Author and creative director Paul Arden articulated: “Do not try to win awards. Be true to your subject, and you will be far more likely to create something that is timeless. That's where the true art lies.” Our team at STARMEN agrees fervently with this sentiment from the famed Saatchi and Saatchi alum.

Author and creative director Paul Arden articulated: “Do not try to win awards. Be true to your subject, and you will be far more likely to create something that is timeless. That's where the true art lies.” Our team at STARMEN agrees fervently with this sentiment from the famed Saatchi and Saatchi alum.

Still, while the winning of awards never serves as our primary motivator, we make it a point to pay proper acknowledgement to every single accolade that comes through our firm. We’d be remiss if we did not maintain a sense of gratitude, and we believe this helps us remain firmly rooted in our craft, as well as consistently accountable to each new client endeavor we embark upon.

The W³ Awards is one awards program we particularly appreciate. Judged each year by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, the W³ is comprised of the industry’s top-tier professionals, assembled on an invitation-only basis. Judges come from companies and creative firms from all over the world, including Big Spaceship, Condé Nast, Disney, MTV, Wired, and more! Additionally, the W³ is the first awards program of its caliber wherein small agencies and international firms are as likely to win as Fortune 500 companies. By removing team size as a mitigating factor, the judging process is able to focus solely on the work itself, allowing recognition to be fairly attributed to the creative and marketing professionals behind the best videos, sites, and marketing campaigns of the year regardless of where they’re based.

This past year, we received two Silver accolades from the W³ Awards for our work with nonprofit LA2DC (www.la2dc.org) in the category of Activism, and for fashion label, KAYAT Design, in the category of Fashion.

Submissions in the Website category are judged based on the following components: creativity, usability, navigation, functionality, visual design, and ease of use.

Through its rigorous evaluation process, the W³ honors its commitment to recognizing the best of the Web, and we are truly humbled by our inclusion in this year’s cycle.  These awards are a true testament to not only the solidity of our team, but the strength of our client partnerships as well. Such recognition is rarely achievable without all components working synchronistically toward their common goal.

STARMEN is pleased to share our agency has been recognized with an award from the most recent cycle of the Internet Advertising Competition, more commonly known as the IAC Awards. The honored project, our work on national nonprofit LA2DC (www.la2dc.org), has been the recipient of several awards in the past, and we are very pleased to be able to attribute further accolades to this very deserving project.

STARMEN is pleased to share our agency has been recognized with an award from the most recent cycle of the Internet Advertising Competition, more commonly known as the IAC Awards. The honored project, our work on national nonprofit LA2DC (www.la2dc.org), has been the recipient of several awards in the past, and we are very pleased to be able to attribute further accolades to this very deserving project.

What makes this award unique, though, is its emphasis on excellence in digital marketing. Unlike other programs that encompass projects across marketing platforms, the IAC pays strict attention to web development and Internet marketing. 

And for good reason! Ad spend on campaigns directed toward e-marketing initiatives is expected to surpass $137 billion in 2015. With expenditures this high, it goes without saying that the field of Internet marketing is invariably deserving of critique and scrutiny of its own accord. 

The Internet is perhaps less tangible than other, more traditional forms of marketing, yet its ambiguity is perplexed by how intertwined in our daily lives it continues to become. With our phones, laptops, desktops, and tablets, we are a society with a massive digital interdependency. 

The Web Marketing Association was formed as a direct response to this phenomenon. Since 1997 it has sought to set and maintain a high standard of excellence for this subfield of marketing. An assembly of professionals from across the industry, the WMA includes many of the top marketing, advertising, PR, and design professionals working in the field today. These individuals, distinguished by their own contributions to the industry, come together to recognize and honor the finest work being generated by agencies and individuals from all areas of the digital marketing arena. 

In fact, the WMA’s sole emphasis on digital marketing is one of the primary reasons our team at STARMEN is so honored by the distinction. It means that our work is worthy of attention and recognition when placed squarely against other work of its own kind -- apples to apples -- as opposed to other competitions where digital work is grouped and assessed against projects of other mediums.

Our client, LA2DC, approached us with a singular goal in mind: to prevent genocides by recognizing past ones, including the Armenian genocide. Our web design and development work is the result of just how deeply moved we are by our client’s unwavering and altruistic ambition. 

LA2DC is a cross country athletic event with two initiatives: perhaps first and foremost, it encourages participants to push beyond their physical limitations in an effort to remember and pay homage to communities around the world who’ve fallen victim to genocide, and second, it lobbies Congress to use its power for good in the face of the astonishing evils that are still playing out across the world.

We’d qualify our client’s work as both necessary and exceptional, and winning this award from the IACs is perhaps the best way to showcase and further spread our client’s noble mission with further audiences.

It should come as no surprise that having an idea is one thing, and actualizing that idea is entirely another. Take it from us; many are the things that serve to stand in the way of an idea coming to fruition, and what's more, these obstacles can be the difference between a truly game changing idea that comes to fruition, and one that never sees light outside your office walls. 

Ideas are what drive us forward as a people. They are paramount to progress in art, in science, and in moral society, and that’s why our team at STARMEN is pleased to share its foolproof plan for getting those ideas off the ground!

It should come as no surprise that having an idea is one thing, and actualizing that idea is entirely another. Take it from us; many are the things that serve to stand in the way of an idea coming to fruition, and what's more, these obstacles can be the difference between a truly game changing idea that comes to fruition, and one that never sees light outside your office walls. 

Ideas drive society forward. They are paramount to progress in art, in science, and in moral society, and that’s why we are pleased to share our foolproof plan for getting those ideas off the ground!

First, stand firmly behind your concept

As a general rule of thumb, the best way to help your idea take flight is by standing squarely behind it, and going at it with gusto. Consider what makes this idea worth pursuing. What will it accomplish for the betterment of the team or client? What problems does this idea solve or current gaps does it fill? Only once you can truly advocate for your idea can you fully master the art of selling that vision to motivate others to stand with you behind the cause. 

Second, blueprint your plan of action

Once you have fully wrapped your mind around the idea, you’ll be in good shape to start mapping out the steps required, including the often underthought middle parts of materializing a new idea -- the part where creative exploration gives way to the meticulous, the tedious, and the nitty gritty. It is in this lengthy, drawn out period of tireless work that most great ideas tragically fizzle. Scott Belsky, author of Making Ideas Happen and founder of online portfolio platform Behance, dubs this part of an endeavor the “project plateau.” For artistically-driven individuals, this plateau can be particularly painstaking because it is the time when creativity is at a standstill, and laborious task management is at an all-time high. As Belsky adds, “To escape this pain, we generate a new idea (and abandon the one we were working on). This process can easily repeat itself ad infinitum, without us ever finishing anything meaningful.”

Team STARMEN ardently believes that careful planning and strategic delegating can help your project avoid such a fate. By mapping out the forecast of a project, you’re allowing those involved to have a clear picture of present status and next steps, which leaves little room for doubt or lingering notions of “how will this all come together?” What’s more, when everyone on the team is weighted only with tasks they are truly competent and capable of fulfilling, they’ll be more likely to come through, leaving the team as a whole running efficiently, and the project progressing on schedule.

“All great inventions emerge from a long sequence of small sparks; the first idea often isn’t all that good, but thanks to collaboration it later sparks another idea, or it’s reinterpreted in an unexpected way. Collaboration brings small sparks together to generate breakthrough innovation.”
— Scott Belsky

Now that your vision is clarified, and a plan of action’s in place, it's time to get going! 

Third, be patient

With all of the moving pieces required to materialize your idea, it’s imperative to constantly circle back to that all-important first step. Remember why you embarked on this journey to begin with, and you’ll be much less likely to make decisions in haste or try to rush tedious parts of the process. However, there are a few steps you can take to alleviate any doubts that your venture is moving toward its target. When holding meetings with team members, be sure to commence with each person reviewing next steps for his or her respective responsibilities, as well as a brief synopsis of what each person is taking away from the meeting. This recap should be no more than 20 or 30 seconds per person, and can save immeasurable time down the road because it will confirm not only the overall productivity of your meetings (whether or not goals, feedback, and notes are being clearly communicated, for instance), but it also will help hold individual team members accountable for what they are working on.

Fourth, remain focused

This idea, with you at its helm, is premised on a single, solitary concept. Reduce cluttering that vision by remediating new ideas to the backburner. There may come a time and a place for new endeavors to roll out, and when that time comes, those new ideas will deserve the same undivided attention as the one presently before you. 

Another excellent way to remain aligned with your objectives? “Avoid a reactionary workflow,” Belsky iterates. In a typical workday, we’re inundated with messages -- from our social apps, text messages, array of email accounts, and instant messengers -- and that’s not even considering phone calls and interpersonal conversations. As such, we, as professionals, are suspended in a constant state of reaction, responding to these various entities with little time leftover for proactivity -- which is essential to moving whatever we’re working on forward. To counter this, schedule yourself time each day where you’re totally unplugged to incoming communication, and can focus on outgoing productivity. There is a time and a place for conversation and connectivity, but progress is what truly moves ideas from ethereal into the ether of reality.

Let us preface the forthcoming by stating that the meaning behind our recent win at the 2014 Horizon Interactive Awards is two-fold. First, over the course of its thirteen entry seasons, this award has become one of the most distinguished in the field of interactive and creative media. So it goes without saying that having our work recognized by an organization so renowned by our industry is truly the sincerest of honors. 

Let us preface the forthcoming by stating that the meaning behind our recent win at the 2014 Horizon Interactive Awards is two-fold. First, over the course of its thirteen entry seasons, this award has become one of the most distinguished in the field of interactive and creative media. So it goes without saying that having our work recognized by an organization so renowned by our industry is truly the sincerest of honors. 

Secondly, the rigor required to be competitive in the Horizon Interactive Awards is a nod not only to our final product, but to the tremendous discipline of the whole STARMEN team.  

The 2014 award cycle was one of stringent competition. Over 1,200 entries were received from over 27 countries around the world, including: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and almost all 50 of the United States of America.

This magnitude of competition holds us to the highest of standards, and brings all the more meaning to the receipt of these awards for our team.

The Awards

We are truly honored to have not one, but two, of our recent projects honored in this award cycle. 

For our work on the Linda May Properties website, we’ve earned a Gold award. Our work with Linda May has also been honored with the Summit Emerging Media ‘Innovator’ Award, as well as the ‘Best in Class’ Award from the Interactive Media Awards.

As well, we’ve earned a Silver award for our work with L.A. Banquets. With each of these awards comes a celebration of a very valued client relationship, as well as a testament to the truly prolific nature of collaboration. 

Why We’re Honored

Perhaps one of the most significant things about a Horizon win is the circumstances under which it is received. The panel of judges spans all levels of the interactive media field, and so submissions are evaluated by industry peers whose qualifications stem from their very own active participation in the different avenues of this wonderfully creative, multi-faceted line of work. In addition to creatives and developers are project and account focused individuals who represent the importance of a final product being not just beautiful and engaging, but truly at the height of usability.

The pride we feel for our work is trumped only by an overwhelming sense of humility. We’re honored to have been a part of such outstanding client projects, and welcome you to reach out if we can be of service to yours. 

We’re pleased to announce our work on the Linda May Properties “Live Your Luxury” campaign has received recognition from the AVA Digital Awards. This project has previously been the recipient of awards from other organizations, including the distinction of Best in Class from the IMA Awards. We are deeply honored by this most recent recognition: a Platinum Award for excellence in website design and development, as well as a Gold Award for our “Live Your Luxury” video marketing campaign.

We’re pleased to announce our work on the Linda May Properties “Live Your Luxury” campaign has received recognition from the AVA Digital Awards. This project has previously been the recipient of awards from other organizations, including the distinction of Best in Class from the IMA Awards. We are deeply honored by this most recent recognition: a Platinum Award for excellence in website design and development, as well as a Gold Award for our “Live Your Luxury” video marketing campaign.

While it is with great pride that we accept these accolades, we would be remiss if we did not pay proper tribute to the journey itself. You see, the AVA Digital Awards is a competition that focuses not just on the end-product, but on the planning, conceptualizing, creative direction, design, and overall production process of digital campaigns of all shapes and sizes. Honoring remarkable work at every stage of the process is the hallmark of these awards’ unique significance to our agency, and we - as a collective agency - owe this honor to each individual facet of our team.

The Significance

Renowned for their stringent standards and internationally-acclaimed credibility, the AVA Awards are judged annually by the Association of Marketing & Communication Professionals. 

Each piece is evaluated and judged on individual merit in contrast to other awards programs where entrants are judged in relation to other submissions in their categories. 

This practice only lends further credence to the overall significance of these awards because it is evidence our work is prolific in its own right, on its own terms, regardless of other projects taking place elsewhere.

The Journey

Our biggest challenge with Linda May Properties was that it faced an industry with a rapidly expanding digital presence. We created the “Live Your Luxury” campaign in an effort to not only enhance perceptions of the Client’s brand in the minds of existing and future clientele, but to allow the company to maintain its competitive edge in an increasingly web-based marketplace. 

We knew immediately that a successful campaign for Linda May would equate to one squarely rooted in the company’s long reign at the height of its industry. The firm has consistently been ranked within the top 1% of Coldwell Bankers Realtors® internationally, and so our work necessarily built on that momentum. Our Client’s quality of work speaks for itself, and so our aim was not to build a site and marketing campaign that spoke not more loudly or boastfully, but more wisely, about our Client’s stature in its field. The resulting “Live Your Luxury” is an elegant yet succinct expression of this merit.

As a successful web presence becomes increasingly paramount in today’s modern marketplace, so too does the need for a sharp, well-defined message. And from these needs, the “Live Your Luxury” campaign was born to not only provide our Client with an attractive, functional tool to facilitate business, but with a carefully crafted communication apparatus, one that would speak both to its values and relentless, “always on” ethic.

We are proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish on behalf of our Client, and incredibly appreciative of the opportunity to further sharpen our toolset in the process.

We find that our insatiable pursuit of excellence necessitates continued evolution, and such is the primary reason we enter our work into competitions like the AVA Awards. Relentless in this endeavor, we find that placing our proudest pieces in line for public scrutiny forces us to produce our best work, and we’re steadfastly aligned with the philosophy that excellence isn’t a stagnant milestone. Instead, it is a constantly advancing finish line requiring a tenacity of spirit, and a constantly evolving repository of skills and ideas. 

Innovation is perhaps the cornerstone of our modern society, and for good reason. Innovation helps us progress; it heals us, enriches us, and entertains us. It connects us as a people in ways prior generations could never have dreamed. But all too frequently, marketers with raw ambition aim to catapult their campaigns into fresh, new territories simply to be the newest or the most different, all without a clear motive in mind.

Innovation is perhaps the cornerstone of our modern society, and for good reason. Innovation helps us progress; it heals us, enriches us, and entertains us. It connects us as a people in ways prior generations could never have dreamed. But all too frequently, marketers with raw ambition aim to catapult their campaigns into fresh, new territories simply to be the newest or the most different, all without a clear motive in mind.

Perhaps one of the biggest buzzwords across industries today, innovation is the driving force of thousands of initiatives embarked upon each year by companies and their marketing teams, big and small. Yet for the thousands of new companies and products put forth into the marketplace, very few stick around long enough to make a huge impact in the way we as humans live our lives. That’s because most self-proclaimed innovators are eagerly in pursuit of the what without a truly impassioned why.

Simon Sinek outlines this point very poignantly with his concept of the Golden Circle. Perhaps the key takeaway from Sinek’s concept is this: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” 

As an agency, we work to develop strategies for our clients that expand on this very principle. We recommend our clients aim to answer the following before they embark on any new marketing or branding campaign. Not only does it allow them to get to the root of the why behind their innovational work, but it also saves them the hassle of needing to realign an already in-motion project later down the line:

1. Why is my company important or special to its industry?*
   
2. Why should a customer choose my product over others in the marketplace, and what benefits does my product have over the competition?
   
3. Why should existing and potential customers align themselves with my company?
   

*This is perhaps one of the most important questions your company could ever hope to answer because it is the single-most important factor in assessing your necessity and relevance to your industry.

Innovation is an intangible what, qualitative in nature, and therefore cannot be measured by the numerical data you’ll no doubt reference to assess your campaign’s success. Thus, innovation on its own will not suffice as a motivational tool for any initiative. 

Instead, consider the ultimate customer experience that could be had with your brand and the output from your innovational endeavor. Ultimately, you most likely want to enhance the user’s life in one way or another. But how, and again, why? 

For this reason, we believe that at every step of the brand development process, checking the pulse of a project’s decisions is crucial. The appropriate answer to any choice driving a creative or content process should never be “because that’s what everyone else is doing”. Riding the coattails of another shop’s innovation will always, without fail, lead you farther away from what’s truly authentic for your company, and lead you closer to the clutter.

In marketing, like in life, it’s often all too tempting to take the road of least resistance. At the end of the day, opting to ride the coattails of another organization means one essential thing for your brand: someone else is not only in the lead (leaving you in its shadow), but that leader is also in the driver’s seat, dictating the journey for yours, despite the inherent company to company idiosyncrasies.

And so, we believe that only by first identifying the why behind your company’s what can your organization truly experience authentic brand growth. When people can align themselves with your company’s values and innovational spirit, they will care about your company’s output.

We believe the key reason to buck the trends lies in that very point. The things that make your company unique to its industry are the very points that justify your company’s existence and relevance to its market. But in marketing, foregoing the tried and true in search of a new idea or way of communicating with consumers can mean the difference between a campaign that merely satisfies the status quo and one that is truly groundbreaking.

We believe that the only way to predict the future is to create it. And at our core, we are an agency dedicated to the creation of positive change through strategic brand development.

We believe that the only way to predict the future is to create it. And at our core, we are an agency dedicated to the creation of positive change through strategic brand development.

In 2015, we want to find even more ways to bring positivity and success to our clients, specifically in the way of branding. Our approach to business design and brand building will include more diverse and intensive marketing strategies, bolder brand stories, and more personal digital experiences. Whether you are a start-up, consumer product, B2B enterprise, or a non-profit, branding affects how customers perceive and relate to your brand.

Our 4 Guiding Principles to Making Brands Work in 2015:

Sharing Compelling Brand Stories

When it comes to branding, one thing hasn't changed in decades, if not centuries of advertising: compelling brand stories are crucial to success. Growth takes strategy, and every strategy needs a compelling story to heighten emotion that results in a desired preference. We continue to strive to create wonderful, entertaining, inspiring and unforgettable brand stories for our clients with the use of top-notch copywriting, design, research, and technology that evokes emotion. So, as 2015 brings even more innovative and memorable digital advancements to the forefront of our culture, we will embrace them wholeheartedly for the good of ourselves and those who trust us to build and grow their brands.

Humanizing the Digital Experience

Our narrative continues to support the idea that branding and design is all about getting personal. Getting hands-on is always a challenge in this exciting digital age, but we plan to accept the challenge and come out on top. In a crowded marketplace, companies should always be looking for ways to connect emotionally with customers, and to become irreplaceable. We will focus closely on collaboration this year so that we can discover and utilize the best ideas from listening to our partners - not just hearing them. Some of the best ideas for our strategies synchronize a personal connection between consumers and our work. At the height of every campaign, we want to feel the satisfaction of knowing that we've sparked a real, positive emotional response in the hearts of our audience.

Mobilizing Brand Experience

Creative genius can strike on variety of wavelengths or devices, anywhere - anytime. Yes, it is totally possible, and we offer ourselves as proof. When you work with great clients like we do, it's easy to come up with awesome ideas day-in and day-out - but without the ability to share content and brand stories, what good are they? This year, we want to work our existing creative process into new, mobile-based strategies. The more, the merrier!

Design Thinking Fuels Strategic Innovation

Design thinking is the search for the magical balance between business and art; structure and chaos; intuition and logic; concept and execution; playfulness and formality; and control and empowerment. It's all about creative ideas - and then knowing how to execute on them. We have the resources, the ideas and the knowledge. And this year we will continue to build powerful strategies that benefits both our clients and our team so that the question always remains, "That worked well! What's next?"

Looking Ahead

Has your company evaluated its 2015 branding goals? When you collaborate with us, you'll be at the forefront of your industry when it comes to understanding and deciding when branding is needed, and if a rebranding is the best option. We want to help you create the new standardization in the midst of a creative ever-changing culture.

What are your big branding challenges this year and how may we help you? Contact us here https://www.starmenusa.com/contact

Read more on our blog http://www.starmenusa.com/blog/

We’re exceptionally proud to have earned W3 Awards’ Silver for Creative Excellence on the Web for the videos we produced as part of our integrated branding campaign for Coldwell Bankers Realtors® Linda May Properties, a top 1% international luxury real estate team located in Beverly Hills.

We’re exceptionally proud to have earned W3 Awards’ Silver for Creative Excellence on the Web for the videos we produced as part of our integrated branding campaign for Coldwell Bankers Realtors® Linda May Properties, a top 1% international luxury real estate team located in Beverly Hills.

The W3 judged the videos on content, technical execution, implementation, and overall experience.

W3 Levels the Playing Field

When it comes to the W3 Awards, size doesn’t matter. The W3 is the first major web competition to be accessible to the biggest agencies, the smallest firms, and everyone in between. Small firms are as likely to win as Fortune 500 companies and international agencies.

Sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), the W3 panel of judges is amassed from an elite group of professionals from the acclaimed media, interactive, advertising and marketing worlds. AIVA members include executives from AgencyNet, AvatarLabs, Big Spaceship, Block Media, Condé Nast, Disney, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Fry Hammond Barr, Microsoft, MTV Networks, Polo Ralph Lauren, Sotheby's Institute of Art, Wired, Yahoo! and many others. Simply put, the judges are highly qualified, which makes winning all the more significant.

The Challenge

The big challenge with branding Linda May Properties was that their success inspires the competition. They’ve been in the top 1% of Coldwell Bankers Realtors® internationally for the last 28 years. With the rise of social networkingand increasing industry shift toward the web, competing teams were beginning to implement a variety of technologies to enhance their brand exposure locally and internationally. Thus, our client needed an integrated, well-defined campaign — one that superseded those of the competition, in order to establish new clientele, and cultivate long-term relationships with existing clients.

The Key to Our Client’s Success Led Us to the Solution

Linda May Properties’ team, with each member playing a strategic role in ensuring a smooth process from client inquiry to beyond the close of escrow, is its key differentiator. People buy from people, and if there is an entire team of experts working on the client’s behalf as is the case at Linda May, all the better.

To position their brand, we created videos that introduced their core team of experts with complete transparency. It was this opacity that painted an instantly embraceable portrait of their unwavering customer care, personalized attention to detail, highest ethics, legal understanding, and unparalleled strategic marketing expertise in the field of luxury real estate.

This transparency personalizes the real estate experience, imprinting Linda May Properties’ brand in the hearts and minds of their target market, and winning us W3’s Silver for Creative Excellence on the Web.

All successful marketing initiatives begin with a comprehensive brand strategy focused on customer experience, which is why Linda May Properties’ brand identity has been so successful. In addition to earning W3’s Silver for Creative Excellence on the Web, our “Live Your Luxury” campaign for Linda May Properties won the 2014 Interactive Media Award’s™ Best In Class in the Real Estate category.

What are your big branding challenges, and how may we help you? We welcome you to let us know!

We feel extremely honored to have won the 2014 Interactive Media Awards™ Best In Class Real Estate category for the website and video we created for Linda May Properties. Entries were judged by an impressive lineup of IMC members, and submissions were scored for their usability, feature functionality, content, aesthetics, and cross-browser compatibility. The Best In Class title is only awarded to contenders that receive a close to perfect score on every scale.

We feel extremely honored to have won the 2014 Interactive Media Awards™ Best In Class Real Estate category for the website and video we created for Linda May Properties. Entries were judged by an impressive lineup of  IMC members, and submissions were scored for their usability, feature functionality, content, aesthetics, and cross-browser compatibility. The Best In Class title is only awarded to contenders that receive a close to perfect score on every scale.

IMC is a nonprofit organization founded by leading web professionals in New York City. Their mission is to promote the best practices, and push the leading edge in website design, application development, usability engineering, privacy protection, e-commerce security, accessibility, standards, advertising, publishing, and corporate communications.

Recognition Begins With Our Clients

Consistently ranked in the top 1% of Coldwell Banker Realtors® internationally, Linda May Properties needed to distinguish and exude their luxury brand of pristine standards, well-earned credentials, extraordinary experience, and unparalleled customer care. Linda May and her business partner, Guy Levy, asked us to develop a rebranding campaign that showcases their reputation as preeminent luxury real estate specialists. From understanding their target market to storyboards to messaging, we developed the "Live Your Luxury" campaign, which was adapted to their digital and traditional media touchpoints.

Every effort you make to communicate with your market either enhances or dulls their perception of your brand. In order for your company’s identity to stand out across all media platforms, an intentional and cohesive campaign is needed.

For Linda May Properties, we saw the website as “home base” for the "Live Your Luxury" campaign. This platform would best convey their team’s distinction, prominent name in real estate, and encourage interaction with its growing global audience. Utilizing a clean, media-centric layout, our team strategized to develop and produce a branded video series that communicated the team’s unique client-broker process, or, as Linda May herself refers to it – its philosophy.

Recognition Valued

The Best In Class Interactive Media Award™ is living proof that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Linda May Properties and our team of professionals converged to create something truly impactful.

To learn more about STARMEN’S award-winning work, click here.

Client satisfaction is our gold standard, but being recognized by the prestigious Hermes Creative Awards for our digital advertising work for One Dress A Day feels pretty wonderful, too. While client satisfaction is our real reward, we’re deeply appreciative that our work won a Hermes’ Gold. 

Client satisfaction is our gold standard, but being recognized by the prestigious Hermes Creative Awards for our digital advertising work for One Dress A Day feels pretty wonderful, too. While client satisfaction is our real reward, we’re deeply appreciative that our work won a Hermes’ Gold.

“Honoring the messengers and creators of traditional and emerging media,” the Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition for creative professionals. Hermes judges, members of the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP), examine each entry from the standpoint of concept, writing, design, and media. The judges viewed and assessed over 5,500 entries in the 2014 competition. 

One Dress A Day is an online clothing retailer that aims to help foster better fashion decisions at a faster pace by releasing one new, unique dress each day of the year on its website. The award recognizes our work to create a digital campaign for the company's launch in 2013. We created the concept and design for the advertisement with the client's goals in mind to successfully launch the brand, stand out to viewers on websites, and drive traffic to the new site. As the featured advertisement on People.com, our campaign exceeded traffic expectations and sign-ups on the teaser site. These web leads created the initial user-base, and equipped One Dress A Day with the opportunity to further "win" the loyalty needed for their brand's growth.

Want to know how STARMEN helps brands earn awards? Contact us today to learn more. 

The start of 2014 brought a wave of accomplishments at STARMEN. We’re pleased to share that our video for "Discover Your Path" won two Telly Award Bronzes for Best Promotional Branding and Cause Marketing.

The start of 2014 brought a wave of accomplishments at STARMEN. We’re pleased to share that our video for "Discover Your Path" won two Telly Award Bronzes for Best Promotional Branding and Cause Marketing.

The Telly Award is the premier award honoring the finest film and video productions, groundbreaking web videos, commercials and films, as well as outstanding local, regional and cable TV commercials and programs. Now in its 35th year, the Tellys are embracing an atypical judging process. Rather than competing against other work, entries are now being judged solely based on their creative merit as individual submissions. The judging panel consists of members from the Silver Telly Council, a distinguished group of media professionals dedicated to upholding the fundamentals upon which the competition was established. Another intriguing detail about the Telly Awards is that its trophy statuettes are designed by the same firm that does the Oscars and Emmys.

Our video for "Discover Your Path" was also awarded Best In Class at the 2013 Interactive Media Awards. Check out the case study, here.

Creating award-winning work is always our goal here at STARMEN, but when two of our clients, Hampton Inn and Discover Your Path, each earned a distinguished accolade in the Interactive Media Awards we were particularly excited. Both organizations launched a revitalized website to highlight their refreshed brand identity, and we’re so glad to have been involved in each of these respective endeavors.

Creating award-winning work is always our goal here at STARMEN, but when two of our clients, Hampton Inn and Discover Your Path, each earned a distinguished accolade in the Interactive Media Awards we were particularly excited. Both organizations launched a revitalized website to highlight their refreshed brand identity, and we’re so glad to have been involved in each of these respective endeavors.

Check in at Hampton Inn

When Hampton Inn approached us about redesigning their website, we wanted to assess their objectives for consideration during the design process. The goal was to create a microsite linking to Hilton’s booking system that would increase online bookings, and further enhance their digital presence. The new site specifically aimed to distinguish the Sherman Oaks location as a unique destination by highlighting local attractions, and using bold hotel imagery.

We utilized a clean layout with easy navigation to let potential guests easily find the information they were looking for. To help people get a feel for the Hampton experience, we added photo galleries for all room types and amenities. We then took it a step further, and incorporated interactive tours for every room so users can enjoy a virtual 360 before even checking in. We’re thrilled that the new site earned the Outstanding Achievement Award for Travel/ Tourism by the IMAs!

Discovering yourself with DYP

When faced with adversity, what’s the best thing to do? According to former Olympian contender, Heather Hennessy Howell, and Dodgers pitcher, JP Howell, you should stay positive, and exercise your strength to overcome life’s obstacles. This dynamic duo have triumphed over some incredibly difficult personal challenges, the culmination of which inspired them to co-found Discover Your Path (DYP). DYP encourages youth to achieve their goals by making good decisions, and staying focused.

Heather and JP wanted to share their journeys in a highly visual way, so we produced a branded video that lets users “Discover DYP.” Along with the video, we rolled out ‘PathPacks’ — a kit with t-shirts, journals, and other swag, including daily reminders to remain on a positive path. The website also features tools to help kids get involved, and connect with each other’s stories. DYP’s rebranded website earned IMA’s Best in Class title in the IMA Charity category!

Congratulations to Hampton Inn and Discover Your Path on these prestigious achievements!

We picked up 3 silver trophies recently at the 2013 W3 Awards and Davey Awards, demonstrating our versatility in creative brand marketing.

We picked up 3 silver trophies recently at the 2013 W3 Awards and Davey Awards, demonstrating our versatility in creative brand marketing.

The W3 Awards and the Davey Awards both received over 4,000 entries from dozens of countries. The W3s honor excellence in websites, web marketing, and web video, while the Daveys pay homage to the best small firms, agencies and companies around the globe. Both competitions are judged by the International Academy of Visual Arts, a members-only organization of leading creative professionals. The IAVA is a virtual ‘who’s who’ among the entertainment and advertising industry, including Condé Nast, Disney, GE, Keller Crescent, Microsoft, Monster.com, MTV, Publicis, and Yahoo.

Hampton Inn & Suites

W3 Awards: Silver Winner, Websites- Hotel and Lodging

As part of the renowned Hilton Hotels brand, Hampton Inn wanted a unique website that would help distinguish them from other hotels, and increase online visibility. We designed and developed a microsite that linked to Hilton’s booking system and highlighted the hotel’s local attractions, complete with new photo galleries, and interactive 360-degree virtual tours. 

Minus Zero "Results. Finally."

Davey Awards: Silver Winner, Online Film and Video - Videography/Cinematography

When Minus Zero set out to refresh their brand identity, one element we had to include on their new website homepage was a video to immediately inform users about the company's mission and vision. The video needed to support the brand ideology of “Leaving Nothing to Chance,” so we incorporated a few key clips of CEO Sabastian Huynh with poignant imagery and audio.

Tamrac.com

Davey Awards: Silver Winner, Websites - Consumer Products/Services

A leading manufacturer of camera bags, Tamrac approached us for a refreshed website, which would easily guide photographers through the purchasing decision. We built a customized platform with an interactive product catalog, dealer locator, and dealer login resource center. The result was a visually inspiring experience, and one we’re proud of. 

These wins come on the heels of a few noteworthy events here at STARMEN. We were recently featured in the LA Business Journal, and had a party at our newly renovated offices, celebrating our growth as an agency. As we close out 2013, a year that has brought us new challenging projects, we look forward to an exciting 2014.

We are so grateful for everyone on our team who made these award-winning projects come to life, and, of course, none of it would be possible without our amazing clients who continue to push us to do our best!

STARMEN is excited to announce that our work with charitable organization Discover Your Path has recently been awarded the Gold award in the latest cycle of the International Competition for Marketing & Communications Professionals (also known as the MarCom Awards). While this isn’t the first award this endeavor has received, the receipt of a Gold MarCom brings with it a very special, very gratifying sort of satisfaction.

STARMEN is excited to announce that our work with charitable organization Discover Your Path has recently been awarded the Gold award in the latest cycle of the International Competition for Marketing & Communications Professionals (also known as the MarCom Awards). While this isn’t the first award this endeavor has received, the receipt of a Gold MarCom brings with it a very special, very gratifying sort of satisfaction.

For over two decades, the MarCom statuette has endured as a very esteemed symbol of distinction within the marketing and communications industries. The MarCom Awards is the largest competition of its kind with over 6,000 entry submissions received and evaluated each year, and its trophy graces the shelves and cases of some of the most prominent firms in the world. However, we’d be remiss if we didn’t clarify that this award’s lofty prestige isn’t the only reason we’re celebrating!

First and foremost, we’re pleased at the opportunity to honor our clients at Discover Your Path with yet another esteemed distinction. Having also received the Best in Class title from the 2013 Interactive Media Awards, Discover Your Path is the brainchild of former Olympic contender Heather Hennessy Howell and Dodgers pitcher JP Howell. The nonprofit organization aims to inspire youth to set and attain goals through sound decision-making. The Howells tasked our team with reappropriating their online presence with a fresh design that would lend itself further in the encouragement of the children they work with. The components we produced included a new brand identity, an intuitive, user-friendly site design, a branded video inviting users to “Discover DYP”, as well as PathPacks, bundles of promotional material featuring daily reminders that were given out at Dodger games to further encourage choosing a positive path. These components combined created a truly powerful directive, and we’re extremely proud that the work continues to receive such prestigious recognition.

We feel very grateful that as our team here at STARMEN grows, so does our awards list! We recently received 2 Summit awards for our work with Minus Zero and DirecTV.

We feel very grateful that as our team here at STARMEN grows, so does our awards list! We recently received 2 Summit awards for our work with Minus Zero and DirecTV.

Since 1994, the Summit Creative Awards has enabled creative firms to receive the recognition they deserve. This international advertising competition offers participants a unique opportunity to showcase their talents alongside similarly positioned agencies, and to have their work judged by experts in the advertising field. This year, the Summit Awards received entries from over 50 countries across 5 continents. The competition is geared toward smaller and mid-size agencies that produce great work, but are normally overshadowed by large companies with significant budgets. The Summit Awards gives smaller agencies a chance to earn some deserved recognition among their industry peers.

Submissions were judged on concept and execution in design, broadcast, and interactive media by judging panels comprised of industry professionals from across the globe. Judges included entities like Wieden & Kennedy, Tribal DDB, Grey Advertising, TBWA/Chiat/Day, Y&R, The Art Institute, New York University, Leo Burnett, Ogilvy & Mather, and Saatchi & Saatchi.

Gold Award: Minus Zero, Product/Service Promotion Video

Minus Zero recently approached us to redesign and rebrand their online presence. In addition to refreshing their identity, we developed, filmed, and edited a video to be featured on their new website homepage. The video introduces users to the company’s CEO, Sabastian Hunyh, and gives a brief overview about Minus Zero.

Our objective for the video was to create a story-driven piece that would help define the brand, and engage users on the new website. We steered clear of the dry “corporate” video feel, and instead captured the essence of their new identity: passionate, exuberant, and results oriented. The executives we were targeting don’t merely sit behind desks — they embrace a sports-like mentality, love taking risks, and are design-oriented.

To showcase these attributes, we incorporated a few key points from their “Leaving Nothing to Chance” brand platform, and combined them with bold images, clips, and audio. The result was a visually-rich portrait of Minus Zero that we’re proud of, and it marks our first award for video production!

Silver Award: DirecTV, Entertainment website (Roguemedia.tv microsite)

When DirecTV launched their first television series, Rogue, they wanted a digital press kit that would give users a behind-the-scenes look at photos, cast/crew bios, and full episodes. We created a microsite to match the dark and ominous tone of the show using a “skeuomorphic” approach with textures like paperclips, manila folders, and wood. DirecTV also wanted the site to be viewable from mobile devices, so we implemented an adaptive design with a custom content management system. See the work, here.

We are grateful to have such an amazing roster of clients, as well as the talented team to support them. Creating award-winning work is always our goal, so we are grateful for these two recent awards from the Summit International Awards!

Through their "Create" campaign, Adonit, a cutting edge consumer creative-technology start-up, is redefining the way we think of "creators." By assembling a group of leading artists, designers, engineers, writers, educators and entrepreneurs, Adonit is seeking to highlight how people across the creative spectrum are using technology to expand productivity and creation in their respective crafts.

Through their "Create" campaign, Adonit, a cutting edge consumer creative-technology start-up, is redefining the way we think of "creators." By assembling a group of leading artists, designers, engineers, writers, educators and entrepreneurs, Adonit is seeking to highlight how people across the creative spectrum are using technology to expand productivity and creation in their respective crafts.

In the field of design, they're tapping into the visionary mind of Starmen's Creative Director, Anthony Wiktor, to better understand his unique creative process.

It's human nature to Create. Early on in life we seek out tools to help us grow ideas into reality. We start with crayons and building blocks, and later in life progress to paint brushes and protractors. We are more than consumers. We are all creators at heart, and to create in today’s digital world, we need tools that empower us to make, build, and develop our ideas. -Adonit.net

Anthony, who is featured in Adonit's new commercial, teamed up with the start-up to offer a fresh perspective on the concepts and practical technological application of graphic design, content strategy, and web development."I was honored to work with Adonit and I appreciate the opportunity to be recognized outside of my technical abilities," Anthony said, "first and foremost I'm a creator. I'm an artist."

Adonit absolutely agrees, and, in fact, this very idea as the springboard for their new campaign: "We believe creativity is found in more than just artists, painters, and musicians. Creators are anyone searching for new solutions to get more out of life."

Anthony's favorite Adonit tool is the JotFlip, a precision stylus and fine pen. Check out the full line of Adonit products at Adonit.net and start creating!!

Our creative, hard-working team is proud of the 3 awards that STARMEN recently received in the 8th Annual 2012 Davey Awards. The wins were announced earlier this month in New York by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, the organization behind the Davey Awards.  

Our creative, hard-working team is proud of the 3 awards that STARMEN recently received in the 8th Annual 2012 Davey Awards. The wins were announced earlier this month in New York by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, the organization behind the Davey Awards.  

This honor comes on the heels of receiving 6 wins in the 2012 W3 Awards, and being named ‘Top Web Design Agency’ in Los Angeles by Web Designer Magazine. 

Self-touted as the "first major awards competition specifically for smaller firms", the Davey Awards pride themselves on acknowledging outstanding work from companies that have talent, but can't necessarily compete against industry "Goliaths." This year, the Daveys received almost 4,000 entries from agencies, firms, and companies across the globe. 

While the competition honors smaller firms, the awards are judged by an impressive roster of panelists that comprise the International Academy of Visual Arts. IAVA members include professionals from Yahoo!, Estee Lauder, Wired, Insight Interactive, The Webby Awards, Bath & Body Works, Brandweek, Polo Ralph Lauren, ADWEEK, Alloy, Coach, iNDELIBLE, MTV, Victoria’s Secret, HBO, and many others.

Head to www.daveyawards.com for a complete list of Davey winners and check out our award-winning websites below.

Chadburry.com: Gold for Best  Fashion Website

Chadburry's line of luxury men’s fashion is crafted in Europe using only the highest quality materials. Their modern and stylish essence is captured perfectly on their website, utilizing "Mr. Chadburry." 

Causetag.com: Silver for Best Charitable Organization/ Non-Profit Mobile Marketing

Causetag rewards both brands and retailers through their "Buy One, Give One" loyalty program. Customers are able to scan a code with their mobile device to participate, and every item donated by retailers is tax-deductible. 

We also won a Silver Davey for our very own website www.starmenusa.com!

Click here to read the full press release further describing these awards.

As an Illinois native and history buff since the 3rd grade, naturally I've had a fascination with one of the greatest political figures in American history, the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. 

When I found out Steven Spielberg was planning to make an epic film on the last days of his intense life, I knew it was going to be something big, iconic, something I wanted to be a part of, well... I got my chance. Entertainment Weekly released this first photo of Daniel Day-Lewis as 'Lincoln'. First, I was amazed at the resemblence of Day-Lewis' as the commander in chief and then excited because it was exactly the iconic image I knew would make for a great movie poster.

Click below... see the "one-sheet"! 

I'd long been planning to use my creative skills to interpret this legendary story of Lincoln to promote the film and I knew it would all start with an iconic image. Below you'll see the still from the film that was released, keep in mind at the time, a poster for the film had not been created. All I had was this image and a bunch of ideas to running through my mind. Below, you'll see how I created an iconic poster  or 'one-sheet' out of this single image to establish the branding campaign for the film.

The Poster (One-Sheet Concept)

Click here to view full-size version.

About the Design

This darker, more dramatic alternative to the final poster (which has now been released) uses a familiar profile image of Daniel Day-Lewis that is forward facing similar to the iconic profile of Lincoln seen on the "penny". My artistic approach to using a darker black background gives more contrast to Lincoln's stern, determined expression. Overall the viewer is left with a dramatic visual that aims to connect poster to the dramaticism of film.

Finally, after a closer look, you'll notice Lincoln's actual signature being used as the title or 'logo' for the film. I felt it was a fitting authentic touch, no typeface (like the predictable Trajan) can achieve.

Social Media - Facebook Fan Page

Outdoor Advertising Campaign

We were excited to be a part of DISH International's social media initiative by developing and launching a series of branded YouTube channels to target their long list of language communities. ‘DISH Filipino,’ the first of DISH International’s channels that we designed, includes a custom video slider, drop down menus, and custom banner feature. 

We were excited to be a part of DISH International's social media initiative by developing and launching a series of branded YouTube channels to target their long list of language communities. ‘DISH Filipino,’ the first of DISH International’s channels that we designed, includes a custom video slider, drop down menus, and custom banner feature. 

Creating a Brand's Desitination on YouTube

Brand Channels on YouTube allow marketers to create a brandable and customized interface on YouTube where they can connect and create persistent relationships with their customers. Brand Channels act as a distribution outlet for video content, and as a destination for users to engage with your brand. The design of your channel page should reflect your brand identity.

As you can see in the case of DISH International, we customized the channel theme and design to reflect the brand that has been established on the DISH Filipino TV website. Though the 'art of branding' is critical to your channel's visual presence, the success of your channel is largely dependent on the content that you upload.

Visit YouTube.com for more best practices!

As an award-winning creative agency specializing in brand design, we are proud to announce the redesign of the STARMEN web site. But ‘redesign’ doesn't really cover it. We’ve made more than an aesthetic adjustment or surface-level change, we’ve ‘refreshed’ internally and externally. The new starmenusa.com reflects our new ideas, fresh thinking, and innovative approach to our clients’ brands, as well as our latest design work. 

As an award-winning creative agency specializing in brand design, we are proud to announce the redesign of the STARMEN website. But ‘redesign’ doesn't really cover it. More than an aesthetic adjustment or surface-level change, we’ve ‘refreshed’ both internally and externally. The new starmenusa.com reflects our new ideas, fresh thinking, and innovative approach to our clients’ brands, as well as our latest design work. 

Our LA headquarters are buzzing with excitement! This site has been a labor of love, created with synchronized hard work, absolute enthusiasm, and meticulous attention to effective design. What remains unchanged is our unwavering resolve: We are here to produce solid, valuable results for you! Now, we just look even better!

We warmly invite you to visit our new site, and enjoy our latest work.

Before Angels became synonymous with lingerie, Hollywood’s elite wore intimates by Juel Park. Established in the Roaring Twenties, Juel Park designed luxury under garments for prominent female stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Joan Crawford, Ava Gardner, Mae West, Lauren Bacall, and Katharine Hepburn.  With Juel Park’s rich history and breathtaking lingerie, STARMEN is proud to sponsor Juel Park’s relaunch here in Hollywood.

Before Angels became synonymous with lingerie, Hollywood’s elite wore intimates by Juel Park. Established in the Roaring Twenties, Juel Park designed luxury under garments for prominent female stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Joan Crawford, Ava Gardner, Mae West, Lauren Bacall, and Katharine Hepburn.  With Juel Park’s rich history and breathtaking lingerie, STARMEN is proud to sponsor Juel Park’s relaunch here in Hollywood.

To honor and remember both the proud survivors and fallen victims of breast cancer, proceeds from the Juel Park event will benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.

More details on the Juel Park event can be found here.

In response to the devastating January 12th earthquake in Haiti, the team at STARMEN Design Group has rallied to spread the word, and make it easier to support American Red Cross relief efforts through the creation of a donation microsite. Urgency is needed to assist those affected by this disaster, especially the thousands of abandoned children who are now without homes. Join us, and show your support by donating to the less fortunate during these tragic times. Be a part of the solution, and provide help for the relief effort through the American Red Cross today!

View the microsite, and donate here. Your donations and support are greatly appreciated!

In response to the devastating January 12th earthquake in Haiti, the team at STARMEN Design Group has rallied to spread the word, and make it easier to support American Red Cross relief efforts through the creation of a donation microsite. Urgency is needed to assist those affected by this disaster, especially the thousands of abandoned children who are now without homes. Join us, and show your support by donating to the less fortunate during these tragic times. Be a part of the solution, and provide help for the relief effort through the American Red Cross today!

View the microsite, and donate here. Your donations and support are greatly appreciated!