BMO Bank of Montreal has been the official bank of the Calgary Stampede for 100 years.
I have worked on this annual sponsorship communications package for two consecutive years. In 2013 we took it somewhere very simple and unique.
A series of antique western-styled posters were developed to celebrate the various aspects of BMO's sponsorship involvement. This artwork was used in OOH (Out-of-Home) applications around the city of Calgary. As well as in digital advertising.
StartUp HERE Toronto is an initiative lead by the City of Toronto and it's mayor John Tory and a community of innovation driven organizations through the city. Those organizations included the likes of Invest Toronto, MaRS, UofT, DMZ and Startup Toronto to name a few.
It's purpose is to act as a promoter and supporter of the various start ups in technology, health, research, science, fashion, food and other sectors. Primarily, a way of educating investors on the richness of Toronto's start up ecosystem.
I lead a small team to further articulate the brand's purpose, develop an identity and master the brand's visual platform. The process included getting stakeholder's buy-in in the form of round table discussions and presentations.
I also coached people at the City of Toronto at many stages of the project's management. Helped set up the internal team with effective templates and tools. I also helped design the existing website.
startupheretoronto.com
Back in 2011, Kobo Inc. underwent an acquisition by Rakuten, the largest online shopping mall in Japan. It had to change it's brand's purpose and in an effort to change their business model, decided in 2015 that it would need to migrate from being primarily a device manufacturer to being a global player in eBooks.
Cossette was hired to help that new message come to life with a campaign we call OPEN UP.
I joined the team to help articulate the platform, design the visual system and build out visual assets and templates. The intention was to give Kobo's internal designers everything they needed to rollout all communications.
We also rolled out the first phase of the campaign for social media, eCRM and in-store POP.
A fellow photoblogger George Koruth based in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India contacted me to help him with creating a simple logo for his developing photographic endeavours.
His work has been showcased in "The New Yorker", "The Huffington Post", "Asian Geographic", "Better Photography" and "The Hindu". With this exposure has come interest to capitalize on his work.
I developed a very modern identity that I feel captures the essence of his work. He is very much a person who uses his photography as a means to connect with people in India and abroad, often taking a somewhat spiritual tone.
That is why I proposed a design for George to consider block printing onto Indian Cotton scarves. This I propose could be given as a token of appreciation to subjects.
We hosted a very important client at our agency workplace. It was important that we design an experience that celebrated and emphasized the scale of their brand.
I lead a creative team and collaborated with Circle Productions, and Elisa Sauvé, (production designer) to ensure our vision came to life.
Conceived by Normand Latourelle, one of the co-founders of famed Cirque du Soleil, Cavalia is a fresh mix of equestrian and performing arts, multimedia and special effects, innovatively integrating acrobatics, dance, aerial stunts and live music.
Being the lead designer on this mandate included crafting the identity and art directing all visual communications.
We hosted a very important client at our agency workplace. It was important that we design an experience that celebrated and emphasized the scale of their brand.
I lead a creative team and collaborated with Circle Productions, and Elisa Sauvé, (production designer) to ensure our vision came to life.
I was lead designer on Laurentian University's 2011 view book.
This book is a comprehensive 100+ page document that colourfully orients prospective and returning students about the institution, it's culture and it's courses.
My concept of 101 things you need to know was carried throughout the document. It offered a wide range of surprising facts about the university. The object was to build awareness of Laurentian and promote the greatest parts of living in Sudbury.
Canada's only full-sized orchestra dedicated to new music, Esprit Orchestra set out to increase season ticket sales by attracting new audiences. A completely new platform and campaign was developed to communicate the intimate, immersive, sensory experience that the group's live performances deliver.
In an effort to reach a broader audience, Esprit approached my team to help create a fresh vision for the upcoming season's marketing initiatives. I lead the mission and created a visual platform that is simple and iconic. We carried through this approach to two consecutive seasons and it is still a basis for Esprit's evolving brand identity.
A new education and research network between Canada and Brazil has set out to develop environmental initiatives focused on the sustainable use and remediation of land and water.
I created a memorable name and identity that captures the organization's vision and it's goal to establish a knowledge base for the responsible management of resources.
General Mills Canada contacted our team to help them maximize their sponsorship efforts for the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver. They had managed a contract with the women's and men's hockey teams.
I suggested a promotional idea that included having every athlete's signature be reproduced on a series of t-shirt designs. Each being promoted via cereal boxes.
The Hudson's Bay Company was onboard for production and fulfillment.
The program was so successful that HBC had to ramp up it's production to meet demand. And, when both team's won Gold for Canada, the orders for t-shirts tripled.
This project resulted in similar programs being created at General Mills. We created items like Lucky Charms beach towels and a series of toques for winter.
Capitalize for Kids engages the investing community to support life-changing children's brain and mental health programs.
We were tasked with rebranding the organization and help articulate it's vision. They wanted to appeal to both older investor's as well as appeal to young business people.
I lead the branding process and helped their team setup the necessary tools required for their 2016 launch date at their investor's conference.
The system created included mini guidelines.
In 2008, I was assigned Emera Inc's Progress Report to Shareholders (Annual Report).
The briefing from President Christopher Huskilson was to express the potential of Emera's future.
I created a report that placed that opportunity in the hands of every level of employee at Emera. I directed a photographer remotely (based in Halifax, NS). And forged a very solid relationship with the communications team at Emera, resulting in 3 more years of working with them on a number of initiatives.
The brand identity, like it's product, was inspired by the Canadian North. The logo is made up of a whalebone – which symbolizes protection – over a stone landmark, that the Inuit people called an Inukshuk. Inukshuks have stood for centuries in some of the harshest, most unforgiving places on earth.
Kamik, a client for nearly two years, was in need of a robust identity platform. Included was the complete repackaging of all it's products, informational graphics, website, corporate material, etc..
Other than being a re-branding mandate, the work that followed included visual platforms for it's seasonal launches (winter and summer). I created and produced all sales material required.
At Guru Bikes, they believe a bicycle is more than a piece of equipment. It is the ultimate interface between man and the road, one that should feel like a natural extension of your body. That is why Guru crafts their frames based on individual rider specifications.
I was instrumental in a bold new marketing strategy that demonstrated the powerful bond between rider and bike. I created a new marketing platform that connected the two in an intimate partnership.
The simplest and most innovative item in platform was that we convinced our client to implement an additional step in the fitting/crafting process. Each new client was fitted with a commitment ring made from the same material as their chosen bike frame (carbon, aluminium or steel).
In an effort to help friends of mine at Pink Iceland to boost awareness back in Toronto, I created a persona and rebranded my own social media feeds leading to Gay Pride 2013.
I successfully transformed myself into "The Gayest Viking in Toronto" and plundered the city looking for love in the new world. Toronto photographer, Geoff Fitzgerald documented my viking crusade.
The project ended with my handing out flyers and selling Pink Iceland tours to people at Pride.
Long-live "The Gayest Viking in Toronto".
#thegayestvikingintoronto got traction and had the small tour companies in Iceland asking about my efforts.
Back in 2001, Shoppers Drug Mart invested in a large scale rebranding effort and launched a new retail design that set the template for their current stores.
I was very fortunate to be a member of a very small team of designers that worked in partnership with Watt International. My role as designer involved logo design, brand elements, guidelines, retail signage/communications as well as development of their LIFE brand product designs.
We hosted a very important client at our agency workplace. It was important that we design an experience that celebrated and emphasized the scale of their brand.
I lead a creative team and collaborated with Circle Productions, and Elisa Sauvé, (production designer) to ensure our vision came to life.
It is a very rare opportunity to get an airline branding project in your book. So much so that I share this project in memorium to a year long project that never took off and to all those that suffered when 911 shook the world and effectively canceled the airline's launch altogether.
Jetz was to be a new discount airline for the Canadian market. I was a primary designer on the development of it's identity. My role included logo work, brand guidelines, livery designs, plane interior, textile design and weaving, food service and much more.
I worked two years with AMD (Advanced Micro Devices), based in Sunnyvale California.
My role was to support the already established relationship with their existing brand management partner. I developed various brand guidelines, directed facilities signage and designed new product brands.
