We know what you are thinking: Another project, another award.  And you're right.  Our track record continues.  We're proud to announce that we recently received a 2007 Silver Davey Award in the Business-to-Business Category for the advertising we developed for Country Cousin, a new division of Lopez Foods.  With a mission of boosting distribution and differentiating their product line from the others in this highly competitive set, the I Imagine Studio team created a campaign around the theme of "bringing breakfast back," including the award-winning trade ad, showcasing Country Cousin's value and track record of boosting category growth in launched markets.  A highly competitive contest, the Davey Award winners were chosen from a pool of more than 4000 applicants from the world's best small firms.

We have also recently earned a Gold MarCom Award for the corporate website we created for Ubiquity Brands.  Setting out to artfully convey their passion of delighting consumers through premium ingredients, indulgent flavors, and bold, inviting packaging, the resulting site is a full sensory experience. Judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, the MarCom Awards is an international competition that highlights everyone from individual communicators to Fortune 50 companies who exceed the high standard of industry norms.

In related news, our Creative Director, Olga Weiss, was invited to serve as a judge for the ADDY Awards, a competition that recognizes and rewards creative excellence. In previous years, Olga has also served as a judge for the International Summit Awards and the WebAward competition. "I'm proud of the creative reputation we're building here at I Imagine," says Olga.  "It's why we're winning so many industry awards, it's why I have been asked to judge so many competitions, and it's contributing to our clients success in the marketplace."

NEW DAY,  NEW PROJECTS

Your friends at I Imagine Studio have been very busy lately. We've been working on a wide range of projects—everything from basic market research and strategic positioning (and repositioning) of both business-to-business and consumer-oriented companies to the orchestration of completely integrated marketing campaigns. While keeping in mind that much of what we do is highly confidential, our recent projects include:

Strategic Positioning -- How do you improve on the telling of the story for a 100 year-old company? You start with research. And that’s just what we did when we were asked to help develop a new positioning for Wixon, a seasoning and flavor company that dates back to 1907. Through our work, the I Imagine team helped them identify a positioning that differentiates them from their competitors and clearly communicates their capabilities.

Corporate Re-branding -- True brand development starts with the logo. That's just what we did for Vivid Seats. To help re-brand them, we created a new logo, and then used the design inspiration behind it to guide us in developing an integrated campaign, starting with their business cards and sales collateral. Stay tuned. Additional projects are in the works, including a new website that should be launching soon.

Creative Development -- Working together with PR guru Ted Pincus, our team developed a new identity for Kovitz Investment Group. The newly developed logo and tag line were unveiled in a powerful print campaign boasting an impressive track record of continually producing a higher than average annual net return. We also invite you to be among the first to view the recently launched website we created for Hillenbrand Partners, a private institutional fund investing in global, fixed income products backed by commercial and residential real estate. One look and we’re sure you'll agree that this site will better help them tell their story and connect with their key audiences.

LEADERSHIP: HERE & THERE

Managing Director Alena Tsimis recently joined the Chicago chapter of American Jewish Committee, an organization that has worked since 1906 to safeguard Jewish life and to protect the dignity of all people. In this capacity, she is working on commemorating the Soviet Jewry movement, addressing inter-religious issues, and Green Energy projects.

Alena has also recently taken on the challenge of helping to promote the theatrical release of Darfur Now, a new documentary that tells the story of six individuals who have worked to try to stop the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. "I encourage you to see this inspiring film," says Alena. "I also hope that you join their campaign to protect all of the innocent civilians in Darfur."  To learn more about Darfur Now and what you can do to help people in Darfur, go to www.ajc.org/protectdarfurnow.

Imagine being able to help set the course for the future of the Internet.  That's just the opportunity we have here at I Imagine Studio, because Olga Weiss, our Creative Director, has been invited to join Microsoft's NextWeb Partner Advisory Panel, a group of leading professionals who evaluate existing and new Microsoft programs, products, and services.

"This is an exciting opportunity," says Olga. "It will also give us a chance to try out new Windows products in Mac-based environments and offer feedback on pre-release content and programs."

Having already visited Microsoft's corporate Headquarters in Bellevue, Olga has had a chance to preview the vision of Microsoft's NextWeb initiative.  She plans to return on a quarterly basis to receive updates and provide input on the best ways for them to deliver their services, training, and support for their Web platform technologies.