We were given the opportunity to conceptualize, design, animate and execute the concept of a unique LIFEstyle Quiz to help increase Brookfield’s Facebook fan base, encourage interaction and make the home finding process fun! We’re excited to announce that our client Brookfield Homes is providing an alternative way for potential homebuyers to find their new home with the launch of the new campaign.

Introducing the Brookfield Homes LIFEstyle Quiz!

This custom-designed Facebook tab allows consumers to match their unique lifestyle to the Brookfield community that best suits their needs, offering a personalized and interactive experience.

Consumers are greeted by a series of questions to help them find their perfect home.

Whether their idea of a fun weekend is riding a bike through town.  Soaking up sun at the beach. Or enjoying recreational activities in the neighborhood.

The quiz displays a community to complement any lifestyle and a fun animation to accompany each selected answer.

From lively characters to breezy palm trees and well-known cityscapes, every aspect of the animation and design reflects relevant San Diego landmarks as well as the exclusive lifestyle represented at each of the six Brookfield communities.

To view the Brookfield Homes custom Facebook tab, take the quiz or learn more about Brookfield’s San Diego homes, please visit Brookfield’s Facebook page.

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “LIKE” us on Facebook.

One of the biggest surprise new social platforms of 2011 has to be Pinterest. In fact, the innovative social space is one of the top ten most visited social networks today.

What is Pinterest? Pinterest is a simple image-based platform that allows users to create their own category boards on which relevant photos can be posted and shared. Users can also post photos to other people’s boards and follow other users based on similar interests like fashion, gardening or art design, for example.

Brands are also finding Pinterest to be a valuable tool to further connect with their consumer audiences. Here are 5 brands to keep an eye on that are leveraging the new social site to boost their fan engagement:

1. Nordstrom
2. Whole Foods
3. Better Homes & Gardens
4. West Elm
5. The Travel Channel

Check out each company’s Pinterest board to help gather ideas for how your brand can use this new social phenomenon.

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “LIKE” us on Facebook.

Since 1986, Gunn|Jerkens’ award-winning client Pacific Dimensions, Inc. has designed and completed more than 1,000 environments within the residential and commercial development industry. From living and working to learning and enjoyment, each design has been carefully created to fit the needs of the customer and maximize functionality and beauty. Under the leadership of President and CEO Jennifer Elling, the company has showcased its work in Egypt, Mexico, China and the United States.

Recently, a top-name blogger from one of the most-read home and garden blogs, Centsational Girl, toured two of Pacific Dimensions’ model home projects. The outcome of this impromptu visit was a blog story dedicated to the tour experience and the elements of each room in the models that were most exceptional. Now Pacific Dimensions’ work is showcased to all the blog’s readers and across the internet – and that’s the marketing power of a great product!

To read the full Centsational Girl blog story about Pacific Dimensions, Inc.’s two design projects, click here.

Want to view more of the design work by Pacific Dimensions, click here.

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “LIKE” us on Facebook.

G|J collaborated with Shapell Homes to develop an innovative green/sustainable presentation within the Sage at Plum Canyon Ranch model complex. The eye-catching storefront design is filled with a multitude of energy-saving solutions that allow visitors to preview the products and eco-savings found in each new home.

Now, we’re excited to announce that the Sage at Plum Canyon Ranch community has been named Green Home Builder Magazine’s 2011 Community of the Year!

Congratulations to the Shapell team! Thank you for allowing G|J to think outside of the box – while delivering the money-saving and eco-friendly message.

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “LIKE” us on Facebook.

Game On, Santa
In this Best Buy commercial, it looks like Santa has a little competition!

Chorus
Target gives new meaning to Christmas carolers.

Elf Yourself
Ever wonder what your family would look like if you were all elves? Wonder no more (thanks to OfficeMax).
Click here!

Rebecca Black Friday
Kohl’s uses one of the year’s most popular songs to promote holiday shopping.

Believe
Macy’s is using Augmented Reality for a fully-integrated campaign that runs across mobile, tablet, web and Facebook platforms–or so we believe.
Check it out here!

Have you seen any great holiday campaigns? Let us know!

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “LIKE” us on Facebook.

The integrated marketing campaign included print, online and radio components (Listen to the Grab the Deal Radio Spot) and noticeably increased both on-site and web traffic.

Congratulations to the entire D.R. Horton Southern California team on a successful sales event.

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “LIKE” us on Facebook.

Gunn|Jerkens was recently tasked with creating a new campaign to promote Olson Homes’ new home community – Citrus Walk in Covina, CA.

The campaign, Now This Is Fresh, was quickly crafted and executed based on three key attributes possessed by the Citrus Walk community that make it fresh, new, innovative and cool. The first is that the community itself boasts new architecture in a location encompassed by the quaint and historical downtown Covina surroundings. Citrus Walk provides for an experience of fresh, innovative design, that offers a new take on in-town living.

The convenient location of Citrus Walk also makes it fresh! Here, you can park your car and visit walking-close restaurants, cafés, parks, Starbucks and the Farmer’s Market. And yet, you can still easily hop on the freeway or Metrolink, which makes commuting a convenient solution no matter which direction you’re traveling. Living closer to the things you need and love makes living at Citrus Walk a fresh approach to life.

Citrus Walk also offers homeowners a fresh opportunity to own a new home. With a price that’s right, interest rates that are low and tax benefits that can’t be beat, owning a new home at Citrus Walk gives residents the pride of knowing they’re building a fresh future.

The G|J team developed a strategic plan to ensure that the fresh campaign was shared in as many places possible to drive qualified leads from the target market to the new townhome community. This was a multi-platform campaign that integrated traditional, digital and social media tools to spread the word about the great value and lifestyle available at Citrus Walk.

Within just a few days of the campaign launch, Citrus Walk saw increased web and on-site traffic and, most importantly, an increase in home sales!

We’re grateful to work with such a wonderful client and look forward to creating many more campaigns for Olson Homes!

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “LIKE” us on Facebook.

When interior designer Jessica Nakata of The Black Door Interior Design firm was in search of a marketing communications and interactive company to redesign her website, she turned to Gunn|Jerkens for our expertise. The new website’s architecture and creative was strategically designed and developed to complement The Black Door’s brand image – simplistic and chic.  To achieve this goal, we refreshed the logo type and created a logo mark element, which can be used as an icon and helps to create brand identity outside of the logo type. A new light-colored patterned background was also incorporated into the layout. And to showcase Jessica’s beautiful design work, stunning photography of her projects was utilized as the central focal point of the site.

The end result is a visually stimulating, clean and sophisticated design that is intuitive to navigate, making it very user friendly.

In addition to the new website, Jessica has set up a Facebook page, used for sharing her work and providing interior design tips and ideas to her audience. By building a business page, The Black Door Interior Design will gain additional exposure, helping to increase brand awareness and further develop the search engine optimization (SEO) strategy already in place.

Jessica was a great client to work with. Her expertise in design and her willingness to let us in on her creative process made this project a fun and memorable one.

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “Like” us on Facebook.

According to a recent article titled “Unclaimed Facebook Pages Torment the Fortune 50,” by B.L. Olman, managing director of emerging media at Proof Integrated Communications, Fifty-eight percent or 29 of the Fortune 50 companies have an official Facebook page. Forty-two percent or 21 of the Fortune 50 have at least one unclaimed Facebook page – sometimes in addition to their official Facebook pages, and sometimes as their only representation on Facebook. Who is managing these unofficial pages on behalf of the brand?

Facebook actually created community pages using information found on Wikipedia. While the free exposure might initially be enticing – it’s actually highly detrimental to the brand’s reputation. Anyone in the Facebook universe can add photos, information, videos, negative reviews and spam, just to name a few, and there’s nothing your company can do about it – it’s a reputation management nightmare!

Don’t let someone else take control of your brand’s social presence. Be proactive rather than reactive – claim your company’s Facebook page today!

To stay up to date on all the new and innovative happenings at Gunn|Jerkens, check back often, follow us on Twitter (@GunnJerkens) and “Like” us on Facebook.

Creative academics Glenn Griffin and Deborah Morrison shared their insights and investigations into the creative process. They worked with top creative professionals and asked them to create a visual answer to the question “What does your creative process look like?” Here is one illustration (my favorite!) they shared with us:

[It may be hard to read, but this person's process is: 1. Input; 2. Blend; 3. Tickle (such an appropriate word!); 4. Output.]

The key message in their presentation was understand your process and you can be more efficient, effective and gain self-confidence. The last one hit home for me—if you know that you always doubt and agonize before getting your “big idea,” stop worrying, work through the anxiety and recognize that it’s part of your process. Here are some other points they shared:

– Process is personal. Embrace your idiosyncrasies. Identify your favorite pen, foods, etc. you use in your design process.

– Document your habits and routine. Does time of day, lighting or who’s around you have an effect on your creativity?

– Reflect upon your core creative values. Establish your own “manifesto” to determine what’s important to you.


Innovate and adapt.

Consumers are driven by changing technology. Gail Towey, chief creative and editorial director for Martha Stewart Living, shared how their magazine is taking advantage of apps for the iPad to create deeper experiences for their users. Stories are now told on different levels. In addition to the written (text) and visual (photography) story used by traditional print media, new technologies create the opportunity for video and audio storytelling, providing a more authentic experience.


Assess and reassess.

Consider the consumer at the point of engagement. Think about the consumer’s buying process and focus on what the consumer is interested in at each stage within it. Most users are researching today to buy tomorrow, so it’s important to educate and nurture consumers. A major part of design is establishing trust throughout that process.

Once “done” with your design, reassess. This most obviously applies to web design. Look at your web analytics. What platforms are your users using? What is the user’s navigational flow on your website? Unlike print media, once web design is live, we can reassess, improve and update the design. That’s part of the beauty of the web: if your design or message fails, you can change it.


Designing for the mass market is designing for one person.

Design for your sister, uncle, neighbor, etc. Think of a person you know who fits the demographic and target market you’re designing for. This is a simple (and seemingly obvious) message that stuck with me.


Designers love free swag.

Any down time between sessions was spent at the HOW Design Live Resource Center where various companies parked their booths for the weekend and gave out free swag. By the end of the conference, I had a suitcase full of brochures, swatch books, bags, posters, etc. to bring back to the office.

One of my favorite booths was that of Neenah Paper, which was decorated with bright colors and creative use of fonts. The brains behind the booth was Design Army, who creatively marketed the paper company by using clever, provocative lines like “Get in-between the sheets with Neenah in Chicago” and “Neenah is smooth, rough and available.”

Another notable booth was the Utopia paper booth. They invited two artists, Molly Z. and Chris Gliebe, and gave them blank mural canvases to create something beautiful. In addition to the larger murals, each artist also created a series of note cards and posters (printed, of course, on Utopia paper) that they gave out to attendees.

Chicago, home of the ferris wheel…and so much more.

This was also my first trip to Chicago. Coming from an architecture background, I was excited to finally visit this beautiful city. One of the things I enjoyed most about sightseeing in Chicago was the juxtaposition of Beaux-Arts classicism against modernist steel-glass construction. From Mies van der Rohe to Frank Gehry, it seems that every notable architect has in some way made a mark on this historical landscape. Of course I had to take the obligatory architectural photos. They’re documented here on my personal blog: styleandsyntax.com » chicago2011


HUGE THANKS to Linda and the entire Gunn | Jerkens team for making this possible. It was an amazing experience and I hope I was able to bring back some useful nuggets of information for everyone!