THE PRINCE OF PAPER
December 2006
Did you Know
Not since you passed gossipy notes around in the back of Miss Dahlwhimple’s sixth-grade history class have you had so much fun with paper—that’s if you’ve been the fortunate recipient of a communication by Marc Friedland, aka “Stationer to the Stars.”
It is said that true, blazing talent emerges in early childhood: Mozart composed at five; Tiger made Golf Digest at five. But what meteoric career could Marc Friedland’s parents have envisioned out of their wunderkind’s travel postcards crafted from airplane barf bags? To be fair to the senior Friedlands: None, because he has, in effect, invented his own industry.Friedland’s 20-year-old, Santa Monica, Calif.-based company, Creative Intelligence is an atelier of 15 persons who handcraft, by turns, exquisite, elegant, vibrant, powerful, textural and always insightful “messengers” that capture the attention of people who’ve seen everything. So much so, that even if the recipient opts out, they’ll remember the first contact with that event and know they missed something special.
Oprah used him for her famous Legends gathering. JPMorgan Private Banking used him to reach out to their clients. And then Elton John, Steven Spielberg, Time Warner, Microsoft (including Paul Allen on his own), Mrs. John Travolta, Tom Hanks, The Walt Disney Concert Hall, Steve and Elaine Wynn, Motorola, Quincy Jones, Cure Autism Now Foundation, Cirque du Soleil, Levi Strauss, Swarovski, the Council of Protocol Executives and Paramount have sought him out, as well.
And so can you.
Size doesn’t matter: the company can do 10 invitations or 2,500, as for the opening of the Wynn Las Vegas. Custom projects begin at $4,500.
EVENT BRANDING
Creative Intelligence’s visual reach now goes way beyond the paper trail. “This is the first piece people have received, and it gives them a taste of what the experience is all about,” the ebullient Friedland says, “but as a company, we’ve evolved. We’re pioneering event branding.” In other words, he’s helping clients deliver on the invitation’s promise.
He asserts that any type of meeting, even if it’s for 40, should have an event brand. “It shows you’re thinking this through; that you will give attention to all the details.”
Developing a powerful event brand demands an artful blend of intuition, with knowledge of the inner-workings of the hard-to-reach—along with a vibrant artistic sense and a rock-solid dose of marketing savvy. There’s even a snippet of wackiness; The Mary Tyler Moore Show is cited as one of CI’s influences.
THE PROCESS
“We first discuss the objectives, the type of audience you’re trying to attract, how jaded they might be, how often they get invited to things,” Friedland explains.
Creative Intelligence begins by looking at the name of the event, and also determining its logo. “In many respects we’re almost the creative midwife, establishing its sense of style, its attitude, its vibe,” Friedland comments.
The process might lead to a “Save-the-date” piece, then the invitation, followed by the confirmation package (with air tickets and a special packet for one’s personal assistant, in the case of John Travolta’s surprise 50th birthday party at the One&Only Palmilla) and a welcome note. There might be a program and even a commemorative book, in the case of the extraordinary Legends gathering.
Beyond the things you can hold in your hand, the color palette and the overall style come out of this process, which, in turn, influence the décor, the cuisine, the entertainment and everything else. It runs the throughout the whole campaign.
The color palette Creative Intelligence established for the JPMorgan event was deep chocolate brown and lime green, a departure from the more typical navy blue. “It showed that JPMorgan is in touch with design and the style was important,” says Friedland, a strategic stance for a company whose clients are getting younger.
“When you up the energy put into this, it makes people feel that much more a part of something unique and innovative,” he continues.
He calls it “desk value,” that elusive, pick-me-up-first quality that rises above the in-box clutter. “When they have several opportunities on their desk to choose from, it’s our belief that people will gravitate to the one that looks more exciting, more interesting and memorable.”
THE POWER OF CONTINUITY
Friedland says this branding really starts lending itself well to PowerPoint presentations, to the signage. “All that visual vocabulary starts building on itself, toward one very cohesive experience so that people can walk away with something established in their minds.
“People have become much more visually literate. Take Apple and Jet Blue, for example, where everything is so well integrated; they are well recognized. Then there are some companies who put so much money into their brand, but when it comes to their meetings, they miss the boat.” creativeintelligence.com C.H.
See more of Creative Intelligence’s design in Smart Style, pg. 17.
