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Lobbying Lands Menswear Project

San Diego CA

Menswear brand Gordon Rush selected MiresBall, a San Diego brand design firm, to develop the footwear and accessories company's first comprehensive visual system. The result is marked by sleek photography; a crisp, refined identity system; and a clean, contemporary aesthetic all of which communicate the craftsmanship and lifestyle sensibility that define the Gordon Rush product line. The visual system will be rolled out across a range of venues, including seasonal look books, identity materials and a media kit. The partnership between Gordon Rush and MiresBall comes after years of lobbying by Scott Mires. From the moment I purchased my first pair of Gordon Rush shoes, I was immediately struck by the similarity between the two brands, explains Mires, a principal and creative director at MiresBall.

Posters Visualize Bravery

Madison WI

Volunteer fire departments often struggle to attract new recruits. Thanks to Shine Advertising Co., that may not be a problem for a fire department in Jackson WI. Shine created a series of posters for the client that seek to spur recruitment by depicting the bravery and humanity of firefighters. The pieces showcase genuine Jackson volunteer firefighters against a background that mixes the look and feel of classic hotrod posters with traditional firetruck graphics and typography. Shine associate creative director John Krull comments, These posters are about the bravery it takes to put yourself out there for your community. Creative credits to to Krull, CD Mike Kriefski, Copywriter James Breen and Photographer Shawn Harper. Shine Advertising Co. is based in Madison WI.

Designing Is Hell

New York NY

New York- and Chicago-based Liska + Associates developed an assertive branding program to drive sales for 517 West 46th Street, a new development in New York City's fast growing Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. The direct language and bold visual design combine to suggest that people should "strike quickly" in order to avoid losing a chance at the choice location. "Since the target is primarily young first-time buyers, we wanted to cut to the chase and show them the product without using traditional stock photo imagery that dominates real estate marketing," says Tanya Quick, Liska's creative director. Copy seeks a balance between being slightly irreverent, definitely sharp and yet also inviting. The visuals, including advertising, website and marketing collateral, use vibrant renderings to maintain a young, lifestyle-driven tone. The website also uses fast-moving slide transitions to evoke excitement and reflect the vigorous energy of Hell's Kitchen.

Witty Wallpaper Celebrates Women

New York NY

Front Studio, a women-owned architectural and design firm in New York City, marked a recent partnership change by tapping Karen Hsu of Omnivore, another women-owned firm, to create a witty wallpaper that celebrates the presence of women in a male-dominated business field. The result? Yen Ha, a partner at Front Studio, comments, Hsu played with scale and density to create a double reading in the pattern. From afar it resembles traditional floral wallpaper, but up close there are hard hats, wings, skyscrapers, flowers with pencils for stamens, et cetera Ha adds, After years of stark modernism, designers and consumers alike are looking for ways to incorporate color, pattern or a little more decorative whimsy.

Large Serif Type Conveys Upscale Feel

West Hollywood CA

Palisades Development Group partnered with Geyrhalter Design to create a unique marketing piece for Palisades' latest project, Palihouse. Palihouse is a collection of boutique condominiums, extended-stay suites and restaurants located in West Hollywood CA. "We ended up with the concept of an oversized newspaper-style brochure featuring large serif typography and black and white images to convey an upscale feel yet spread comfort and warmth," says Fabian Geyrhalter, who headed the effort as creative director. The project wasn't easy, according to Geyrhalter. "It was an intriguing, yet challenging project because there wasnt a physical property to visit and there were no guests to interview. There were big ideas and a targeted audience, but creating marketing pieces that would actually define the audience was a great undertaking," he explains. Besides Geyrhalter, creative credits also go to Art Director Bobby Dragulescu and Lead Designer Evan Warner. Geyrhalter Design is a full-service agency based in Santa Monica CA.

Piven Finds New Entourage

Boston MA

"Entourage" star Jeremy Piven is the new face of the Nashville-based men's footwear company Johnston & Murphy. Print ads featuring Pivens profile rolled out in September and will run in GQ, Esquire, Mens Health, Forbes and Golf Digest through the end of the year. Toth Brand Imaging spearheaded the campaign, which, says creative director Joanne Reeves, seeks to demonstrate that Johnston & Murphy is "relevant to today's workingman." The hook? The ads picture Piven as a new member of the company Johnston, Murphy & Piven. Besides providing creative direction, Reeves also provided art direction and copywriting on the project, while Marc Hom served as photographer.

Sending An Invitation To Hope

Las Vegas NV

13,000 children are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes annually, and the condition takes its toll in numerous ways. In addition to daily insulin injections, children can expect frequent finger-pricks to measure blood sugar levels and increased risks of a wide range of health problems, from retinopathy to kidney disease and nervous system damage. Eurie Creative of Las Vegas NV is dedicated to the fight against childhood diabetes. So, for the second year in a row, the firm partnered with the Nevada chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to promote the Hope Gala, the foundations primary fundraising event. Eurie developed the galas visual theme and designed and produced the invitation materials, corporate stationery and program guide; it even created video presentations for the event itself. All told, the foundation raised $750,000 for juvenile diabetes research, making it the organizations most successful fundraiser ever.

Catalog Captures Moods

Providence RI

Malcolm Grear Designers of Providence RI created the catalog for "Harry Callahan: Eleanor," the current exhibition at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta GA. The show features photographs that the late artist, a former instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), took of his wife, Eleanor, over the course of two decades. Callahan's predominately black and white images capture the variety of Eleanor's moods through form and movement studies in both public and intimate settings. The 160-page catalog by Grear Designers features 121 tritone photos and a variety of historical materials to provide context. Malcolm Grear was a colleague of Callahans at RISD.