The Farm & Fisherman

Farm-to-table style dining is a rapidly returning trend in Philadelphia. Chef Josh Lawler had been planning and preparing to open a brand new restaurant in Philadelphia called The Farm & Fisherman but he needed some help establishing his look and style as well as promoting his fresh new establishment. Conversing with Lawler, CGC got a feel for the type of establishment he was looking to build and then we went to work. While MAC4 Communications developed a marketing strategy for the business, CGC created and developed numerous logo concepts for consideration. Understanding that the logo would be used in so many ways, it had to be fresh and unique like Lawler's vision, yet functional and flexible to be featured on everything from menus, to gift cards, etchings and engravings, a street sign and every promotion effort down the road. The resulting mark was a relaxed and playful icon that can be seen hanging at the front door at 1120 Pine Street in Philadelphia.

Restaurant Website.

An Allstar Event

In 2011, CGC was asked to provide graphics and signage for AstraZeneca's annual Take Your Child to Work Day. With an "AZ Allstars" theme, CGC created the logo and then all the necessary components for visually appealing, friendly and colorful childlike graphics… from handheld guide signs and posters to buttons and bags.

Cyber School Success

21st Century Cyber Charter School was a creative learning and eye-opening experience for us at CGC. The school is an online system where specific types of students who are unable to attend regular public and private schools can receive virtually the same education but completely online. This enables some extremely talented and gifted young people to pursue other interests while keeping up with their academics.

21CCCS really challenged CGC by providing us with an opportunity to completely redesign their public website, their catalogs and provide an entirely new marketing direction for promoting the school. The biggest part of this challenge was that we were going to be held to a very tight budget. With the field of play established, CGC squeezed every drop out of every effort we made in creating the new program. CGC even went out into the community and neighborhoods to photograph and create the imagery we needed for the project, saving the Client thousands of dollars.

Today, largely due to good planning during the design phases, 21CCCS is able to regularly update and maintain their site because it was actually programmed in an easily editable code language specifically developed with this flexibility in mind.

Visit their site at www.21cccs.org

Designing for the Dogs!

Our family has been an involved part of the Downingtown Young Whippets football program for a number of years. Like many other community businesses, CGC has donated services to the DYW organization, some of which include developing a new logo, a new website and numerous apparel and promotional items, signs, banners and graphics. The annual DYW yearbook program is designed and produced in-house, featuring many ads designed by yours truly. We love football and enjoy doing our part to help the Young Whippets continue their successful reign as the premier youth football program in southeastern Pennsylvania.


Check out the Whippet's site at www.gowhippets.org.

There's that orange fish again.

Matt the Fish continues to bring a smile to our faces every time we see it around Downingtown. Mattioni Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning has been a long standing family owned and operated business in Downingtown for more than 60 years. When Dave Mattioni invited CGC to help breathe some new life into their advertising, we were honored to work with such a respected member of the Downingtown community.  

A wide assortment of campaign ideas were developed for Mattioni, but in the end, the one that everyone fell in love with was Matt the Fish. CGC conducted a survey to get opinions from a sampling of the Downingtown community and by an overwhelming margin, Matt the Fish bubbled to the top. Who else cares more about the comfort of his environment than a friendly dweller from the deep?


It was not long before Matt was on every truck in the Mattioni fleet, magazine ads, bus stop posters and community sponsored events. Matt the Fish continues to be swimmingly successful and we are proud to be the creators of the famous fish. Keep smiling Matt!  

The 7th Graders are Coming! The 7th Graders are Coming!

For a fifth year, Downingtown Middle School teacher, Anthony Basilio, successfully organized a class trip to Boston for students in the 7th grade. The trip coincides with their American History curriculum focusing on America's independence and the Revolutionary War. I was very pleased to be selected as one of the chaperones that would accompany the other 7th graders on a three day/two night Boston excursion.
My first thought was, what is any class trip without t-shirts? Like Paul Revere bolting from the stables, I drove straight to our friends at SPS Graphics in Downingtown to figure a way we could clad our tour in matching colors. While I worked on the design, SPS searched out the best deal they could find on shirts. They did a fantastic job printing our shirts, resulting in a great looking bunch of Downingtown historians!

It was a wonderful experience for everyone. As a parent, I feel that we are very fortunate to have such a quality group of dedicated teachers. Hats off.

First Niagara

In November 2010, First Niagara Risk Management, the insurance subsidiary of First Niagara Financial Group, acquired Pennsylvania-based firm Summit Insurance Group. Summit Insurance provides risk management, employee benefits consulting and investment services.

As part of the transition process, CGC was appointed the task of developing a series of design concepts integrating the existing Summit Capabilities Brochure content to reflect the established First Niagara brand and graphic standards. 

By referencing existing First Niagara collateral, researching appropriate stock photography and the creation of custom illustrations, we successfully developed and presented the client with the following schematic concepts. The client was indeed pleased with our work and we expect to execute one of the concepts soon.

Camelot Graduation

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Eagles' quarterback Michael Vick addressed the 2011 graduating class of the Camelot Schools of Pennsylvania. The event took place June 10th at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. CGC proudly designed custom invitations for the event and was granted backstage access to photograph Michael Vick as he greeted and spoke one on one with a select group of Camelot graduates and educators. Vick and the students shared details of the many challenges that they experienced and how they have been able to turn things around and back on the path to success. During the graduation ceremony, Vick awarded two students with scholarships that would aid them through their first year of college. “I stand before you a changed man” said Vick. “Use me as an example at how to become an instrument of change. You can do it as well.”

It was an exciting day for CGC and we were grateful to be witness to over 400 young people receiving their high school diplomas... the same students that for one reason or another were cast out of the public school system and left with limited options. Camelot Schools of Pennsylvania provides kids in trouble with an opportunity to get it right, get back on track, and a second chance at a brighter future. We are proud to be partnered with Camelot and hope to become more involved in helping the school grow and expand in 2012 and beyond.

To learn more about: Camelot Schools

Shiny Success.

Gamajet, a world leader in tank cleaning technologies, was trapped under a fragmented and unmanaged mountain of media promotions that had no cohesiveness or polished, professional appearance. CGC was provided an opportunity in 2009 to design a series of ads to prove our worthiness in becoming Gamajet's new agency of record. CGC successfully developed a new aesthetic direction for Gamajet and launched a comprehensive media blitz into dozens of trade publications.

Gamajet's products overlap into several very different industries, but the new shiny and clean looking branding CGC illustrated and developed allowed Gamajet to consistently brand their products and services to these varied markets and rise even higher above their competition. CGC recreated Gamajet's tradeshow banners and retooled their library of product data sheets, promotional DVD mailers, and new product promotional launches. CGC managed all of the Gamajet's media publications and submissions, with a more mature and professional pop. Today, Gamajet continues to lead the world in new and exciting cleaning innovations and CGC remains proud of their role in taking Gamajet to the next level.

Meet the Artist Day 2011

Each May West Bradford Elementary School art teacher Mary Fran Giunta invites local Chester County artists to participate in "Meet the Artist Day." By far this is one of the highlights of the year for us at CGC as we get a chance to show off our really "cool" computer design "magic." It is always an eyeopening experience for both the students at West Bradford, and for us. Focusing on symbols and logo design, we challenge the kids to guess famous national logos by showing them a very small portion of the mark. It is astonishing how quickly the students are able to recognize each and every logo from such a small amount of detail. Two horizontal grey dots? The kids call out "Wii!" A green and white vertical stripe? The kids know it's Rita's Water Ice. A mermaid's face? Starbucks coffee, followed by "My Mom drinks a LOT of that!!" The lesson here? Consistent branding leads to recognition... and kids say the darndest things!

Most would agree that our day to day work does not generate shouts of excitement. It is significantly exciting for us to see young people discover an area of design and art that we have chosen as our careers. One can sense when the students begin to make that special connection of how doing something you enjoy can actually be called work. At the end of the day Jen and I both feel that we have been blessed and that "It's A Wonderful Life" doing what we do.

Here's the game we play with them. See if you can guess the logo.

AstraZeneca

Our relationship with AstraZeneca began in 1998, with the design of monthly and quarterly newsletters. Before long, CGC was approved as a Preferred Vendor of AZ, and worked with numerous members throughout AZ, from Oncology Department, to corporate communications, to the Sales Force, to Sales Training Division.

Interacting with such a well managed and professional organization was a pleasure that enabled us to grow, enhancing our own skills and abilities. For AZ we have designed ads, Powerpoint, Training Binders, signage, posters, collateral and various logos. As with other corporations, AZ periodically changes their graphic standards, and we are quick to adopt any new graphic directions.

Over the years, AZ has gone through operational restructuring numerous times, and yet CGC has gratefully remained on their active list of vendors.

This year, CGC has been part of a series of projects that have enabled CGC to rekindle some old relationships at the firm, as well as being introduced to a number of new names and faces that not surprisingly exhibit that same professionalism that we have come to know and appreciate at AZ. Our economy has taken on a very different outlook, and we believe that we are not alone in noting that the level of appreciation for solid professional partners are priceless.

Smart Guy

CGC was introduced to Major League Soccer's 2009 Goalkeeper of the Year, Zach Thornton. Currently playing with Chivas USA, Thornton was readying the launch of his company Thornton Enterprises and required a logo. As CGC completed the design of the company's logo, CGC was invited to aid in the development of a youth-oriented effort initiated by Thornton called SmartGuy Movement.

By combining forces with JT Dorsey, a longtime friend and head of the JT Dorsey Foundation, and Nicole Sanders of Sanders Consulting LLC, SmartGuy took shape. Focusing on at-risk youth in communities across America, Thornton's team organized the "movement" to educate and expose kids to strong examples of successful people who have managed to make smart decisions in life despite being faced with adversity or disadvantages.

CGC was tasked with taking the ideas and concepts and shaping them into graphics and media materials that could be used to grow the movement and communicate with future SmartGuys as well as for use at workshops and appearances. The resulting efforts are show below and include stationery, folders, fliers, shirts, mailers and an active blog.

The blog is located at http://zachthorntonsmartguy.blogspot.com

Crompco LLC

Crompco, the petroleum industry's leading compliance testing firm, invited marketing powerhouse MAC4 Communications to refashion their existing branding and marketing direction. Step one was to retool the company's lack-luster logo. MAC4 called upon CGC to develop a mark that was to be more representative of the important protective services Crompco provides to its customers and the technological advancements that the industry has come to rely on. Today, the new logo empowers every marketing and communication endeavour the company executes.

Former logo:

New logo:

Not far on the heels of Crompco's branding rebirth, CGC was again called upon to develop a logo for a ground-breaking new meter-calibration service Crompco was developing called AccuMeasure. Partnering again with MAC4 Communications, CGC created not just a logo, but a complete tradeshow launch of the service (making its debut at NACS in Las Vegas). The campaign included tradeshow graphics, looping PowerPoint video (designed and voiced by CGC, seen here), magazine ads and a series of printed pieces. The launch was an overwhelming success, generating enormous interest. Immediately following the show, Crompco embarked on a cross-country tour to convenience stores, gas and service stations across America.