but opening it in tiny New Buffalo, Michigan is an enormous task. Especially with your main competitor, Blue Chip Casino a mere 10 miles away. Anyone feeling lucky?
THE CHALLENGE
Lakes Entertainment had their hands full with the building, zoning and general gaming commission protocol necessary to make the scheduled August 2007 opening for their jewel property, Four Winds Casino Resort. So they turned to their advertising agency for just about everything else; recruitment, staffing, branding, design and retention. Midwest gamers are notoriously simple-minded about their casino of choice: “It’s the closest” being the number one response when they were asked why they gambled where they did. So aside from all the procedural challenges, the agency needed to create a reason to jar gamers off autopilot and get their steering wheels aimed at New Buffalo and Four Winds Casino Resort.
The Archive
Other creative amalgamations from my past that have had an impact on my career and the brands I have worked for.
