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sue karlin and brian wong / Suka Design
With Cotton Inc.'s 2003 Annual Report, Suka Design efficiently delivers a message of solidarity and advocacy to the non-profit organization's constituent cotton producers and importers. The publication's hard-hitting, forthright theme, "We are 100% Cotton," articulates Cotton Inc.'s core commitment to increasing the demand for and profitability of cotton through research and promotion. Using pithy headlines and uncommon photography (including the surprising choice of a simple white t-shirt for the cover shot), Suka's design eases the reader's eye. Furthermore, detailed text and illustrative case studies assert Cotton Inc.'s industry leadership, with each spread economically advancing this mission.

Brian Wong, Suka's designer and art director for the piece, states, "This is a rare annual report that's more interested in message than fluff. The photography is unfiltered, the quotes are in plain English, and the text is straightforward. Quite simply, the report does what it sets out to do: deliver the message."

Founded in 1992, Suka Design combines a results-focused approach and sound business strategy to craft annual reports, capabilities brochures, branding and identity, corporate collateral, websites and communication with a purpose. The firm's work appears in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress, and has been featured in every major annual report and design competition and graphic arts publication.

Critt Graham / Critt Graham + Associates
Now celebrating their 25th year, Critt Graham + Associates officials offer the following description of their work on the Carter's 2003 Annual Report:

"Carter's is the largest branded marketer of baby apparel in the United States and a leading marketer of children's apparel. In developing the company's first annual report, we wanted to reflect the company's successful IPO in October 2003 while building on Carter's impressive 138-year history. The annual report makes - and supports - bold and memorable declarations using a metaphor comparing growing children to Carter's significant and consistent record of growth.

"While communicating the business strategy, metrics and drivers to an institutional audience is the primary purpose of this annual report, it was important to Carter's that the annual report also portray the warmth behind the brand. We balanced emotional photography and engaging narrative copy with subheads that direct the reader to the strategic message. Most annual report audiences don't have the time or desire to read long copy, so we knew the company's message had to be clearly and concisely communicated and then supported with a clean layout."

meow vatanatumrak / Paragraph
When Paragraph Design sets about developing an unique, creative, effective annual reports for Coca-Cola FEMSA, the firm's challenge is always the bubbling question of how to take the biggest brand in the world and encourage stakeholders to look at it differently.

Paragraph has long worked by integrating a company's brand into otherwise financially-focused annual reports, but because Coke is such a recognizable global brand this critical task is increasingly difficult. Their solution is to differentiate Coca-Cola's company and approach from its competitors, thereby setting apart its brand. Paragraph has designed a total of three annuals for the company. The 2003 Annual Report is an interactive flip book which positions Coke as a company that thinks and approaches the market differently. Part of the story that Paragraph tells is of Coca-Cola FEMSA's acquisition of Panamco, an addition that made them the biggest bottler in Latin America. With the acquisition, Coca-Cola was forced to become a company that transcended different cultures and the diverse business processes that its new companies practiced. Since Coke's businesses are centered around the "customer and end-consumer experience," Paragraph used illustration to tell the story. Illustration offered an opportunity to convey messages visually and integrate a large number of countries so that, politically and professionally, one image and one message was conveyed. To compliment the visuals, Paragraph developed an essay section that explains Coke's business strategy in a straightforward manner. The financial section puts the finishing touches on a picture that demonstrates the positive results of Coke's unique approach.

Because of Paragraph's ideas, the three Coca-Cola FEMSA Annual Reports they have designed have won over 50 awards from numerous global communication organizations.

Creative Director Robin Zvonek Designer Meow Vatanatumrak Account Executive Rachel Radtke Copywriter Peter Warrick Illustrators Peter Horjus, Fernando Andriaaci

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