We are brand
experience architects

The best brands go beyond storytelling to provide vivid experiences that are lived, and which leave a lasting positive impression. 

Our purpose is to help our clients define and build these compelling brand experiences. We believe that this requires a close union between strategy and execution, working at the intersection between key disciplines: design, marketing, operations, innovation and technology.

 
 
 
arif-wahid-266541-unsplash.jpg

Approach

Your customers experience your brand across a wide range of places, times and contexts. Powerful creative ideas are important, but those ideas are only as useful as your ability to apply them coherently to the many areas of your business that impact your customer.

We help our clients translate powerful brand ideas into an "operating system" across the customer lifecycle. We do this by helping our clients create the products, services, assets, and systems they need to keep their brand promises.

 

Services

We offer a range of strategic and creative services that help our clients build long-term brand value. Our business has three primary practice areas: Corporate Brands, Consumer Brands, and Emerging Brands.

 

case studies

Dash In Food Stores
Brand Transformation, Visual System Design, Customer Experience Design, Activation

Velocity
Brand Strategy, Visual System Design, Mobile App Design, Social Media Marketing, Content Strategy

Sony Music
Research & Insights, Information Architecture, User Experience Design, Web Design, Mobile Web Design

The Weather Company
Brand Strategy, Customer Experience Design, Brand Book

The Wills Group
Brand Transformation, Visual System Design, Interior Design, Brand Management Systems

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers
Brand Strategy, Customer Experience Design, Business Model Innovation, Environmental Design

 
 

based in:

Brooklyn, New York

 
dock 72.jpg

Our primary office is in Brooklyn Navy Yard, where we serve local, national and international clients. 

 

LATEST INSIGHTS

 
Insights
New Work: Interior Design for The Wills Group HQ
New Work: Interior Design for The Wills Group HQ

For The Wills Group, a new corporate HQ space was a critical component in their broader corporate transformation that included new ways of doing things for existing employees, and a need to attract a new generation of talent to fulfill the company’s strategic aspirations. Our design touched every aspect of the 50,000 square foot project designed to house up to 400 employees, including reception areas, workspaces, collaboration areas, conference rooms, training facilities and dining facilities. 

Where We're Exploring Now: The Best NYC Parks | Oct 2019
Where We're Exploring Now: The Best NYC Parks | Oct 2019

#UrbanPlanning done right: As the summer season comes to a close, we're enjoying the transition into Fall at our favorite NYC parks. James Corner's urban planning practice, @FieldOperations, has us tapping into our inner-horticulturist at these two New York City gems, The Highline on Manhattan’s west-side and Domino Park in Williamsburg.

What We're Discussing Now: Plant-based Proteins | Sept 2019
What We're Discussing Now: Plant-based Proteins | Sept 2019

Caring for the Planet through what’s on our Plates 🌿As nature enthusiasts & advocates for the Environment, we love to see the mass adoption of vegetarian eating and meat alternatives that help significantly reduce the impact of our food consumption on the Earth 🌎 Tofu, lentils, chickpeas, oh my! The options are diverse and delicious.

Latest ‘Grams

👀 Crushing on the many textile color ways of the beautifully formed Latis Chair by @samuel_wilkinson (textiles by @kvadrattextiles x @rafsimons). Via our favorite 🇬🇧 home store @theconranshopofficial // #InteriorDressing
#PhotographersWeLove: 🎬 Since the first time we saw an Alex Prager photograph in 2012, steeped in a specific retro cinematic Los Angeles aesthetic, we were captivated. Her photographs, and films, immerse you in a carnival of intriguing characters, staged in hyperreal scenes of daily life. Deeply saturated colors pull you into the stories she presents, lending your imagination immediate curiosity. P.S. Check out her art books and the Sept 9 feature in the New Yorker, it’s a great feature // #emotifIcons
#PublicSpaces we 🖤: The neighborhood of Broadgate in London, specifically @paulcocksedge’s new installation, Please Be Seated. Created for London Design Festival in late September, this wavy and whimsical seating structure serves multiple purposes, explained best by the designer himself: “Every single aspect of the installation is tailored to its environment as well as the function it serves. The curves raise up to create backrests and places to sit, as well as space for people to walk under, or pause and find some shade. It walks the line between a craft object and a design solution. It occupies the square without blocking it." // 📸 @markcocksedge @l_d_f_official #emotifExplores
#UrbanPlanning done right: As the summer season comes to a close, we're enjoying the transition into Fall at our favorite NYC parks🗽We're big fans of James Corner @FieldOperations, after their notable transformation of the west side of Manhattan with the revitalization of the elevated railway park that runs from Gansevoort to 34th street, @HighlineNYC was the catalyst needed to energize the west side and connect the nearby neighborhoods. With impeccable landscaping and plant species, we love tapping into our inner-horticulturist whenever we visit 🌿 As residents of Williamsburg, we were excited to hear that the next project on their roster was transforming our local waterfront, anchored by the storied Domino Sugar Factory. Enter @dominopark {photos feature DP} - opened in June 2018, it's 6 acres of beautifully designed public space, that pays homage to the hardworking history of the site by preserving iconic artifacts, and the sugar factory itself. From bocce to beach volleyball, iconic views of the Manhattan skyline are the backdrop for fountains and a playground to unleash your inner (or actual) child 🌮 Make sure to enjoy a Paloma and street tacos at @HeyTacocina, a Danny Meyer's joint (hot cocoa will be on the menu before we know it). There are plenty of areas to lounge, picnic and play - it's our favorite public space in New York City (and consistently delivers a stunning magic hour) // #emotifExplores
#InteriorCrush: By way of Spain, we love the delightful (and inaugural) concept store of children's publisher @cuadernosrubio 👫 This store delivers precisely what a branded concept store should - it's the truest expression of a brand's personality, looks toward the future and encourages exploration - a thoughtful branded experience that avoids gimmicks and favors longevity. Cheers to the whimsy of it all! // #emotifExplores
#InteriorCrush: On the heels of Milan fashion week, our favorite Milanese cafe comes to mind 👅 Enter BAR LUCE and transport yourself into the charming aesthetic of American Director, Wes Anderson. Housed as part of the arts and culture complex @fondazioneprada, you'll want to stay awhile at this cafe reminiscent of one of Anderson's film sets 🍰 Delightful displays of candy jars and cakes, Jukeboxes, Steve Zissou-themed pinball machines, pastel Formica chairs and a perfectly pastel terrazzo floor warm our nostalgic hearts 🇮🇹 Heading there soon? Make sure to explore the full grounds (even the WC’s are design gold), and catch the newly opened exhibit curated by Wes Anderson and Juman Malouf, on through Jan 13, 2020. Featuring 500+ artworks selected by Anderson & Malouf, it reveals unexpected parallels between the works and creative universes of the two artists 👀 And to get even more of a #WesAnderson fix, visit our favorite fan account @accidentallywesanderson, it's one of the best things on Insta 🍡 // #emotifExplores
 
“It is not those with the most resources, but those who move the quickest, who are winning in the digital age. We move decisively from insights to strategy, design and activation.”
— Simon Pearce, managing partner
 
brandon-jacoby-306849-unsplash.jpg

How We're Different

If there is one thing that sets us apart, it is our ability to
link strategy to real-world actions and impacts.

We excel at bringing together sound strategy with inspired creativity, to create tangible brand value for our clients. 

We combine strategic rigor with the creativity of a boutique agency and the tech-savvy of a digital-first company. We respect creativity as a strategic asset that builds brand value; we believe in applying it purposefully in the service of specific business goals. 

Our staffing model means that we can accomplish great things quickly and nimbly. In addition to our core expertise in brand strategy, innovation, and multidisciplinary design, we have strong relationships with a large network of niche specialists who complement our core skills in a range of more technical and esoteric fields. We recognize that each new situation might require very different creative talents, so we make sure we have access to world-class talent in relevant fields that include architecture, environmental design, mobile and web technology, Internet-of-things, loyalty marketing and social media.