Category Archives: The Latest

We're Legal!

We’re Legal!

A few weeks back (on March 1 to be precise) we celebrated a pretty big milestone around here: our mighty little shop turned 18. Now that we’ve crossed the all-important threshold, to 18 years old, we’re looking forward to exercising our rights, which in some cases involve very little actual exercise. Here’s a quick list … Continue reading We’re Legal!

Be Original

Be Original

Everyone wants to be original, right? I do. Everyday I want to make something that is about me creatively, made by me. It’s rather interesting that I ended up in a career where I proudly attempt to make original things about other people. I love it. I understand it. The challenge is that it is … Continue reading Be Original

Numbers

Numbers

You’d be surprised, really, at just how much we pay attention to numbers. Or maybe you wouldn’t. We are, after all, a shop full of nerds of varying degrees. But maybe it’s the kind of numbers we pay attention to that you’d find the most fascinating (besides all the important ones that lead to our … Continue reading Numbers

Coming Full Circle

Coming Full Circle

I have returned to my beginnings, professionally speaking. We have recently moved our offices to downtown Bridgeport, where I landed my first professional design gig (barring my internship with Alexander Isley, Inc… yes, I’m name dropping). I love The Park City and have sorely missed it since I left that job many moons ago. There … Continue reading Coming Full Circle

Tuesday

Tuesday



It’s hard to describe how we came to hold Tuesdays in such high regard—how this seemingly non-descript day, wedged in between Monday’s blues and Wednesday’s humps, came to signify the most meaningful of weekdays.

 It started with a hire, years ago. I botched his start date, and was left wondering why our brand new programming … Continue reading Tuesday

Inspiration Week

Inspiration Week

What inspires us? What motivates a small studio to accomplish big things, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year? How can we continue to motivate our team in a way that creates more passion than resentment, more enthusiasm than apathy, more happiness than unhappiness, and more cash than lint balls? … Continue reading Inspiration Week

The Mad Science of Design

The Mad Science of Design

When word arrived that we would have the honor of designing the campaign for the 2015 Connecticut Art Director’s Club Awards Show, two things ran through my head: “Yay!” followed quickly by “don’t screw this one up!” It’s a weird feeling, designing for designers. Usually our work is seen by the general public, who have … Continue reading The Mad Science of Design

A copywriter, a photographer, and an account exec walk into a bar...

A copywriter, a photographer, and an account exec walk into a bar…

This joke could go a thousand ways. In our case, it’s not even a joke. We’re in charge of social media for lots of clients, including the famed [ yellow tail ] wine brand. We strategize, concept, create, write, shoot, and post all over Facebook and Instagram for this Australian behemoth. We’ve long-since abandoned the … Continue reading A copywriter, a photographer, and an account exec walk into a bar…

Have Clients, Will Travel

Have Clients, Will Travel

Regardless of how remarkable technology is, and how easy it makes connecting with clients all around the world in an instant, nothing supports the relationship between client and agency like an actual in-person. Putting names to faces might seem old school, but nothing says we’re actual people who actually care about your business (and your … Continue reading Have Clients, Will Travel

Sweet 16

Sweet 16

We turned 16 years old on March 1st! We can drive, almost vote, and rejoice that in this sweet phase of teenage maturity, our agency is almost grown-up. Almost. All awkward kidding aside, this anniversary is particularly special, because we finally figured out what we wanna do when we’re all grown up. Turns out, we’re … Continue reading Sweet 16

Giving Thanks

Giving Thanks

You’ve seen the list, I’m sure. Taped to a wall or a desk or the fridge in the office kitchen with the headline THANKSGIVING FOOD, or something of that ilk. When the infamous sign-up list for the MadMott Thanksgiving Feast gets posted, it signals the start of all things holiday—not just Thanksgiving—and along with that … Continue reading Giving Thanks

The Gamble of an RFP

The Gamble of an RFP

So many things about the RFP (Request for Proposal) process are totally busted, like that conversion van from the 80’s that just kept limping along until it eventually (read: hopefully) caught fire on the LIE, stalling traffic for hours, maybe days. Most business owners are familiar with how it all goes down: your company receives … Continue reading The Gamble of an RFP

Lunch Time

Lunch Time

Small business culture is (in my opinion) one of the most over-saturated news buckets around. But I digress, because our culture as a shop is pretty damn cool. Mistakes are encouraged, but repeating the same one is not. No questions are stupid (unless Grabell deems them so) and sometimes the “dumbest” questions are the ones … Continue reading Lunch Time