create / June 19, 2013

Lennar: Everything’s Included

YouTube Preview ImageOne of our very first projects for our new client, Lennar, was to create a video piece that articulates their brand promise, Everything’s Included. Many other homebuilders work off an add-on model, where buyers select a base model home and then get charged for every upgrade. Lennar takes a radically different approach in which homebuyers are free to personalize their home through color selections and with no hidden charges and haggling. Over the next year, we’re going to be bringing different aspects of the Everything’s Included concept to life. And to launch the campaign, we started with an anthemic video that underscores the first aspect: Everything’s Included…Even Joy.

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By: Alexandra Fuller
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think / June 12, 2013

Pinterest vs. Flipboard

Have you heard of the internet? Yes? Okay. Cool. Pinterest? Yeah? Good. What about Flipboard? Kinda? Well, let’s talk about it.

In the last two years, Pinterest (with all of its pinning and repinning) has taken the blogging and search worlds by storm. It’s great for inspiration, collecting and creativity. Flipboard, on the other hand, started in a different place—collating your social feeds into a smooth and super enjoyable digital layout on the iPad that hearkens back to the good ol’ days of magazines and newspapers (Periodicals! FTW!). In the last couple months, though, Flipboard has pivoted directly into Pinterest’s home turf, launching their “Magazines” functionality that turns users into editors who can “flip” articles from their social feed into their own curated collections.

As an avid Flipboard and Pinterest user (and probably the only man in his mid-30s who can claim both?), I gave Flipboard’s new features a whirl. Would I like it? Hate it? Would it pull me away from all my botanically-brewed ginger ale recipes on Pinterest? Or would I find that Flipboard has over-reached with this update? 

I started with an easy first step for me: A magazine about cars. Vintage BMWs, in fact. I spent, oh, about a million hours coming up with a clever name and then started “flipping” images and articles into my first magazine: Bimmerazzi. With a few weeks (and a few more magazines) under my belt, I’ve gathered a few observations:

1. The user experience is great.

Flipboard has always excelled here, so it’s no real surprise. The transitions and button layouts are well thought-out. It’s easy and intuitive to quickly build a mountain of content without any disruption to my daily content consumption habits. In short, they’ve added a ton without taking anything away from the experience.

2. They’re connecting users with the right content.

Whatever Flipboard is doing (algorithms! math! robots!) to connect readers with relevant magazines… well, they’re killin’ it. In a few weeks, I’ve attracted exponentially more readers on my magazines than followers I’ve gained after almost two years of Pinteresting.

3. The layout is the key.

As much as I love the strict content grid of Pinterest (Adobe’s even adopting similar layouts/terminology for their Marketing Cloud UI), there’s still something comfortable and welcoming about the editorial layout of Flipboard’s pages. It’s a subtle differentiation—but the layout focuses the experience on the content instead of on the curator. On Pinterest, I pin and collect content that represents me and my personal tastes. But my Flipboard magazines aren’t really about me. Bimmerazzi is about BMWs, not about how cool I am for liking them.

A final thought: Maybe this Flipboard pivot represents social content turning a corner—a change from the inward approach of pinning and back-patting (I’m so awesome for finding this!) to a more giving community where editors create and curate with the outward purpose of providing something of value for their readers.

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WellBiz Selects Struck as Creative AOR

HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO — June 12, 2013 — WellBiz Brands, one of the largest wellness franchise organizations, today announced their selection of Struck as creative agency of record after a nationwide search.  Struck, a digital-forward creative agency, is tasked with increasing brand awareness and driving growth of the company’s Fitness Together and Elements Therapeutic Massage franchise businesses.

Struck will develop new brand identities and integrated campaigns for both the Fitness Together and Elements Massage entities. The agency will also create a strategic framework to optimize brand messaging and promotions in support of franchisees.

“Struck’s strong branding capabilities and extensive experience within the health and fitness industry makes this an ideal strategic and creative partnership,” said Jaime A. Vasquez, Executive Vice President/CMO of WellBiz Brands, Inc. “We believe this effort will be incredibly valuable in meeting our growth objectives over the coming years.”

Struck will apply a strategic, multi-disciplinary approach for WellBiz Brands, drawing from each of their core capabilities of branding, advertising and digital marketing.

“Here at Struck we’re relentlessly pursuing strategic and long-term relationships with strong challenger brands within our industries of expertise,” said Daniel Conner, CEO at Struck. “We’ve found that perfect combination with the WellBiz Brands concepts and the teams that lead them.”

In addition, WellBiz Brands also named Blitz Media as their media agency of record to work collaboratively with Struck in moving their business forward.

ABOUT WELLBIZ BRANDS, INC.

Formerly known as Fitness Together Holdings, Inc., WellBiz Brands, Inc. is headquartered in Highlands Ranch, Colorado and is one of the largest wellness franchise organizations in the United States.  The company owns Fitness Together Franchise Corporation (Fitness Together), which franchises one-on-one and small group personal physical fitness training studios, and Elements Therapeutic Massage, Inc. (Elements), which franchises Elements Therapeutic Massage studios, providing custom therapeutic massage to meet clients’ individual needs.

Fitness Together began franchising in 1996 and currently has 219 locations across the United States, Brazil, and Canada. Elements began franchising in 2006 and has 139 locations in 26 states.  For more information about Fitness Together, please visit the website.  If you would like more information about Elements Therapeutic Massage, please visit the website.

ABOUT STRUCK

Struck is an insight-driven, digital-forward creative agency with offices in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Portland. Struck believes in making brands Greater Than through forward-thinking, breakthrough creativity, and interactive innovation. The agency develops powerful brand solutions and experiences for clients in the travel & tourism, restaurant & franchise, entertainment, active lifestyle/fitness, and luxury industries. Clients include Jack in the Box, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks Animation, ASICS, Westfield, Deer Valley Resort, The Little Gym, Utah Office of Tourism and Lennar.

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play / May 24, 2013

Pennies from Heaven

Arrested Development is back (the world rejoices) and with the return of anything this incredible, it should be ushered in as a golden, laser-eyed cheetah sitting atop a throne of Doritos and carried on the backs of cloned Sasquatch slaves (I want you to picture that). So, Phil “The Weeping Wolverine” Smallwood and Dave “Ryan Gosling” Bunnell decided to do our own brand of “ushering in” the only we we know how—we kidnapped Jason Bateman and shoved bamboo shoots under his toenails. Actually, we didn’t do that at all…like, at all. Rather, we created a poster. Yeah, you heard that right. Your eyeballs aren’t colluding against you. We created a gosh darned poster! (Confetti falling from the sky in black and white post-war celebratory footage.)

See y’all, Phil and I LOVE Arrested Development. We were watching it back in 2003 when the freaking intern was 13 and it’s been lodged in our black hearts ever since. The poster is lazily titled “103 Jokes.” We gathered together as many jokes as we had time to create and distilled them down to their essence. If you can guess all 103 we’ll personally give you $50…for reals.
So enjoy, all you AD snobs. We hope you like it. If you don’t, well then shut up. If you get stumped we’re making a cheat sheet for all you cheaters out there.

…Oh, and the intern sort of helped. He might cry if we didn’t include him. Thanks Chase, sort of.

Click here for a larger resolution image and be sure to hit “Read More” for some bonus detail shots!

Read More »

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By: davebunnell
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create / May 22, 2013

Our Faves from the 2013 AIGA 100 Show

Last Saturday, we were thrilled to attend one of SLC’s premier annual events, the AIGA 100 Show. It was a night of food, drinks and music–not to mention the best creative talent in the region. The gala was held at a Struck favorite, The Leonardo, and celebrated the best 100 pieces of design over the past year. We always love to see our creative community being recognized so it gave us warm fuzzies when videos recited the judges comments about their favorite 10 pieces, the Copper Ingot awards. They were blown away by the talent in SLC and we can see why!

Struck walked away with one of these prestigious awards, and seven other merit awards. We wouldn’t feel right without bragging about our stellar talent, but there were some other highlights worth mentioning. We, along with most designers, have a strong appreciation and affection for craft. So we were particularly envious of the beautiful poster that Hint Creative designed for Gruppo.

The detail and authentic quality set this piece above and there is no question why it was ranked one of the best. In contrast to this piece, the simplicity and wit of Weber student Paul Mason made his poster for the classic SLC music venue Kilby Court an instant favorite for our creative director, Scott Sorenson. I suspect Scott feels a connection to the Pterodactyl.
Speaking of Scott, he took away his own Copper Ingot for the very cool Dexterity Salon barbering campaign. It doesn’t hurt that he was also one of the models sporting “The High & Tight.”

In the end, we had an amazing time rubbing elbows, drinking cocktails and participating in a little healthy competition. The AIGA board put on a killer event and we can’t wait for next year.

Congrats to all of this year’s winners and to our team on their wins as well:

• Copper Ingot Award: Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon / Dave Bunnell, Phil Smallwood, Mike Torretta, Russ Gray, Beth Lopez
• Merit Award: Joy to the World Window Illustrations / Peder Singleton, Todd Downer, Elizabeth Demers, Jeannie Dahlhauser
• Merit Award: Capture a Fairy Packaging / Brent Watts, Kortney Greer, Beth Lopez
• Merit Award:  A La Mode / Brent Watts, Russ Gray
• Merit Award: ProBar Packaging / Scott Sorenson, Matt Manes, Russ Gray, Destin Cox
• Merit Award: Struck Notebooks / Tosh Brown, Mike Torretta, Val Jar
• Merit Award: Konditorei Invitations / Brent Watts, Kortney Greer, Alex Fuller, Suzanne King

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By: kevinperry
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create / May 13, 2013

Lennar Selects Struck as National Digital Creative Agency

SALT LAKE CITY – May 13, 2013 – Struck, a digital-forward creative agency, today announced their selection as the new corporate digital creative agency by Lennar Corporation (NYSE: LEN and LEN.B), one of the nation’s leading homebuilders. Struck will be responsible for Lennar’s national advertising and digital campaigns during the 2-year engagement. Struck’s strong digital capabilities will support Lennar’s already robust Internet, mobile and social media efforts.

“We are extremely excited to be teaming up with Struck for our Digital Creative initiatives moving forward,” said Kay Howard, Director of Communications, Lennar Corporation. “We sought out a digital agency who could help elevate our brand and our online presence with great digital content—and we feel we have definitely found the right team with Struck.”

Though predominantly digital, Struck will apply a strategic, multi-disciplinary approach for Lennar. The partnership will allow Lennar to continue to effectively respond to market changes and maximize customer relationships by creating deeper online engagement.

“Lennar is leading the industry in their use of social media and mobile marketing to connect with their customer base,” said Daniel Conner, CEO at Struck. “We are extremely proud to be working with a homebuilding leader and, more importantly, a company that recognizes the incredible value of their digital communication streams in creating customer value.”

ABOUT LENNAR

Lennar Corporation, founded in 1954, is one of the nation’s largest builders of quality homes for all generations. The Company builds affordable, move-up and retirement homes primarily under the Lennar brand name. Previous press releases and further information about Lennar may be obtained at the “Investor Relations” section of the Company’s website.

ABOUT STRUCK

Struck is a national digital-forward creative agency with offices in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Portland. The brand solutions the agency creates are well recognized for their forward thinking, breakthrough creativity, and pioneering technology. Clients include Jack in the Box, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, ASICS, PROBAR, Westfield, Deer Valley Resort, The Little Gym, and Utah Office of Tourism.

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create / May 7, 2013

Lagoon: Defining Fun

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Last summer, we were challenged with the task of promoting one of Utah’s most iconic attractions: Lagoon Amusement Park. As one of the longest-operating amusement parks in the country, Lagoon’s awareness isn’t a problem around the Intermountain West. But communicating the Lagoon experience was a bit tougher.

Our approach? We looked at their existing tagline “It’s what fun is!”, and actually dissected what “fun” is through the words of their guests. We explored how to connect that back with their core audiences of both families and youth. The Struck team then took those insights and created two video pieces, each tailored to those guest segments.

For Lagoon’s broadcast campaign starting in May, we showcased Lagoon for families in the magic hour that only evening light can provide. We defined fun for families through the lens of nostalgia, memory, and capturing moments with family and friends… right as the sun goes down and the neon flickers on. Set to the song “Pure” by Blackbird Blackbird, the spot re-introduces Lagoon as a place to re-connect and to make indelible memories. The spot’s aptly entitled: Let fun reign.

On the other hand, the definition of fun for Lagoon’s youth demographic was through the lens of social interaction and shared experience. That lent itself to a feel and tone that was far more whimsical, with tongue firmly planted in cheek. The end result was a web-only, ’80s-vibe video entitled “Best Friends”, available now through Lagoon’s YouTube channel. Check it out.

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Of course, your own definition of fun will be determined when or if you visit Lagoon. (Shameless plug alert!) If you’re in the State or within striking distance, put Lagoon on the ‘ol itinerary and let us know if fun reigned.

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By: jeremyChase
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create / April 17, 2013

Kevin Perry: National AIGA Board Member

SALT LAKE CITY–April , 2013 — Struck, a digital-forward creative agency, announced today that Kevin Perry has received the distinguished honor of being appointed to the national board of AIGA, the largest professional membership association for design.

Perry was nominated from a wide national pool of candidates and he will serve a three-year term to help shape the direction of the organization, which represents a variety of professions under the umbrella of communication design. Perry’s appointment to the esteemed design association represents the high standards for creativity and design that are at the forefront of Struck’s innovative and groundbreaking work.

“We are extremely proud of Kevin’s accomplishments and his prestigious appointment with the AIGA,” says Daniel Conner, CEO at Struck. “He is an exceptional part of our team and is a perfect example of the caliber of top-tier talent that Struck has on board.”

Perry is a designer and business professional with more than 13 years of agency experience, and has played a leading role at Struck for the past 2 years. He provides operational expertise to the agency and orchestrates the diverse talents of more than 75 creative and strategic experts across the agency’s multiple offices. Perry is a past board member and president of the Salt Lake City chapter of AIGA.  His work has been awarded by major design competitions, including the AIGA 100 Show and Print. He was previously the creative director at Fluid Studio, and is the cofounder of Salt Lake Design Week and the ReVinylize Project.

“Today, design is recognized for its ability to join empathy and creativity in creating value for business and improving the experience,” said Ric Grefé, executive director, AIGA. “At the same time, the role of associations is challenged by social media and the internet. AIGA needed a leader who instilled confidence among his peers to help redefine AIGA’s role as a powerful advocate for design and Kevin definitely fits that challenge.”

ABOUT AIGA

AIGA is the professional association for design, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing design as a professional craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force. Founded in 1914, AIGA today serves more than 22,000 members through 67 chapters and 200 student groups throughout the United States. AIGA stimulates thinking about design, demonstrates the value of design and empowers the success of designers at each stage of their careers. Learn more at aiga.org/about.

ABOUT STRUCK

Struck is a national digital-forward creative agency with offices in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Portland. The brand solutions the agency creates are well recognized for their forward thinking, breakthrough creativity, and pioneering technology. Clients include Jack in the Box, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, ASICS, ProBar, Westfield, Grand America Hotels & Resorts, The Little Gym, and Utah Office of Tourism.

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By: DrRahlf
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