ramp creative+design

Come Aboard, We’re Expecting You.

Rachel Elnar — Wed, 09 May 2012 05:20:37 +0000

Love, exciting and new. The courting process is so full of wonder and amazement. Ask any woman. The way to guide the courting process is to make sure she is immersed in it. So here’s your chance, hotel marketers. You’ve got a guest interested in seeing your sights. Time to make her fall in love with you.

So she hits up your site. What will make her stay? A dazzling first impression. Beauty. Seduction. Meaningful words, images and space. Brand alignment. NOT pages packed with SEO copy, flashing room specials, and cheesy stock photography.

Lure her in with a gorgeous brand identity, coupled with photography, typography, voice and user experience that communicates the service level of the property. Whether it be luxury, quirky, family or low-budget, in order to be perceived as professional, the image of your site, brochure or first point of contact is crucial. Many visitors are researching, and making a good first impression will determine whether or not you make the shortlist.

If you make it to the shortlist, you’ll be subscribed to. So, send out spectacular, image-rich emails that act as love notes to remind her of her pending journey.

Portico by Exclusive Resorts

Huntley Santa Monica

Auberge Resorts

“Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.” — Paul Rand

Rachel Elnar — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:58:39 +0000

“Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.” — Paul Rand

Partner Michael Stinson To Stress the Importance of Studio Culture & Identity

Rachel Elnar — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:08:09 +0000

Ramp Creative Partner Michael Stinson to participate as a panelist at the AIGA/LA Professional Series Event

Los Angeles, CA (March 14, 2012) – The Professional Series: Importance of Studio Culture & Identity will be held this year at Continuum Studio in Venice where Partner and Creative Director, Michael Stinson will be participating as a panelist about today’s business of design.

Michael will be speaking on Wednesday, March 28 with moderator Eduardo A. Braniff and a panel of Creative Directors, Executive Directors, CEOs and Studio Mavericks for a conversation on the importance of studio culture and how to create a prosperous environment. Fore more info, view the AIGA/LA event page.

About Ramp Creative
In the nine years since its founding, Los Angeles-based design firm Ramp Creative has garnered national and international recognition for its work from such prestigious institutions such as the Communications Arts Design Annual, How Magazine International Design Annual, Blackbook’s AR100, Appleton Design Council Showcase and the Mohawk Paper Show. The firm handles design thinking for their clients through creative communications services in visual branding, corporate collateral, marketing communications, broadcast graphics, interactive design and packaging. For more information, please visit rampcreative.com.

Natural Foods Brands Who Are Doing It Right

Rachel Elnar — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 06:18:13 +0000

If you walked into a natural foods store 10 years ago, and you could expect to be there for a while. Consumer packaged goods (CPG) packaging and brand messages were a bit messy, labels were crowded with benefit claims, and covered with bad type and green leaves.

Unless you previously identified with the company, you were challenged to make a judgement call on which cereal to have for breakfast before sundown. Part of the judging process included weighing health statements and nutrition facts against price, but could you find the information?

Fast-forward to today, where natural foods brands are much more prevalent. Giant food manufacturers actually own organic brands and many natural foods brands co-exist beside their over-processed cousins on the same shelf. Because of this on-the-shelf battle, natural foods brands had to simplify their messages, instill benefits into their philosophies, and clean up their packaging act.

In terms of brand messages, there’s a little of each home-grown hippie, crafted artisan, slick salesman, and everything in between. I did a survey of natural food brands web sites, looking for a design balance of clear story, fun messaging, authentic approach, and social community. These examples didn’t go too overboard on any of those four pillars. They are attractive, and make me hungry. And they’re not covered in green leaves!

Turtle Mountain So Delicious

Horizon Dairy

Branding = Harlow’s Monkeys

Rachel Elnar — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 20:48:58 +0000

Branding. It’s America’s most successful export. But why is it so successful? Why is a ‘brand name’ burger twice the cost and twice as bought as a mom-n-pop burger? Especially since a mom-n-pop burger is probably just as good or better than a ‘brand name’ burger?

I think the attachment theory might explain the success of marketing and branding.

In the 1950s, Psychologist Harry Harlow conducted experiments with baby rhesus monkeys to demonstrate the importance of care-giving and companionship in social and cognitive development for humans. The theory of attachment explains that from birth, humans are biologically pre-programmed to form emotional attachments for survival, infants specifically, to at least one of their parents. Infants become attached to adults who are most sensitive and responsive to them. When they receive strong care and responsiveness, they have a better chance at staying alive. Deprived of attachment, infants will develop mental distress.

Harlow gave the monkeys ‘mothers’ to form attachments with. To create a ‘mother’, Harlow’s assistants covered a wire frame with terrycloth. A second mother was identical to the first but had no terrycloth; it was just a wire frame with a built-in milk bottle and nipple. Between the choices between ‘mothers’ that provided either food and comfort, the infant monkeys always chose comfort.

Attachment theory explains that the earliest bonds formed by children with their caregivers have a tremendous impact that continues throughout life. After attachment is initially formed, children feel secure enough to explore and have an emotional place to return for comfort.

Throughout life, adults continue to seek and reconfirm that connection in friendly, business and romantic relationships.

So, what does this have to do with branding? A brand is a ‘mother’ to which humans begin to form relationships with and where one can return to for comfort. So, that ‘brand-name’ burger might not taste great, but it’s reliable, consistent and secure. Just like mom.

We will pay attention to what comforts us. We recognize what looks familiar to us, and if the brand is ‘attractive’, we will return. We see the value in good brands, and prefer them. And we will pay more for comfort.

The moral of the story? Don’t just feed your audience your product or service, build a nurturing brand. And the monkeys will come.

Facebook Cover Photos That Share The Story

Rachel Elnar — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 04:52:25 +0000

Didn’t we say social networking is getting more visual? It is. On March 30, 2012, Facebook pages for businesses will switch to the new timeline layout. One of the best features is the ability to use the cover photo to entice the viewer to explore the page. Here’s a sampling of brands who are already sporting the new look wisely with their story-telling cover photos. We love oversized, beautiful imagery.

Partner Michael Stinson to Participate in AIGA Portfolio Day 2012

Rachel Elnar — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 23:13:49 +0000

Ramp Creative Partner Michael Stinson to participate as a reviewer at the AIGA Los Angeles Student Portfolio Day

Los Angeles, CA (March 2, 2012) – AIGA/LA Student Portfolio Day will be held this year at Westwood College where Partner and Creative Director, Michael Stinson will be participating as an industry professional reviewer for student portfolios.

The AIGA Los Angeles Student Portfolio Day is open to all college-level design students who are AIGA student members. The review is on March 10, 2012 with special guest Robynne Raye from Modern Dog. For more information about AIGA Los Angeles Student Portfolio Day, please visit the AIGA/LA Website at http://aigalosangeles.org/features/comments/aiga_student_portfolio_day_2012

Agostoni Chocolate Design Included in Creative Quarterly 26

Rachel Elnar — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:10:13 +0000

Agostoni Chocolate Identity and Packaging System Design Included in Creative Quarterly’s CQ26 Awards

Los Angeles, CA (February 17, 2012) – The brand identity system and packaging system for Agostoni Chocolate were recognized as winning entries in Creative Quarterly’s CQ26 competition. The logo and brand identity system received a winning honor, and the packaging received a runner-up honor. Both systems will be published in the CQ26, which will be available online and on newsstands in Spring of 2012. For the full list of winners, view the Creative Quarterly web site at: http://www.cqjournal.com/winners.html

The Agostoni Chocolate Brand system received a winning honor.

The Agostoni Packaging system received a runners-up honor.

About Ramp Creative

Since 2002, Los Angeles-based design firm Ramp Creative has garnered national and international recognition for its work from such prestigious institutions such as the Communications Arts Design Annual, How Magazine International Design Annual, Blackbook’s AR100, Appleton Design Council Showcase and the Mohawk Paper Show. The firm handles design thinking for their clients through creative communications services in visual branding, corporate collateral, marketing communications, broadcast graphics, interactive design and packaging.

About Creative Quarterly

Creative Quarterly publishes quarterly issues of Creative Quarterly: The Journal of Art and Design exploring inspiration in fine art, design, illustration and photography. http://www.cqjournal.com/

“If the users can’t find it, the function’s not there.” — Human Factors International

Rachel Elnar — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:56:38 +0000

“If the users can’t find it, the function’s not there.” — Human Factors International

Good First Impressions Can Lead To Everlasting Love

Rachel Elnar — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:46:16 +0000

You can tell a lot from a person on first impression. A smile, a handshake, or verbal exchange is enough for us to make an assessment on someone’s personality. A few seconds are all we need to form our first impression and develop initial attraction.

Personality + Communication = Love
A relationship starts with an attraction to personality (brains) and physical traits (beauty), and trust continues development through socializing (conversation). The continuing interpersonal attraction can have different levels of intensity, which affect our mental and emotional understanding of each other. Lasting love depends on behavior as much as biology.

First impressions are hardwired into our psyche.

Brand Attributes + Experiences = Trust
Brands work the same way. In dealing with companies, products and services, consumers are emotionally seeking certain brand traits (story and image). Once consumers find brand personalities they identify with, they decide if brands embody convenience and comfort, and as the relationship continues, loyalty is fostered. Customer commitment to a brand is key to a company’s value and longevity.

People are attracted to brands.

The one thing that does break customer loyalty, is a violation of trust. Bad service, low quality products, frustrating user interface and inconsistency of image can cause consumers to seek new brand relationships. If you want to keep friendships, relationships and customers, stay consistent, dependable, appealing and committed to your fan base.