The J.B.Martin company is the world's largest manufacturer of velvet fabric, with headquarters in New York and production facilities in France and South Carolina. At the time they asked us to handle their marketing, however, their image within the industry was weak despite their dominance in sales. Our assignment was twofold: 1) to give them the proper image for a market leader and 2) to assist them in transferring certain velvet production technology to the advanced composites industry, where it could be used to reduce manufacturing costs of composite fabrics. This eight page brochure was the first step in our program.


Every year, the United Way annual campaign generates dozens of pieces of literature - yard signs, billboards, posters, flyers, ads, training materials, table tents - all created around a central visual theme. This program is one of several we created for the agency over a period of years. The slogan for this campaign was "United Way - the ONE WAY to Help the Most." We combined the ideas of United Way and a one way sign to reinforce the concept that United Way is really the only way to provide the most efficient use of your charitable dollar, therefore helping the most.
      Charities walk a fine line in communications between looking incompetent by producing poor material and looking like they waste money on advertising by producing pieces which are too glossy. The idea is to present a professional image, reassuring the donor that the agency is able to fulfill its mission effectively, but not look expensive in the process. One or two color (as opposed to full color) printing is one way to project the image of efficient use of marketing dollars.
      Imagery of people also requires a delicate balance, showing individuals in need but not looking so dour that it repels donors emotionally. The idea projected here subliminally is that these people are in need, but their cause is being addressed by United Way with your donations and their condition is improving as a result. Positive feedback, especially subliminally, satisfies donors with their gifts and make them more likely to give again in the future.


The Atkins & Pearce Company is the oldest American company west of the Ohio River, and count Eli Whitney as an early supplier during the days of the cotton economy. A&P braids materials (notably fiber glass) into such products as insulated sleeving, such as you might find inside the cord on your electric iron. All of their markets were classically mature and had low margins. They occupied several ancient downtown factory buildings in Cincinnati, and were running 3,000 machines which were more than 100 years old. When they contacted us, they were on a long, flat sales plateau and had done virtually no marketing in years.
      On the bright side, their low overhead and fiscal restraint made them the low cost supplier in each of these same markets. Our charge was to make them more profitable and help them transfer their braiding technology into the advanced composites market. (For more on this, go to the Marketing section.)
      Following the development of a marketing plan, our first project was a corporate brochure to position them as leaders in their existing markets and as a player in advanced composites. The piece made reference to their beginnings with an old woodcut illustration on the cover and ended with a three-dimensional computer image of braid structure. Throughout, we presented contemporary images of their braided material juxtaposed with finished end products. Results? At the end of our first year with A&P, sales had doubled, from $10 million to $20 million. By the fourth year they had doubled again. By the fifth year, they had moved from their old buildings in Cincinnati to their own brand new industrial park in Kentucky.


Atlas World Travel specializes in travel packages as incentive programs for corporate executives. In this slim brochure, we tantalized the target audience with photos from the most exotic of locations, presenting food, wine and adventure as a fantasy which can be realized. From golfing in Las Vegas to SCUBA diving in Bermuda; from Caribbean cruises to Bora Bora beaches; from Bangkok tea rooms to Paris coffee houses; lyrical copy and romantic photography paint an enticing picture of travel, adventure and new experiences as a performance incentive.