The team here at STARMEN is always busy strategizing, and such was the case during our recent New Year kickoff meeting. What made this year's assembly particularly interesting is that we decided to take it a step further, going public with our resolutions. Some may call it a risk, but we like risks, and have a fabulous creative and technical team to help us reach these goals.

The team here at STARMEN is always busy strategizing, and such was the case during our recent New Year kickoff meeting. What made this year's assembly particularly interesting is that we decided to take it a step further, going public with our resolutions. Some may say that opening up about our goals for the year is a risk, but we think of it as a way to hold ourselves accountable for all we do in the year to come. What's more, we're proud of the fabulous creative and technical team to help us reach these goals.

#1 - Up The Talent

Of course, we're grateful to have such a diverse team, and last year's awards reinforced the savvy of our fine troupe. Our creative, strategic, and digital marketing expertise produced work that not only surpassed expectations, but more importantly, created a lasting impression on our agency. What we do is rewarding! To better serve your shifting needs, we’re expanding our network by hand-selecting talented team members with skill sets that will complement the growth we're after. This ultimately allows us to scale our team to fit your greater and longer-term goals. 

#2 - Pursue the "Why?" 

Say 'adios' to the days where an attractive design alone produces long-term results. It’s counterproductive to invest time (and money!) into producing creative work that looks great but lacks sustainability and substance. We want to build on our portfolio of success, and we'll therefore push ourselves to deliver work that not only looks great, but meets our clients’ pressing goals. The key is to keep the big picture continually visible before us. While continuing to launch expertly executed campaigns, we’re committing to repeatedly refer back to the 'why' behind our work to guide our decision-making, maintain focus, and ultimately produce meaningful results.

#3 - Be Selective

We don't want to simply "date" our clients. While our business once operated project-to-project (akin to the dating world), we now crave long-standing partnerships. Doing so enables us to grow with your team, become further invested in your brand, and tackle greater challenges in pursuit of sustained success for your brand and company. With this new outlook, we’re able to be selective with the clients that we take on. Let's face it… great relationships share a similar vision, and grow together with time, becoming stronger. It's a wonderful feeling when both teams are excited to enter a meeting knowing what it will lead to. If that isn't love, we're not sure what is. 

#4 - Go Broad

With multi-channel marketing, it's impossible to declare a ‘secret sauce’ solution that will work for your brand or company. Instead, it's imperative to respect the process, and determine which strategies will prove successful as part of your broader cohesive marketing effort. We'll take accountability for your success in every channel by analyzing the metrics, and implementing solutions based on performance. Love is in the details - and data! This year, we're focused even more on metrics in order to make the best recommendations for your brand.

Check out our newly remodeled offices featured on OfficeSnapshots.com, a popular blog that reaches more than 300,000 readers each month from around the globe. Office Snapshots showcases architecture and design firms who have recently completed office projects.

Enjoy!

Photography by our friend Vince Robbins

STARMEN realized they needed a space that reflected their vision for the company: a creative lab that would encourage forward-thinking creativity, while honoring their distinct location in a historic building on Hollywood Blvd. The transformation, over the course of four months, took their modest 1,000 square foot operation, and opened it up into a lofty 2,500 square foot space, complete with an immaculately modern conference room, a communal “creative laboratory,” and an open floor-plan for their entry lobby and reception area. Generally muted/neutral colors are complimented with well-chosen vibrant colors sparsely placed throughout; the decor reflects a sense of modern minimalism with a few artifacts and images that highlight the historic epicenter of Hollywood.

Sleek, clean design with exposed light bulbs, modern furniture, and defined straight lines throughout common area.

Hanging trophy shelf display containing dozens of various awards for design, communications and strategy.

Reclaimed wood reception desk.

Retro artifacts including antique typewriter, vintage radio, and cash register.

Oversized wall print of the Hollywood hills including vintage “Hollywoodland” sign of the 1920’s (to compliment the offices stunning view of the current Hollywood sign).

Large whiteboards and glass surfaces in every room to encourage creative brainstorming and idea sharing.

Lobby projection wall with rotating imagery and information that reflects up-to-date industry happenings.

Creative “laboratory” with communal workspace, reclaimed laboratory lamps, and a life- sized wall print of Thomas Edison’s former lab.

Original dark hardwood floors that contrast with the openness of the walls, windows, and art work.

View the full article, here, on OfficeSnapshots.com, a popular blog that reaches more than 300,000 readers each month from around the globe. Office Snapshots showcases architecture and design firms who have recently completed office projects.

Enjoy!

Photography by our friend Vince Robbins

We picked up 3 silver trophies recently at the 2013 W3 Awards and Davey Awards, demonstrating our versatility in creative brand marketing.

We picked up 3 silver trophies recently at the 2013 W3 Awards and Davey Awards, demonstrating our versatility in creative brand marketing.

The W3 Awards and the Davey Awards both received over 4,000 entries from dozens of countries. The W3s honor excellence in websites, web marketing, and web video, while the Daveys pay homage to the best small firms, agencies and companies around the globe. Both competitions are judged by the International Academy of Visual Arts, a members-only organization of leading creative professionals. The IAVA is a virtual ‘who’s who’ among the entertainment and advertising industry, including Condé Nast, Disney, GE, Keller Crescent, Microsoft, Monster.com, MTV, Publicis, and Yahoo.

Hampton Inn & Suites

W3 Awards: Silver Winner, Websites- Hotel and Lodging

As part of the renowned Hilton Hotels brand, Hampton Inn wanted a unique website that would help distinguish them from other hotels, and increase online visibility. We designed and developed a microsite that linked to Hilton’s booking system and highlighted the hotel’s local attractions, complete with new photo galleries, and interactive 360-degree virtual tours. 

Minus Zero "Results. Finally."

Davey Awards: Silver Winner, Online Film and Video - Videography/Cinematography

When Minus Zero set out to refresh their brand identity, one element we had to include on their new website homepage was a video to immediately inform users about the company's mission and vision. The video needed to support the brand ideology of “Leaving Nothing to Chance,” so we incorporated a few key clips of CEO Sabastian Huynh with poignant imagery and audio.

Tamrac.com

Davey Awards: Silver Winner, Websites - Consumer Products/Services

A leading manufacturer of camera bags, Tamrac approached us for a refreshed website, which would easily guide photographers through the purchasing decision. We built a customized platform with an interactive product catalog, dealer locator, and dealer login resource center. The result was a visually inspiring experience, and one we’re proud of. 

These wins come on the heels of a few noteworthy events here at STARMEN. We were recently featured in the LA Business Journal, and had a party at our newly renovated offices, celebrating our growth as an agency. As we close out 2013, a year that has brought us new challenging projects, we look forward to an exciting 2014.

We are so grateful for everyone on our team who made these award-winning projects come to life, and, of course, none of it would be possible without our amazing clients who continue to push us to do our best!

MARKETING: STARMEN ditches fixed-rate jobs for retainer relationships.

MARKETING: STARMEN ditches fixed-rate jobs for retainer relationships.

STARMEN is excited to announce that our work with charitable organization Discover Your Path has recently been awarded the Gold award in the latest cycle of the International Competition for Marketing & Communications Professionals (also known as the MarCom Awards). While this isn’t the first award this endeavor has received, the receipt of a Gold MarCom brings with it a very special, very gratifying sort of satisfaction.

STARMEN is excited to announce that our work with charitable organization Discover Your Path has recently been awarded the Gold award in the latest cycle of the International Competition for Marketing & Communications Professionals (also known as the MarCom Awards). While this isn’t the first award this endeavor has received, the receipt of a Gold MarCom brings with it a very special, very gratifying sort of satisfaction.

For over two decades, the MarCom statuette has endured as a very esteemed symbol of distinction within the marketing and communications industries. The MarCom Awards is the largest competition of its kind with over 6,000 entry submissions received and evaluated each year, and its trophy graces the shelves and cases of some of the most prominent firms in the world. However, we’d be remiss if we didn’t clarify that this award’s lofty prestige isn’t the only reason we’re celebrating!

First and foremost, we’re pleased at the opportunity to honor our clients at Discover Your Path with yet another esteemed distinction. Having also received the Best in Class title from the 2013 Interactive Media Awards, Discover Your Path is the brainchild of former Olympic contender Heather Hennessy Howell and Dodgers pitcher JP Howell. The nonprofit organization aims to inspire youth to set and attain goals through sound decision-making. The Howells tasked our team with reappropriating their online presence with a fresh design that would lend itself further in the encouragement of the children they work with. The components we produced included a new brand identity, an intuitive, user-friendly site design, a branded video inviting users to “Discover DYP”, as well as PathPacks, bundles of promotional material featuring daily reminders that were given out at Dodger games to further encourage choosing a positive path. These components combined created a truly powerful directive, and we’re extremely proud that the work continues to receive such prestigious recognition.

As a branding agency based in Hollywood, we're aware that you don't always need an excuse to party. But sometimes you have a solid reason to celebrate, and here at STARMEN, we certainly do! 

After scoring over 12 design awards this year, we wanted to pause and thank the people who made it all possible- our clients and creative team. Their support allows us to do what we love and take risks. To show our appreciation, we hosted a private event for a night of Re/VISION, a chance to celebrate the past and preview our future with the people who matter most to us.

As a branding agency based in Hollywood, we're aware that you don't always need an excuse to party. But sometimes you have a solid reason to celebrate, and here at STARMEN, we certainly do! 

After scoring over 12 design awards this year, we wanted to pause, and thank the people who made it all possible- our clients and creative team. Their support allows us to do what we love, and take risks. To show our appreciation, we hosted a private event for a night of Re/VISION, a chance to celebrate the past, and preview our future with the people who matter most to us.

In addition to honoring our clients and team, we were excited to present our recently remodeled office. We wanted to complement the historic features of our building by fusing some elements of classic Hollywood into the decor. Since the area has such a rich history and background, we decided to reach out to the people who know the area best - the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. They put us in touch with a company that dug through their archives to unearth the perfect photos for our walls. Originally shot back in 1923, these images were scanned at a high resolution to create custom black and white landscapes. The aerial view of the Hollywoodland sign is a trip back in time, and we have no doubt that Harry Chandler, the LA Times publisher who built the sign, would be proud to see his work displayed on our lobby wall. Though the sign was a $21,000 billboard for Chandler's real estate development, and has since evolved in both appearance and meaning, its iconic message will always remain: "This is a place where magic is possible, where dreams can come true."

It's All About the Details

As a design agency, we believe that love is in the details. Some of our favorite details in the office are ones that adorn the lobby. And most of them are functional, in addition to being artful and unique. The vintage Vista 500 tube radio that sits among our bookshelves provides an ambiance that hasn't been felt for over 50 years. The new acoustic gramophone also radiates tunes as an iPad is nested inside (a great blend of vintage and modern technology). Our 1920s cash register did likely function at one point, but now collects glances instead of bills, and weighs a lot more than you would guess. An old typewriter reminds us that instead of typing away on our smooth iMacs, our industry's ancestors once used those bold, bulky keys for communication.

The Dramatic Before and After Changes

During construction, we knocked down the wall to our neighboring suite, and created a fresh and open floor plan, complete with a new lobby and lounge area, creative lab, and meeting room.

STARMEN looks forward to continued growth, and an even bigger office to accompany that growth in the years to come!

We feel very grateful that as our team here at STARMEN grows, so does our awards list! We recently received 2 Summit awards for our work with Minus Zero and DirecTV.

We feel very grateful that as our team here at STARMEN grows, so does our awards list! We recently received 2 Summit awards for our work with Minus Zero and DirecTV.

Since 1994, the Summit Creative Awards has enabled creative firms to receive the recognition they deserve. This international advertising competition offers participants a unique opportunity to showcase their talents alongside similarly positioned agencies, and to have their work judged by experts in the advertising field. This year, the Summit Awards received entries from over 50 countries across 5 continents. The competition is geared toward smaller and mid-size agencies that produce great work, but are normally overshadowed by large companies with significant budgets. The Summit Awards gives smaller agencies a chance to earn some deserved recognition among their industry peers.

Submissions were judged on concept and execution in design, broadcast, and interactive media by judging panels comprised of industry professionals from across the globe. Judges included entities like Wieden & Kennedy, Tribal DDB, Grey Advertising, TBWA/Chiat/Day, Y&R, The Art Institute, New York University, Leo Burnett, Ogilvy & Mather, and Saatchi & Saatchi.

Gold Award: Minus Zero, Product/Service Promotion Video

Minus Zero recently approached us to redesign and rebrand their online presence. In addition to refreshing their identity, we developed, filmed, and edited a video to be featured on their new website homepage. The video introduces users to the company’s CEO, Sabastian Hunyh, and gives a brief overview about Minus Zero.

Our objective for the video was to create a story-driven piece that would help define the brand, and engage users on the new website. We steered clear of the dry “corporate” video feel, and instead captured the essence of their new identity: passionate, exuberant, and results oriented. The executives we were targeting don’t merely sit behind desks — they embrace a sports-like mentality, love taking risks, and are design-oriented.

To showcase these attributes, we incorporated a few key points from their “Leaving Nothing to Chance” brand platform, and combined them with bold images, clips, and audio. The result was a visually-rich portrait of Minus Zero that we’re proud of, and it marks our first award for video production!

Silver Award: DirecTV, Entertainment website (Roguemedia.tv microsite)

When DirecTV launched their first television series, Rogue, they wanted a digital press kit that would give users a behind-the-scenes look at photos, cast/crew bios, and full episodes. We created a microsite to match the dark and ominous tone of the show using a “skeuomorphic” approach with textures like paperclips, manila folders, and wood. DirecTV also wanted the site to be viewable from mobile devices, so we implemented an adaptive design with a custom content management system. See the work, here.

We are grateful to have such an amazing roster of clients, as well as the talented team to support them. Creating award-winning work is always our goal, so we are grateful for these two recent awards from the Summit International Awards!