Starbucks

brand voice | product copy | marketing campaigns | corporate communications

Starbucks Frappuccino

Frappuccino has been a Starbucks favorite from the beginning. When it came time to redesign the packaging for the bottled version, it was also time to create new descriptions and a tagline for these portable indulgences.

Here’s the deal. We give you this cool, creamy incredibly delectable treat and all you’ve gotta do is enjoy. Yep, that’s it. Just chill these bottles or pour ‘em over ice. No worries since its low fat and no doubt unbelievably tasty since that’s real Starbucks coffee and real milk in every rich, satisfying sip.

So don’t worry if you can’t stop with just one. It’s why we make packs of four.

Starbucks Ice Cream

Starbucks Ice Cream is decadent, but the original packaging didn’t tell you that. And at the same time, Starbucks was introducing flavors that didn’t have any coffee in them. My job was to solve those issues with really tasty copy.

Vanilla Cashew Crunch: Cashew nut brittle meets sweet creamy vanilla

(coffee not included)

Yep, that’s what we said. No coffee in here. None. Nada. Zip.

Sure, it’s a crazy idea from a company known for its coffee. But if we do ice cream with the same quality, creativity and utter yumminess as our coffee, wow! Imagine the possibilities. Like this - sweet, creamy vanilla loaded chock full with chunky pieces of cashew nut brittle and rich caramelly swirls. Starting to sound like a pretty good idea, huh?

Starbucks Music

This is one of a collection of Starbucks and Hear Music CD’s. For each, I’d meet with the music folks who put it together, listen to their thinking, listen to the music and come up with names, descriptions and intro copy. These were always a blast to work on.

Frito Lay

packaging | print | radio

smartfood popcorn packaging

Frito-Lay needed a tone and tagline for SmartFood Popcorn packaging.  The result lead to packaging copy for the whole product line.

Smartfood Popcorn.  Is it really smart to let yourself get carried away by a snack?  To find yourself longing for it long before lunch?  To be thinking about it at three in the afternoon?  To be needing it during the nightly news?  Of course it is!  After all it’s Smartfood Popcorn we’re talking about here.  Sure our look may have changed a little, but hey, we’re still the same fresh-tasting, light-textured, totally natural, air-popped popcorn smothered in smooth, white cheddar cheese flavoring you’ve grown to love.  So why even try to resist the urge?  You know you want it.  You know how to get it.  Now go out there and be smart about it.

Smartfood Popcorn. Sign of an intelligent life.

Radio - Reduced fat doritos

When I worked at DDB Needham I had the good fortune to work on a lot of radio.  While others love TV, I’m a huge fan of what can be done with just sound.  Frito-Lay always seemed to have a project or promotion that needed some radio.  These are a few I had fun with.

Doritos print ads

Like Radio, there were always print ads to be created for Frito-Lay products. The first was an ad for the Super Bowl program when it was played in Miami. The second introduced reduced fat Doritos.

Whole Kids Foundation

marketing campaigns | corporate communications | kid’s book

In-store marketing campaign

Working for Whole Kids Foundation was a joy! It began with helping to define their brand messaging which is always the foundation for solid, consistent content. This in-store campaign was simple, direct, with a little wink of fun.

annual report

Successful Annual Reports are all about storytelling, and Whole Kids Foundation has a beautiful story to share. The more kids know and feel connected to their food, the more curious they become about how things grow or taste, and the more willing they are to try new foods. And when kids eat more veggies and fruits, they’re better nourished which can lead to better health, better school attendance and better academic performance. 

Schools are a powerful place to create garden learning spaces because so many children, parents, teachers, and others make up the school community. And school garden grants are a targeted choice for one of our top three initiatives because we know that they do exactly what we want them to do: Get kids eating more veggies!

kid’s book

Whole Kids Foundation believes that making good food choices should be fun! That’s why we worked together to create this activity book filled with recipes, activities and jokes to inspire families to learn about and try new foods together.

Activity:       Rainbow Alphabet Game: In the car, take turns naming fruits and veggies that start with the alphabet. A: apple, B: Beans, etc.

Trivia:          Red fruits & vegetables are deliciously great for healthy hearts and memory. Don’t forget!

Joke:           Q: What’s small, red & whispers?

                  A: A hoarse radish.

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

branding | brochures

brand voice

Shine is a store that benefits SCCA and offers cancer patients essential oncology products, services and guidance. My partner and I worked with the group to define their brand and create their own voice under the SSCA umbrella. As the tagline says, it’s Retail Therapy for All.

brochure

I was tasked with creating a variety of brochures for SCCA. This one explained housing options for those traveling to Seattle for long-term treatment.

You and your family may be beginning an unexpected journey of treatment and recovery in an unfamiliar place. That can feel overwhelming, but the entire Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) team is here to support you every step of the way. This housing guide was put together for the sole purpose of providing resources and reducing the stress that can come from seeking treatment away from home.

Red Door Spas - Elizabeth Arden

marketing campaigns | print ads | collateral

Devotee invite

The company was looking for a way to bring in new clients, and we determined the best way was creating an invitation for existing clients to share with a friend. Who doesn’t want that?

Oh Red Door Spa Devotee,

Thank you for indulging, dropping by, quick-waxing, or all-day visiting. We think we’ve got a fan in you and we’re hoping you’ll share your Red Door Spa secret with a friend. consider this a mere hint of our gratitude for letting us be your everyday getaway.

print ads

magazine 1

Reminding returning New Yorkers to stop in for a head to toe refresh before heading into Fall.

magazine 2

General awareness for the Fort Lauderdale crowd looking for some everyday indulgence.

magazine 3

Holiday ad with a little nudge that Red Door Spa really makes the best gift for anyone.

marketing campaign

A fast and furious little Valentine’s Day campaign.

Macaroni Grill

brand voice

menu origin story

People are funny aren’t we?  We like the comfort of the familiar, but at the same time, delight in a bit of surprise. We like things traditional and real, yet celebrate individuality above all else.

 We get that.  It’s how we started in Leone Springs, and how we still do it today.   With a dash of Romano.  A twist of Macaroni.  And a spark from the grill to get things cooking.  A happily jumbled collection of opposites.

 Like the warmth of our open kitchen paired with the unexpected elegance of fresh gladiolas. The white tablecloths topped with butcher paper and served with crayons. And the crisp-but-friendly professionalism of our staff, bustling under the twinkling casualness of our simply strung lights.

 And let’s not forget our crazy-good mix of mouthwatering, familiar favorites and deliciously Italian-inspired, one-of-a-kind creations coming together to bring you the kind of menu you can’t help but linger over.

It’s a pretty good thing we’ve got going.  A twist.  A dash.  A spark.  Just enough to keep things interesting.

 And that’s so Macaroni.

Gift Cards for all occasions

Thank You

Outside:          Who doesn’t want to be appreciated?

Inside:             Sure a thank you is nice.

                        But a thank you and an amazing dinner, well that really shows your worth.

Appreciating friends, family and a gift card for food. 

                        That’s so Macaroni.

Generic

Outside:          There could be any sort of reason.

Inside:             Congrats.  Thanks.  Wowee you’re the best!

                        Well, you know why.

                        Turning non-occasions into celebrations.

                        That’s so Macaroni.

Austin Cake Ball

website | packaging | collateral

Website and mobile

This local company is absolutely amazing at what they do and I had the pleasure of sharing that passion through their website.

Homegrown in Austin and as unique as the town they’re named for, Austin Cake Ball offers eleven traditional flavors and more than six seasonal specialties.  But that’s just the signature ball, add liquor-infused infections for your next fundraiser, match the icing to your wedding colors, add an icon for an anniversary or birthday, the combinations and celebrations are deliciously, decadently limitless! 

 So go on.  Give in.  Have a ball!

Packaging

What you are about to enjoy quite possibly may be the most perfect bit of utter deliciousness your mouth has ever experienced. It’s more rich and dense than ordinary cake, more decadent than a truffle and more whimsically indulgent than you’re probably expecting.

So go on. Give in. Have a ball!

marketing collateral & GIFT CARDS

There may only be one thing better than getting Cake Balls and that’s giving Cake Balls.  Okay, well it’s not really better, but it’ll make you feel nice to share the goodness.  And we make it easy with our online gift certificates.  Just pick the amount and choose your mode of delivery!

1. Get a code on your order confirmation email that you can pass along to a friend for them to use with our cart.

2. Come in and pick up a hard copy.

3. For $1 we’ll print a hard copy and stick it in the mail to the address you provide.

Sway Social

website

website

This was a great little project for a niche market - I love it when I get to learn new things.

We’re a unique, high-touch boutique company specializing in influencer project management. We step in where an influencer’s agency leaves off.

After the pitch, negotiation and offer, we partner with influencers to complete the work. We oversee the intricacies of the campaign and take care of everything from managing timelines and messaging guidelines to collaborating on content creation, preparing posts and providing analytics back to the brand.

Sway also helps influencers grow affiliate revenue by creating and managing the strategy, handling the graphics, and using those assets to post affiliate links. We then deliver analytics to show the influencer’s selling abilities which in turn arms their agency with powerful data for pitching more brand deals.

Simply put, Sway is an influencer necessity that sounds like a luxury.

Truth Initiative

annual report

Annual report

Truth Initiative is dedicated to achieving a culture where young people reject smoking, vaping and nicotine. I loved telling about a year they had of growth and achievement.

2013 was a year of renewal for truth®, Legacy’s signature youth smoking prevention program.  This new campaign continued truth’s 14-year history of speaking to America’s youth in their own language, arming them with the facts about smoking, and exposing the marketing tactics of Big Tobacco.  

The truth campaign returned to television with a bold and original series of ads focusing on some of the ugly facts around tobacco use and tobacco industry marketing tactics.   The TV spots were augmented by a host of new digital and interactive elements, allowing teens to participate in the campaign and spread the truth to their friends. And another summer of extensive grassroots touring allowed teens and young people from all over the country to see truth live and up close. 

This frank talk is how the campaign has kept hundreds of thousands of teens from starting to smoke and saved our nation more than $5 billion in health care costs. So, continuing in 2014, Legacy is committing new and significant investments to this award-winning public education program.  A refocus on paid advertising will allow truth to reach even more young Americans with its life-saving message.

Corner Bakery

brand voice | marketing campaigns | website

seasonal marketing

Work for Corner Bakery Cafe began with creating brand strategy and defining their brand voice. From there were many years of marketing magic.

As individual as snowflakes, and much tastier on the tongue. From Chocolate Cherry and Chocolate, to Banana with Caramel Icing and Gingerbread Pumpkin Bundts, we have sizes to fit everyone on your wish list. Treat yourself to one at the Corner today.

in-store marketing

Whoever said homemade had to be made at home?

In the mood for a hot, hand-crafted breakfast - minus the cooking and cleanup? Fortunately, all our Scramblers are freshly prepared in our kitchen, so you don’t have to scramble in yours.

Talk about a made-to-order morning!

Gift Cards

You know how they say great things come in small packages? Completely not true. Bigger is indeed, usually better. Unless you, like Corner Bakery Cafe, have managed to cram a bowl of warm and toasty tomato basil soup, a chicken pomodoro panini, a collection of chocolate cherry baby bundts, two or three rich cinnamon crème cakes, harvest salads galore, a table full of world famous breakfast scramblers, lusciously delectable cookies of all sorts, sweet crisps, and a beautiful travel mug filled with a delicious hand roasted coffee into one compact, amazingly tidy, and already beautifully wrapped little package complete with gift tags. But you’re a mere mortal, so you probably can’t. And that right there is why you should trust the holiday magic of Corner Bakery Café and give a gift card.

Print Ads

William Stubbs

William Stubbs is an interior designer in Houston known for his use of decorative antiques and his fearlessness in the face of patterns. BrandCory created his lion-taming logo and asked me to help create language to describe his work that played off that theme.

Whipple law offices

There’s a wonderful design studio in Dallas – BrandCory – who specialized in brand building, but also can’t help doing gorgeous, fun, memorable print work for locals. Like these for a lawyer whose focus is family law. With a twist.

preston hollow presbyterian church

This is also a BrandCory project. The challenge was how to present this church as an inviting place that would happily welcome new members. The combination of unexpected illustrations, lovely layout and copy did the trick.