Strategy | Video | OTT TV | Social Media | Motion Graphics | Website Development | Landing Pages | Concept Testing | Website Banners | Lead Generation | Google Adwords | Retargeting | Email | Continual Campaign Optimization | Monthly Reporting | Video Production | Facebook Contest

Situation:

The entire American motorcycle market only represents 9% of the population. BMW’s share of that market is only 7% of that 9% pie.

Due to the extremely high cost of media in the Mid-Atlantic market, BMW's national advertising was not reaching enough potential buyers in the region.

With a small budget in one of America’s most expensive markets filled with dealers selling more popular motorcycle brands, we were hired to:

• Create an campaign to build long-term awareness and consideration of BMW motorcycles

• Drive short-term leads directly to multiple dealers within the region

Outsmart:

Our research revealed that competing brands were blindly focused on advertising boring, cookie cutter financing deals, generic beauty shots and technical info about their bikes. No one was advertising the emotional benefits of owning a bike in the Mid-Atlantic. Our strategy was simple: • Demonstrate the pure joy of riding a BMW in the Mid-Atlantic through impossible to ignore and hard to forget creative ads. • Reach as many potential buyers in the market as possible.

Outdo:

We created a robust microsite to capture all traffic from our campaign that then drove prospects to the best dealer in the region for their specific needs. Each page was designed to motivate potential buyers to find and schedule a test ride with the right dealers in as few clicks as possible.

To save production money, we utilized existing BMW photography but enhanced them with our original headlines. We also shot three videos demonstrating the Mid-Atlantic riding experience.

We created a variety of still image, motion graphics and video ads targeted various groups on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. We tracked a variety of KPIs and optimized performance to ensure the campaign delivered maximum results.

Outlast:

Our results blew away all previous BMW Motorrad national and regional agencies’ performance. In less than 6 months, we:

• More than doubled qualified leads

• Generated a 2.51% CTR – over 4x greater than the category average of .6%

• Increased engagement by 5x

• Tripled Facebook page fans

• Lowered CPC

• Dramatically increased impressions and reach

• Exponentially increased event attendance & store traffic •

• Delivered the biggest sales in history for the Mid-Atlantic region

It has been both an exciting and a pleasurable experience to work with the Immortology Team on marketing BMW Motorcycle dealerships in the Mid-Atlantic Region. We are all impressed with the results and have more sales and customers in our individual data than we expected. 

Immortology brought a higher, fresher level of creativity, vision, expertise, follow-through, metrics, and passion to our business. The results were vastly more exposures than BMW themselves had ever attained from any campaign, nearly three times the views, measurably longer visits by new prospects, increased traffic and interest in BMW bikes. Our traffic and sales increased across the board on every product and service we offered.

I can only hope that BMW Motorrad USA will consider moving more, or even all their annual marketing spend and efforts into the Immortology arena, soon. 

If you are looking for a fresh, exciting, dedicated, professional marketing firm to bring new ideas, new energy, and results to your business I strongly recommend that you reach out and speak with David Smith to get that conversation started with Immortology.

Bob Henig

President of Bob’s BMW Motorcycles & Mid-Atlantic BMW Motorcycles DAG

Brand Positioning | Social Media | National Print | Website Banners | POS | Email | Tagline Development | Motion Graphics | Decals

Situation:

WOOX is a luxury outdoor gear brand. With price points way above what most outdoor enthusiasts are used to paying, WOOX was a brand in search of a market. Relying heavily on influencer marketing, SEM and other direct online sales tactics, the company was struggling to reach the right buyers with the right message.

Outsmart:

After analyzing the category, competing brands and multiple rival ad campaigns, we discovered that while the vast majority of outdoor gear brands are big on functionality, their products lack distinction, style and craftsmanship. Made with synthetic plastics in China for the masses by machines for short-term use, most outdoor gear products are “disposable” that simply don’t stand the test of time.

WOOX is just the opposite.

Designed in Italy and made in America, each and every axe, gun stock and knife WOOX makes is meticulously crafted to last. Everything WOOX sells is a masterwork in form and function that elicits pride in ownership. With these brand values in mind, we positioned WOOX as “extraordinary heirloom gear for extraordinary outdoor enthusiasts.”

Outdo:

Based on the positioning, we created an integrated campaign of print, POS, social media, emails and website banners. Each creative execution is designed and written to show-off and pay-off WOOX’s original designs and craftsmanship as must-have, aspirational outdoor gear. Instead of hitting the average outdoor enthusiasts, we targeted high-achievers – doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, etc. - that also happen to enjoy hunting, fishing, camping and hiking. Finally, we developed a new tagline to emphasize the new brand positioning: FOR THE GREAT OUTDOORSMAN.

Outlast:

In less than 18 months, we:

> Exponentially increased awareness & sales

> Drove 3x more traffic to the e-commerce site

> Broke both year and monthly historic sales records

> Sold out the Gladiatore in 6 weeks

WOOX sold a year’s worth of inventory of the new Gladiatore shotgun furniture in just six weeks. Print is only dead if your ads suck. I’ve used Immortology to shake up the status quo at Obsession Bows, SCI and now WOOX and they don’t just move the needle, they get real, actionable attention that drives revenue.

Chip Hunnicutt, VP Marketing & General Manager

Brand Re-launch | Consumer Research | Brand Platform Development | Print | Billboards | Landing Page | POS | Direct | Facebook Campaign |
Media Placement | Guerrilla

Situation:

The Cramer Mountain Club is a private country club located in a beautiful gated community near Charlotte, NC. Recently purchased by a new owner, the course, clubhouse and amenities have all undergone significant renovations. In addition to facility improvements, the club’s new board also wanted to make the Cramer Mountain Club more inclusive, less stuffy and more family-friendly than the stereotypical southern country clubs in the area. 

Despite a relatively small marketing budget, a decline in golf’s popularity and heavy competition from a saturation of more established area country clubs, Cramer Mountain set an extremely ambitious goal for a new member drive. With only a few weeks to develop a strategy and launch work, Cramer Mountain hired Immortology to help them re-position their brand and attract new members.

Outsmart

Research revealed there were a lot of people who had the money and the interest in joining a private golf club but did not like the strict rules and formalities most clubs seemed to have. Turned off by perceived restrictive policies, elitist reputations and old-fashioned formalities, they were looking for a different kind of private club. They wanted a club that had all the amenities and services of the most established country clubs but without pretense, dress codes and general stuffiness. They wanted a club that was fun, informal, inclusive and family-friendly.

Outdo

We positioned Cramer Mountain as the un-club and launched the campaign through a series of well-choreographed on and offline tactics. The campaign was an immediate hit within the Charlotte area. Facebook posts of individual ads were liked, shared and commented upon by tens of thousands of potential members. Requests for club tours and membership applications began to pour in.

Outlast

In the first year our campaign performed well beyond expectations. We anticipated a return of $2 for every dollar the club spent with us. In five months, the campaign generated over 100 new full-time members and returned a whopping $30 for every dollar spent with us. The campaign continues to elicit an unfair share of positive attention for the club and all membership categories have grown to capacity.

To find out how we can help you outsmart, outdo and outlast your competitors, inquire here for a free consultation.

"After talking with several agencies, I decided to go with Immortology. Not only did these guys nail the strategy, they created a brilliant integrated campaign for us that has generated a big return for our modest investment with them. I knew their work would attract potential members but was pleasantly surprised when they even beat my high expectations. From the moment they started working with us through the delivery of  their last ad they completed their work on time, on budget and on brand. They even through in a few extra things because they said they loved working on our brand. As soon as our new marketing budget gets approved, I’ll be calling them again."

- Joe Campbell, General Manager, Cramer Mountain Club

Situation

Ballistol USA is the American distributor of the 120-year-old multi-use oil from Germany. Over the past two decades, they successfully positioned Ballistol as one of the best-selling firearm CLPs (Cleans, Lubricates, Protects) in the country. As more CLP competitors entered the market, their sales started to plateau.

Challenge

Grow sales without increasing the marketing budget.

Outsmart

Our research revealed that most Ballistol buyers use the oil for much more than cleaning, lubricating and protecting their guns. As one customer declared, “It’s the Frank’s Red Hot of oils. I put that sh$% on everything!” Turns out gun owners have been quietly replacing their cans of WD-40 with Ballistol. They use it to waterproof boots and shine shoes, loosen rusty nuts, lube bike and chainsaw chains, clean and preserve tools, condition wood, remove and prevent rust…the list goes on and on. To grow sales without increasing the budget, we needed to get gun owners to use Ballistol for more than just maintaining their firearms.

Outdo

With the key message of “Ballistol does it all” and positioning it as the one tool every toolbox needs, we created a series of motion graphics featuring the can with entertaining headlines demonstrating Ballistol’s extreme multi-tasking abilities. We broadened the reach of their marketing by reducing spends on hyper-targeted Google ads and Meta conversion ads while raising spend on awareness ads.

Outlast

In less than a year, we:

>Increased impressions by more than 5x

>Delivered an average CTR of 6% vs. the category average of 2.4%

>More than doubled monthly traffic to Ballistol.com

>Drove the highest sales on record each month

>Obliterated year-over-year sales

>Designed and built a Shopify site that tripled conversion rates

>Are just getting started 😉

Strategy | TV | Print | Social

Situation

Obsession Bows is a relative newcomer in the super competitive high-end compound bow market. Super quiet with a smooth as butter draw and deadly quiet release, Obsession Bows are obsessively engineered to perfection for those obsessed with hunting. 

Problem is, not enough hunters have heard about them and not enough hunting stores carry them.

Outsmart

Hunting brands take themselves seriously. Too seriously. And fact is, while bow hunters are serious about hunting, they have a strong sense of humor and want to see it acknowledged in advertising. So while every other brand touts a serious message, we knew we could radically differentiate Obsession Bows by giving them a smart but humorous voice.

Outdo

We created a fully integrated campaign consisting of broadcast TV, consumer and channel print that could be repurposed for social and online enthusiast sites.

Outlast

After the launch, we received a call from Obsession’s Chief Marketing Officer saying the work was a huge hit. What’s more he engaged us to do some consumer research and more creative work for Obsession plus two other Arcus brands. Bam!

"When it comes to creative, I prefer to reign in an agency than kick them in the ass. The concepts Immortology presented to us for making Obsession Bows stand out among our competitors were so engaging, absolutely unique and incredibly effective, that it was our team that needed to be held back from picking them all. Our archery bows have rocked the industry in recent years and now our advertising does too."

- Chip Hunnicutt, Director Of Marketing, Arcus Hunting

Consumer Research | Brand Positioning | Social Media | Print | Building Banners | Environmental Branding | Collateral


Situation:
Over the last decade, we helped build Burkely Student Communities into one of the most successful student apartment community brands in the Southeast. Our work catapulted them from unknown, to owning/managing +80% of the student community market in the Triad and extremely successful communities in Clemson and Boone.

In order to have a more balanced business, Burkely asked us to help position, raise awareness of and grow Burkely Communities, their conventional business. Burkely Communities builds, manages and owns various conventional apartment communities and free-standing homes in NC, SC and VA.

Outsmart:
Qualitative and quantitative research revealed some surprising insights. Potential renters expect apartment life to play a greater, more fulfilling role in their lives than in the past. Decreased housing & affordability have pushed more people to rent, for longer, and at differing life-stages. The evolving nature of the workplace has limited opportunities for in-person interaction. And the shifting of life priorities has driven more young professionals out of “hub cities”. As a result, people increasingly seek the same benefits from their apartment and apartment community as they would from a traditional standalone home and neighborhood:

• Connection
• Belonging
• Peace of Mind

Outdo:
Based on the research and creative brief, the first thing we did was change the brand name from Burkely Communities to Burkely Neighborhoods. More than just an apartment community, Burkely Neighborhoods offers all the social benefits you want from a standalone home in a great neighborhood – without the all the costs, commitments and maintenance.

Outlast:
The campaign just launched but it’s already attracting new investors and residents. Stay tuned…

"Consistently and over time, first David and then David and the Immortology Team have delivered outstanding creative work for Burkely Communities. Their effectiveness is grounded in a thorough understanding of what we, and more importantly, our customers, value most and seek. Their messaging invariably aligns with and strengthens our brand and strongly resonates with our customer base. The results? Highly qualified, better fit customer traffic and sales. Their work for us works."

- Sterling Kelly • CEO, Burkely Communities

"During my time as Director of Marketing with Burkely Communities the interactions with you and your qualified staff have been wonderful. Your brand development process, starting with methodical and ground breaking research regarding how residents actually think and shop for apartments, has allowed Burkely to tap into the market with a unique and decisive message. Our leasing results have increased each year as we continue to build our brand with the help of your company. Without hesitation, I highly recommend Immortology to anyone who is in search of a knowledgeable staff that does thorough research yielding positive results. Continuing with Immortology is an easy choice for our marketing needs because of the innovative and creative process that delivers an invaluable end product. Your relationship with Burkely Communites is deeply valued and will be cherished for many years."

- Michelle Chesson • Director Of Marketing for Burkely Communities

Strategic Development | Print | Online | Video | Trade Show | International | Direct Mail

Situation

If you're not in law enforcement, the military, fire and rescue or work in hazardous environments, you've probably never heard of Streamlight. That's a shame because Streamlight quietly makes the best lighting tools on the planet. After a review and pitch to the leadership team, Immortology was tasked with creating an integrated campaign for three of the company's largest divisions - industrial, automotive and fire and rescue. With a limited production budget we were challenged to create a new look and feel for the brand that would integrate across hundreds of products, various media channels and Streamlight’s three divisions. Oh and executions would need to be produced quickly, work in several international markets and powerfully differentiate Streamlight from rival flashlight brands.

Outsmart

To meet all the criteria above, we developed a simple but powerful look and feel for the brand featuring strong hero shots of the lights. To ensure the ads effectively connected with Streamlight's various audiences, we created a tough but clever tonality for the brand voice that would play well with customers in the C-suite as well as mechanics, linemen and maintenance crews in the field.

Outdo

In less than three months we conceived, sold, produced and trafficked an integrated campaign of over twenty concepts multi-purposed across print, online, video, trade show and international executions. 

Outlast

Our work helped boost sales by over 15% YOY and racked up lots of positive attention and feedback from new and existing Streamlight clients.

“Immortology has been a great asset to our team. From beginning to end they bring to the table "out of the box" ideas that catch attention and spark reaction. Their creativity, experience and professionalism ensure that you will never have to worry about the end product. Thank you for all of your outstanding work!”

— Tami M. Klem-Marquardt, Marketing Manager of Streamlight

"On point while helping us stand out in a crowded space is the best way that I can describe our collaboration with the Immortology team. We serve a diverse set of markets with many channels of distribution coupled with a broad product line. The Immortology team has done a great job of helping us craft our brand message and product advertising to help us exceed our goals on a consistent basis.”

- Mike Dineen, VP Sales & Marketing of Streamlight, Inc.  

Brand Relaunch | Consumer Research | Data Analysis | Brand Platform Development | Radio | Print Outdoor | Out-Of-Home | POP | Direct | Online | PR | Promotions | Media Planning & Placement

Situation

The Museum of Life + Science is a venerable NC institution. For over 65 years, it has entertained and enriched generations of children. By continually improving and adding exhibits, the Museum relied upon a build it and they will come strategy for attracting visitors. (A very expensive way to grow attendance.) After a $14 million investment in new science exhibits, a dinosaur trail and live animal habitats, the Museum experienced a huge uptick in paid visitations as expected. Unfortunately, these numbers started to drop just three years after the last improvement – and it would be another four years until the next capital infusion. By the time we came on board visitation numbers were on a 15-month decline and dropping precipitously. To complicate matters, the Museum had a small marketing budget and several nearby children’s museums were investing heavily in new exhibits and advertising. If nothing was done soon, the Museum’s revenue from paid attendance – it’s lifeblood – would drop to unsupportable levels.

Outsmart

Analysis of visitor and member data allowed us to identify the most valuable visitors. By overlaying the profiles of these distinct segments with third-party market data, we were able to pinpoint where prospects just like them lived within a 30-mile radius of the Museum. Qualitative and quantitative research of high-fit members and non-members revealed a key insight. When we asked prospects to describe the ideal place to spend a day with their children, they said: “a place with a variety of engaging activities, live animals, plenty of indoor and outdoor spaces that reward their curiosity and teaches our kids something.” Without realizing it they had perfectly described the Museum.

To be successful, the creative would need to powerfully bridge the gap between what moms want and what the Museum offers which, wonderfully, is the same thing.

Outdo

Moms are busy and their attention is notoriously difficult to grab and our media reach was limited. The creative had to work hard to get noticed and remembered. To accomplish this, we created an integrated campaign of impossible to ignore billboards, local print ads, targeted direct mail, Pandora radio, vehicle wraps and online experiences. Each execution was cleverly designed to demonstrate how the Museum brings learning and fun together. Each execution is a visual question mark that is answered by a curiously fun scientific fact and a new tagline we created: “Know Wonder.” 

Outlast

After the first summer season of running the campaign, we stopped and reversed the downward spiral of falling attendance. During succeeding years we expanded the campaign – but not the budget – and reaped tremendous returns:

• For every $1 the Museum spent with us they received $3 in return

• Summer Camp – both locations sold out for the first time

• Attendance numbers exceeded their goals, each year the campaign ran

• Four months into the campaign launch the decline in sales and revenue reversed

• As compared to the “build it and they will come” approach, we dramatically reduced the cost of acquiring new visitors from $132/paid visitor to $2/paid visitor

• DMA Analytics Journal invited us to write a case study “How Big Data Analytics + A Big Creative Idea Revitalized A Small Museum”

When you’re ready to combine Big Data Analytics with Big Creative Solutions, inquire here for a free consultation.

NOTE: In an effort to help other science museums fulfill their missions of getting more children interested in science, we’re offering this campaign for a fraction of the cost it took to produce. Each execution can be customized to match the brand standards of any museum. Data analytics, media planning and website development are also offered for an extra charge determined by the scope of work needed. If you’d like a free quote for your museum, inquire here.

"Anyone who needs a sure-fire way to activate their brand and grow revenue through impossible to ignore advertising needs to talk with Immortology — some of the smartest and most creative ad men on the planet. When we (The Museum of Life + Science) started working with Immortology we were experiencing 15 consecutive months of decline in year-over-year attendance. The Immortology team came in and saved our summer—our biggest revenue months—and we’ve never looked back. This year we’re on pace to have our biggest attendance year ever and we haven’t added any major attractions which is our industry’s go-to method to increase turnout. There is no other factor we can point to for this growth than the impossible to ignore, well-placed advertising Immortology created for us. Do yourself a favor and include Immortology in your next review or, better yet, save yourself the time and trouble and just hire them now."

- Troy Livingston, CEO at Thinkery, Formerly VP of Innovation & Learning at The Museum of Life + Science

"I would recommend Immortology because they worked hard to get to know our business and our customers, and provide a unique creative approach to positioning what we offer. The work they developed for us is fresh and bold - not something we could do ourselves - yet familiar because it speaks so clearly about who we are and what we do. This work resulted in increased revenues - results count!"

- Julie Rigby, VP of External Relations, Museum of Life + Science

Brand Strategy | Video | Social Media | 3-D Animation | Motion Graphics | Campaign Testing | Collateral | POS | Product Photography | Tagline Development | Direct Mail | Email | POS | Retargeting Campaign

Situation

Revian is the best new hair regrowth solution in the category. Peer reviewed clinical trials proves it effectively regrows hair and stops hair loss. Problem is, nobody’s heard of them.

Like competing products, Revian’s advertising is 100% direct marketing. Utilizing SEM, retargeting and social media campaigns each ad is designed and written to harvest immediate sales. And while this approach yielded decent sales in year one, momentum and returns plateaued and then decreased over time.

When they hired us, older brands were outspending them and getting all the attention – and most of the sales. Awareness and consideration of Revian was at an all-time low. What’s more, even though Revian is proven to work, every other product makes similar claims. The combined effect of cheesy advertising, dubious results, paid endorsements and hard-to-believe science has created a high-degree of skepticism for the entire category.

Outsmart

The hair regrowth online market delivers one of the worst advertising and buyer experiences we’ve ever seen. Buyer attention isn’t earned – it’s purchased through endless paid search and relentless retargeting that mercilessly targets and follows potential buyers all over the Internet. Every single product runs hard sell ads promoting deep discounts that look and sound the same as their competitors. For a relative newcomer like Revian, it’s a brutally expensive category in which to compete. To win, Revian needed a campaign that would:

• Stand out the category’s notorious sea of sameness

• Earn an unfair share of attention

• Powerfully distinguish it from other brands

To achieve all the above, we developed two campaigns of awareness-generating, fame-building advertising concepts to test.

Outdo

Both campaigns are fully-integrated, consisting of still images, motion graphics and video concepts. Each campaign was designed and written to maximize attention and to be repurposed as both B2B and B2C communications for social media, landing pages, email, direct mail and POS for affiliate dermatologist offices.

Outlast

As of right now, our campaign for Revian is outperforming all pevious work by a landslide. It’s delivering a whopping 6.25% CTR - that’s 500% better than the category average.

“Excellent full-service agency! Top notch creative, strategy, and account management. The Immortology team went to great lengths to understand our business, provide strategic insights, and deliver powerful creative…all while working within budget. Highly recommend!

— Jennifer Riordan Newall, Director of Strategy & Affiliate Experience, REVIAN

Brand Platform Development | Social Media Strategy | Video Scriptwriting | 3D Animation + Live Action | Social Advertising Placement + Optimization + Reporting | POS Design | Recipe Template Design | Motion Graphics

Situation

With an unbelievable 96 point rating, 1000 Piers Gin is one of the top craft gins in the world. In fact, it’s the second highest rated craft gin in America and fourth in the world. And before they hired us to advertise it, no one outside of Washington, NC had heard of it.

Outsmart

We were tasked to do one thing and one thing only:

Raise awareness and consideration for 1000 Piers Gin in NC

Not a small task, considering all the stiff spirits competition from regional, national and international distilleries with ginormous budgets and campaigns running on every media channel. To add to the challenge, 1000 Piers had very limited distribution within the state. To succeed we needed to reach as many people as possible with a tiny budget and make sure our advertising:

1. Got noticed

2. Tied the good vibes of the Down East Coastal Carolina lifestyle to the brand

3. Got remembered

4. Told people where to buy it

We positioned the brand as “the only liquefied, distilled and bottled essence of the Down East Coastal Carolina lifestyle.”

Outdo

Inspired by the Osprey graphics on the bottle and the rich culture of Down East, we created an integrated campaign consisting of social media paid ads led by an entertaining video, organic posts, motion graphics and a drink recipe template. All the ads and posts linked to a store locator.

Outlast

After two years of running the campaign, 1000 Piers Gin:

• Became one of the best-selling craft gins in NC

• Increased distribution by 10x and expanding into SC

• Geometrically increased awareness, first time and repeat sales

• Blew away the national CTR spirits average of .9% with a 10% CTR

• Lowered CPM by 50%

• Drove over 300k views with a CPC 3.5x lower than the national average for spirits’ brands

"With Immortology’s help we’ve gone from unknown to one of the most popular craft gins in NC. The “Osprey” video they created for us has been a huge hit. It has definitely generated a lot of awareness and contributed to our exponential growth. I highly recommend Immortology for their outstanding strategic and creative services."

— Nick Sanders, Owner & Distiller of 1000 Piers Gin

Brand Strategy | Identity Design | Website Design | Integrated Advertising Campaign | Environmental Design

Situation

Headed by world-renowned surgeon, Dr. Brian Coan, CARE Plastic Surgery was one of the Triangle’s best undiscovered secret. Before opening a new, state-of-the-art facility in Cary, they asked us to help them position their brand, develop a new identity suite and an integrated creative ad campaign.

Outsmart

Dr. Coan is as much an artist and engineer as he is a surgeon. The enhancement work he and his staff perform is truly transformative and borderline miraculous. Showing the standard before and after pictures most plastic surgeons use to promote themselves wasn’t going to cut it. We needed to create work that was as beautiful as Dr. Coan’s. We positioned CARE as a change agent so transformative, patients look and feel like a new person post surgery.

Outdo

To pay off the positioning, we created the tagline You Chapter Two and designed a new mark and integrated campaign around it. 

Outlast

All communications were designed to be multi-purposed across various on- and offline channels including outdoor, signage, posters, collateral, environmental and print. Thanks to our work, CARE is one of the fastest growing plastic surgery practices in the Triangle and receives rave reviews from their lucky patients.

"David Smith and his award-winning team delivered on time and on budget -- I give them my highest recommendation and will continue to work with them in the future."

- Brian S. Coan, M.D., F.A.C.S., President & Chief Executive Officer, Care Plastic Surgery

"I recently hired Immortology to help us brand CARE Plastic Surgery and differentiate us from other practices. The work they did for us is simply amazing! Nobody’s more strategic and creative than these guys. Even the small stuff they developed for us was exceptionally crafted and thought through. Everything from our logo to our business cards to the amazing integrated campaign just blew us away. I dare anybody to show me a plastic surgery practice with more ingenious business cards and advertising than the ones Immortology created for us. Hire these guys before your competitors do."

- Tica Lema, Director at Care Plastic Surgery

Research | Brand Strategy | Print | Outdoor | Website | POP | Direct | Digital | Media Planning & Placement

Situation:

Founded in 2005, Armstrong Athletic Club offers world-class facilities, equipment, trainers, classes and health diagnostic services. Despite several marketing efforts and the purchase of cutting edge equipment, new memberships were in a multi-year decline. To make matters worse, Armstrong had the reputation of being an expensive “old-person’s gym” due to their minimum age requirement of 30.

National chains like Gold’s, 24-Hour Fitness, Anytime Fitness and Planet Fitness had entered the crowded local market and were advertising cut-rate initiations and dues. Armstrong was struggling how to position itself and give people a reason to believe their higher membership cost was worth it.

Outsmart:

We visited competing gyms and assessed their facilities and marketing. We researched national fitness trends and uncovered some interesting stats:

• 67% of gym members never use their memberships

• 80% of gym members who do use their memberships quit after the first three months and never return

Even with the best intentions, most people simply don’t have the willpower to stick with a fitness routine. What the market needs is a gym that can motivate its members to keep coming back.

Outdo:

We repositioned Armstrong with a simple but powerful promise – Armstrong will help you get into and stay in the best shape of your life by being the willpower you lack. We created a massive integrated campaign designed to fire up potential members including: 

• A complete re-design of the interior of the gym with motivating signage and images throughout

• An inspiring website designed to demonstrate Armstrong's commitment to its members       

• A massive floor-to-ceiling pledge signed by every employee

• Impossible to ignore print, cinema, direct, classifieds and outdoor executions

Outlast:

For maximum impact, we started running the campaign two months before rival gyms. The results?

• Unique visitor web traffic up over 1,175% from its all-  time high

• 286% increase in page views

• An explosion in positive Word Of Mouth

• A healthy increase in new members and leads that   continues to grow

• A strong uptick in member retention

• A featured article in the local newspaper

• A happier, healthier membership

• Easier trainer recruitment

Just three years after the campaign launched, Armstrong was purchased by a national competitor.

"We needed to boost the level of energy and excitement for my fitness facility and Immortology brought that and more to the table. Immortology is bold, dynamic and can provide you with success. All you have to do is make the first contact and you won’t be let down. You will be impressed and excited!"

- Mary Doctor, Owner, Armstrong Athletic Club

National TV | Social Media | Outdoor | Print | Logo Design | Direct Mail | Collateral | Email | Brand Strategy

Situation:

Safari Club International (SCI) is the world’s leading pro-hunting organization. A non-profit member organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., it operates in the USA, Canada, Mexico and Europe. SCI's Washington-based team defends local, state, federal and international hunting rights in North America, Europe and around the world.

While SCI is well-known among hunters for its support of big game hunting internationally, it’s not as well-known for the extensive work it does to defend hunters domestically. Wrongly perceived as a stodgy club for rich, old, white big-game hunters, its core membership and annual convention attendance was in decline. What’s more, the number of hunters in the US is falling at an unsustainable rate due to many factors including the success of anti-hunting groups to paint hunting as unethical. The result? American hunters feel their very existence is under attack with no one to help.

Outsmart

While there are many pro-hunting organizations, there’s no single one that supports all hunters – except SCI. In Phase 1 of our long-term plan, we decided to double-down on supporting SCI’s First For Hunters promise. We positioned SCI as the radical pro-hunting solution to the radical anti-hunting problem. And let hunters know that no matter what, how or where they hunt, SCI supports their freedom to do it.

Outdo

For over a decade, hunting has been under constant assault by a long list of well-funded anti-hunting groups like PETA and the World Wildlife Fund. These organizations have been very successful at portraying hunters as bloodthirsty killers who delight in slaughtering animals and destroying nature. For the most part, pro-hunting organizations have been unwilling to confront these radical anti-hunting groups head-on, leaving hunters to fend for themselves. With SCI, we decided it was high time to take on these groups and show hunters SCI has their backs.

Outlast

We launched with a cheeky video called “Triggered” that had a little fun with radical anti-hunting protesters who often let their emotions get the best of them. “Triggered” was an immediate hit with hunters attracting over 100k views, 417 shares and 1.5k likes on FB in the first week. Wide Open Spaces featured it in an article and praise for the campaign started pouring in. In less than a month, the integrated campaign with the call to action “join now and trigger an anti-hunter for free”, cemented SCI’s reputation as being First For Hunters

"Working with Immortology has been fantastic on all levels. They take the time to understand our business and the arena in which we work, then unleash creativity I simply have not found with any other agency."

— Chip Hunnicutt, Director of Marketing & Communications, Safari Club International

Brand Platform Development | Identity Suite | Print | Social Media | E-Commerce Site | Packaging | Collateral | Strategy Development

Situation:

In a world filled with electric massage devices, inventors Pete Peterson and George Blaisdell asked us to help them launch an innovative, power-free massage therapy device. With a miniscule budget and a host of big challenges, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work.

Outsmart:

The AkuFlex relieves back pain and stress through deep tissue massage of pressure points in the upper back while gently stretching the user’s neck. A 15-minute session on the device relieves pain and loosens knots equivalent to an hour of massage with a trained therapist - all without electric power or batteries. Knowing it’s often best to simply say what an innovative product does, we positioned AkuFlex with the tagline “Gravity Powered Massage Therapy”.

Outdo:

From a complete brand identity suite to print, social media, packaging and a simple e-commerce site, we developed a robust integrated campaign for AkuFlex. Utilizing stock imagery and simple retouching, each communication is written and designed to maximize attention across both old and new media alike.

Outlast:

Initial sales of the product have been strong. In addition to attracting customers, the advertising has also caught the eye of several investors - including a national distributor of massage therapy products.

"I have had the pleasure of working with David Smith of Immortology on a broad range of projects over the last 10+ years.  The work on Triumph Boats campaign was my first experience in seeing how they combine a very structured process with creativity and vision to create something incredible.  Triumph had muddled along with a number of different marketing firms over the years that rolled out the same old "white boats on blue water", cookie cutter campaigns that did absolutely nothing for brand awareness.  Not only did their campaign make us the talk of the marine industry but they brought much needed focus and clarity to Triumph's product development efforts.  They became part of our team and helped shape "The World's Toughest Boats".  Immortology helped do the same thing with the AkuFlex wellness project.  They brought focus and helped define the product and how people see this patented "Gravity Powered Massage" device.  We are working with them now on our Revolution Product Development business and  continue to be impressed with how quickly and effectively they deliver results.  I would never think of using another team for my marketing and branding needs."

George Blaisdell
Founder, VP Of Operations, AKUFLEX

Brand Positioning | Social Media | Shopify E-Commerce Site Development | Logo/Identity Suite Design | Apparel Design | Product Photography | Video

Outsmart

George Blaisdell is a legend in the rotational molding and manufacturing business. He literally invented the process and machinery to make Triumph, the world’s best line of rotomolded boats to ever hit the market. So when he came to us to help him market RPD and their portfolio of indestructible marine products, we were all in. Based on our analysis of the market, his products, and a collaboration on RPD’s short and long-term objectives, we created a rock-solid strategic platform to launch the new brand. In a nod to the famous Triumph Boats campaign our founder, David Smith created, we positioned RPD as the manufacturer of indestructible marine products.

Outdo

With The World’s Toughest Marine Products as our tagline, we developed a distinctive identity suite for the RPD brand. From their we crafted packaging, apparel, a fully-integrated creative campaign and high-conversion Shopify e-commerce site with Landing Pages for each product. We wrote scripts and helped oversee production for a brand video and multiple product videos.

We set up various social media pages, launched and tested multiple creative executions against various target profiles and spends. We helped them find a team of Amazon specialists to help them with their Amazon shop. We arranged, planned and oversaw a massive photoshoot and retouching for all of RPD’s products.

Outlast

After several months of testing and optimization, we landed on the right mix of creative and budget. As of this update, we’ve been running the national campaign for over a year and continue to build sales and launch new products as we expand RPD’s reach to new markets. To date, our ads are generating a CTR that is 3X highrer than the national norm for marine products.

"I have had the pleasure of working with David Smith of Immortology on a broad range of projects over the last 10+ years.  The work on Triumph Boats campaign was my first experience in seeing how he combine a very structured process with creativity and vision to create something incredible. Triumph had muddled along with a number of different marketing firms over the years that rolled out the same old "white boats on blue water", cookie cutter campaigns that did absolutely nothing for brand awareness. Not only did his campaign make us the talk of the marine industry but it brought much needed focus and clarity to Triumph's product development efforts. He became part of our team and helped shape "The World's Toughest Boats". David and his team at Immortology helped do the same thing with Revolution Product Development and we continue to be impressed with how quickly and effectively they deliver results. I would never think of using another team for my marketing and branding needs."

— George Blaisdell President, Revolution PD, LLC

Strategic Development | Stakeholder Survey | Overarching Strategic Brief | Logo/Identity Design | Website Design | Integrated Campaign Development | Collateral

Situation

Swartz Building Solutions is a family-owned business and growing provider of customizable, pre-fab buildings. From schools to retail buidlings to penitentiaries, Swartz offers an affordable turnkey construction solution. With a long-term goal of expanding into multiple states, Swartz needed to update its branding, website and positioning.

Outsmart

We started with a strong, masculine logo that visually pays Swartz’s promise of being a turnkey solution. Then we carefully crafted a down-to-earth voice with a salty sense of humor to pay off the various benefits Swartz offers.

Outdo

We applied the new messaging to an integrated campaign designed and written to catch the eyes and tickle the funny bones of potential clients. Each message utilizes stock construction imagery and is made to work across multiple new and old media platforms.

Outlast

Since the launch of our campaign, Swartz has expanded into 13 states with plans to offer services in many more.

Brand Strategy | TV | Online Video | Customer Testimonial Campaign | Print | Outdoor | POP | Social Media | Event Promotions | Media Planning & Placement | Radio

Situation
Mark Jacobson Toyota is one of the top Toyota dealerships in the country. Located in Durham it's served the Triangle for almost two decades and has sold over 40,000 cars. Mark Jacobson, the owner, is a local celebrity famous for his silly but endearing TV spots.

Mark has had a hard time capitalizing on the growth of Raleigh and Cary due to new competitors in those markets. With a new pre-owned super store and revitalized truck and new Toyota dealerships, Mark hired us to help him develop a new marketing strategy and integrated campaign.

Challenge:

Grow three dealerships (Mark Jacobson Toyota, Mark Jacobson Toyota Trucks and The Mark Jacobson Pre-Owned Super Store) in an extremely competitive car market with a one-dealership budget.

Outsmart
Instead of creating more me-too dealer ads screaming the lowest prices and best trade-ins, we created a campaign showing a side of Mark nobody knew about. For years Mark has anonymously and generously contributed to the community.

Outdo
Paid off by the tagline, Mark's Got Your Back, each month we showed Mark paying it forward. To support sales initiatives, we created hard-hitting spots called Question Mark where customers' problems were always solved by Mark's great car deals.

Each campaign was mirrored through print, online, in-dealership and radio executions.

Outlast
So far the campaign has produced the following results:

  • New Toyota vehicle sales increased YOY by 11%

  • Pre-owned sales are up over 33%

  • The sales gap between MJT and its biggest competitor closed by 79%

  • CTRs for online banners are triple the national average

  • Pre-roll views doubled

  • Mark Jacobson Toyota was the top volume dealer in NC twice

"Immortology helped us achieve Toyota’s Top Volume Dealer In NC twice. Their super creative work consistently delivered the goods - more clicks, more visits to our site, more visits to our dealerships, more sales. I give them my highest recommendation.”

— Mark Jacobson, Founder & President, Mark Jacobson Toyota

Research | Brand Strategy | B2B Print | B2C Print | Website | Direct | Digital | Promotions | Trade Show Booth | Media Planning & Placement | App Design

Situation

America is in the midst of an unprecedented savings crisis. The billions spent annually on retirement plan enrollment and education programs is failing miserably at persuading people to save.

iJoin is the first mobile-based, open architecture, responsive and transactional 401K enrollment system designed to motivate and empower participants to save more and save more often.

 Challenge

The challenge was four-fold. 1. Make the incredibly boring subject 401k enrollment and education exciting enough to grab the attention of five different verticals in the 401k industry. 2. In a market saturated with similar solutions, convince Brokers, Advisors, Plan Sponsors, Record Keepers and DCIOs to adopt iJoin’s unknown enrollment and education software for their plans.  3. Encourage an entire nation of notoriously apathetic plan participants (end-users) to save more for retirement using iJoin.  4. Oh, and do all this with a shoestring production and media budget.

Outsmart
Research confirmed our client's initial hypothesis. Retirement enrollment and education is notoriously tedious, mind-numbingly boring and overwhelmingly confusing. On the other hand, a University of Michigan study found that savers are more attractive to the opposite sex than spenders. Hmmm.

Outdo
We solved the boring, tedious and confusing enrollment problem by helping iJoin create a simple and intuitive user-interface to create an experience that can almost be described as enjoyable. To stimulate end-users to use iJoin and to invest more in their 401ks, we created an integrated campaign utilizing cheeky double-entendres declaring Saving is Sexy. In-office posters, savings tips via emails & texts and direct mail inspire and motivate year-round saving.

To get the industry fired up we challenged DCIOs, Brokers, Financial Planners and Planned Sponsors to Get America Saving Again through impossible to ignore imagery and statistics about America's looming savings crisis.

Outlast
iJoin debuted at the National Association of Plan Advisors summit. The response to the company and work was overwhelming. As of this post, iJoin is in negotiations with several major financial institutions to use its game-changing solution. Stay tuned for more.

Brand Strategy | Brand Platform Development | Integrated Ad Campaign | Social Media | Local Print Advertising | Online Videos | Direct Mail | Logo Refresh

Situation:

Primus Internal Medicine is a new direct to patient medical practice in Chapel Hill. With UNC, Duke and Wake medical systems in the same market plus hundreds of private practices, we had our work cut out for us to earn Primus the attention it deserves.

Outsmart:

Research revealed that most people are frustrated by the amount of time it takes to book an appointment with their primary care physician. They look at the insurance companies as a barrier to care and they feel rushed when they actually do get into see their doctors. As a direct provider, Primus accepts insurance but isn’t beholden to them. Dr. Granger has the flexibility to see his patients anytime - even at home - and spen more time with them. We positioned Primus as a more accessible, better way to get medical care.

Outdo:

We created the tagline THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW and created an integrated campaign of ads paying off all the benefits of Primus’ direct to patient model. We refreshed their logo to make it bolder and more online friendly and launched the campaign with targeted social media videos, direct mail and local print.

“I highly recommend Immortology to anyone needing to market a business. David and Zuzu Smith are highly competent, conscientious, and imaginative in crafting marketing strategies and advertisements that are particular and unique to your particular business. On top of that, they are genuine, personable, and likable people.”

— Dr. Todd Granger, Owner of Primus Internal Medicine

Print | Direct Mail | Outdoor | Brand Platform Development

SITUATION:

Based in Charlotte, NC, Lenox Salons is the premier provider of European themed luxury salon suites.  All of their current locations are 100% occupied with high retention rates. Due to this success, the company is expanding with long-term plans to launch at least 30 new locations on the east coast.

While Lenox has a great reputation and is relatively well known in Charlotte, it is completely unknown outside of the Queen City.

Lenox hired us to help them launch a new location in Johns Creek (Near Atlanta) by raising their awareness among the top 10% of stylists in the Atlanta area and by meaningfully differentiating them from their competitors. No easy feat given Lenox’s top competitors are bigger, have much higher awareness and much more money to spend on marketing and recruiting.

OUTSMART:

Competitive research revealed the salon suite market is rife with look-alike and sound-alike brands producing yawn-worthy communications. Focused on pricing and amenities, competitors are not connecting emotionally with potential salon owners.

Research revealed that showing the benefits of “being your own boss” would attract the best stylists while meaningfully differentiating Lenox from competitors. To emotionally connect, the work would need to be inspiring but not take itself too seriously. Salon owners are fun people and are highly attracted to brands that reflect the fun side of their personalities.

Outdo

We positioned Lenox Salons as the premier provider of luxury salon suites that can make your dream of owning your very own come true. We created a series of funny – yet inspiring – communications ranging from new location announcement to stylist recruitments. To save production costs, stock imagery was used and each concept is designed to be multi-purposed across various targeted media including social, outdoor, direct mail and print.

Outlast

The new Johns Creek location went from 0% occupancy to 90%. Filling 25 of the 28 available salon spaces.

Consumer Research | Brand Strategy | Print | Outdoor | Website | Direct | Digital | Media Planning & Placement | Guerrilla

Situation

The student housing market in Greensboro, NC is saturated with new over-the-top, amenity-laden and party-driven apartment complexes offering everything the hedonistic coed could want. Burkely Student Communities entered the market on the opposite end of the spectrum with a portfolio of older, amenity-deficient properties.

Challenge
Convince college students from four area schools to choose Burkely’s dated, no-frills apartment communities over newer properties with far superior amenities and much bigger marketing budgets.

Outsmart
Student research revealed two key insights:

1.  Students living in apartments with extensive amenities like gyms, social rooms, and swimming pools don’t actually use them.

2.  The majority of students are actually more interested in studying than partying. With the rapid increase in the cost of a college education and the tightening job market, kids know they have to do well academically to successfully compete for jobs when they graduate.

Outdo
We positioned Burkely Student Communities as the apartments for serious students - “Success incubators cleverly disguised as student housing.” In direct contrast to their competitors, we created a new mission for Burkely – “To help students achieve their academic goals by delivering off-campus student housing designed to inspire and motivate higher learning.”

Outlast
Using a combination of guerrilla media (beer coasters, Burkely’s buildings, T-shirts) and more traditional channels (student newspapers, direct mail, online and OOH), the word quickly spread that serious students - the smart kids - are moving to Burkely. We created a new website to support the new positioning, replacing descriptions of pools and parties with discounts for high GPAs, in-community study groups and free exam-time coffee. The management staff became one of the primary drivers of the campaign by signing a pledge posted in each complex - to help, motivate and inspire residents to do well in school. In addtion to developing work for the Burkely brand, we’ve also created integrated campaigns for several individual communities. Check out the work by clicking any of the links below:

Spartan Crossing

Sebastian Villages

Courtyard Commons

Block43

The Enclave

Results
In less than five years after the initial campaign launch, Burkely Student Communities has become the largest and most successful provider of student housing in Greensboro with over 2,200 apartments under their management and/or ownership. All are 100% occupied with a waiting list - one of the key objectives the owners tasked us with achieving. Due to the campaign's success, Burkely has experienced tremendous growth and become the go-to place to live for serious students. In addition to dominating the Greensboro market, Burkely has expanded communities it owns and manages to Boone, NC and Clemson, SC and more on the way.

"Consistently and over time, first David and then David and the Immortology Team have delivered outstanding creative work for Burkely Communities. Their effectiveness is grounded in a thorough understanding of what we, and more importantly, our customers, value most and seek. Their messaging invariably aligns with and strengthens our brand and strongly resonates with our customer base. The results? Highly qualified, better fit customer traffic and sales. Their work for us works."

- Sterling Kelly, CEO, Burkely Communities

"During my time as Director of Marketing with Burkely Communities the interactions with you and your qualified staff have been wonderful. With Immortology’s direction, our student community brand has flourished. Your brand development process, starting with methodical and ground breaking research regarding how college students think and shop for apartments, has allowed Burkely to tap into the student housing market with a unique and decisive message. Our leasing results have increased each year at our student communities as we continue to build our brand with the help of your company. Without hesitation, I highly recommend Immortology to anyone who is in search of a knowledgeable staff that does thorough research yielding positive results. The passion shown in personal client research, consumer happiness, and brand development will not be found in any higher capacity than that of Immortology. Continuing with Immortology is an easy choice for our marketing needs because of the innovative and creative process that delivers an invaluable end product. Your relationship with Burkely Communites is deeply valued and will be cherished for many years."

- Michelle Chesson, Director Of Marketing for Burkely Communities

Courtyard Commons Case Study

Brand Strategy | Print | Online | Environmental Branding | Video | Drone Shots

Situation

Courtyard Commons is an older apartment community in Jamestown, NC that was purchased and renovated by our client Burkely Communities. Its name comes from the large, private courtyard at the center of the community. To be successful, Courtyard Commons must draw renters from the much larger towns of Greensboro and High Point.

Challenge

Convince renters in Greensboro and High Point that living in Courtyard Commons is worth the inconvenience.

Outsmart

Research confirmed that many renters in Greensboro and High Point are fed up with the crime, noise and general rudeness of urban living. They seek a safer, friendlier and simpler lifestyle. Instead of selling the Courtyard Commons’ amenities (which are few), we positioned the community as a retreat that offers small-town living at its best.

Outdo

We created an integrated campaign demonstrating how living in Courtyard Commons is simply an extension of the traditional, small-town, southern hospitality found in Jamestown. Each ad pays off a specific advantage of living in Courtyard Commons with an ever-changing tagline as support – Uncommonly Inviting, Uncommonly Natural, Uncommonly Relaxing, Uncommonly Genuine, etc. We placed the ads in local real estate pubs and through various online sites catering to renters. To bring the campaign to life within the community, many of the ads were reproduced to serve as guides to help new residents acclimate to small-town living. A resident cookbook, a walking map to local attractions and a row of front porch rocking chairs helped pay off the small-town living experience on-site.

Outlast

In less than a year, the campaign achieved some pretty impressive results:

- The occupancy rate increased from 77% to over 98%

- Website leads shot up by 20%

After almost a decade of running the same campaign:

- Courtyard Commons is 100% occupied with a waiting list that is larger than the total number of apartments the community has

- After adding a two new buildings to accommodate demand, Burkely is adding eben more units

"Consistently and over time, first David and then David and the Immortology Team have delivered outstanding creative work for Burkely Communities. Their effectiveness is grounded in a thorough understanding of what we, and more importantly, our customers, value most and seek. Their messaging invariably aligns with and strengthens our brand and strongly resonates with our customer base. The results? Highly qualified, better fit customer traffic and sales. Their work for us works."

- Sterling Kelly, CEO, Burkely Communities

"During my time as Director of Marketing with Burkely Communities the interactions with you and your qualified staff have been wonderful. With Immortology’s direction, our student community brand has flourished. Your brand development process, starting with methodical and ground breaking research regarding how college students think and shop for apartments, has allowed Burkely to tap into the student housing market with a unique and decisive message. Our leasing results have increased each year at our student communities as we continue to build our brand with the help of your company. Without hesitation, I highly recommend Immortology to anyone who is in search of a knowledgeable staff that does thorough research yielding positive results. The passion shown in personal client research, consumer happiness, and brand development will not be found in any higher capacity than that of Immortology. Continuing with Immortology is an easy choice for our marketing needs because of the innovative and creative process that delivers an invaluable end product. Your relationship with Burkely Communites is deeply valued and will be cherished for many years."

- Michelle Chesson, Director Of Marketing for Burkely Communities

Coming soon.

Strategic Development | Stakeholder Survey | Overarching Strategic Brief | Logo/Identity Design | Integrated Campaign Development | Collateral Brochure | Social Media | Environmental Branding

Situation:

Burkely Student Communities acquired a trio of UNC-G student communities, which it previously managed (i.e. Spartan Crossing/Spartan Square, and Sterling Park). The properties are in close proximity to the University and the acquisition will enable Bukely to combine them as one community under a single name (Spartan Crossing). It will become, in due course, Burkely’s flagship in the UNC-G sub-market. 

Part of Burkely’s distinctive approach for creating value for residents, owners, and investors is to build a powerful apartment community brand. This approach not only creates a superior living experience for residents, but also, in turn, drives long-term returns for ownership by increasing interest among prospects and leverage on rental and renewal rates among residents. 

As part of its brand development process, Burkely Communities hired us to help them accomplish two main objectives:

Conduct research to identify the ideal, “high-fit” resident prospect for the newly formed Spartan Crossing (SC)

Define and position the new Spartan Crossing Brand to match the ideal resident’s wants and needs

Develop a brand identity + integrated campaign to attract and engage the ideal resident

Outsmart
Student research revealed two key insights

Students living in complexes with extensive amenities like gyms, social rooms, and swimming pools don’t actually use them.

The majority of students are actually more interested in studying than partying. With the rapid increase in the cost of a college education and the tightening job market, kids know they have to do well academically to successfully compete for jobs when they graduate.

Outdo
We re-positioned Spartan Crossing as the student community for serious students - “Success incubators cleverly disguised as student housing.” In direct contrast to their competitors, we created a new mission for Spartan Crossing  – “To help students achieve their academic goals by delivering off-campus student housing designed to inspire and motivate higher learning.”

Outlast
Using a combination of on-site signage and banners plus more traditional channels (student newspapers, online and OOH), the word quickly spread that serious students - the smart kids - are moving to Spartan Crossing. To support the new positioning we replaced descriptions of pools and parties with discounts for high GPAs, in-community study groups and free exam-time coffee. The management staff became one of the primary drivers of the campaign by signing a pledge posted in the Spartan Crossing leasing office - to help, motivate and inspire residents to do well in school.

 "Consistently and over time, first David and then David and the Immortology Team have delivered outstanding creative work for Burkely Communities. Their effectiveness is grounded in a thorough understanding of what we, and more importantly, our customers, value most and seek. Their messaging invariably aligns with and strengthens our brand and strongly resonates with our customer base. The results? Highly qualified, better fit customer traffic and sales. Their work for us works."

- Sterling Kelly, CEO, Burkely Communities

"During my time as Director of Marketing with Burkely Communities the interactions with you and your qualified staff have been wonderful. With Immortology’s direction, our student community brand has flourished. Your brand development process, starting with methodical and ground breaking research regarding how college students think and shop for apartments, has allowed Burkely to tap into the student housing market with a unique and decisive message. Our leasing results have increased each year at our student communities as we continue to build our brand with the help of your company. Without hesitation, I highly recommend Immortology to anyone who is in search of a knowledgeable staff that does thorough research yielding positive results. The passion shown in personal client research, consumer happiness, and brand development will not be found in any higher capacity than that of Immortology. Continuing with Immortology is an easy choice for our marketing needs because of the innovative and creative process that delivers an invaluable end product. Your relationship with Burkely Communites is deeply valued and will be cherished for many years."

- Michelle Chesson, Director Of Marketing for Burkely Communities

Strategic Development | Identity Design | Integrated Campaign Development | On-Site Signage | Testimonial Campaign / Environmental Design / Video Production / Drone Footage

Situation

After a change in management to Burkely Student Communities, Sebastian Villages needed to target a new student audience. Instead of attracting students whose main focus is to socialize and party, Sebastian Villages tasked us with the goal to generate awareness, appeal, and interest among a more success-minded set of students.

Outsmart

Research revealed that over 70% of students were actively seeking off-campus housing that would allow them to “study in peace” and concentrate on their grades. Based on this insight we repositions Sebastian Villages from “party-central” to “success incubator” for serious students. To further connect with Sebastian Villages’ primarily African American residents, we referenced the property’s history and namesake, Dr. Simon Powell Sebastian. Dr. Sebastian was a famous physician who founded the first hospital for African Americans in Greensboro. His former home is a historical site and serves as the main leasing office for the community.

Outdo

We created a series of inspiring communications encouraging serious minded students to continue Dr. Sebastian’s legacy of academic excellence. The work ranged from historical signage and an in-office wall art to outdoor, print and social. To demonstrate that real change was taking place, we created a series of videos and social media banners starring residents talking about why they chose Sebastian Villages.

Outlast

Despite the incredible challenge, the perception of Sebastian Villages is quickly changing from the “party place” to the community for more serious-minded students. The ratio of low-fit to high-fit residents has shifted dramatically and occupancy rates are at an all-time high.

"Consistently and over time, first David and then David and the Immortology Team have delivered outstanding creative work for Burkely Communities. Their effectiveness is grounded in a thorough understanding of what we, and more importantly, our customers, value most and seek. Their messaging invariably aligns with and strengthens our brand and strongly resonates with our customer base. The results? Highly qualified, better fit customer traffic and sales. Their work for us works."

- Sterling Kelly, CEO, Burkely Communities

"During my time as Director of Marketing with Burkely Communities the interactions with you and your qualified staff have been wonderful. With Immortology’s direction, our student community brand has flourished. Your brand development process, starting with methodical and ground breaking research regarding how college students think and shop for apartments, has allowed Burkely to tap into the student housing market with a unique and decisive message. Our leasing results have increased each year at our student communities as we continue to build our brand with the help of your company. Without hesitation, I highly recommend Immortology to anyone who is in search of a knowledgeable staff that does thorough research yielding positive results. The passion shown in personal client research, consumer happiness, and brand development will not be found in any higher capacity than that of Immortology. Continuing with Immortology is an easy choice for our marketing needs because of the innovative and creative process that delivers an invaluable end product. Your relationship with Burkely Communites is deeply valued and will be cherished for many years."

- Michelle Chesson, Director Of Marketing for Burkely Communities

Strategic Development | Name Development | Identity Design | Integrated Campaign Development | On-Site Signage | Social Media | Print | Bus Wrap

Situation

After a change in management, Sterling Cottages needed to reposition itself and target a new student audience. Instead of attracting students who prioritize socializing and partying over academics, Sterling Cottages needed to generate awareness, appeal, and interest among a more success-minded set of students.

Outsmart

Research revealed that over 70% of students were actively seeking off-campus housing that would allow them to “study in peace” and concentrate on their grades. Based on this insight we changed the community name to Block 43 and repositioned the brand from “party-central” to “a neighborhood like community for serious students”.

Outdo

We created a series of colorful communications reflecting the bold colors of the building that reinforced the cozy neighborhood-like feel of the community. The work ranged from on-site signage and an in- to outdoor, print and social. To control costs, each execution utilizes existing photography and can be multi-purposed to work on any media channel.

Outlast

The new campaign for Block 43 just launched. Stay tuned for results and updated work.

"Consistently and over time, first David and then David and the Immortology Team have delivered outstanding creative work for Burkely Communities. Their effectiveness is grounded in a thorough understanding of what we, and more importantly, our customers, value most and seek. Their messaging invariably aligns with and strengthens our brand and strongly resonates with our customer base. The results? Highly qualified, better fit customer traffic and sales. Their work for us works."

- Sterling Kelly, CEO, Burkely Communities

"During my time as Director of Marketing with Burkely Communities the interactions with you and your qualified staff have been wonderful. With Immortology’s direction, our student community brand has flourished. Your brand development process, starting with methodical and ground breaking research regarding how college students think and shop for apartments, has allowed Burkely to tap into the student housing market with a unique and decisive message. Our leasing results have increased each year at our student communities as we continue to build our brand with the help of your company. Without hesitation, I highly recommend Immortology to anyone who is in search of a knowledgeable staff that does thorough research yielding positive results. The passion shown in personal client research, consumer happiness, and brand development will not be found in any higher capacity than that of Immortology. Continuing with Immortology is an easy choice for our marketing needs because of the innovative and creative process that delivers an invaluable end product. Your relationship with Burkely Communites is deeply valued and will be cherished for many years."

- Michelle Chesson, Director Of Marketing for Burkely Communities

CAMPUS CROSSING

Complete Brand Refresh | Brand Workshop With Management & Maintenance Team |Student Focus Groups Brand Platform Development | Integrated Campaign Development | Environmental Branding | Social Media | Operational Ideas For Resident Experience

Situation:

Campus Crossing is a boutique student apartment community within walking distance to UNC-G. It’s managed by our client Burkely Student Communities.

Part of Burkely’s distinctive approach for creating value for owners and investors is building powerful apartment community brands that residents actively seek. This approach not only creates a superior living experience for residents, but also, in turn, drives long-term returns for ownership by consistently driving demand and increasing occupancy rates. It also gives them leverage to charge higher rental and renewal rates.

As part of its brand development process for Campus Crossing, Burkely Communities hired us to help them accomplish three main objectives:

1. Conduct research to identify the ideal, “high-fit” resident prospects

2. Redefine and Re-position the Campus Crossing brand to match the new ideal resident’s wants and needs

3. With a limited ad budget, develop an integrated campaign to attract and help pursuade ideal student prospects to choose Campus Crossing over multiple competing properties

Outsmart

Student research revealed the following key insights:

Students living in complexes with extensive amenities like gyms, social rooms, and swimming pools don’t actually use them. What’s more they don’t really even appreciate them - even though in surveys they claim they can’t live without them.

Fact is, the majority of students who live off-campus are actually more interested in studying than partying. With the rapid increase in the cost of a college education and the tightening job market, kids know they have to do well academically to successfully compete for jobs when they graduate. What’s more, over 90% of Campus Crossing residents struggle to balance studies with part-time and even full-time jobs. They’re stressed and what they need more than anything from their apartment communities is a warm, understanding management team that ensures a peaceful and hassle-free living experience.

Outdo

We re-positioned Campus Crossing as a “sanctuary for Self-Reliant students”. In direct contrast to their competitors which seek to create socially active communities, we positioned Campus Crossing as a place for students to get away from it all, to relax, re-group, and re-charge. A place that understands the demands on students’ time and energy and seeks to find little ways to ease the burden and stress of achieving high academic success while holding down a job to pay the bills.

Outlast

Using a combination of on-site signage and banners plus more experiential initiatives to pay off the “sanctuary” idea, word quickly spread that serious students - the smart kids - are moving to Campus Crossing. To support the new positioning, Campus Crossing installed a Zen Garden, put hammocks, park benches and tables around the property so students could relax outside. Bird feeders, binoculars and bird guides were provided to help interested students identify the various bird species visiting the grounds. Massage chairs were installed in the community clubhouse and maintenance pledged to fix any problem within 24 hours. In one semester after the campaign broke, Campus Crossing was 100% occupied and had a waiting list for new residents.

"Consistently and over time, first David and then David and the Immortology Team have delivered outstanding creative work for Burkely Communities. Their effectiveness is grounded in a thorough understanding of what we, and more importantly, our customers, value most and seek. Their messaging invariably aligns with and strengthens our brand and strongly resonates with our customer base. The results? Highly qualified, better fit customer traffic and sales. Their work for us works."

- Sterling Kelly, CEO, Burkely Communities

"During my time as Director of Marketing with Burkely Communities the interactions with you and your qualified staff have been wonderful. With Immortology’s direction, our student community brand has flourished. Your brand development process, starting with methodical and ground breaking research regarding how college students think and shop for apartments, has allowed Burkely to tap into the student housing market with a unique and decisive message. Our leasing results have increased each year at our student communities as we continue to build our brand with the help of your company. Without hesitation, I highly recommend Immortology to anyone who is in search of a knowledgeable staff that does thorough research yielding positive results. The passion shown in personal client research, consumer happiness, and brand development will not be found in any higher capacity than that of Immortology. Continuing with Immortology is an easy choice for our marketing needs because of the innovative and creative process that delivers an invaluable end product. Your relationship with Burkely Communites is deeply valued and will be cherished for many years."

- Michelle Chesson, Director Of Marketing for Burkely Communities

Strategic Development | Overarching Strategic Brief | Logo/Identity Design | On-Site Signage | Printed Banners | Mechanical Production | Integrated Campaign

Situation:

Boone, NC home to Appalachian State University is saturated with apartment communities for students but is woefully lacking in rentals for young professionals. To capitalize on the shortage, Burkely Communities is building a state-of-the-art community called Skyline Terrace that’s just minutes from downtown Boone. They hired us to position, brand and launch Skyline Terrace with work that will attract and engage young professionals commuting to Boone.

Outsmart:

We positioned Skyline Terrace as Boone’s Young Profession Hub - the only place in Boone that feeds all facets of the Boone lifestyle young professionals crave (live + work + play).

Outdo:

Using retro-cool illustrations and witty headlines, we created an integrated campaign of outdoor boards, signage, print and on-site banners that tout the benefits living, working and playing at Skyline Terrace.

Outlast:

Skyline Terrace has been a huge hit with young professionals in the Boone area. In less than a year, the community went from 0% occupants to over 95%.

"Consistently and over time, first David and then David and the Immortology Team have delivered outstanding creative work for Burkely Communities. Their effectiveness is grounded in a thorough understanding of what we, and more importantly, our customers, value most and seek. Their messaging invariably aligns with and strengthens our brand and strongly resonates with our customer base. The results? Highly qualified, better fit customer traffic and sales. Their work for us works."

- Sterling Kelly, CEO, Burkely Communities

"During my time as Director of Marketing with Burkely Communities the interactions with you and your qualified staff have been wonderful. With Immortology’s direction, our student community brand has flourished. Your brand development process, starting with methodical and ground breaking research regarding how college students think and shop for apartments, has allowed Burkely to tap into the student housing market with a unique and decisive message. Our leasing results have increased each year at our student communities as we continue to build our brand with the help of your company. Without hesitation, I highly recommend Immortology to anyone who is in search of a knowledgeable staff that does thorough research yielding positive results. The passion shown in personal client research, consumer happiness, and brand development will not be found in any higher capacity than that of Immortology. Continuing with Immortology is an easy choice for our marketing needs because of the innovative and creative process that delivers an invaluable end product. Your relationship with Burkely Communites is deeply valued and will be cherished for many years."

- Michelle Chesson, Director Of Marketing for Burkely Communities

Strategic Development | Consumer Research | Overarching Strategic Brief | Logo/Identity Design | On-Site Signage | Printed Banners | Mechanical Production | Integrated Campaign | Testimonial Videos | Drone Videos

Situation:

Burkely acquired two student communities close to downtown Clemson - The Gallery and The Enclave. With fierce competition from new downtown luxury communities and more popular older communities with big amenities and huge marketing budgets, we had our work cut out for us.

Outsmart:

Student research revealed two key insights:

Students living in complexes with extensive amenities like gyms, social rooms, and swimming pools don’t actually use them.

The majority of students are actually more interested in studying than partying.

With the rapid increase in the cost of a college education and the tightening job market, kids know they have to do well academically to successfully compete for jobs when they graduate.

Outdo

We re-named The Enclave and The Gallery to The Enclave On Old Central and The Enclave In Town. We re-positioned both communities as apartments for serious students - “Success incubators cleverly disguised as student housing.” In direct contrast to their competitors, we created a new mission for The Enclave  – “To help students achieve their academic goals by delivering off-campus student housing designed to inspire and motivate higher learning.”

Outlast

Using a combination of on-site signage and banners plus more traditional channels (student newspapers, online and OOH), the word quickly spread that serious students - the smart kids - are moving to The Enclave. To support the new positioning we replaced descriptions of pools and parties with discounts for high GPAs, in-community study groups and free exam-time coffee. The management staff became one of the primary drivers of the campaign by signing a pledge posted in each of the two Enclave Communities - to help, motivate and inspire residents to do well in school.

Results
The campaign just broke. As new work is developed and results come in, we’ll update this page.

"Consistently and over time, first David and then David and the Immortology Team have delivered outstanding creative work for Burkely Communities. Their effectiveness is grounded in a thorough understanding of what we, and more importantly, our customers, value most and seek. Their messaging invariably aligns with and strengthens our brand and strongly resonates with our customer base. The results? Highly qualified, better fit customer traffic and sales. Their work for us works."

- Sterling Kelly, CEO, Burkely Communities

"During my time as Director of Marketing with Burkely Communities the interactions with you and your qualified staff have been wonderful. With Immortology’s direction, our student community brand has flourished. Your brand development process, starting with methodical and ground breaking research regarding how college students think and shop for apartments, has allowed Burkely to tap into the student housing market with a unique and decisive message. Our leasing results have increased each year at our student communities as we continue to build our brand with the help of your company. Without hesitation, I highly recommend Immortology to anyone who is in search of a knowledgeable staff that does thorough research yielding positive results. The passion shown in personal client research, consumer happiness, and brand development will not be found in any higher capacity than that of Immortology. Continuing with Immortology is an easy choice for our marketing needs because of the innovative and creative process that delivers an invaluable end product. Your relationship with Burkely Communites is deeply valued and will be cherished for many years."

- Michelle Chesson, Director Of Marketing for Burkely Communities

Email | Social Media | Packaging | Creative Brief Development | Logo Design | Animated Gifs

Outsmart

Thorlos is one of the oldest and best sock manufacturers in the country. With 30+ designs for specific sports from running to bowling, their athletic socks are worn by elite athletes such as LeBron James, Maria Sharapova, Martina Navratilova and others. They also make work socks, pressure socks for diabetics, fashion socks and a line of hiking socks - including the official sock for the Boy Scouts of America. They engaged us to help them create packaging for some new products: Old School, Boy Scouts of America, Express Yourself and 12-Hour Shift. They also challenged us to help them increase their email promo conversions.

Outdo

Working directly with their printer, we created simple, attention grabbing (and cheap) packaging solutions that worked across all their sock brands. To boost email conversions, we created impossible to ignore and hard to forget main image concepts for their Spring and Christmas 25% off promotions.

Outlast

The spring email promos broke the previous sales record by over 25%. Ditto with the Christmas promo. Halfway through the multi-week campaign, sales were already up $200k over previous campaigns.

Due to the success of our packaging designs and email promos, we were asked to help them design the branding for and launch several new products. See the work, by clicking the products below:

Experia ProLite

EDGE

First Nation

Immortology has done an amazing job for us! Senior level players who get it. Able to develop strategy as well as highly engaging executions at speed and on budget. Great resource if you want to explore fresh expressions of your brand message that you need to have noticed.

— Jeff Lawson, Thorlos Director of Marketing

Email | Social Media | Packaging | Creative Brief Development | Logo Design | T-Shirt Design

Outsmart

Thorlos, one of the oldest and best sock manufacturers in the country spent years developing a super light but highly cushioned and supportive running sock for elite runners. They hired Immortology to launch the new sock at the Boston Marathon, through social media and print targeting serious runners and a 25% OFF promotion via email.

Outdo

With no production budget and little time to spare, we created an integrated campaign utilizing existing photos of the product and stock imagery. The look and feel of the ads was designed to work across multiple on and offline media channels to maximize attention and conversion.

Outlast

The Experia launch was a huge success and continues to be one of Thorlos’ best-selling sock lines. Due to the success of our work, Thorlos has contracted Immortology to develop other work for them. Click on the links below to see the creative and case studies:

Thorlos Brand

Experia ProLite

EDGE

First Nation

Immortology has done an amazing job for us! Senior level players who get it. Able to develop strategy as well as highly engaging executions at speed and on budget. Great resource if you want to explore fresh expressions of your brand message that you need to have noticed.

— Jeff Lawson, Thorlos Director of Marketing

Email | Social Media | Packaging | Creative Brief Development | Logo Design | T-Shirt Design | Social Media Videos

Outsmart

Thorlos, one of the oldest and best sock manufacturers in the country spent years developing Experia - a super light and supportive running sock for elite runners. Based on the success of Experia and customer demand, they developed EDGE - a high-tech sock designed for super high mileage runners who need more cushioning and support. They hired Immortology to launch the new sock online and throught retail.

Outdo

With no production budget, we created an integrated campaign utilizing existing photos of the product and stock imagery. The look and feel of the ads was designed to work across multiple on and offline media channels to maximize attention and conversion. To differentiate the sock from rivals, we positioned as high performance luxury for your feet and created a look and feel for the brand reminiscent of luxury sports cars.

Outlast

The Edge launch was a huge success and continues to be one of Thorlos’ best-selling sock lines. Due to the success of our work, Thorlos has contracted Immortology to develop other work for them. Click on the links below to see the creative and case studies:

Thorlos Brand

Experia ProLite

First Nation

Immortology has done an amazing job for us! Senior level players who get it. Able to develop strategy as well as highly engaging executions at speed and on budget. Great resource if you want to explore fresh expressions of your brand message that you need to have noticed.

— Jeff Lawson, Thorlos Director of Marketing

Strategic Development | Stakeholder Survey | Overarching Strategic Brief | Guerrilla | Printed Banners | Mechanical Production

Situation

Founded in 1954, EMC School is one of America’s leading producers of textbooks and multimedia for K-12 and post-secondary schools. They engaged Immortology to help them make a “big splash” at the NCTE (National Council of English Teachers) Convention, the largest gathering of language arts decision makers in the US. Specifically they wanted us to:

1. Introduce and raise awareness of “Mirrors & Windows” their new multimedia literature program

2. “Overwhelm” their booth with attendees

Perfect. Except for a few challenges:

1.    Materials were due in 10 business days

2.    EMC had no strategy, imagery or copy we could pull from

3.    They were being grossly outspent by multiple more well-known competitors

4. They only had two media placements:

• Four extremely horizontal hanging banners

• Two extremely vertical staircases 

Outsmart

We put together a customized Stakeholder Survey designed to quickly get us the answers we needed about their customers, their competitors and their product, “Mirrors & Windows”. Based on EMC’s responses, we developed a tight brief recommending the key message “You’ve never seen English Language Arts like this before”.

Outdo

Inspired by the brief and research of EMC’s featured authors, we created impossible to ignore concepts that would work both horizontally (for the banners) and vertically (for the staircases). The client loved the initial comps and we were able to turnaround final mechanicals two days before they were due. By all accounts the work was a huge success and exceeded EMC’s expectations.

Outlast

Shortly after the work was completed, we received a call from EMC’s marketing director. He asked us to put a proposal together to show how we would blow out the tradeshow work through a fully integrated campaign across multiple on- and offline channels in 2018.  

Strategic Development | Stakeholder Survey | Overarching Strategic Brief | Integrated Campaign Development | Collateral 

Situation:

Coditum is a popular coding curriculum that has been offered through a summer camp. Due to demand, Coditum is opening two standalone coding schools in Hoboken and Purchase. To support the launch of the two new schools, Immortology was hired to re-position the brand.

Outsmart:

Unlike most other coding schools, Coditum has a tried and true approach backed by a long track record of success. In fact, many of Coditum’s former students have become valued instructors. This tried and true approach allows kids to develop much deeper coding skills at a much quicker space. In just 50 hours of class time, a 12-year-old Coditum student can easily acquire the skills of an advanced coder in college and ace the AP coding exam in high school!

Outdo:

Based on feedback from a Stakeholder Survey, we created an Overarching Creative Brief that recommended positioning Coditum as the fastest way for kids to master Python and Java. To support this positioning and lay the foundation for our creative campaign, we created a new tagline for them Master Coding Faster. The next step was to bring the new positioning to life through impossible to ignore and hard to forget posters, direct mail, online banners and collateral.

Outlast:
The campaign recently broke and once we know more about how it performed, we’ll update this case study.

Direct Mail | Lead Generation | Online | Print | Tradeshow | Event Planning | Competitive Analysis | Media Planning & Placement | Video

Situation
March Networks is the world's largest provider of sophisticated video surveillance equipment and software for banking and retail companies. The surveillance category is filled with parity brands with no distinctive voice. March Networks needed a look and a voice that would not only make them stand out from the pack but make them leaders.

Challenge

Get IT and security customers in three different trade verticals (Banking, Retail and Transit) to buy March Networks surveillance cameras, NVR’s and software in a competitive market filled with better-known, lower-priced, me-too competitors.

Outsmart
We've did just that through a series of smart, in-your-face campaigns highlighting their solution for three verticals: Banking, Retail and Transit. Each campaign plays off the tagline See More and challenges potential clients to take a closer look at March Networks cameras, NVRs and software.

Outdo
Through tongue-in-cheek executions across direct mail, print, banners, emails, landing pages, tradeshow booths and events we gave March Networks a distinctive voice and a fresh look and feel. We used highly targeted media to reach hard to find security decision makers in large retail, financial and transport institutions.

Outlast
While the client prefers to keep detailed results under wrap (you know… security), the See More campaign platform was successful in standing out and ultimately helped deliver hundreds of sales leads and sales for March Networks (pretty much the entire market of decision makers for for large retail, financial and transport institutions). 

Brand Strategy | Video Production | Print | POP | Direct | Digital | Tradeshow Booth | Lead Gen | PR | Website | Media Planning & Placement | Brochure | Boat Graphics | Company/Model Naming | Environmental Design

Situation
After the market collapse in 2008 almost 40% of boat brands disappeared leaving dealers with huge stocks of boats no longer backed with factory warranties, parts and services. As a result, dealers are more skeptical than ever of new brands. To be successful, new boat brands need to convince dealers their models are well made, backed by a solid company and most importantly, have a strong marketing program that will drive customers to them.

Two former clients introduced us to Hudson Wang, an extremely successful Taiwanese manufacturer who wanted to make and sell his own line of boats in the US.

Challenge

Launch an unknown, Chinese-made line of pontoons and power cats in an overly saturated market to an extremely cautious and skeptical target of boat dealers and blue-collar boat buyers.

Outsmart
Over a twelve-month period we helped Hudson and his team identify market opportunities and design two innovative lines of power cats and pontoons built to match consumer wants and needs.

Pontoons come with ramps that will allow sportsmen to carry their ATVs across the water. Removable camouflage turns certain models into duck blinds. Seating can be removed from other models making them the ideal floating platform for camping. The dual hulled power cats handle like a small sports car on the water and can race through chop no other boats their size could handle.

Outdo
We named the new company 33rd Strike Group. Well-built but affordable, 33rd has the mission of making boating accessible to all. In keeping with our military theme, each model sports striking WWII fighter plane graphics. We created:

  • A brochure and website based on WWII aircraft spotters guides

  • A custom graphics program allowing owners to personalize their boats

  • An integrated campaign to drive traffic to dealers

Outlast
Even though the campaign won't officially break until mid-2015, dealers and potential customers who’ve seen test models have been blown away by their design, functionality and performance. At its first annual dealer meeting, 33rd hit 70% of its entire sales goal for 2015 in less than 48 hours.

"I highly recommend hiring David Smith and the Immortology team. The work David created for Triumph Boats is one of the greatest ad campaigns ever created for a boat brand. It took Triumph from about 20% awareness to nearly 100% awareness virtually overnight and distribution from 10 states to 13 countries. To this day, the “Bubba Test”, “Divine Intervention Test” and the “Crane Test” are still being talked about and shared by boaters and people in the boating biz around the world."

- Jeff Gross, VP of Sales for 33rd Strike Group, formerly National Sales Manager of Triumph Boats

“The commitment to addressing our needs coupled with Immortology's professionalism has made this partnership very enjoyable for our company.”

— Gary Giterre, Sales & Marketing Director, McGill Premium Compost

Logo Design | Identity Suite Design | Website Design

CASE STUDY COMING SOON

“Five very bright stars for IMMORTOLOGY! My sincere gratitude to the Immortology team. Like a missile honing in on its target they immediately understood what I wanted to convey about my artwork and business. From start to finish the logo and website projects ran like a well oiled machine; professional, on schedule and was truly a pleasurable experience. Creative & marketing genius with results beyond expectation. This is how it's done folks!”

— Courtney Carballido, Owner, Aquilae Fine Arts

Strategic Development | Stakeholder Survey | Overarching Strategic Brief | Logo/Identity Design | Website Design | Collateral | Tagline Development

Situation:

Founders Financial is a small network of independent investment advisors. In a crowded market, with a very small budget, they hired us to help them do two things:

1. Help them recruit new advisors with a new message

2. Re-design their website

Outsmart:

Fear of failure is the number one reason financial advisors don’t seek independence. We allayed those fears by positioning Founders Financial Alliance as a straight-talking, no BS company dedicated to helping financial advisors succeed independently.

Outdo:

To sum up the “success” positioning, we crafted the tagline READY, SET GROW and paid it off with a non-traditional looking website with witty yet inspiring copy. To further the cause, we created a leave-behind for potential advisors.

“Creativity, responsiveness, and target delivery were initial key component from our first engagement with Immortology. And they delivered - exceeding all our expectations. Immortology embraced our rigorous approval process with energy and utmost professionalism and they nailed it. Their preparation prior to engagement was very impressive as well as their constant communication throughout the entire project. They excelled in assessing objectives, creating our plan, and executing deliverables to complete satisfaction and on time. The level of follow-up consistently throughout the process was invaluable and greatly appreciated. With Immortology, we solidified our product market fit and look forward to our future partnership as we continue to scale our company. In addition to top end work, they are caring passionate people and I highly recommend them to aid in taking your business to the next level.”

— Tom W. Porter, Jr., CRPC, Founder & Managing Member, Founders Financial Alliance, LLC

Brand Strategy | Brand Platform Development | Brand Identity Suite Design | Logo Design | Brochure | Business Cards | Uniform Designs

CASE STUDY & MORE WORK COMING SOON

“Great collaborative atmosphere, easy to work with and excellent creativity - and stayed within budget!! What more could we ask for??

— Ed Metzger, President, BioFit Engineered Products

Lipton Brisk Case Study

Brand Strategy | Broadcast | Print | Outdoor | POP | Promotions | Brand Re-Launch

Situation

Lipton Brisk was getting trounced in an oversaturated market of flavored teas like Arizona, Sobe, Nestea Cool and Snapple. In fact, the brand was on life support. The only people buying it were those looking for a bargain when it went on sale in the grocery store. To survive, the brand needed an entire makeover.

Challenge

Re-launch a dying brand consumed by grandma’s by making it hip and cool to twenty-somethings.

Outsmart

While flavored teas were all the rage, research showed multiple flavors of Brisk would not work. However, a tea that offered on-the-go young people something more than just fruity flavorings just might stand a chance. 

Outdo

We re-positioned Lipton Brisk as an outrageously refreshing energy drink for hard playing, hard partying high school and college kids. We demonstrated its rejuvenating properties through stop-action parodies of entertainment’s greatest icons.

 Outlast

The Brisk brand re-launch is one of the greatest comeback stories in marketing. Animated spots starring Bruce Willis, Bruce Lee and Elvis increased sales 30% year-over-year between 1995 and 2000. The brand catapulted to number one in the ready to drink tea category with 32.8% share of the market. The campaign was included in the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection. Now that’s Brisk, baby!

Smirnoff Ice Case Study

Brand Strategy | Broadcast | Print | Outdoor | POP | National Launch

Situation

Smirnoff Ice was originally developed by Smirnoff Vodka to get around the FCC’s restrictions on wine and liquor advertising on TV. Even though similar “flavored coolers” had failed – remember California Coolers, Bartles & James and Zima? – United Distillers and Vintners had huge expectations for sales.

Challenge

Successfully launch a new Zima-like malternative from Smirnoff in the USA.

Outsmart

Research found that young drinkers were looking for a smoother, lighter alternative to beer – which had the perception of slowing you down – both mentally and physically. Neither men nor women would buy it if it looked like a girl’s drink.

Outdo

We positioned Smirnoff Ice as the drink for smarter, quick-thinking guys. The ads featured quick-witted guys performing “smooth moves” to solve unusual problems. And what better reward for a “Smooth Move” than a cold bottle of Smirnoff Ice?

Outlast

Smirnoff Ice single-handedly introduced a new type of alcoholic beverage to Americans – the malternative. Sales exceeded UDV’s high expectations by over 500%. To this day, Smirnoff Ice remains the most successful new beverage launch in UDV’s history and is still the number one selling malternative in the country.

“Voodoo” - a :30 TV spot created by David Smith for Bud Light.

Read our article about the Bud Light marketing debacle and how to fix it.

This campaign was created by David Smith before founding Immortology. He wrote and concepted this work as the Executive Creative Director of Carton Donofrio Partners.

Situation:

EverBank is a diversified, nationwide financial services company offering competitive money market accounts with some of the nation’s highest yields. Before the campaign launch, EverBank had:

• Low awareness among its core target
• A lot of competition from big banks such as Ally and Bank of America

Challenge

Create a campaign featuring a great money market product targeting hard to reach and harder to convince Mass Affluents. In order to be effective, EverBank had to disassociate itself from the rest of the banking industry by proving it is truly driven to provide valuable opportunities for its customers.

Outdo

EverBank’s Yield Pledge Money Market Account, which guarantees its yield will always be in the top 5% of competitive accounts nationwide, was the key. To get the word out, we created online banners, outdoor boards and TV spots showcasing some of history’s most famous missed opportunities in business.

Outlast

The TV spots generated a huge increase in awareness and lead generation. Due to EverBank’s strong brand and customer base, it was purchased for $2.5 billion by TIAA.

GMAC (Graduate Management Admissions Council) Case Study

Brand Strategy | National TV | Print | Online Banners | Website | App Design

Brand Re-Launch

Situation:

The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) is the maker of the GMAT, the leading test for MBA programs in the world. Recently, GMAC has experienced competitive pressure from the GRE, an easier and less expensive test. To win back test-takers, GMAC needed to get more non-business undergraduates to take its test. A tough challenge given graduate school, much less graduate business schools, are about the last thing on non-business undergrads' minds.

Challenge

To win back test-takers, GMAC needed to get more non-business undergraduates to take its test. A tough challenge, given graduate school, much less graduate business schools are about the last thing on non-business undergrads minds.

Outsmart

With the recession in full bloom and no end to it in the near-term, 80% of undergraduates are facing at least 18 months of unemployment after graduation. The thought of being forced to work for minimum wage in retail or worse – living at home - is an undergrad’s greatest fear.

Knowing this, we repositioned the GMAT from a test for business school to an opportunity to land a great job and avoid the humiliation of living at home and working in a low-skill job.

Outdo:

To bring the idea to life we created a series of online videos and on-campus posters showing recent grads stuck in humiliating jobs after college. They directed undergrads to a site called directyourdestiny.org. On the site, students can find MBA programs that best match their interests and estimate how much more money they can earn with an MBA. When they sign up for the GMAT, a reminder service in the form of a nagging mom pings them every week to prepare for it. The site also features a Facebook app called Weinerize Your Friend that lets students vote for which of their friends is most likely to end up in a humiliating job after school. The friends with the most votes receive a video of a dancing street vendor in a hotdog outfit with their face on it. An accompanying note encourages the recipient to take the GMAT to avoid a fate like this.

Outlast:

In just three months, over 250,000 students visited directyourdestiny.org spending over 5 minutes on the site. The Weinerize Your Friend app had a 25% conversion rate. In 2010, when the campaign ran, over 130,000 undergrads took the GMAT – more than in any previous year.

Brand Strategy | Radio | TV | Print | Outdoor | Newspaper | Re-Launch

Situation:

After years of trying to be all things to all people, Bermuda had fallen off the tourism radar. Competition from newer resorts in the Bahamas and the Caribbean were stealing share from Bermuda at an alarming rate. To make matters worse, Bermuda is not a year-round tropical destination. It’s only warm from the end of May to October.

Most Caribbean and Bahamian destinations are a 3-to-4-hour flight from New York, Boston and Atlanta – if it’s a direct flight. Bermuda, on the other hand is only 90 minutes away.

Challenge

Convince couples looking for a romantic escape to choose Bermuda.

Outsmart

Research showed couples in NY, Boston and Atlanta were looking for a quick getaway to rekindle their love lives. With pink sand beaches, moonlit coves and sophisticated old world charm, what more romantic place to spend a few days than Bermuda?

 Outdo

We repositioned Bermuda as more than just another tropical island - it’s a giant floating aphrodisiac just offshore from the States.

Outlast

In the first year, calls to Bermuda’s 800-number increased by over 400%. Visitations jumped by over 100%. 

Visit Baltimore Case Study

Brand Strategy | Broadcast | Print | Outdoor | Digital Banners | Social Media | PR |

Re-Launch

Situation

Every year, Visit Baltimore creates advertising promoting a summer blockbuster attraction, event or exhibition. In 2010, we had to promote a new exhibition at the American Visionary Arts Museum called, “What Makes Us Smile.” (And it had to promote a laundry list of attractions all around the city.)

Challenge

With tanking tourism numbers, a tiny budget compared to its competitors and a less than positive perception, we needed to create something much bigger than a summer promotion. We had to create an experience that would redefine Baltimore.

 Outsmart

According to a study by Context Research Group, there was a major cultural shift underway. People were exhausted from the stress of the recession. They were ready to move on and start enjoying life again. They were actively seeking fun and joyful experiences - especially from their leisure travel. They wanted a reason to smile. Could Baltimore’s quirky attractions be just the thing they were looking for?

Outdo

To find out, we created a playful campaign highlighting quirky attractions all around the city. The message: no matter who you are, or what you love, you’re sure to Find Your Happy Place in Baltimore.  

Outlast

Baltimore’s hotel occupancy rate jumped from 52.7 percent in 2009 to 61 percent in 2010, the highest since the city hit a 65.4 percent occupancy rate in 2007.

The campaign earned local and national press from The Baltimore Sun, USA Today, Forbes, ABC News and more.

Magazine Print | In-Store POS | TV

This RCA work was created by Immortology’s Founder, David Smith, while he was working at Ammirati & Puris in New York. David had the honor of creating the campaign that launched RCA’s Digital Satellite System in the US. The campaign was hailed by Time Magazine as the most successful new product launch of the year - much to the chagrin of the cable industry. The poster campaign featuring Nipper and Chipper addresses some of the misleading claims the cable industry was spreading concerning DSS. The RCA Audio “Boombox” spot was also a big success and helped make RCA a leader in portable stereos. On a side note, the “Blast-Off” spot was shot by Jake Scott, son of famous director Ridley Scott. The RCA Audio spot was art directed by Harvey Marco and the rest of the work was art directed by Darrel Credeur. 

Part of an integrated campaign created by our Founder, David Smith for Playworld playground systems. Instead of playground equipment features and benefits, the campaign positions PlayWorld as a brand that helps develop children’s minds and bodies.

Targeted National Print

These are series of print ads Immortology’s Founder, David Smith, created for Nikon Cameras while working at Ammirati & Puris in New York. The “We Take The World’s Greatest Pictures” of which this work is a small part, made Nikon the world’s most popular camera for pros. Each execution ran in national pubs targeting professional and amateur photographers. The “Loch Ness Monster” ad is the only Nikon School ad that actually ran. It won a silver One Show pencil and a lot of other awards no one but ad people care about. All the ads shown here were art directed by Harvey Marco.

Ad campaign created for Evolution - a retail store in NYC that sells bones, fossils, insects, rocks and other natural specimens to museums and private collectors.

Brand Strategy | Online Videos | Website Design

Situation

Advertising has become increasingly annoying and intrusive as new forms of delivering it have invaded every space imaginable in our lives. In a global survey, advertising was ranked second in a list of least trusted professionals. Only politicians ranked worse. Carton Donofrio Partners, an ad agency in Baltimore, said enough is enough and decided to take a stand for the entire industry and improve the perception of advertising.

Challenge

The challenge was two-fold. 1. Convince a jaded industry of unmotivated ad executives to quit producing bad advertising and start making ads that people actually like. 2. Position Carton Donofrio as an industry thought leader while getting national publicity for it.

Outsmart

Hit by over 5,000 ads/day, research confirmed people are fed up with annoying, intrusive and deceptive advertising. And nobody’s more fed up with bad advertising than advertising professionals who are tired of being guilty by association.

Outdo

To capitalize on this insight we made bad advertising the enemy. We rallied advertising professionals and consumers around a movement called StopTheAdness.org. Drivers to the site included videos showing “Pop Up” ads invading a couples’ home and a wildly inappropriate tampon demo.   

Outlast

Hundreds of agencies from around the world signed the online pledge to stop making invasive, deceptive and poorly crafted advertising. As a result, the American Association of Advertising Agencies invited Carton Donofrio to do a webinar for its members on “How to Transform Your Advertising for the Better”.  Due to the campaign, the 4-A’s presented the agency a “Transformer Award” for having a transformative effect on the ad industry. In addition to great press from hundreds of articles, the Stop The Adness effort positioned CDP as an industry creative leader.

TV | Magazine Print | On-Site Posters | Newspaper

David Smith wrote the ads in this campaign when he was working for Ammirati & Puris in New York. The first five ads were created to remind parents to get their kids vaccinated for the measles.

The disease was starting to make a comeback because a lot of people just didn’t know how dangerous the disease is. The TV ran on major networks nationally, the print ran in the most circulated magazines and the posters were distributed to doctors offices, clinics and hospitals where the disease was rearing its ugly head again. Almost overnight, people started showing up in droves to get their children vaccinated, stopping the measles in its tracks.

The print ad for the measles campaign was illustrated and art directed by Harvey Marco. The rest of the print work was designed and art directed by KJ Bowen.

The last two ads on the page were created for Aetna Financial services. 

LPL Financial Case Study

Brand Strategy | Magazine Print | Online Banners | Video Production | Website

Re-Launch

Situation

LPL Financial is America’s largest network of independent financial advisors. They needed help recruiting elite advisors away from major Wall Street firms like Merrill Lynch, Wachovia and Goldman Sachs.

The biggest problem in recruiting high performing advisors is inertia. While working for a wirehouse isn’t completely fulfilling, it sure does pay the bills. On the other hand, many advisors yearn to break free from their golden handcuffs and start their own firms. They just need a well-placed nudge.

Challenge

Create a compelling argument to convince successful advisors to leave their cushy wirehouse jobs and open their own brokerages with LPL’s help.

Outsmart

We tapped into advisors’ entrepreneurial spirits by challenging them to open their own practices and fulfill their highest potential.

Outdo

We invited them to hear about independence firsthand from some of the industry’s most successful advisors. We created a web-based talk show, where star LPL advisors talked openly and candidly about the benefits and challenges of opening their own independent practices.

Outlast

One year later, LPL recruited more new advisors than any other broker-dealer in the country. The new advisors helped LPL set a record with $330 billion in total advisory and brokerage assets after the campaign ran - a 16% increase from the same period a year before. Net new advisory fees more than doubled to $3.7 billion.

Shentel/Sprint Case Study

Re-Launch

 TV | Online | Outdoor | Radio | Guerilla | Sales Events

Situation

Shentel Sprint is the largest and most successful Sprint franchisee in the country. It serves the Shenandoah Valley – including parts of Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Dramatically outspent by Verizon and ATT&T, Shentel was having a hard time breaking through in a very competitive market.

Challenge

Despite being dramatically outspent by national carriers, convince people living in the Shenandoah Valley to buy phones and plans from local Sprint stores.

Outsmart

Go hyper-local and advertise in small but super effective media the national players don’t know about.

Outdo

Advertise in high school football stadiums, on rural billboards, small-town TV and radio stations with impossible to ignore promos to publicize offers in local stores.

Outlast

The two promotions we created - “Blackberry Friday” and “Bring In Your Old Phone” - were the two biggest promotional events in Shentel’s history.

David Smith, founder of Immortology, created this print and direct mail campaign for Blue Star Diner in NYC. If you’d like to purchase these ads and customize them for your restaurant, email Info@ImmortologyUSA.com to get pricing information.