Creative reinvention. It`s something like

by Tiffany Meyers
Colle+McVoy
C
reative reinvention. It’s something like bipartisanship,
happy holidays and other modern conundrums: Scads
of people identify it as a goal, then stumble when trying
to make it real. Even for nimble agencies, change is tumultuous. So imagine the prospects for a 75-year-old ad agency. In
the Midwest. With a portfolio full of agriculture clients.
If Colle+McVoy is any indication, nothing—not even the
creative reawakening of a mid-sized Minneapolis agency
established in 1935—is impossible.
In 2004, marketing veteran Christine Fruechte joined
Colle+McVoy as director of client services, taking on the role
of president in 2006 and later ceo. As president, her charge
was to breathe new life into the agency, attracting consumer
clients and improving the creative and strategic offering.
But she inherited a business in a modern but sterile suburban
building, some of whose people were wed to the past. While
the work was strong in pockets, including the design department directed by Ed Bennett, b2b accounted for more than
70 percent of revenue.
So Fruechte set in motion a series of disruptions, including
a 2006 move downtown. In the warehouse renovation, walls
came down. So did doors. And Fruechte settled into her open
cubicle, like everyone else.
“Suddenly, we were in a space that fostered collaboration,” says
Mike Caguin, executive creative director. “Now, some of the
most critical meetings happen when someone throws out an
idea as you pass by in the hallway.”
Just prior to the move, Fruechte managed to lure Caguin and
creative partner Eric Husband back to Colle+McVoy. Both art
director and writer had put in intermittent stints there before
joining Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, Sausalito, in 2005. So
for the senior team, it was a homecoming. Caguin was pro-
moted to his current role in March 2009, replacing the slot left
by former executive creative director Mike Fetrow in fall 2008.
Having invested in interactive, Colle+McVoy began generating buzz, attracting talent and, eventually, recognition from
The One Show, Communication Arts, the Webbys and Effies.
By 2010, the agency—60 percent of whose revenue now comes
from consumer—was a finalist in The O’Toole Awards’ MidSized Agency of the Year category.
“Founded in 1935,” Colle+McVoyers say. “Reincarnated in 2006.”
With 2009 capitalized billings of $198 million and 170 employees, mdc-owned Colle+McVoy has experienced five years of
year-over-year growth—a period during which the recession
hobbled entire industries. Colle+McVoy hasn’t executed layoffs in response to the downturn. For that, significant credit
goes to another decision from the ceo’s office—or cubicle.
In early 2008, Fruechte realized digital competency needed to
permeate the organization. Disbanding the interactive department, she integrated digital experts into creative and account
teams. Some who’d joined specifically to be in an interactive
department left, but the decision more than justified itself
when brands started cutting traditional ad budgets and
increasingly sought integrated digital solutions.
Digital now accounts for more than 40 percent of
Colle+McVoy’s business, with standouts like The Recreational
Boating & Fishing Foundation’s Web site, featuring viral
videos that make fishing cool (really), and a promotion for
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That S*** Gold
[asterisks added], a 2008 release by indie hip-hop artists Atmosphere on the Rhymesayers Entertainment label. Colle+McVoy’s
PaintThatShitGold.com allowed users to tag offline images
of other Web sites with digital graffiti, using stencil and
spray-paint tools. That May, the album hit number 5 on the
Billboard 200.
Colle+McVoy supplied the caption information.
Right: Elements from Caribou Coffee’s “Life is short. Stay awake for it.” campaign. “We designed their cups with all sorts of things to stay awake for—
essentially creating walking billboards for the brand. Then we took it online and asked coffee drinkers to create the next set of cups. It was amazing to
see the responses. The overwhelming majority were fun, entertaining and heartfelt; and a tiny sliver, downright not postable. The best submissions will
be featured on millions of Caribou Coffee cups in 2011. The new logo represents a significant update from their previous mark without losing the core
equity of the brand: a leaping caribou. Since coffee is at the heart of Caribou, the body is formed out of a coffee bean. The shield element resembles the
shape of traditional national park signage—a nod to the founders’ hike in Alaska’s Denali National Park that inspired them to start the company. When
Caribou Coffee roastmaster Amy Erickson began her fight with breast cancer, Caribou created Amy’s Blend Coffee to help with her medical bills. They
continue to bring a special coffee blend and tea back yearly in her memory—and to help find a cure. We designed the packaging to celebrate Amy’s
love of life, laughter and tulips. From traveling to altruism, out-of-home ads reminded people that there truly is a lot to stay awake for. And a cup of
good coffee sure helps.” Nina Orezzoli, (out-of-home ads) art director; Eric Husband/John Neerland, (out-of-home ads) writers; Jenny Kirmis, (Amy’s
Blend) writer; John Neerland, (Web site) writer; Lindsey Aho/Anna Giacomini, (out-of-home ads) designers; Lindsey Aho/Ed Bennett/Anna Giacomini/
Joe Monnens, (logo) designers; Ed Bennett, (Amy’s Blend) designer/illustrator; Brice Hemmer, (Web site) designer; Ed Bennett, design director; Eric
Husband, group creative director; Barrett Haroldson, (Web site) interactive creative director; Mike Caguin, executive creative director; Andrew Charon/
Julie Kaloides/Josh Vadnais, (Web site) interactive developers; Tiffany Hahnfeldt, (Web site) interactive producer; Brad Smith, (out-of-home ads) print
production; Chris Peters, (out-of-home ads) art buyer; Caribou Coffee, client.
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Last year, the agency made 40 new hires to keep pace with
client wins. That includes agency of record responsibilities
for Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Explore Minnesota Tourism
and Dorel Recreational/Leisure—which owns Cannondale,
Schwinn, gt, Mongoose, IronHorse and sugoi—plus project
work for Old Navy, tv and radio for Regis Corporationowned Cost Cutters and digital agency of record duties for
Land O’Lakes Dairy Foods division.
On a recent agency tour, Caguin stands beside an enormous,
barrel-shaped contraption, sitting on its side. “Erbert &
Gerbert,” it says, inscrutably. It’s very…nineteenth-century
mad scientist.
In his hoodie, the 38-year-old could pass for 28, especially as,
straightfaced but hardly serious, he pulls on a rope attached to
the barrel, drawing back a swath of fabric along with it. He lets
go of the rope. A massive puff of air shoots out the other end.
He raises his eyebrows with a look that says: “Cool, right?”
In 2006, sandwich franchise Erbert & Gerbert’s gave Colle+
McVoy one of its first significant chances to prove itself in
the consumer sector. The founder opened the restaurant in
honor of his dad, who wove for his children a series of inventive
bedtime stories. In them, brothers Erbert and Gerbert travel
space and time with insanely named characters like Boney
Billy, Bornk and Geeter.
People liked the quirkiness, but they didn’t get it. Why was
a tuna salad sub called The Bornk? On a tight budget, Colle+
McVoy overhauled the in-store experience, with explanatory
and impeccably-designed signage, before rolling out resourcestretching communications. Working with The Onion, Colle+
McVoy hid a tiny pickle icon within an article. Those who
discovered it redeemed the paper for a free treat. For a viral
video, “Human Flipbook,” the agency ironed 150 cartoon
stills on that many T-shirts. Photographing each shirt, worn
by an intern, the team created a stop-motion animation that
made it to YouTube’s homepage.
days he’s had in advertising. Which, incidentally, is important
to him. Fruechte describes Caguin: “He may seem understated, but he’s one of the most competitive people I know
about advertising.” (Other stuff, too: The guy’s an Ironman.)
But he takes the broad view.
“Everyone on the leadership team has worked on projects that
produced great results, but the process to get there was excruciating,” he says. “I believe wholeheartedly that it’s not just about
doing great work. It’s about a great journey on the way.”
Here, that includes summer yoga classes on the rooftop. For
the agency’s cycling enthusiasts: Showers. And a shiatsu therapist provides on-site services. Showers and shiatsu. It’s hard
to trump. A less tangible factor—specifically, the agency’s
emphasis on multidisciplinary problem-solving—probably
has as much to do with employee satisfaction, providing
constant growth opportunities.
“We need experts,” Caguin says, “but we also encourage generalists. Hybrid thinking allows us to ebb and flow with the
marketing landscape. It also keeps people happier.”
Colle+McVoy often uses that hybrid thinking to unearth, then
reinvigorate, inherent but forgotten qualities within a brand’s
ethos. It proved a successful strategy for Caribou Coffee.
Seventeen years after its 1992 launch, Caribou was being outspent by its competition—specifically, Starbucks and
McDonald’s McCafé—95 to 1.
So when the sub shop turned twenty, Colle+McVoy wasn’t
about to do a cake and call it an anniversary, but a cake whose
candles were blown out by a massive ring of air? Shot from
a barrel-like apparatus sitting 180 feet away? That they would
do. “So we built what we believe to be the largest air vortex
canon in the world,” says Caguin, deadpan.
The dated, Alaskan-inspired identity helped not a bit. As
design director Bennett led the redesign, Husband and team
wrote hundreds of new tags. But the existing copy, “Life is
short. Stay awake for it,” kept bubbling to the surface.
“Originally, it was about staying caffeinated,” says Husband,
group creative director. “We reinterpreted the statement,
embracing it as a seize-the-day mantra.”
The anniversary event, says Caguin, was among the most fun
The March 2010 brand relaunch, spanning Web to outdoor,
This page: (from left) Eric Husband, Christine Fruechte, Mike Caguin and Ed Bennett.
Right: “Ever wonder what you might have looked like in a past life? We created YearbookYourself.com for the back-to-school shopping season on
behalf of Taubman, owner of twenty malls across the United States, including Beverly Center. You can upload your photo and see yourself with classic
‘dos and vintage outfits through the decades. With each look, users also learned about today’s hottest fashions. From Pee Wee Herman and Lance
Armstrong to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and thousands of blogs, the site was quickly embraced. More than 15 million images were shared on
Facebook and the site generated a 49 percent click-through rate to mall sites (we’re proud analytics geeks). The Yearbook Yourself iPhone app took
the experience mobile and was featured on both the iTunes Staff Favorites and top-paid lists.” Nina Orezzoli, art director; Tim Blevins/Lee Hanson,
writers; Lindsey Aho, designer; Zara Gonzalez/Barrett Haroldson/Todd Zerger, interactive designers; Eric Husband, group creative director; Barrett
Haroldson, interactive creative director; Mike Caguin/Mike Fetrow, executive creative directors; Andrew Charon/Grant Eull/Julie Kaloides/Omni/TI,
interactive developers; Jason Striegel, technical lead; Chris Peters, art buyer; Bridget Charon, interactive producer; Taubman, client.
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revolved around that repositioning. A bus shelter
embedded with a 3-d globe read: “Step 1. Spin. Step 2.
Pack bags.” A new cup showcased carpe diem statements,
while the “Make The Cup” microsite did one better,
inviting consumers to submit the reasons they stay
awake. Of more than 25,000 consumer-generated
responses, 125 were printed on cups.
In 2010, Caribou reported a year-to-date five percent
increase in store traffic. During the second quarter of
that year, when the campaign launched, the Caribou’s
market share in Minneapolis increased five percent as
Starbucks’ fell by ten percent.
Colle+McVoy builds from scratch, too. In 2010, the
Bikes Belong Coalition Web site was primarily industry
facing. For the Boulder-based group, which advocates
for bike-friendly communities, consumer participation
was critical. Colle+McVoy’s solved the problem by
devising a new brand: People for Bikes launched that
spring. It aims to make biking more accessible, gathering
1 million consumer pledges in support of cycling.
Left: “Independent hip-hop act Atmosphere wanted to create buzz
in the music world and achieve major market airplay for their new
album, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold.
So we embraced the name, expletive and all. PaintThatShitGold.
com allowed music fans to graffiti anything on the Web while
listening to singles from the new album. From whitehouse.gov to
myspace.com, no site was safe. To promote airplay in major
markets, we reached out to radio stations with personalized graffiti
messages on their sites from the band. Besides unleashing the
talents of thousands of virtual vandals, the site helped launch the
album to #5 on the Billboard 200, right alongside big-label artists
such as Beyoncé.” Mike Caguin, art director; Tim Blevins, writer;
Barrett Haroldson, interactive designer; Eric Husband, creative
director; Mike Fetrow, executive creative director; Andrew Charon/
Brian Litzinger, interactive developers; Jason Striegel, technical
lead; Rhymesayers Entertainment, client.
This page: “Mammoth Mountain isn’t an ordinary mountain. At
11,053 feet at its peak, it’s the highest lift-served mountain west of
the Rockies. To tout its position as the top of California, we created a
new brand look and voice that captured the personality and attitude
that is uniquely Mammoth.” Joe Monnens, art director/associate
creative director; Brian Ritchie/Glen Wachowiak, writers; Eric
Husband, group creative director; Mike Caguin, executive creative
director; Chris Peters, photo editor; Brad Peatross, photographer;
Greg Goranson, studio artist; Mammoth Mountain, client.
“Schell’s Dark was nearing extinction at bars in the Twin Cities and
the brewery approached us about doing some radio spots. We knew
it would take much more since the big beer companies were
spending millions hoarding coveted bar tap lines. And Schell’s
image as ‘your father’s beer’ didn’t help either. So we retraced the
brewery’s history and rediscovered its original line of beers, once
known as ‘Deer Beer.’ What if this quirky, overlooked product could
become the new flagship for the brand? We redesigned the bottle
and packaging and then we created the deer’s voice—basically a
POV that could be found on everything from ads to T-shirts to bar
coasters.” Mike Caguin, art director; Eric Husband/Brian Ritchie,
writers; Ryan Carlson, designer; Eric Husband, creative director;
Mike Fetrow, executive creative director; Chris Peters, photographer;
Ed Bennett, illustrator; Schell’s Brewing Co., client.
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Referencing Interstate signage, its red, white and
blue logo features a silhouetted bike whose wheels
form the eyes of a face; beneath it, a curved
mark creates a smile that doesn’t scream “smiley
face!” so much as evoke happiness. To keep the
campaign relevant to all, pledgers choose from
among different types of bikes for their online
badge: Competitors can go with a bmx bike, for
instance, moms a bike with kiddie seat.
Supported by a Web site, point-of-purchase and
a psa that aired during the Tour de France, the
movement earned 150,000 pledges within six
months, making Bikes Belong America’s largest
cycling advocacy group. Among the pledgers:
Lance Armstrong.
For his part, Caguin wasn’t just doing duty when
he signed the pledge. The die-hard cyclist rides
year round. (In the winter: studded tires.) So
it makes sense that, as a creative leader, the
Ironman would think in terms of journeys.
“In a word, it’s about fulfillment,” he says. “To
me, a great journey plus a great outcome equals
fulfillment.” CA
This page: “People for Bikes is a movement to improve the
future of biking in our country. In order to influence lawmakers in Washington, we created the brand to speak to all
different type of riders with a goal of collecting a million
pledges of support for more bike paths, lanes and trails to
benefit all who ride.” Fabien Dodard/Derek Till, art directors;
Joel Stacy, writer; Briana Auel/Joe Monnens, designers; Zara
Gonzalez, interactive designer; Ed Bennett, design director;
Brian Ritchie, associate creative director; Mike Caguin,
executive creative director; Chris Peters, photographer;
Greg Goranson, studio artist; Bikes Belong, client.
Right: “Takemefishing.org, The Recreational Boating and
Fishing Foundation’s consumer brand, has become one of
the nation’s primary vehicles for increasing interest and
participation in boating and fishing. In order to build awareness among the next generation of anglers, we used
a traditional medium like print in non-traditional ways. We
partnered with outdoor lifestyle publications to place
messaging in unexpected places such as the gutter, next to
page numbers and even the staples that hold the magazine
together. We also created a mobile version of takemefishing
.org so anglers can learn, plan and equip for a memorable
day on the water no matter where they are.” Lindsey Aho/
Briana Auel, art directors; Lee Hanson/Jenny Kirmis/John
Neerland, writers; Ben Clymer/Alix Nichols, interactive
designers; Straight Line Theory, user experience designer;
Joe Monnens, associate creative director; Barrett Haroldson,
interactive creative director; Mike Caguin, executive creative
director; The Nerdery, interactive developer; Chris Peters,
art buyer; Jim Gallop, photographer; Diane Rome Peebles,
illustrator; Greg Goranson/Brad Palm, studio artists; Lisa
Holzemer, interactive producer; Brad Smith, print production; Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation, client.
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Left: “As part of a brand redesign and relaunch, we not only
updated Erbert & Gerbert’s logo, we refreshed packaging
and environmental design and refined their brand story.”
Dustin Black, art director; John Neerland, writer; Ryan
Carlson, designer; Ed Bennett, design director; Mike Caguin,
creative director; Mike Fetrow, executive creative director;
Ed Bennett/ Ryan Carlson, illustrators; Erbert & Gerbert’s
Subs & Clubs, client.
“In order to better connect with their core collegiate audience, we created a :30 TV spot that ran on late-night cable
stations like Comedy Central and MTV.”
“Flipbook” :30
(Open on a stop-motion animation of a guy walking across a
yellow T-shirt. A finger rips open a hole above the guy while
the other hand lifts him up. The T-shirt changes from yellow
to blue as the guy falls from the hole into a boat. The boat
rides blue T-shirt waves and then disappears but the guy saves
himself by hanging onto a rope. The sky blue shirt lengthens
and the guy releases his grip and walks toward a box that
grows into a large treasure chest. He opens it to discover a
Erbert & Gerbert’s sub. He begins munching on his sandwich
as the T-shirt changes colors and fireworks explode above him)
Super: Subs Worth Discovering humanflipbook.com
Dustin Black, art director; John Neerland, writer; Mike Caguin,
creative director; Mike Fetrow, executive creative director;
Chris Peters, director of photography; Ben Cohen, editor;
Dustin Black/John Neerland, directors; Kelly Kytola/Ramon
Nunez, producers; Erbert & Gerbert’s Subs & Clubs, client.
This page: “What would happen if a pumpkin and a gourd
possessed the gift of speech? You’d get the Autumn
Adventures of Jack & Gourdo, the ambassadors of
Caribou Coffee’s fall-flavored drinks and bakery goods.”
“Jack O’Lantern” :30
(Open on Jack carved like a jack-o’-lantern. Gourdo sees
Jack and becomes frightened)
Gourdo: Ah! What happened to your face?
Jack: C’mon Gourdo, we talked about this.
Gourdo: Is that fire!?
Jack: Look, it’s almost Halloween and this is what happens
to my kind. It’s kind of like when a caterpillar transforms
into a butterfly.
Gourdo: Does it hurt?
(Jack takes a sip of his drink, the flame goes out and smoke
drifts out from his eye holes)
Jack: Hmm, a little.
Super: Savor Fall Flavors.
Barrett Haroldson, art director; Lee Hanson, writer; Eric
Husband, group creative director; Mike Caguin, executive
creative director; Micah Dahl, editor; Puny Entertainment,
animation; Alina Perez-Campos, digital video producer;
Caribou Coffee, client.
“Maracas” :30
(Open on Jack and Gourdo)
Jack: You know, when I grow up, I hope I’m as delicious as
this Wild Pumpkin cooler. Gourdo, what do you want to be
when you grow up?
(Gourdo looks up as a thought bubble begins to form)
SFX: Maracas shaking (Hispanic voices) Yi Yi Yi Yaaaaa!
(Festive female maracas begin to shake and circle around
a sombrero-wearing Gourdo. Cut back to Jack staring)
Gourdo: Arrrrriba! Arrrrrriba! Cha Changa Cha!
Super: Saborea El Otoño.
Barrett Haroldson, art director; Lee Hanson, writer; Eric
Husband, group creative director; Mike Caguin, executive
creative director; Micah Dahl, editor; Alina Perez-Campos,
producer; Puny Entertainment, production company;
Caribou Coffee, client.
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