10,000 Creative Projects and Counting
By: Jennifer Carey
Even for those of us who have been a part of the Identity journey from the beginning—or almost the beginning, in some cases—it’s a number that’s tough to wrap our heads around: 10,000 creative projects completed on behalf of our clients.
The completion of our 10,000th project wasn’t just a milestone, it was an opportunity for us to celebrate how far the Creative Department has come in the last 16+ years—and to reflect on how that journey has closely paralleled the growth and evolution of Identity itself.
So much has changed since 1999. The original Identity Creative “team” consisted of just one hard-working individual. Today, Creative is a full-fledged and fully integrated department, with a diverse team of talented creative experts who generate extraordinary work on behalf of our clients each and every day.
While every member of the Creative team has strengths and special gifts, the department has been built to prioritize professionals who provide diverse capabilities and expansive creative skillsets. Since everyone is good at everything, the Creative team has the flexibility to schedule projects efficiently and is able to promote collaborative engagement and bring team members together to come up with inspired solutions to creative challenges.
The work is what defines us, however—and the nature of that work has evolved in some important ways over the years. The very first project Creative ever completed was a corporate brochure, and those—along with assorted tchotchkes, letterheads, business cards and other basic necessities—made up the lion’s share of our 1999 docket.
Today, however, it’s a brave new world—and that’s a very good thing. While the department is still more than capable of helping clients with the basics, Creative regularly produces comprehensive identity packages for our clients, with everything from logo and messaging, to websites and printed and digital collateral. We have taken the initiative and expanded out in exciting new directions, integrating new media and new technologies to include things like interactive brochures, custom photo shoots, e-blasts, videos and even commercials.
No 10,000-project celebration would be complete without acknowledging those longtime clients who have been with Identity from the very beginning: Steiner + Associates, Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss and Trott Law (formerly Trott & Trott).
While our raw output has increased significantly over the last decade and a half (we now put out at least five times as many projects annually as we did in our first year of operation), we are perhaps most proud of the fact that the quality of our work continues to get better. The result is 10,000 (and counting) examples of memorable, impactful, eye-catching, thought-provoking, attention-getting and award-winning work.
From stand-alone projects to coordinated and cohesive campaigns that tell an important story, Identity’s Creative Department knows how to conceive, create and deliver work that drives a narrative, creates an impression and leaves a unique and indelible mark.