Our Moral Code:

We only work with entities whose growth makes the world more sustainable, more equitable, and less corporate.

Our Creative Principle:

We communicate messages in ways that simultaneously build the identity of the messenger. We think everything an organization creates should contribute to its long-term identity.

Cocktail Bar Analogy #1 (We’re bullish on bar analogies, if you work with us, you’ll hear lots of them).

If you walk into a bar and you’re confident about who you are, and if everything about you, from the way you walk to the clothes you wear expresses who you are — people will want to hang around you. That’s branding.

If you’re insecure, you end up buying people drinks and forcing yourself to laugh at their jokes. That’s marketing.

The better you brand, the less you need to “market.”

As Laozi said, “the way to do is to be.”

WE FIND THE TRUTH AND DO IT JUSTICE.

We identify the core traits of a brand and develop them with personality and credibility.

Because the real thing beats the fake thing every time.

The key is to present your reality believably, compellingly, and free of the manipulative bullshit.

What we do works.

LET’S TALK ABOUT BRANDING. (BUT FOR NOW, SCREW THE WORD “BRAND.”)

It’s been subverted by the likes of Coke, Pepsi, Nike, Snapple, Sony, and political consultants.

Let’s use “identity.”

Merriam Webster defines “identity” like this.

1. A sameness of essential or generic character in different instances; sameness in all that constitutes the objective reality of a thing: oneness

2.  The distinguishing character or personality of an individual: individuality

The single-word synopses of these definitions really get at what we mean by identity.

ONENESS
For us, this means a cohesive outward perception – so that in all parts and all instances, you are recognizable as a singular entity. We like to think of this in the sense of music. Artists with loyal, dependable fan bases like Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, AC/DC, and Radiohead present themselves with an engaging consistency, using tools of graphic design, language, and photography to convey the essence of their personality – even as their music grows and changes. Not only is this good business, it’s also conducive to good art. Well-branded bands like Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails and Metallica (sorry AC/DC fans!) use communication techniques to maintain loyal fan bases, giving them the freedom to take artistic chances. Commercial brands do the same things. Apple’s solid core of customers has always enabled the brand to take creative risks in product design. Patagonia’s strong following allows them to take aggressive steps toward sustainability, even though it means passing the costs onto their customers.

INDIVIDUALITY
This is pretty much the same thing as oneness, but from the outside looking in. The more integrity one has as an individual, the more distinction one achieves. The surest way to stand out from the pack is to have complete integrity to your own individual morals, desires and values.

When “oneness” is expressed clearly, consistently, and compellingly — an individual identity is achieved: by this we mean, even when someone is looking at one part of your identity, they can sense the whole of you. This is the essence of the art of identity.

We like to define this as the “art of being who you are.”

Which is why we only accept clients whose growth makes the world better.