PROJECT: VIVO SPA SALON

CLIENT:

MYSELF: As the spa owner of Vivo for 12 yrs wanted to rebrand my spa to reflex a cleaner, fresher more high end feel from the AVEDA browns, greens and blues. The challenge was standing out from the other beach spas in the area. I spent a total of around 12k a year on advertising in local magazines, email blasts and news letters, giveaways, contests and handout marketing material, proving my concept by literally putting my money where my artistic mouth is.

THE SOLUTION:

Being a graphic designer/brander , I used my own company and funds to prove my designs work. My concept was to really grab peoples attention and use a tongue in cheek approach to all the faux-pas jokes in the spa world and use it to my spa’s advantage. I used humor and bright pictures, new services and products to attract attention! The result was a massive growth in revenue over 100k in a year. While sitting at lunch over 15 miles away from the spa, I had a waiter, whom I had never had, recognize the Vivo credit card and say, Hey! You did the Santa Claus ad in the 30A magazine! I love that ad! That to me, says it was a success!

SWAGGER & SWAY BARBERSHOP

PROJECT:  SWAGGER & SWAY BARBER / BEAUTY SPA

THE CLIENT:

MARIA HECKSCHER, an A-LIST celebrity stylist based in ATL, dated to launch a new brand of salons, built in the luxury assisted living community in The Blake located in Destin, Fl. Her family history is rich with the sharing the stage with Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sintra and Sammie Davis Jr.

THE SOLUTION:

Slowly sipping on two fingers of Hennessy Paradiso poured over a sphere of ice, in a Waterford crystal glass the sounds of Ernie Heckscher a big band orchestra leader fills the air. Ernies career, which spans across several decades, earning a gold record and multiple chart topper is Maria Hecksher’s grandfather. As his music smoothly filled the room she shares stories of Ernie along w/Ella Fitzgerald, (known for her sultry voice and sway) Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.

Maybe it was the Hennessy, maybe it was the Montecristo cigar, but it was in this dreamy state of reminiscing of “the generation that created cool” that the answer they were search for sprang forth from their minds, like the notes from Ernie’s piano! They were to open a new spa/salon at The Blake in Destin, Fl. Paying homage to her grandfather and his generation, the concept began to come together like the combining of the musical instruments of Ernies band in a slow swing melody.

I pulled together all the imagery of “cool” from the time of the residences of The Blake, who’s ages were between 60-85yrs old, and built a concept centered around classic fashion, timeless sophistication and luxury. We decorated the walls with hand written notes from Ernie, A gold record, a cocktail bar featuring his favorite drink, an Old Fashion and paying homage to my grandfather, RC COLA and Moon Pies. A treat we would get after the barbershop visit every two weeks.

A warm earthy color pallet that matched the clothing colors of the time was chosen to reflect warmth, comfort and grounding for the residents of The Blake.

Utilizing a new theory in Music Therapy and Science, we played classic music from the 50s on a record player, often featuring Ernies music. Research has shown that music can help Alzheimer’s patients with memory and improve their moods.

MISCELLANEOUS