janelle key

In every affluent young parent there is an inner adult desperate to be nurtured. Fashion accessory brand Petunia Pickle Bottom brilliantly answers that call. We helped to transform this small, single-product California company into a premier brand in its category. 

A perfect balance of whimsy and luxury, Petunia Pickle Bottom gave birth to a whole new way of behaving in a very traditional market. The Petunia story is brought to life through classic styling and iconic, glamorous imagery. The original brand has now become a family of several young brands
with personalities of their own, all loyal to the core promise.

Work for Petunia Pickle Bottom has been featured in Communication Arts, How and Print design annuals.

In 1987 Steelcase meticulously restored the Meyer May house, a Prairie-style Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece. The home’s 100-year anniversary is at the heart of a strategy to generate discussion of “The Next 100” for Steelcase. 

A website, featured in the Graphis 2011 digital annual, was designed to showcase the house through the lens of Wright’s principles, a digital advertising campaign, and communications including a new identity and collateral materials. 

All in support of a symposium called “A critical dialogue on 21st Century Architecture and Design and the ongoing relevance of Frank Lloyd Wright,” which explored Wright’s design principles created 100 years ago and brought the Master himself into a dialogue about the future.
 

The Beaver Creek brand is one of luxury and beauty. The brand promise of Not Exactly Roughing Itdrove the campaign to be clean, simple and classic. Through timeless layouts that call attention to the tongue-in-cheek tone of the headlines, a cohesive voice for the brand was born and realized across
all media.

Sons of Trade designs bags and gear for life on the open road. Inspired by history’s great craftsmen, pioneers and explorers, the brand reflects a men’s lifestyle collection that cuts against the grain.  Photography was captured in real-life travel, whether in NYC or camping in Big Sur. No distance is too great for a true Son of Trade. 

The Scout Collection from Petunia Pickle Bottom was designed to appeal to the adventurous side of every father. By preparing men to brave the elements with their tots in tow, we created a masculine campaign that still captured the whimsy of the Petunia Pickle Bottom brand.

When Pearl Izumi redesigned their apparel line, they chose to prove that style, performance and comfort can work together. A superior fit and unique design allows runners to feel good and look good, empowering a super hero in every athlete. Creating a campaign around this Alter-Ego allowed us to speak to the many different personalities of runners in a way that stands out in a crowded marketplace.

When we were approached by the Grand Rapids Ballet to recreate their image, they wanted to stand apart from the standard ballet marketing campaigns to create something unique. While they were already a successful company, they still wanted to draw a younger demographic. I translated that into a poster series that plays against the preconceived notions of ballet to convey energy and beauty in unexpected ways.

Polyvision, a supplier of technology for the classroom, came to us with a desire to change their image for an upcoming tradeshow. With technology changing rapidly, they wanted a position that would turn the classroom around. We came up with Unlearn, as a way for them to break away from their current offering and allude to what is on the horizon.

The Cake Collection grew from a need for a higher end, luxury brand diaper bag. By working together as partners, bag branding began with the naming process after viewing sketches and initial samples. Luxurious cut-velvets and tweeds came together with custom-molded and etched hardware to create a rich, new look for this category. Every detail from custom zipper pulls to branded rivets work together to give their bags a look like no other.