The SafeHouse is one of Milwaukee, Wisconsin's (literal) hidden gems. Located in a back alley through a non-descript door, you're greeted by a solitary agent with one simple request; what's the password? If you can pass this test, you'll be ushered through a secret bookcase door into Milwaukee's most unique bar. Littered with everything from kitschy spy memorabilia and James Bond movie posters, to actual historic artifacts like a chunk of the Berlin wall, you'd be hard-pressed to find another place anything like this.
Through numerous client conversation, we set out to create a unique brand that embraced the spy theme while also presenting intrigue and sex-appeal. This was one of the most difficult yet successful photoshoots I've ever been involved in, but the end result elevated the ad campaign and produced a result that our client raved about.
The first option presented here is the final version that the client signed off on, which is now running in the Milwaukee market. I also wanted to show the other two options that were presented as I thought they were both just as strong. In the end, I would have been happy with any of the choices they were given.
In 2018, the menu I designed for them went on to win a Gold Addy for best menu design at the regional American Advertising Awards.
In early 2016, White Lodging was looking to launch a new creative strategy to rejuvenate their internal hiring and retention. These are just two of many concepts that were presented.
In 2018, the American Advertising Federation (AAF), approached me and the agency I was with to design the show theme, graphics, and all related collateral for their upcoming 2019 American Advertising (Addy) Awards show. As a Gold Addy winner at the 2018 show, for Best Menu Design, they were impressed with the work we had done.
From the AFF website: The American Advertising Awards is the advertising industry's largest and most representative competition, attracting more than 25,000 entries every year in local AAF Ad Club competitions. The mission of the American Advertising Awards is to recognize and reward the creative spirit of excellence in the art of advertising.
Through conversations with the client, we settled on the theme of “Celebrating Creativity Without Limits.” The central narrative revolved around a group of children competing in a boxcar racing competition, and how they used their innate ability to use creativity and ingenuity to design, build and customize their individual boxcars. The narrative was told through a short film we shot that played before and throughout the awards presentation.
We approached the design aesthetic with a stylized, DIY approach to reflect the youth of our our central protagonists and the tools they would have had available to them. Markers, stencils, paint, tape… anything they would have found around their homes.
The awards themselves were printed on a metallic silver and gold stock. In my (slightly biased) opinion, they were the best awards they had handed out in years, and were something that someone could proudly display on their walls.
In the end, the show was a major success. We went on to design the 2020 Addy Awards and became the first agency to work with AAF for two consecutive years.
