Four years ago, Schaefer was asked to create a spokesman character for TTI, Inc., a $2B electronic components distributer that had just been acquired by Berkshire Hathaway. Thus the Specialist was born, and since then he’s been fighting bad guys and saving production lines both in videos and a comic book series. Both have been very successful within the industry. “TTI – you’re the guys with the Specialist, right?”
Wanting to maintain our momentum but keep things fresh, Schaefer went back to the drawing board to think of a new way to capitalize on The Specialist character’s infinite knowledge of all things electronic.
Now, Schaefer is proud to introduce Ask the Specialist, a new video series that features our intrepid hero answering questions on a wide range of topics – everything from parts and components to relationship advice.
Click the link to see the first episode, and be sure to check back each month for more answers to life’s burning questions.
http://www.ttiinc.com/page/ask-the-specialist
The Texas A&M Forest Service was created by the Texas Legislature in 1915 to protect and conserve our state’s trees, forests and related natural resources. Who would’ve guessed that nearly 100 years later, they would ask Schaefer Advertising to build them a website?
Sure, we’re no Washington State, but Texas has trees too, you know. And while we may not realize it, every Texan benefits from the conservation and wildfire protection activities and programs of Texas A&M Forest Service. Two thirds of voters live within 10 miles of wooded area and more than half visit forests or wooded areas multiple times per year.
Our marketing objective was to create awareness of Texas A&M Forest Service as a trusted resource of information pertaining to all things forestry. The website is their core marketing vehicle, so it was critical that it be educational as well as engaging. Click the link and take a look around; it can be the one new thing you learn today.
In April, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to London for 8 days with my family. Before leaving, we made plans to do our best to visit everything that we possibly could in the time that we had there. We were all over the city, only taking breaks to rest our feet or sleep. We visited St. Paul’s Cathedral, Hyde Park, Buckingham and Kensington Palaces, Harrods and so many other places.
I am also not ashamed to admit that I tried to adopt the English accent. It’s easy to get carried away over there – by the end of the trip I think I had it down pretty well. Now, I am sure that if I tried it out on a local, they would have told me I was crazy!
On the trip I learned that I have an interest buying things that are just not necessary. For example, I came back with three pens, a planner, a paperweight, a keychain, too many coffee mugs, and many more things that will most likely never leave my bedroom. But darn it… I will have those souvenirs for the rest of my life, and THAT is what matters.
When I came back from my trip, my coworkers wanted to hear all about my adventures. Someone suggested that I pull together a blog with some cool images from my trip. When flipping through my phone, I made the joke that I could make a blog post out of the embarrassing amount of selfies I took. In true Schaefer fashion, what I thought was a joke ended up being a reality (you have to be careful what you say around here). So here it is. Makes you feel like you’re in England, right?
-Taylor
Spring is in the air, and sleepy animals are emerging from their caves to venture out into the sunlight once more. Sorry, I meant people. Emerging from their homes. After another typically unpredictable winter, spring is back, which means a lot of moms and dads are ready to get their kids out of the house before they all go crazy.
Thankfully, there’s a ton of stuff to do at the Fort Worth Zoo – animal shows, keeper chats and all kinds of new baby animals being all cute. For this year’s spring campaign, we focused not only on the variety of experiences, but also on the memories those experiences create for families. Check out what we put together, then go out there and see it for yourself – it’s a beautiful day!
This was the second year Schaefer got to produce the annual TCU Baseball video. The team was coming off a very successful year, yet they still felt the sting of coming up short in the College World Series. For 2015, both the coaches and players had an even greater resolve to take it all the way to the championship.
Based on the Boy Scout oath, “On Our Honor” is a promise to themselves, their teammates, coaches and fans to follow the path of selflessness, energy and excellence.
This was another fun shoot with N8 Visuals out at Heart of the Ranch in Clearfork, another Schaefer client. Even the non-Horned Frogs here at Schaefer are excited to see how far TCU Baseball can go this year. Go Frogs! #toadtoomaha
On Friday night, advertising professionals from all over Fort Worth gathered for the 2015 American Advertising Awards. As last year’s Best of Show winner, Schaefer was responsible for this year’s event theme, which was “Amendment 28,” a modern take on prohibition except that it was advertising and not booze that was illegal.
In typical Schaefer fashion, we had a lot of fun with it. From a fake theme to fake government agents to real posters taped on real agency doors, we used a wide range of media to keep the game going. It all culminated last Friday with “The Event” – a secret meeting of ad pros at the Fort Worth Masonic Temple to celebrate in secret another year’s worth of work.
Results are still coming in, but early returns suggest that the event was a success. Guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and drinks while sizing up with each other’s work and catching up with old acquaintances and coworkers. The awards presentation video, courtesy of our friends at Studios 121, maintained the underground theme with glitchy effects and the subversive statement that, “If advertising has been outlawed, then we are all outlaws.”
Fitting then, that we made off like bandits, coming away with 16 total awards including five golds and another Best of Show award for the 2015 Zoo Ball invitation we did for the Fort Worth Zoo. Designed by Blair Babineaux with art direction by Charlie Howlett and production by Maren Gibbs, this piece is a fitting jewel to crown a busy and productive 2014.
Of course, winning Best of Show again means we get to put on the show next year, but we’d rather not think about that for a few months. It was a lot of work.
Here’s to a great 2014 and to our three-peat next February!
The annual Fort Worth Zoo preschool is a great way for kids to learn all about their favorite animals from A to Z. So, industrious designer Jon Chapman set about illustrating a menagerie of animals – one for every letter of the alphabet. This series of animal flash cards was made available on the Fort Worth Zoo website so parents could print them out for their kids’ to enjoy. Which one’s your favorite?
Congratulations to client and Near Southside neighbor, Moncrief Cancer Institute, on their brand-new, state-of-the-art mobile clinic! We may have designed the outside, but the inside is the exciting part. Soon, services like cancer screenings, one-on-one exercise sessions, personalized nutrition planning, clinical support and more will be coming directly to the people of Tarrant County and surrounding areas.
This was the second year Schaefer got to produce the annual TCU Baseball video. The team was coming off a very successful year, yet they still felt the sting of coming up short in the College World Series. For 2015, both the coaches and players had an even greater resolve to take it all the way to the championship.
Based on the Boy Scout oath, “On Our Honor” is a promise to themselves, their teammates, coaches and fans to follow the path of selflessness, energy and excellence.
This was another fun shoot with N8 Visuals out at Heart of the Ranch in Clearfork, another Schaefer client. Even the non-Horned Frogs here at Schaefer are excited to see how far TCU Baseball can go this year. Go Frogs! #toadtoomaha
The Story
Clearfork is a new mixed-use development on what was the last undeveloped piece of the legendary Edwards Ranch. Many Fort Worth landmarks like Texas Christian University and the Fort Worth Zoo now sit on what once was Edwards Ranch property, but the Clearfork portion remained virtually untouched since 1848. Having just completed the Clearfork branding and positioning, the client asked us to produce some vinyl banners to announce the coming development.
“Sure, we can do that, but…”
The Work
With a newly completed road cutting through the property, this was the first time most people had seen this property since before Fort Worth (the actual fort) existed. We felt this called for something a little more unique than a vinyl banner.
Pulling back from the assumed solution of banners and focusing instead on the goal of attracting passersby’s attention, our ideas included an iron ranch sign, cattle guards and a water tower. What won out in the end were what the team dubbed “word crops.” Three eight-foot-tall words were strategically placed around the property: discover, legacy and vision.
The road to the final product was a long one, since none of us had ever seen word crops before. We cut an “A” out of a sheet of plywood in the side yard of our office and hauled it out to Clearfork to see where the words should go. Our production manager then talked with a variety of vendors to see if anyone could do it on-budget (one could). We had a test letter made with three colors of paint to see which worked best (silver).
The Results
The word crops were a success in several ways. First, they captured people’s attention and made them curious about what was coming to the property. Second, they garnered some social shares as people took photos with the words and shared them on their networks. Thirdly, (shameless plug) they earned Schaefer the Best in Show American Advertising Award for 2014.
Best of all, they’re a perfect example of what we mean when we say, “Give us your goal, and we’ll seek what’s possible.”
