Like most workplaces last year, our office was totally flipped upside down when it came to COVID-19. The pandemic lead to an influx of home offices, forgetting what it feels like to wear pants with a waistband, and learning to mute ourselves on Zoom. When it appeared as though we had a lull in cases in WNY, our team decided that associates could come in and work in the office, so long as proper protocols were followed.
For those opting in to working in the office, we wanted to create clear boundaries with our shared spaces. Messaging included fun and short headlines (written by Matt Lahue) to compliment punchy Scher-like graphics. My goal visually for this campaign was to play with how ordinary objects (rulers, staircases, hand sanitizer) could look when they become the star of the show. As time goes on and more people return to the office, these tactics will serve as a reminder to continue to practice best guidelines to stop the spread.
At The Martin Group, we were set to launch a campaign to promote Coconut Rum before COVID-19 hit the globe. What was initially designed and approved reflected the idea that the tropics and relaxation are a state of mind, and that you can enjoy vacation vibes anywhere, even in Upstate New York. I designed a billboard, landing page, and spec point of sale to sell in to this campaign based on old vacation postcards. Duane Bombard was my copywriting partner and partner in concepting overall.
At The Martin Group, I worked with the team at John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo, NY to help fill the walls of the hospital and clinic spaces with fun illustrations to distract from what could otherwise be scary situations. The inspiration for this particular space was to be inspirational and show rehabilitation through showing children with different abilities. We wanted every child who went through the clinic to see themselves on the walls while going through their rehabilitation journeys. I worked with the illustrators Pretend Friends to bring this vision to life.
As social media continues to take over as prime ad real estate, we’re seeing a trend of clients wanting to shoot quick–yet polished–user-generated feeling photography for Instagram and Facebook. Working with a copywriter, we put together ideas for small vignettes, whether it be cocktails or easy, at-home recipes, to bring these social channels to life. Engagement with the social channels skyrocketed as we started pushing out more of this content.
One of my favorite clients at The Martin Group is Three Brothers Winery. They are always very receptive to crazy/creative ideas whether it be different printing techniques, or providing crass names for one of their whimsical wineries on site.
The Vicious can was one that I worked on with illustrator Mike Gelen. We were tasked to create a canned wine to fit into their preexisting Passion Feet series that we created a year prior. We used the same silhouette as a starting point, and were inspired by Medusa’s fierceness, therefore picking up the snakes as the hair piece. We also employed a printing technique to allow for the snakes to appear metallic with a can show-through to that texture.
The lower can series were concepted with my good friend Paul England, he created the artwork for “The Devil Went Down,” while I created the artwork for “Stoned and Lonesome” and “Ride ‘Er all Night”. These cans fit in their existing winery, Bagg Dare, where the overall feel is a backwoods biker bar, appealing to more than just the typical wine tour demographic. Their overall brand feel of Bagg Dare is playful, slightly crass, and certainly cynical. We created these cans to fit within those same characteristics.
One of the most fun projects I’ve been able to work on throughout my time at The Martin Group is the seasonal Buzz Coffee menu boards. Wegmans comes to us each season to come up with ideas for photography, layout and copy for their Buzz Coffee shop located in the front of every Wegmans store. Each season, I pull inspiration for lighting, propping, colors, angle and composition for the seasonal drinks they are featuring. I then hand sketch layouts and provide concept decks to their photographer who shoots based on my sketches. Once turned back over to us, I lay in and style type. From start to finish, I always enjoy being able to take inspiration and translate it to a fresh layout.
At the Martin Group, we are tasked to design the Genesee Country Village & Museum’s (GCVM) Annual report. I designed this report from cover to cover, art directing around some beautiful, period-centric photography provided by our client.
The Nichols School is a prep school in Buffalo who has a heck of a lot of school spirit. At The Martin Group, our team was tasked with creating logos for fundraising efforts. First their capital campaign, All iN, tied together their iconic N while stressing to alumni and past donors that Nichols is in this together.
Their second fundraiser happens every year and is an event taking place on their campus featuring drinks, socializing, and a silent auction. This campaign logo will be used in years to come in order to generate a consistent event brand and hype to go along with it.
I’ve always been a fan of hand-lettering and taking that beyond the screen. But to be honest, as I’ve matured a bit in my career, I find it difficult to make time to create and letter as much as I’d like to. My little sister, Caroline, has always been one of my style icons, and when I had the idea to paint some clothing, she was the first person I thought of to be my muse. Caroline is inspired by music, and asked that I create a jacket with a nod to her favorite band, One Direction, but also something that could be totally wearable on its own. The result is a cool balance between the two. Judging by her reaction to this piece, I’m pretty sure this Girl Almighty is going to wear this thing until its down to threads.