I am passionate about building brands. Branding can be a long term, strategic differentiator for the clients I work with. You can read more about my take on brand building on my blog: FireBrand Creative.
All of the brands I list below are brands I have contributed to from only paid work, either industrial design or graphic design.
Consumer Electronics Brands
Sony
I worked with Sony when I was with Red Leaf Retail Concepts in 2006. I did graphic and industrial design for displays that helped launch HD 1080p line of products: the Playstation 3, Bravia HD TVs, the Handycam camcorder, and VAIO laptops. I also did industrial design for displays featuring the Alpha line of DSLR cameras.
Sony portfolio pieces:
– HD World display
Phillips
Phillips is a wonderful engineering and deign based company who I have been fortunate to help explain the many virtues of their wonderful products through retail displays. I have worked with Phillips since 2009 until today through Matrix Marketing Concepts. I have helped them merchandise their SensoTouch shavers, and HD TV accessories in Walmart. I have done extensive work for their Avent line of premium baby products. I have also helped them merchandise their Sonicare electric toothbrushes in Cost Co and Loblaws. And I created one of the merchandising tools for their Saeco line of premium espresso makers.
Philips portfolio pieces:
– Philips Saeco Perfetto floor display
– Philips AVENT Babies ‘R’ Us section
Entertainment Brands
Warner Brothers.
Warner Bros. is a premier entertainment brand. They have been making movies since the turn of the 20th century and have made some of the most well loved movies in history: Dark Knight, Shawshank Redemption, The Matrix, The Departed and Inception. I have worked with Warner Brothers since 2010 and have helped launch many titles in store and support their distribution partners with creative graphic design and innovative industrial design.
Warner Bros. portfolio pieces:
– In Store Photo Blitz (Inception display and Blockbuster Bluray Disc graphics)
Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a video game developer and publisher. This French company is the 4th largest video game publisher in the world, and has Canadian roots as the Montreal office was one of the first 2 international expansions. It has some of the most valuable video game properties such as Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia, Driver, Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance. I am honoured to work with Ubisoft after a successful pitch for their business by Matrix MCI I was involved in. We have been working with them since early 2011 on increasingly fun and creatively challenging projects of graphic design and industrial design.
Ubisoft portfolio pieces:
– Ghost Recon: Future Soldier floor display
– Driver: San Francisco counter display
Entertainment One
eOne is a movie and music distributor, and studio. Many of the movies you see when are at the store are there because of eOne. They have also had recent success producing movies like the Twilight series. I have worked with eOne since 2010 after joining Matrix MCI. I have done graphic design to support their distribution, particularly but not limited to for their Gaiam yoga DVDs and products.
Consumer Packaged Goods Brands (CPG brands)
Kraft
Kraft is one of the largest and most recognized brands in the world. Their sub brands are the favourites of most of us: Cadbury, Jell-O, Kraft singles, Maynards, Chips Ahoy, Oreo, Mr. Christie, Crystal Light, Cool Whip, Kool Aid… the list goes on forever. When I was working for FX Creative between 2008 and 2010, their biggest client was Cadbury. I contributed to a successful RFP (Request for Proposal) for over 30 display concepts and the lionshare of the corrugate displays Cadbury used in Canada, worth millions of dollars. During that time Cadbury was purchased by Kraft, and as one of the preferred suppliers, FX Creative came as well. I was invited to take part in one of Kraft’s Multi Supplier Challenges to solve some issues in the Jell-O product mix. The contributions I made to build the Cadbury and Kraft brands were primarily through industrial design, with some graphic design.
Cadbury portfolio pieces:
– In Store Photo Blitz
Nestle
Nestle is the largest food and nutrition company in the world. Nestle is a multi faceted company with products in infant nutrition (Goodstart, Nestle Baby, …), confectionary (Aero, Kit Kat, …), frozen meals (Stouffer’s, Dellisio, …), coffee (Nescafe), ice cream (Drumstick, Parlour, …) pet food (Purina) and many more. In my time with FX Creative (from 2008 – 2010), I worked directly with most of those facets. I would go to Nestle offices in uptown Toronto and Brampton every other week to be briefed on supply chain challenges and consumer communication concerns and asked for my thoughts and solutions. My contributions were particularly in industrial design, with some conceptual graphic design work.
Nestle portfolio pieces:
– Juicy Juice ice tray
Clorox
Clorox is a chemical and food manufacturer and distributor known around the world. They are best known for their Clorox bleach, but also own brands like Burt’s Bees, Brita, Armour-All and many others. I worked with their merchandising team directly from 2008 – 2010, and they are all fantastic people. They shared their thoughts and challenges with me and were so open to my idea’s and solutions. I worked with all the brands I listened while I was with FX Creative. My contributions to Clorox’s brands were in both industrial design and graphic design.
Colorox portfolio pieces:
– Brita floor display
Bic
Everyone know Bic pens! They are ubiquitous in North America. I worked with Bic from 2008 – 2010 through Wings and Ink and Brand Momentum, both of which were partners of my then employer: FX Creative. I was able to help them both help secure one of their primary distributing channels (Staples) and launch their Ecolutions line of environmentally conscious writing tools. My contributions were both in the industrial design of their retail displays, as well as graphic design.
Bic portfolio pieces:
– In Store Photo Blitz (Mark It pole hanger, Ecolutions side kick.)
Husky Foods
Husky Foods may not have been the biggest companies that I have worked for, but they are one of the best. Husky Foods imports great food products from around the world and distributes and markets them in Canada. Because of their appreciation of good design and reasonable budgets, I did some of my best work for their brands. I helped them build their Ritter Sport chocolates and Davidoff coffee brands in store.
Husky Foods portfolio pieces:
– Ritter Sport chocolate floor display
– In Store Photo Blitz (Ritter Sport floor)
Canada Bread
Canada Bread is one of the largest baked good producers and distributors in Canada. They are most famous for their Dempsters brand of bread products. In 2008, I worked on 2 projects with them while working at FX Creative. Both had unique industrial design challenges: collapsibility, and oddly packaged products. I worked with them directly to solve both challenges.
Canada Bread portfolio pieces:
– In Store Photo Blitz (Healthy Way clip on and Dempsters Oven Fresh floor)
Toy Brands
Mattel
Mattel was a part of your childhood if your grew up in North America. You probably owned more than one Hot Wheels car or Barbie doll. I was able to take my years of childhood experience collecting cars and assembling tracks when I had the opportunity in 2009 to design some multi-pack packaging for Hot Wheels and Cars (the movie) brand toy cars. My contributions were in industrial design and conceptual graphics, and I was with FX Creative at the time.
Photo Credit: Dragi Andovski, DA Photography