Gypsy’s Brand Identity

One of our clients was in need of a brand identity for a new restaurant he was launching, Gypsy’s. Gypsy’s was to be known as a family-friendly biker hangout with a bit of an upscale atmosphere—and, of course, good food. JAK’s goal was to create a unique, recognizable logo that would capture the essence of the establishment and stand out. The final logo our client chose accomplished that goal and more with the help of bold colors and typography, and a motorcycle visual partially crafted out of images of culinary items.

Modell Funeral Home Identity Refresh

After renovating their facilities, the owners of a local funeral home decided it was time to have their more current look reflected in their marketing materials. In order to do that, they needed a fresh brand identity, starting with a new logo.

JAK created a logo that is, in essence, a modern spin-off of the original logo that Modell had used since 1955. The new logo uses a serif font that looks contemporary, with a nod to the traditional gothic, blackletter script present in their old identity. JAK incorporated young leaves to represent the tree of life, a motif that can also be found in the funeral home’s interior.

Modell’s new logo was later integrated into the design of business cards, a letterhead, envelopes, and outdoor signage.

American Express and Delta Shop Small Holiday Market

For the 2014 holiday season, American Express and Delta Air Lines came together to present the Shop Small Holiday Market in downtown Seattle, a monthlong event featuring 40 local merchants and unique holiday gift ideas.

The event was held to inspire holiday shoppers to support local businesses, and as part of that initiative, JAK created a responsive website for the curated pop-up market, highlighting the partners, venue, and transportation options.

NewsGator Mailer

NewsGator was a software company at a crossroads. Its newsfeed software was already in use at several hundred companies, but now it was offering much more—a new enterprise-wide social mobility and collaboration platform.

NewsGator needed to gain visibility and secure appointments. That’s where JAK came in. To help NewsGator get the attention of C-level decision-makers at a small group of targeted companies, we created a mailer that cut through the clutter and captured the core benefit of this interactive networking solution.

The medium was the message: NewsGator’s new software could help users break through internal barriers that were interfering with productivity. The mailer arrived on the right desks—and meetings were secured with the right people.

NewsGator is now Sitrion.

ComEd Diversity & Inclusion Reports

ComEd’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is an essential part of its culture. For years, JAK has helped the electric utility company communicate this through annual reports, each with a distinct theme that reinforces values, details initiatives and achievements, celebrates individual employees, and generates enthusiasm.

In 2014, the 28-page report was titled "A Whole New Light" and featured the diverse interests of select employees. JAK artists enhanced the employees’ portraits with an oil brush effect and impressive framing. Innovative treatments and strategic placement also drew attention to other components of the report: relevant statistics, recent awards, news, photographs, corporate statements, and objectives.

ComEd D+I Summit

After years of spearheading the creation of ComEd’s annual report on diversity and inclusion, JAK was called on to create collateral for an exciting new event, the company’s inaugural D+I Summit.

ComEd’s 2017 D+I Summit: The Intersection of Innovation and Inclusion was held in the fall for select individuals from within the company and external invitees as well. JAK was challenged with creating a unique look that reflected the theme of the summit while remaining within ComEd’s brand.

The resulting design used imagery of bright, colorful pigments dispersed in water—visuals that represented diversity. JAK applied that motif to a D+I Summit booklet, banners, e-vites, and other creative pieces.

My FedEx Rewards Holiday Campaign

The 2014 holiday season was approaching. The team behind My FedEx Rewards was searching for a way to encourage members to redeem points for gift cards and other merchandise, on sale for a limited time. Almost 50 items were to be included, and the printed piece needed to adhere to strict brand guidelines while conveying a generic but engaging holiday look and feel.

After proposing a variety of format options, JAK began work on a booklet with items grouped into seven sections. We also created an email to further promote the campaign. Both the booklet and email were later versioned for five customer segments.

Google Express Email

When Google and American Express partnered on an offer to promote a new delivery service called Google Express to American Express® Card Members, JAK really delivered.

Along the way, JAK was faced with the challenge of reconciling Google Express guidelines with American Express templates, creating graphic harmony between two corporate superpowers. For example, Google Express planned to display the logos of its merchant partners, but American Express did not have the same partner relationship with those merchants. JAK artists devised a middle-ground solution that met the standards of both American Express and Google.

Plenti App for Small Businesses

Near the end of 2015, Plenti was getting ready to launch a pilot program in Brooklyn to engage small businesses. In order to participate, local merchant partners would need a quick way to connect customer transactions with the Plenti network. To accomplish this, Plenti decided to give each merchant an iPad loaded with a custom app for recognizing a customer as a Plenti member, either by scanning a Plenti card with the iPad’s camera or by inputting a phone number.

JAK did the front-end user interface design for this app, creating a clear user experience that reconciled Plenti brand guidelines with Apple best practices. We provided Plenti with Photoshop files for the app, which were later handed off to developers who completed the coding.

Executive Coaching Connections Brochure and Fact Sheet

When Illinois-based Executive Coaching Connections tapped JAK to create a new informational brochure, we set out to tell the company’s story with the utmost care. That meant collaborating closely with leadership at every step of the process.

The resulting partnership moved ECC’s marketing in a fresh new direction while remaining true to its mission and brand. JAK created two separate brochures and fact sheets—one for ECC’s full range of services and the other focused specifically on its executive coaching program.

JAK wrote copy, created original graphics, and selected photographs that emphasized how ECC’s coaches and experts unlock positive results for the company’s clients.

American Express Gift Card Packages

A few years ago, American Express wanted to gain more of the holiday gift card market. Simply put, competitors’ special holiday designs were outselling classic American Express gift cards. American Express had to take action, so they called JAK.

Our challenge was to engage gift card buyers with a package design that conveyed a holiday spirit without any specifically Christmas-related elements. We produced a design featuring a polar bear walking through a winter wonderland—and it has been very successful.

This project is part of JAK’s long-standing relationship with the American Express Gift Card division. We produce new designs and maintain the art files for a large library of gift card products, including packaging celebrating moms, dads, and grads; designs for a partnership between American Express and Target; and an eco-friendly option for Whole Foods.