Perfectly imperfect food in advertising
Show my the ugly food! Not the rotten, inedible, or otherwise nasty food, but the perfectly imperfect, still good to eat food.
With almost 60% of food produced in Canada going into landfills, or never even making it to stores or markets, we need to change how we look at and select our fresh food. And very possibly it begins with those of us responsible for marketing that food.
Since the beginning, the most perfect fruits and vegetables have been chosen to showcase in ads to demonstrate their quality. And even those were not deemed perfect enough, being colour corrected and adjusted before the final ad was published.
Some campaigns have embraced a crazy idea – showing foods that are not 100% perfect, but still 100% perfectly good to eat! However we are so conditioned to look for that idyllic piece, that messaging is needed to show that the food is still good to eat.
A number of retailers and producers sell it at a discounted rate as well, as though these imperfect harvests were lesser than their more attractive versions. (Check out the Inglorious Fruits & Vegetables campaign, the Naturally Imperfect line introduced by NoName, and even the addition of googly eyes to ugly produce to help move it off the shelves.)
As marketers and designers, can we not lead an acceptance of the imperfect and include these in our ads and images? Can we do it without calling out the use of imperfect food to make it just seem normal!? It is how our food naturally grows….
If the change is subtle and progresses overtime, could we all move towards a taste of all shapes, sizes and colour variations for our food and reduce food waste?
Studio Locale celebrates 10 years
Hard to believe that we’ve had 10 amazing years of supporting our clients and working with a fantastic team and partners.
We love being a design agency here in Kitchener Waterloo! A lot happens over 10 years – this is just a glimpse.
Forever grateful to all of our team members and clients.
Continuously looking forward to the future.
Starling Community Services
The Challenge:
Lutherwood is a not-for-profit social services provider of mental health, employment and housing services in Waterloo Region. They have been providing these services since 1970 and are seen as an integral member of the community’s support services landscape. Over its lifetime, the organization and its team have been a consistent advocate of and supporter to the region’s vulnerable youth and those who find themselves in need of additional support. Their services have expanded to include employment and housing assistance.
What has changed since its inception is the demographics of the community. Waterloo Region is a much more diverse area than it was 50+ years ago and the reference to the Lutheran church no longer resonates with those they are looking to support.
Due to their value of supporting clients in ways that they need to be supported, Lutherwood decided to rebrand and change their name proactively.
The team was very clear in what they needed in a new brand. It must be:
- Neutral and agnostic
- Sound friendly, open and accepting
- Easy to read and say
- Unique from similar service providers in the greater area
What We Delivered:
A new name and visual identity
Lutherwood started their rebrand working with another agency. When it became apparent that the names suggested weren’t aligning with their goals, the team approached Studio Locale for our help.
Our team quickly got up to speed with the work from the past year and the names already considered. We delved into their values and overarching mission to be a support partner for anyone in the community.
Priding themselves on offering multi-services across various life stages and focusing on what the individual needs vs. a one-size-fits-all approach, we explored names that reflected this. What started as an exhaustive list was narrowed down to two front runners that would be shared.
Rebranding an existing organization can be challenging, especially when it’s not a result of something negative. There can be personal biases brought to the discussions during reviews and selection – those caused by a concern of choosing the wrong name or a reluctance to the rebrand in general.
To help reduce any personal hesitations or negative associations, our team took care to present the story behind each option. In addition, they were presented to the core team alongside unique visual identities. This helped frame the new brand to the core team and board members, similar to how others would see it for the first time.
Starling Community Services was chosen as the new name. It reflects their core values of hope, togetherness, agility and guidance. Starlings work together, moving as one, smooth and fluid. They react to the closest six birds around them, creating beautiful patterns as they all fly and work together.
This new name pairs really well with their outward statement: Caring people. Strengthening lives.
The visual identity was crafted using a font that has a sense of their legacy, but is also still modern with a welcoming quality to it. The element above the name is referred to as a murmuration – the name of a group of starlings. This supports their culture of moving forward, shifting as needed to support their clients.
When it came to colour selection, we used images of starlings for inspiration. We found that purple appears depending on how the light reflects off the bird. This is similar to how we see them working with their clients, when you look at challenges from a different perspective or angle it presents different opportunities to work through them.
The colour purple can be associated with so many different things; creativity (a nod to their culture of innovation), mindfulness & calmness (thanks to the undertone of blue), as well as energy (with the red component).
Brand introduction video
As with any larger organization, rolling out to the team can induce a bit of anxiety. To help with the introduction of the new brand to their board as well as their entire staff, a launch video was developed to link the new name with their values and services. In doing so, the team understood that all of the work they had helped with to summarize their values and what made them different, had been used as the foundation for the new name development.
This link to all of their efforts and input supported the internal and external launch of the new brand identity.
Brand playbook
With an internal communications team, they needed the tools to let them roll out the new brand across all of their internal communication materials.
The Brand Playbook provides them with all they need to successfully manage the new brand and includes logo variations, logo sizes, logo dos and don’ts, along with the complete colour palette that can be used.
Website updates
Studio Locale designed the Lutherwood website in 2022. When we build websites, we develop them in such a way that it’s easy to make updates should there be any changes within the brand. So updating the website to reflect the new Starling Community Services brand was really smooth.
The Results:
The Starling team and community has responded to the new name in a wonderfully positive way. Their CEO is proud to introduce their new brand with other organizations and community partners, and is thrilled with how it’s re-energizing their internal team.
“We came to Studio Locale with a branding challenge. Lutherwood started as a service to help 10 youth struggling with their mental health and had grown to a multi-service agency aiding more than 18,000 people annually. After conversations with the community and staff, we realized that we needed a new name that honoured our past and reflected our welcoming, equitable services.
After a year of research and discussions, we had hit a roadblock. Studio Locale stepped in, asked key questions, and proposed Starling Community Services. The name ‘Starling’ symbolizes teamwork, adaptability, and resilience, much like our staff and services, and the root word ‘star’ represents guidance (stars) and quality (gold star). Studio Locale also designed a logo inspired by starling murmurations and a colour palate to represent and harmonize our three distinct service areas. We are very grateful for their creativity, ability to integrate into our process, and invaluable support of our branding journey.”
Chris Sellers
Director of Communications
Starling Community Services
Industry
Social Services
Discipline
Naming, Logo, Website, Graphic Design, Marketing Materials
Project Team
Anneta Wamono
Anson LeClair
Erynn Hayden
Jessica McLachlan
Truc Hoang
Philip Mondor
Robin Mondor
Advertising for leads vs brand awareness? What are your options?
Just imagine your business had an unlimited budget for advertising, wouldn’t that be sweet? In that case, you don’t have to consider a media plan, just simply spend it across media channels.
Unfortunately, it’s not the reality, as business owners/ marketing team, we always have to consider which media channels are more effective and the right choice to achieve our business goals. More often than not, Google Search Ads and Social Media Ads (aka Facebook/ Instagram/ LinkedIn) happen to be in the mix, and there comes the question: which one is right for your business?
Google Search Ads:
An advertising platform that allows advertisers to display ads on Google search result pages. When users search for the products or services your business offers, Google will base on the keywords users use to display your ads. The most common type of Google Search Ads is a text ad, which appears on the search results page. Google also offers display ads, shopping ads, video (YouTube) and in app ads on various Google properties.
Social Media Ads:
When scrolling through feeds on Facebook, do you see those posts with the “Sponsored” tag? Those are Facebook Ads, same practice for Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn.These ads can be targeted to specific audiences based on demographic data, interests, and behaviors.
Social Media Ads and Google Search Ads are both popular and have their own strengths. We just need to make sure to use them to achieve the right objectives.
Generally speaking, social media ads are good for building brand awareness, reaching a vast audience at the same time. If your marketing objective is to connect with customers, tell a brand story, or build awareness, social media ads will help you do the job.
Google Search Ads on the other hand tends to be more effective in generating leads. When users search for a product or service, they are likely to be in the consideration phase and will soon make a purchase. Besides that, Google Search Ads have advanced machine learning algorithms, rich historical data, and concise engagement with related ads, which helps your ads target users who are more likely to convert.
With regards to media cost, Facebook Ads are usually easier on the pocket book than Google Search Ads. As of February 2024, Facebook Ads typically have a lower average cost per click (77 cent) than Google Ads ($4.22) (Source: Shopify – https://www.shopify.com/ca/blog/google-ads-vs-facebook-ads)
While Google Search Ads offer a variety of ad formats, text-based ads are still the most popular. We can include images in display ads but they are not as effective as text-only ads. Social media ads are different, they use images or videos to increase the visual appeal of the ads, and tell the story in a more attractive way. If your team has different ad formats and creatives, social media is the right platform for you.
So to answer the question “Google Search Ads or Social Media Ads”, it all comes down to what your business goals are, who you want to target and how much media budget you have. Or maybe a media plan that combines both social media advertising and Google Search Ads is the answer?
The world is craving real, human connections
It was no surprise that the 2023 word of the year was authentic. In the digital space, we’re well into an era where the main goal is to satisfy the large search engines and algorithms. Across all of the social platforms, getting the most likes for a post and increasing followers is the primary measure of success. In order to achieve this, formulas are followed, content is repeated, influencers and AI are being employed, and eventually everything is the same (check out the book Filterworld for an interesting read on how algorithms flattened culture).
Thing is, customers are getting wise and can see when the game is being played and when a brand is being real.
Playing to rank higher for searches and click throughs or to get that viral post may work in the short term. Using AI to generate content gets it done faster, but can lack originality or new ideas. It’s like watching one person work a room to say hi to the most people, not really caring about what the other people are saying back.
If you want to truly connect with your customers, design for real, human connections.
So what does that look like? It’s more conversational. It’s more listening. It’s more personality. It’s more creative. It’s building long-lasting relationships, adding value, and being mindful of how cherished our own time is.
Brands that rethink their strategies to be more genuine are going to see higher brand loyalty in the long run.
Zeroll ice cream scoop
What is more summer than enjoying some tasty ice cream or gelato on a hot day. It’s even better when you can get the perfect scoop without hurting your hand or bending the spoon!
The Zeroll ice cream scoop is the classic ice cream tool and was first designed in 1933 by Sherman Kelly. It was designed as a non-mechanical ice cream scoop, made of cast aluminium, with fluid inside the handle. Its unique design transferred heat from the user’s hand, warming the fluid, which in turn defrosted the scoop. The handle is also intentionally thicker, not only to accommodate the fluid chamber, but also to provide a better grip than a spoon.
Zeroll still manufactures this iconic scoop today, unchanged in its design, 100 years later. For many, it honours a nostalgic emotion of going to the ice cream shop!
Philip Mondor RGD quoted on the value of design awards for students
The value in (entering) design awards for new grads
Philip Mondor RGD, member of the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD), highlights the importance of design awards for aspiring designers in a recent article in The Dialog: George Brown College newspaper. Philip emphasizes how participating in these awards can boost confidence, gain industry recognition, and enhance career prospects.
RGD Student Awards sponsor
Closely looking at the use of colour (and awarding it!)
Studio Locale is this year’s RGD Student Awards sponsor for the Award for Colour.
The RGD has a legacy of recognizing design students’ outstanding work across Canada and we enjoy participating in and supporting the inspiring work of our industry’s new-blood talent. This year is no different and we will turn our attention to their use of one of our beloved design elements.
The RGD’s longest-running program, this annual competition recognizes communication design excellence from students across Canada. Learn more at www.rgd.ca/studentawards.
Are you a student? Enter!
Increasing our GHG reduction target to 60%
Setting the bar higher: Increasing our GHG reduction target to 60%
In January this year, we officially increased our greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target from 20% to 60% to further our accountability in doing our part in contributing to a sustainable future, In 2022 Studio Locale formally pledged, as a member of Sustainable Waterloo Region, to reduce the impact we have on our community and environment.
“When we realized how the changes to our working model impacted our carbon footprint, it seemed only appropriate to push ourselves a bit more to see what additional tactics we could implement. The increase in our reduction target keeps us accountable. It also forces us to use our creative muscles for ways we can continue making a positive impact.
Most importantly, we made these changes without any negative impact on our business, client relationships or team culture.
If we’re serious about hitting the carbon reduction targets for our region and global community, then we all need to look at how we can contribute. It’s making meaningful changes that will get us to our goals.”
Robin Mondor, Managing Partner
Read Sustainable Waterloo Region’s Official Announcement Here
Now spelling Studio Locale with a B
Crafting impact through thoughtful design and B Corp Certification
Studio Locale proudly announces our B Corp certification, a testament to our commitment to social and environmental responsibility. More than recognition, it’s a formal pledge as a studio to blend design excellence with conscientious practices.
This certification isn’t just about us–it’s about how we apply these commitments to the solutions we bring to your organization.
Join us in celebrating this new chapter in design leadership. And know that when working with Studio Locale, we are aligning your goals with a responsible future.
Our first open giveback project
Our first official ‘open’ project is complete!
We have been supporting not-for-profit organizations since our beginning. Whether donating items, funds, and time, we believe we all can help different organizations looking to make a positive impact.
This year, we made a formal commitment to our community and introduced open – our giveback program that supports organizations supporting movements and causes specifically around youth, equality, and the environment. (You can learn more about open on this page.)
Our first official ‘open’ project saw us partnering with the Somali Canadian Association of Waterloo Region (SCAWR). SCAWR is an organization that helps new Somali Canadians navigate a new community, as well as provides youth programming. They were looking for help to share their achievements and stories within an annual report and regular newsletters.
Working with the team was such a pleasure! With all of their content ready to go, our team could design the digital annual report and newsletter templates, providing them with valuable, reusable communications tools. Being able to connect with your members, partners, and potential donors is critical for any not-for-profit. Staying connected helps promote services, celebrate success stories, and thank supporters, encouraging more engagement across the entire community.
We are so grateful that our first open project was with SCAWR! Faduma and her team have such amazing energy that really inspired us. We are thankful to have learned about SCAWR and the amazing impact they are making on the lives of their members and our community!
We will be accepting applications for 2024’s open project soon. Watch our instagram page for more details.
Creative transit advertising
Robin and Phil talk with Mike Farwell about creative advertising
Think beyond moving billboard ads on transit. How to use creativity when designing transit advertising to bring a better experience to the community. Studio Locale’s segment starts at 42:53.