Recently, StruckAxiom was honored to help the Forest Park Conservancy (FPC) with an annual communications challenge.

At 5000+ Acres, Forest Park is the crown jewel of Portland’s public park system and one of the largest natural areas within the boundaries of any city in the entire world (period). The FPC protects and fosters the ecological health of this treasure. Each year the FPC, like many non-profits, publishes and distributes its annual report to donors. These reports communicate key accomplishments; demonstrate how investments from donors were put to wise use and work to create dialogue regarding financial support needed in the time ahead. This year, StruckAxiom designed the FPC report.

The Challenges

• Oftentimes annual reports are plain booklets. While such a format serves its purpose, they can easily be lost in the vast sea of other mail arriving during the busy end of year time period.
• At the same time, FPC must also be hyper conscious of being good stewards of their budget (as well as the Forest). They strive to ensure every dollar works as hard as possible to make a positive, lasting difference in the park. Therefore, some typical solutions we would have dreamed up (e.g. way cool die cuts, stylish stitching, full color ink and multiple paper types) were out the window.

The Craft

• Our design team just had to give this some world-class love in terms of image “WOW-ness”, most excellent typographical treatment, and all other elements of well-crafted design.

The Smarts

We also wanted to make it just a little greater. So, we turned the typical annual report on its head (and back) …

• We were inspired by the trails of Forest Park themselves; the discovery, fun and adventure they offer.
• This got us thinking about maps, and how fun they can be to unfold, discover and plan Forest Park adventures.
• We made the report work that way. Every fold unveils a new bit of information about the work of the conservancy and the park, and keeps readers moving through them as if navigating Forest Park’s trails themselves.
• This invites a different and more dynamic level of interaction and engagement with the material (vs. simply flipping through the pages of a book).
• The icing on the cake of sweet annual report ideas came last … our own Scott Sorenson dreamed up the idea of offering a poster designed by StruckAxiom and we worked to print it on the back side of the report. The poster features the photography of the Park itself from Bruce MacGregor.
• This not only delivers surprise and delight, it means all the valuable paper resources are reusable in an inventive and fun way (Bonus!).

We hope these efforts help make Forest Park just a little Greater Than it was before.

The poster found on the back of the report (seen here), doubles as a desktop background.

FPC is distributing an electronic version of the report as well as the background here and through their social channels (Facebook and Twitter).

If you’re inspired to do something great, please show your support by liking and following our friends at FPC … they’re awesome!

Jack in the Box has named StruckAxiom as their Digital Agency of Record. StruckAxiom won the business after several rounds and reviews from a long list of competitors.

Executives at Jack in the Box narrowed it down to two finalists, both of which were given a creative assignment. In the end, StruckAxiom presented ideas that impressed both Jack in the Box and their traditional agency, Secret Weapon.

“We were extremely excited to show Jack in the Box what we could do in the digital space for their brand,” said Dan Conner, CEO of StruckAxiom. “This is a huge accomplishment and honor. We are looking forward to some impressive work and a lasting relationship.”

“They came up with some things that were really relevant and really connected with the voice” of the brand, said Nick Fletcher, who manages marketing communications at Jack in the Box in SanDiego. (quote via Adweek)

StruckAxiom will primarily work with Jack in the Box out of their Portland, Oregon office, which will lead creative efforts, and Los Angeles office, which will provide account management and strategic support.

About StruckAxiom

StruckAxiom is a digital-forward, creative agency with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Portland and Salt Lake City. The world-class brands and campaigns the agency creates are known internationally for their high-design, pioneering technology and break-through creativity. Clients include Fox Picures, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, TCBY, Mrs. Fields and The Utah Office of Tourism.

Last year, we introduced ourselves to the Rosey Awards (Portland’s marquee creative showcase) with a couple of nods for our work. This year, we took home some real hardware.

The whole-agency collaboration on TCBY.com was recognized with a Rosey (only 14 were awarded this year) and we also picked up two (2!) Awards of Excellence and six (6!) Awards of Merit.

Were we humbled by the competition? Absolutely. Were we satisfied with the Korean tacos and refreshing beverages? Surely. Were we caught making ridiculous faces for the camera? Obviously.

The complete list…

Rosey
TCBY.com

Excellence
TCBY Motion Experience
BoostUp.org

Merit
StruckAxiom.com
Castor & Pollux “Food For Pets” Print Campaign
BoostUp.org Dropout Rates Interactive Map
PorscheEveryday.com
Chevy Truck Smack Mobile App
PorscheEveryday.com User Interaction

This exhibit is a major international survey of contemporary graphic design that recently opened at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and will arrive at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in NYC mid-2012.

A huge thanks to Armin Vit of Brand New, Jeremy Leslie of magCulture.com and Ian Albinson of Art of the Title who curated the exhibit. Our TCBY logo is featured among other notable and recent logo redesigns including: Starbucks, Nickelodeon, Syfy, Comedy Central, AOL and others. Seriously, we couldn’t be more humbled and thrilled!

StruckAxiom is an official sponsor of the US Speedskating team and has some deep history with Winter Olympic Sports. We designed a new brand for them which so far has included a new logo and skin suits with much more to come. This past weekend we saw the new look in its element and in action for their first time. The only thing better than seeing our design on the ice would be to see our athletes win some medals in them. They didn’t dissappoint us. Along with debuting the new skin suits they brought home six medals including two Gold’s for Katherine Ruetter in the 1500 m event. Check out close ups of the new skins here.

The new logo is a nod to to the sport’s long-standing tradition of excellence and patriotism, while also articulating the speed and grace of its athletes. We created the new brand around the powerful theme of a shield, and incorporating the patriotic color palate of red, white, blue and silver, also allows for a unique team identity for both the long (blue palette) and short (red palette) track disciplines.

Top: Old Logo Bottom: New

Our new logo meets a complex set of needs in a simple, graphic way. The mark incorporates the long and short tracks, the “U S S” letterforms, and the skating oval.  The logo looks forward without neglecting the tradition of the sport, and speaks to the speed and grace of the athletes and the patriotism of the fans.

We’re proud to sponsor such an incredible organization and we are stoked to develop the USS brand even further leading up to Sochi 2014.

StruckAxiom will collaborate with Taubman to establish the City Creek Center brand and the creative development of an integrated and comprehensive Grand Opening advertising campaign,

“We are thrilled to be working with Taubman on the City Creek Center project. We love Salt Lake City, it’s exciting to be part of something that has been long awaited and is such an integral part of the growth of our city,” said Daniel Conner, CEO of StruckAxiom. “The plans for City Creek Center are unique to the market, and quite impressive. We look forward to creating equally impressive work and to celebrating the Grand Opening.”

About StruckAxiom

StruckAxiom is a digital-forward, creative agency with offices in Salt Lake City, Portland, Los Angeles and New York City. The world-class brands and campaigns the agency creates are known internationally for their high-design, pioneering technology and break-through creativity. Clients include Gatorade, PepsiCo, Fox, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, TCBY, Mrs. Fields and The Utah Office of Tourism.

About City Creek Center

City Creek Center opens March 22, 2012.  Bordered by South Temple, 100 South, West Temple and State St., the center is located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, just blocks from I-15 and I-80, and a 10-minute drive from Salt Lake City International Airport. The centerpiece of a sustainably designed urban community, City Creek Center features a unique shopping environment with a retractable roof, a creek winding through the property, a pedestrian skybridge and more. Anchored by Macy’s and Nordstrom, this world-class fashion and dining destination will offer approximately 80 stores and restaurants in a casual, walkable environment. For information and updates, visit www.ShopCityCreekCenter.com.

With a more fragmented agency landscape, the next generation of CD is emerging from a wide variety of disciplines. Writers are not the only creatives stepping up to the task. Print and interactive designers and developers are bringing a new definition and perspective to a very complicated job. The transition from Creative to Creative Director is not easy. Being a great creative is only part of the equation. Leadership, maturity and strategy all come into play. Clients, account people and creatives alike are all relying on the CD to get it right. In an effort to define the ideal Creative Director, here are a few classic stereotypes to examine:

The Visionary-

A Visionary has a mind for the possibilities. A true dreamer and artist, nothing can hold back the energy and optimism for a new idea. The challenge for this CD is to focus through the long process of execution and to not be discouraged when faced with the reality of budgets and timelines.

The Perfectionist-

The Perfectionist is never finished with a job until every detail is polished. The work is often impeccable and shows the attention to the craft. This person needs to constantly remind themselves to look at the big picture and trust (and train) their team to sweat the details. Bandwidth can also be a challenge.

The Superstar-

A Superstar is someone who owns a room when they walk in. They love the spotlight. They possess the magnetism and charisma to sell through bold and daring ideas. However, this type of CD can often hog great assignments or take undue credit for work. As CD they need to work hard to foster other creatives.

The Mentor-

This CD lives to see others progress and do amazing work. They can articulate the principles of great ideas and design and they nurture the best in those around them. Ironically, the Mentor needs to work to maintain respect as a creative leader and fight the assumption that “those who can’t, teach.”

The Strategist-

A Strategist has a mind for the big picture and what consumers and clients will respond to. They are smart, articulate and business minded. Their bane is that they can be seen only as a glorified account person by their own creative team. They need to strive to stay creatively sharp and relevant.

The Purist-

The Purist has a profound belief in what they are doing. They always strive to do the right kind of work with the right kind of process. The main struggle for this CD is that they can be paralyzed by compromise. The middle ground is often as unappealing for them as doing a bad job. Collaboration isn’t necessarily compromise.

The Administrator-

An Administrator can accomplish a lot because they know how run a team. They know the status of all the jobs, work loads of their team and they delegate effectively. The Administrator needs to understand that it is quality, not quantity that matters. Let others coordinate. As CD, you need to be inspiring great work.

I’ve known some great Creative Directors along the way in each of these categories. Each has their place. My ultimate CD would be a Visionary with a pinch of Mentor and Strategist. The Creative Director that is oozing with raw talent and is still an upstanding, quality human being is pure gold.  We’re lucky to have some great creative leaders here that are combining the best traits of the past and present to define a CD that is guiding us into the next era of brilliant creative work. Ultimately, there isn’t one right way to create amazing work. The right Creative Director, however, is key to making sure you can create amazing work day in and day out.

It’s not 2015, but it sure feels like it. The Nike Air MAG, made famous by Marty McFly in Back to the Future II, is a reality. Over the course of 10 days, 1,500 pairs of the iconic shoe will be auctioned online at NikeMag.eBay.com, with all proceeds going to the Michael J. Fox Foundation and its quest to eliminate Parkinson’s Disease.

What part do we play in the space-time continuum? Well, Wieden+Kennedy approached us with a concept for an online hub to showcase the shoe and track the stories and buzz around its release—and we were more than happy to help out. Check it out and support a good cause: Back4theFuture.com

The 5th Annual Supergirl Jam took place in Venice, CA on August 22nd.  We worked with Warner Bros. to develop the Supergirl brand and it’s been awesome to watch it grow into one of the premier action sports events for women.  Over 100 pro riders and thousands of fans showed up in Venice to watch competition in skate, surf and snow events. That’s right, snow in Venice, riders competed on a man-made, 28-foot high mountain packed with 80,000 pounds of snow.  Check out the results here.

We’ve always been suckers for great design, underdogs and anything close to home. When we found out there was a film including the aforementioned awesomeness, we were stoked to be involved. We created the logo, poster and some title sequence for Boys of Bonneville; a film that tells the true story of Ab Jenkins, the man who set out to break every land-speed record on the Salt Flats of Bonneville. Check out our work. Better yet, check out the film.