Meet the Designers: Teague Anderson

How did you fall into design?

I always loved making things when I was younger, and my love for design was born when I had to make PowerPoint presentations for my classes. I always wanted to flex on everyone with how good mine looked and how cool my slide transitions were.

How would you describe your design style?

I would describe my design style as sophisticated. I really like clean and simple, but like to add a little flare here and there to avoid work becoming too stagnant or boring. 

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration from everything! Our whole world was created by a Designer, and there is no shortage of inspiration to draw from. Whether it’s beautiful nature scenery or cruising up and down aisles in the grocery store looking at packaging, it is always fun to see the different ways people express their creativity.

What type of projects would you work on full time if you could?

I would work on branding projects full time if I could. It is so fun to see a brand come to life from nothing, and to set someone up for their future success as a business. The whole process from logo development, to colors/type, to applications etc. is really enjoyable and rewarding.

Gigasavvy is a brand strategy firm and creative agency that is passionate about helping brands craft their authentic story. Contact us for help with your brand.

Meet the Designers: Jacky Northgrave

How did you fall into design?

Ever since I was little I loved to create – designing new worlds, telling new stories and letting my imagination run wild. My mom always did such a stellar job cultivating a space for creativity. As I grew older I dabbled in interior design, painting, drawing. My love for design started when I was little and has never gone away.

Once I started diving into graphic design, I knew my future was there. It was the perfect blend of so many artistic aspects all in one space. My career has just evolved from there, and I am very proud and grateful for what I’ve been able to build. I know that little girl would look at me now and be in awe of how design can be so much more than just her thoughts and dreams.

How would you describe your design style?

I think my true design style is modern minimalistic. I love the simplicity and power of curated elements that build together to create something strong and beautiful. I’ve always been more drawn towards minimal and impactful work, so I think I’ve just naturally carried that on in my own work. I love playing with typography, retro elements and abstract shapes to create a world of modern nostalgia. 

Where do you find inspiration?

My inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere. I learned from a young age that when you limit your inspiration you’re really limiting your potential. I could be inspired by the little moments: a song, a special experience, a person you just met, a story you heard. Inspiration is all around us. We just need to be ready and willing to see it when it strikes.

Lately some of my greatest inspiration has been from my daughter. She’s three, curious, whimsical and full of wonder. Seeing the world through her eyes gives me a new perspective, and a unique understanding of even the simplest of things. I’ve tried to carry the essence of a new perspective in my work to create something new and fresh, using a new and unique angle. 

What type of projects would you work on full time if you could?

I genuinely feel so lucky to have dipped my toes in a lot of different projects. I’ve been able to work on all kinds of design, and so many different projects. But, it’s those branding projects that I just love. It’s really my bread and butter. Whenever I get those projects it feels like home.

Don’t get me wrong, I genuinely love how I’ve evolved as a designer – art directing and strengthening new muscles – but I love being able to help someone feel confident in their business or brand by giving it a chance to succeed. Whether it’s breathing new life into existing brands or starting from scratch, it’s a problem I just LOVE to solve for.

Gigasavvy is a brand strategy firm and creative agency that is passionate about helping brands craft their authentic story. Contact us for help with your brand.

Meet the Designers: Nicole Pawloski

How did you fall into design?

Since I can remember, I have always wanted to be an “artist.” Growing up an only child, drawing and making art of any form was my outlet and way of expressing myself. This hobby stayed with me through grade school, high school and eventually led me to getting a scholarship to pursue fine art in college.

About as quickly as I started my fine art major, I decided this career path was not for me. As much as I loved creating, I soon realized I wanted more out of my career and I would not be a successful traditional artist. I remember seeing my former roommate’s sketches and concepts for a packaging project she was working on in her Graphic Design class and was sold then and there. I changed my major the following week and began exploring what it meant to “design on the computer.”

Long story short, I fell in love with the purpose behind design and creating for a tangible goal.

How would you describe your design style?

I would consider my design style to be very graphic forward and colorful. I love any opportunity to incorporate illustrative design and custom typography. My design idols Ty Mattson and Hoodzpah Inc. have also shaped my design approach and I hope to create an instantly recognizable style of my own.

Where do you find inspiration?

Inspiration, for me, can be found everywhere. Over the course of my career, I have found that even outside of work – I am always creating. Whether that be in cocktail making, cookie decorating, calligraphy, etc. – inspiration is all around me and can take different forms. Inspiration is often found when we disconnect from our screens and take in our surroundings, explore different mediums, and have conversations with those around us.

What type of projects would you work on full time if you could?

Gosh, this is a hard question. Agency life really does allow us designers and creatives to touch a little bit of everything. I have really grown to love the process of creating a campaign from scratch and seeing the big picture come to fruition. The amount of teamwork, collaboration and talent it takes to take a single idea and turn it into a full campaign – involving video production, photography, asset creation, social media etc. is truly amazing and worth every minute put into it.

Gigasavvy is a brand strategy firm and creative agency that is passionate about helping brands craft their authentic story. Contact us for help with your brand.

So how do you make your brand strategy more adaptable? In many ways, it’s about going back to basics to create a stable footing on which the entire brand can stand, no matter which way the wind blows. 

Market Uncertainty Means Marketing Shifts

As consumer confidence waxes and wanes, some industries have experienced reduced or unpredictable spending. In some cases, brands are responding aggressively to keep sales up, leading to increased competitive pressure. 

As markets struggle to find footing and adjust to a new normal, media channels are also rapidly shifting. Although the importance of social media marketing has become a commonly held belief for most brands, few people expected such a large shift in platforms to take place in such a short time. In fact, today’s most frequently downloaded app, TikTok, is not even considered a social media platform — it’s an entertainment app, which some have called the beginning of the end of the social media era. 

Throughout all of this, marketers have increasingly dealt with budget constraints and have delayed many investments due to uncertainty.

Yearly planning in this environment has become increasingly difficult, leading many marketers to take a more flexible approach. The most successful companies have a comprehensive and adaptive brand strategy to overcome the challenges facing businesses today. 

Take Stock of Your Customers’ Changing Needs 

The turmoil of the world around us is not only impacting brands. It is, first and foremost, impacting people. As people deal with supply chain shortages, interest rate increases, inflation and more, many are forced to continually adapt the way they live their lives. Their needs change. Their habits are adjusted. Their goals are reset. 

Fortunately, many of these consumers are vocal about what they want and need from brands in response. Whether posting in comments on social feeds, calling customer service lines with questions or shifting where they spend their money, consumers are sending signals about what they need from the brands in their lives. 

Look at Your Competitors’ Positioning

Your brand is never the only one to experience shifts in the market. In most cases, some other brand has already seen it and felt it, and is already leveraging their own brand strategy to respond to it. It’s common for organizations to undertake competitive research during planning stages, like when a new product is being developed, for example. But it is equally important to keep tabs on how competitors are shifting their brand position over time. 

Are you competitors increasingly focused on low price or value? Are they focused on making their products more convenient and accessible? Are they going after new audiences with more inclusive messaging? It’s important to keep tabs on these shifts in your competitors’ brand strategy, so that you can ensure that you are still positioned in open territory, and respond accordingly if needed. 

Invest in Brand Storytelling that Connects

The old adage is true, people rarely remember what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel. You don’t have to try to pull on consumers’ heartstrings or manipulate their tear ducts to connect with them in a meaningful way. 

Authentically connecting with your audience starts with fully understanding them – what motivates them, what makes them laugh, what they are striving for. When you understand that, you can build brand messaging that relates to consumers on a human level. This builds trust and loyalty with consumers, which can help your brand weather economic storms.

Allocate Resources Smartly 

Once you have taken stock of your customers, your competitors and your opportunities to connect with customers, you will be able to allocate your resources accordingly. You may find that a simple change to your creative or your messaging will be sufficient, or that your target audiences are now more frequently exposed to new and media different channels. 

In today’s shifting media landscape, it’s important to have a nimble mindset. As you identify where and how you are most likely to connect with audiences, be willing to react quickly. It often takes a while for an entire industry to embrace these changes, so early movers can take advantage of the opportunity to quickly gain a higher share of voice. 

Gigasavvy has experience helping brands assess the landscape and position them for success with comprehensive and adaptive brand strategies, meaningful brand stories, and award-winning omni-channel campaigns. Reach out to chat about how we can help you drive your brand forward. 

There have already been many reports of very solid work coming from AI, including entire college essays and even TV commercial scripts.  Unfortunately, we’ve also seen that when leveraging big data without common sense, AI can take a dark turn. After all, in addition to the inspired and the mundane, these algorithms have also learned from a plethora of negative content that some very vocal people on Earth have unfortunately fed into the machine.

The moral of that story is that we can not ignore the most important common factor for all creativity, storytelling and design: the human being. Despite some really convincing creations, no algorithm will ever truly understand what connects with the heart and soul of another human. 

The key to great design is authenticity. And authenticity comes from humans.

Great design goes beyond striking visuals and inspirational buzz words. It starts with understanding how humans work psychologically. With this understanding, designers can focus on ways that technology can solve problems, answer questions and improve life – instead of clogging our phones, our lives, and our minds with a useless and cumbersome collection of technology-driven content.

How Human Inspiration is Better than AI Design

Inspires Exploration and Discovery

Take a tip from a toddler. We learn by exploration. Flipping the pages of a book, turning over a rock, digging in the dirt, and tasting new types of food. Humans learn and absorb information by exploration – and they are driven to explore by curiosity and a desire to learn. The driving force behind exploration is the joy of discovery.

Designers use this to their advantage. To get truly unique and impactful work, you must use imagination. It’s not enough to revert to lazy replicas of real life objects. Designers think through the natural learning and comprehension process and leverage it with the specific design problem you are tackling.

Tells a Story

From the beginning of time, before there were written languages, storytelling was the tool used to communicate and retain information. This has not disappeared from the human psyche, even if sometimes we feel that the true art of storytelling seems to be dwindling in quality.

If you want your users to remember you, tell a story that connects to them on a human level. Show users that you understand and relate to them, and help them see why that connection matters.

Embraces Change over Iteration

Designers are able to put aside pre-conceived notions and consider, with a fresh slate, the best way to connect on a human level with your customer. When coming up with a creative concept it’s important to really think through it. You can’t just think of what you want to sell. You have to ponder what problems audiences really need to solve, and how your brand can help them.

In the end, be inspired by humans, by your friendships, your interactions, and your conversations with people. Instead of focusing on trends, focus on your customers. So get up. Log off. Talk, interact and think like a designer.

Gigasavvy’s design team has developed award-winning creative that connects with our clients’ audiences. We do this by really digging in, understanding our clients’ businesses and their customers – then tapping into the core human truth beneath the initial ask. Check out some samples of our work, and then reach out to let us know how we can help you do the same. 

We are happy to create a set of blogs that will feature each of our designers and give them a chance to show off their unique creative personality.

Meet the Designers: Brittany Davis

How did you fall into design?

Design isn’t something that came super naturally to me. I took one art class in high school (that I was whatever at) and decided last minute to jump into design as my college major. I took a giant leap – hoping that somehow it would suit me, and surprisingly, it did.

Looking back now, it does make a lot of sense, but in the early days of my design career, there were still a lot of doubts and fears. The biggest being that I had a mostly type A/left brain. I wasn’t a messy artsy person naturally – even though most of my design friends seemed to be, and that made me feel quite inferior – like I wasn’t creative enough to really excel in design.

Since then, I’ve learned to put my orderly, type A brain to good use in my work, and it’s really helped me shape my creative style.

How would you describe your design style?

I consider myself to primarily be a minimalist – and that really flows through most of my work. I’m a firm believer in purposeful design, and I like to think that the simpler a design can be, the better (most of the time, of course). It’s really easy to overthink and over-fluff creative with excess design elements or copy, and I think there is strength in simplifying a design down to its core, leaving only what’s purposeful and necessary. There are many other graphic styles that have shaped and inspired me though, including Art Deco, Swiss, Retro, and Dreamy.

Where do you find inspiration?

I believe that the world around me was designed with purpose, and that pushes me to do the same. Design should be not only beautiful to look at, but meaningful. That way of thinking has really pushed me to admire the world around me, and incorporate it into my work.

Right now for example, I’m really into sunset gradients. They are each so different and unique from day to day, but all equally beautiful. I also love looking at storefront signage in different cities – so many examples of fun, retro type!

What type of projects would you work on full time if you could?

One thing I really enjoy about working for an agency is the variety. No day is ever boring, because I’m never stuck on one project- but switching from brand to brand. If I could work on anything full time, it would definitely have to be a mix! I have a lot of interests, from packaging, type-focused creative, feminine brands, cosmetic, beverage, brochure/editorial, etc. It’s not necessarily about the projects for me, but the overall vibe! I think in an ideal world, I would work with a handful of different brands that live inside an aesthetic that I enjoy – something that I would buy into as a consumer. Those types of projects make my heart the most happy!

Gigasavvy is a brand strategy firm and creative agency that is passionate about helping brands craft their authentic story. Contact us for help with your brand.

“My favorite time of the day in Joshua Tree is when the sun has just set, the moon is beginning to rise, and the warm tones of the rocks turn beautiful shades of pink and purple. There’s something so calm and peaceful about the stillness, and I wanted my poster to reflect that feeling.”

– Brittany Davis

“I chose to celebrate Yosemite National Park and highlight the Half Dome crest. This particular vantage point can be seen driving through the park as you pass through the bend of the trees. As the road twists and turns, it opens up to this breathtaking view. This iconic landscape inspired me to visit Yosemite National Park this year in person, for the first time. It is a view more people should experience in person and hopefully, these vintage-inspired travel posters will encourage nature lovers to get out and enjoy earth day!”

– Nicole Pawloski

“Death Valley is one of the hottest places on the planet and features striking, dramatic landscape. The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are one of the very few locations where large dune fields are created. While individual grains move and ripples form, the dune field remains. Knowing that a nearly infinite number of grains of sand are in perpetual motion, constantly reshaping the landscape, yet somehow remaining a part of a greater whole is an idea that continues to draw me in.”

– Ryan Schram

“Sequoia National Park is a very special place to me. It’s like nowhere else on this planet. There’s something magical you feel in the air and in the ground beneath your feet when you’re walking amongst those giant trees. Nothing can prepare you for your first glimpse of the Giant Sequoias after making your way up the winding mountain road, and nothing can make you forget it.”

– Tyler Oslie

Love these California National Parks as much as we do? Drop us a line and we’ll hook you up the high-res files so you can create your own Art Prints.

On the 51st anniversary of Earth Day, organizations all over are taking a moment to reconsider their impact on the planet and make pledges to do better.

Some are doing it because protecting our natural resources for future generations is simply the ethical choice. But there are also very powerful economic motivations for changing the status quo from wasteful and polluting supply chains and business models to those that are far more environmentally friendly and which can be endlessly renewed.

The current marketplace puts a premium on brands that are sustainable and there is a growing distrust of those that are silent on these issues, which is why so many brands are finally speaking up about their commitment to a healthier planet. And what better time than Earth Day to let the public know about it?

Here are five brands that are trending for their sustainability initiatives:

Improved PS5 Packaging

Aided by a pandemic that forced the world into lockdown, Sony’s latest gaming console, the PS5, is the fastest-selling in history. So, the Japanese electronics giant doesn’t really need to make any changes to improve sales.

They can hardly keep up with demand as it is. Yet, after hearing complaints that the packaging for the PS5 was unattractive and generated way too much non-recyclable waste, Sony went back to the drawing board.

Kieren Mayers, Sony’s Director of Environment & Technical Compliance, described the initiative as part of the company’s Green Management 2025, an ambitious project attempting to decrease the use of non-recyclable materials in Sony’s products. As part of the plan, they hope to completely eliminate plastic in new product packaging by 2025.

The original packaging for the PS5 wasn’t living up to the ideals of their mission, but the redesign is a much more positive step in that direction. The new packaging is fully recyclable, 93-99-percent plastic-free (by weight), and replaces polystyrene foam with cardboard inserts. They also relied on the Japanese art of origami as inspiration for substituting smartly engineered paper folds rather than unsustainable glues.

Cleancult Reusable Cleaning Supplies

Video games weren’t the only products to see increased demand during the pandemic. Sales of cleaning supplies also spiked, particularly in the early days of the health crisis when every smudged surface looked like it could be a potential vector for infection. Things have calmed down some, but disinfecting wipes and sprays are still in high demand. The unfortunate downside has been a ton of empty, plastic bottles and containers that will likely end up in a landfill.

Enter Cleancult, a newcomer to the market, with a unique point of differentiation. They deliver soaps, cleaning solutions, laundry detergent, and the like right to your door, and unlike most of their competitors, almost no plastics are involved at all. When you sign up, you get a shatter-proof glass dispenser and the refills come in recyclable cardboard containers.

Likewise, by Humankind, another recent player, is attempting to do away with single-use plastics for an even larger range of health, hygiene, and cleanliness products. Everything from deodorant and hand soaps to floss and mouthwash is made without plastic. Even their cotton swabs are 100-percent biodegradable. It’s the right product at the right time and designed to appeal to the health and eco-conscious alike.

Adidas Mushroom Leather

Mushrooms aren’t just for the dinner table anymore. They are being powdered and sold as brain-boosting coffee alternatives, added to lotions and serums for healthier skin, and even being bioengineered into cruelty-free, vegan leather products. According to Grand View Research, as consumers increasingly look for more natural, less polluting, and more sustainable solutions, the market for mushroom products is growing fast and will be valued at $50 billion by 2025.

Two big brands from the world of athletic gear and high fashion are among the first to experiment with mushroom-based materials. Adidas recently launched the Stan Smith Mylo, a variant of one of their most classic sneaker styles, but with innovative and renewable mushroom leather accents for the heel tab overlay, branding, and their iconic three stripes.

Developed by biotech company Bolt Threads, Mylo is a proprietary (and branded) material grown in labs from mycelium (mushroom roots). The finished product is foamy and durable and can be finished with embossing, and which, according to Jamie Bainbridge, the vice president of product development at Bolt Threads, flexes and breathes just like traditional animal leathers.

“The planet can’t go on the way it has been,” said Jamie Bainbridge. “You’re seeing it in every subject matter around sustainability—whether it’s climate change or carbon footprint—the public is gaining an understanding that they’ve got to change their ways.”

Along with Adidas, fashion designer Stella McCartney, an early pioneer in ethical, cruelty-free fashion, has joined Bolt Threads’ Mylo consortium and intends to use their material in her product lines. Lululemon and Kering (the French luxury group that owns Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci) have also signed up.

Other fashion houses and brands are also pursuing alternative, sustainable materials. Hermès recently released a handbag made from reishi fine mycelium. Eco-friendly shoemaker Allbirds announced they have their own sustainable faux leather in the works made with rubber tree sap.

Traditional animal leathers consume massive amounts of resources and require harsh compounds to produce. Plastic-based faux leather is virtually always made from non-renewable petrochemicals. Mycelium-based textiles present an opportunity for the fashion industry — which has been feeling the heat lately for the wastage associated with the disposable “fast fashion” trend — to deliver goods that are still incredibly high quality but that better align with the environmentally-friendly values of modern consumers.

Levi’s SecondHand and WaterLess

The three R’s of sustainability are Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. To lessen its environmental impact Levi’s is focusing on that sometimes underappreciated second R. Maybe it’s really because they know that an already broken-in pair of jeans are a wonderful thing, but the brand introduced its SecondHand Collection of pre-worn, vintage threads along with a “Buy Better, Wear Longer” sustainability campaign just in time for Earth Day.

“Ultimately, Levi’s denim is meant to be worn for generations, not seasons,” Jennifer Sey, Levi’s Brand President, said. “So we are also using this campaign to encourage consumers to be more intentional about their apparel choices: to wear each item longer, for example, to buy SecondHand, or to use our in-store Tailor Shops to extend the life of their garments.”

Levi’s tapped influencers like Jaden Smith to promote the initiative: “The world we live in encourages us to constantly buy,” Jaden said. “It puts us in this bad cycle. I’m glad that Levi’s is changing that message by making thrifting cool. Some of my favorite pairs are thrifted. And I’m even more happy to see that Levi’s is supporting these amazing young voices who are all speaking up for the environment.”

Levi’s has also been using this opportunity to tout its WaterLess method of finishing jeans that softens up tough fabrics by tumbling them with bottle caps and golf balls instead of using water-wasting washing machines like they had in the past.

The Future is Sustainable

Almost across demographics, but especially among the younger Gen Y and Z cohorts, there is increased demand for sustainable goods and lifestyles. The brands that are authentically speaking to environmental issues and taking positive action to change our world for the better are top of mind among consumers and winning new brand loyalists far faster than their less eco-conscious competitors.

Brands that intend to compete in the market that is coming are well-advised to continue making decisions that show their commitment to a healthier, more sustainable world.

Gigasavvy works at the forefront of the purpose-driven branding revolution. Ask us about our Brand Strategy Consulting to learn how we can help develop and launch your organization’s brand strategy. And if you want to stay up to date with the latest on sustainable design and artivism check out our Instagram Guide. 

As a creative agency, Gigasavvy’s purpose has been brought into sharp focus over the last year and is more relevant than ever. To inspire meaningful human connection in a digitally-dominated world is baked into how we approach every aspect of our business. We believe that putting people first is essential to developing and delivering truly innovative solutions for our clients as well as for ourselves. Identifying the core human truths that connect us while focusing on ideas that inspire and unite people helps our team continue to challenge the status quo. With that in mind, we are excited to share the first installment of Positive Propaganda, our quarterly look into the key moments and trends poised to shape and impact the culture at large.

The interactive deck below is filled with insightful articles, engaging videos, immersive digital experiences, and whimsical games that represent the best of what the global creative community has put out into the world during quarantine. You can explore Positive Propaganda by clicking the arrows on the bottom right corner of the deck or view in full-screen here.

In fact, studies going back decades have shown that his mustachioed visage is more widely recognizable than Mickey Mouse. And, like Disney’s mascot, he just got his very own theme park to star in, Super Nintendo World, which will open at Universal Studios Japan this month. Similar themed lands are under construction at Universal parks in Hollywood, Singapore, and Orlando.

Superfans Create a New Holiday

Back in 2008, a few science fiction enthusiasts on Facebook announced that they were creating a holiday. They declared that May 4th was Star Wars day for no other reason than because it would be fun to greet each other by cheekily saying “May the fourth be with you.” The trend caught on and eventually was officially adopted by parent company Disney. It seems to grow in awareness and participation every year.

Nintendo’s fans at some point realized that another date on the calendar suited their favorite mascot, and announced that March 10th, stylized as MAR10 to resemble the name of the plucky savior of the Mushroom Kingdom, was the perfect day to celebrate the world’s most popular video game plumber.

The very first Mario Day was held in 2016 and proclaimed on Nintendo’s official YouTube channel. In 2017, Nintendo offered a free Mario-themed frame to Facebook and Facebook Messenger that could only be used between March 10 and 12.

For the following year, they partnered with Google by adding a playable Mario minigame to Google Maps. Discounts for Mario games like Super Mario Party, Mario Kart, and Mario Tennis Aces were rolled out for the 2019 Mario Day. Also that year, in-store events sponsored by Frito-Lay were held at their flagship NYC retail outlet.

For 2020, things were slightly different and more virtual. Select Mario games were discounted again, and special Mario costumes were made available in Mario Kart Tour. They also used the event to tease a new partnership on their Twitter account, which was ultimately revealed to be LEGO Super Mario.

Love for Mario Crosses All Demos

It’s official: everyone loves Mario, and that includes us! So, to join in on the fun, Gigasavvy’s creators, designers, and brand strategists thought up some colorful, fun, Mario-themed co-branding opportunities to drive home his universal appeal.

“Mario is unique in that the game and character represent an era and nostalgia for many, yet transcends generations and remains current. Although the Mario franchise needs no help in exposure, I wanted to imagine what it might look like as a brand collaboration. There’s something powerful about two brands coming together to create something new and unexpected–especially if it’s two brands you already love.”

– Tyler Oslie, Senior Art Director, Gigasavvy

 

The universality of Nintendo’s success is no accident. Nintendo is a master at using inclusive design that draws in super fans from all demographics, notably by elevating female video game sidekicks into full-fledged headliners.

Gaming is often thought of as a male-dominated pastime, which is why it was so groundbreaking for Nintendo to release a title like “Metroid” back in the 1980s and make the game’s hero, Samus Aran, a space-exploring woman warrior. Even Nintendo’s damsels in distress,’ Princesses Peach and Zelda, have evolved over the years to take on more active roles in their respective franchises. Gigasavvy Designer Brittany Davis has a strong connection with Nintendo and recalls many fond memories and used those childhood impressions to inspire her designs.

“Mario was pretty important to me back in the day. One Christmas when I was young, I got a Nintendo DS from my parents, and it was probably one of the most memorable Christmas gifts I’ve received. My sister and I were always playing Super Mario Brothers and Mario Kart. Even though I would fall off the road pretty regularly, Rainbow Road was one of my favorite courses. Nintendo is amazing at imagining these different worlds, and really immersing you into it. This was a really cool opportunity to jump back into that world as an adult and reimagine one of my levels as an adult! I really wanted to make it as colorful and lively as possible, pairing some retro, lava lamp vibes with a modern illustration style.”

– Brittany Davis, Designer, Gigasavvy

 

Gigasavvy’s Ryan Schram imagined a fun product using the hero’s iconic mustache as his source of inspiration.

“Mario has some notable features (hat, overalls, mustache, etc.), so I wanted to come up with a product that made sense based on these distinct features and work in all things, Mario. I thought it would be cool to focus on a mustache product. The tin itself represents a pipe from the Super Mario series and then I riffed on some of the other iconic elements from the game.”

– Ryan Schram, Production Designer, Gigasavvy

Art Director, Nicole Pawloski wanted to capitalize on the sentimental charms of a game franchise that goes back decades:

“Now, as many gamers are getting older, there is a great opportunity to create something nostalgic for an adult audience. What better way to celebrate Super Mario, than through a crisp hazy IPA? Specifically, I chose to highlight Princess Peach (my favorite female heroine) in an imagined Triple Hazy IPA, that would pack a juicy punch fit for any beer snob. So grab a “Peachy Keen” and celebrate your favorite childhood game while indulging in your new favorite adult beverage.”

 

The Game Continues

All of the Mario Day events this year will cap off Mario’s 35th anniversary, and several limited-time promotional games and products will be removed from their online store, such as Super Mario Bros. 35, an online game where 35 players simultaneously compete at classic Mario Bros platforming in a battle royale.

And yet fans are excited for the 31st when these unique, limited-time games and features disappear. Not because they didn’t enjoy them and will be happy to see them go, but because it means they can start getting hyped for the next big Nintendo franchise to get the anniversary treatment: Zelda.

The Takeaway

When your brand’s superfans decide they want to celebrate you, let them! There is nothing that brings consumers closer to your brand than some good old user-generated content. Once you’ve created something great, you have to set it free. Do your best to foster a dynamic community that’s empowered and invested in the future of your brand your success will be limited only by your fans imaginations.

Want to see how the creative minds at Gigasavvy can bring your brand to life with imaginative design and thoughtful execution? Get in touch today!