Portfolio
Branding
The Lubrano Companies
Without an Edge
The Lubrano Companies and its affiliates are established leaders in the financial services, human resources, and health & welfare industries. The Lubrano companies were growing fast and they needed concise branding that spoke to their level of professionalism, while also tying in each affiliate under the The Lubrano Company umbrella.
An Added Edge
As you can see, Hardly Square created a branding strategy that visually tied in each affiliates’ identity under The Lubrano Company umbrella. The design also allows each brand to maintain its own objectivity. The idea that APL and HR in Tune are connected isn’t apparent until visually represented with The Lubrano Companies identity. This essential “A Ha” moment is necessary when explaining the business structure of The Lubrano Companies during presentations to potential strategic partners.
LINQ360
Without an Edge
The Las Vegas-based start-up, LINQ360 needed a branding strategy that spoke to its offering. LINQ360 is a technology think-tank made up of recognized industry experts that offer a full host of consulting services. LINQ360 is spearheading major technology developments in the hospitality industry and their brand needed to speak to the innovation they were creating and implementing for their clients.
An Added Edge
Hardly Square recognized that LINQ360′s brand was more than sign outside their door, or a logo in the corner of their business card. We created something that feels like it’s alive and fluid. We realized that LINQ360′s brand would live mostly online, so we designed an identity that opened doors for motion and interaction. We want to cultivate an engagement with the brand. Today’s audience demand brands to build around an experience and we plan to harness this direction. The LINQ360 team seem like time travelers that return to the present day with technology from the future. One might say the same about Hardly Square’s design for their branding.
Sports with Coleman
Without an Edge
Jerry Coleman is the voice of Fox 1370 sports radio every weekday from 3-6PM. Colman is known for always asking the tough questions and getting the news out first. However, he didn’t have a professional brand backing up this reputation. He needed a concise brand developed that spoke to his target audience and supported a marketing move to alternate media other than radio.
An Added Edge
Hardly Square designed a brand that reflected the qualities of Fox 1370′s target audience. With the creation of the Sports with Coleman brand, we took into account all of the marketing communication opportunities that were yet to be put in place. Hardly Square will also be creating Sports with Coleman’s website, which will include functionality tying in multiple social media tools, interactive platforms, ad management, content management, search engine optimization, and web analytic tracking.
HomeWork
Without an Edge
HomeWork has been a high-end remodeling solution in Northern Virginia since 1981. Although, its branding wasn’t saying so. HomeWork specializes in creating fine design solutions for their clients and they needed their branding to live up to this claim.
An Added Edge
Hardly Square designed a branding solution that projected HomeWork’s craftsmanship and artistic professionalism. This solution includes a logo design, business cards, yard signs, brochures, etc. Now HomeWork has one concise marketing voice that speaks through all of their marketing collateral. And their clients can feel confident that HomeWork sees the big picture.
Bestest Buddies
Without an Edge
Texas-based Bestest Buddies isn’t your everyday pet services company. They are the premier Frisco and Plano pet care source for luxurious pet sitters and dog walkers. Bestest Buddies needed the proper branding to help them hit this percise niche.
An Added Edge
Hardly Square designed an image that appealed to the psychographic Bestest Buddies was targeting. Hardly Square helpped Bestest Buddies increase their online visibility and profit generation. In their own words, “Since the launch of our new company brand and search engine friendly website, traffic on our site has increased by over 175% in Q2 of this year alone.”
Annabel Lee Tavern
Without an Edge
Annabel Lee Tavern isn’t your typical restaurant. It’s a sensory step into a bygone era. Proprietor, Kurt Bragunier, put a lot of thought into every aspect of his restaurant’s Edgar Allen Poe driven decor. Kurt took the extra steps in painting a piece that he wanted as the identity of his restaurant. He had the art, but didn’t know how to include it into a concise branding strategy.
An Added Edge
Hardly Square digitized Kurt’s painting and teamed with Edgar Allen Poe’s actually handwritten “Annabel Lee”. Not only was that the extra touch Annabel Lee Tavern’s branding needed, but know Kurt can utilize this design on multiple marketing initiatives.
Frameworks
Without an Edge
Frameworks lived and died by the reputation of one man’s craft. This one-man-operation’s body of work spoke volumes to its strategic planning, emphasis on the details, and his dedicated follow through. It was time his identity said the same.
An Added Edge
It’s almost as if I could hear his clients spreading the word, “Hey, you gotta see what this guy did with our kitchen!”. So we designed an identity that centered around a craftsman icon. We placed as much attention to detail in our design and typography that Frameworks put into its custom cabinetry or flooring. Now Frameworks has marketing materials that push business and live up to the established reputation.
Write on Target
Without an Edge
Write on Target is a literature-based writing skills continuum, which helps students prepare for high-stakes testing and promotes acquisition of the fine points of good writing. Write on Target needed an identity that would effectively communicate their offering.
An Added Edge
Hardly Square created an identity for Write on Target to visually communicate their service. The visual analogy between a pen and an arrow hitting the bulls-eye of a target speaks to their clients need for accuracy and precision in a testing environment. Hardly Square also designed business cards, letterhead, and marketing collateral for Write on Target.
Lay it Down
Without an Edge
Start-up designer flooring company, Lay it Down, was without a brand. They needed a logo designed to base their corporate identity off of. The design needed to separate Lay it Down from the mass distributor market, targeting them as a highend provider of luxury carpeting and flooring.
An Added Edge
To call-out the custom craftmanship of Lay it Down’s flooring expertise, Hardly Square hand drew the mark in the logo design. Realizing that Lay it Down’s sales strategy primarily focused on its online store, we designed a logo with dimensions that would accomidate this medium.
Teacher’s Mart
Without an Edge
Teacher’s Mart is a small neighborhood store that meets the needs of parents and educators in Northern Virginia. Teacher’s Mart needed branding that spoke to their target market, related to their business structure, and would transmit a sense of professionalism without being too formal.
An Added Edge
Since Teacher’s Mart is a small business catering to the local community, Hardly Square decided to utilize the mascot of the local school. This way teachers could relate to the icon of the store. We also kept the image friendly and less corporate since the store was a family run business.
Body Rock
Without an Edge
Body Rock is a promotional company that focuses on outdoor concerts. Body Rock knew they needed a new logo incorporating their outdoor niche, since their old design was not accomplishing this.
An Added Edge
Hardly Square paired organic graphical elements with a type treatment that was rockin’! Body Rock now has a mark that concisely emphasizes their unique niche and establishes them as a premiere provider of outdoor music.
