redpepper

[phone] redpepper is a full-service advertising and strategic marketing agency that specializes in producing creative ideas that solve business problems.

[redpepperland]

We’ve moved (our blog, that is)!

Our digital blog has moved. We’ve got our very own snazzy new publication at www.medium.com/redpepper --and we hope you’ll check it out. In the meantime, this tumblr will live on as an archive for our old posts--so if you’ve got a favorite bookmarked, don’t worry--it will stay here! But for fresh, hot-off-the-brains content, be sure to pop over to our Medium page and maybe even give us a follow, if you please. 

[redpepperland]

Now Hiring: Account Executive (Atlanta)

You know the drill. The day-to-day of this position is second nature to you. You were doing it before you knew what “it” was – coordinating with your friends and family. Buttoning up details left and right. Inspiring your friends to rally around a vision or strategy in a way that they couldn’t help but believe in it. And now, you’ve perfected the art of client management as it relates to agency life. And you want more.

We’ve been waiting for you.

Detail-driven, detail-oriented communications — between the client and us - between you and your creative teams — those are all a part of this position as you might expect. But what you might not expect is that you’ll also play a role in developing client and brand strategy. You’ll work to craft concept presentations into just the right story for your clients. Then, you will present to your clients instead of handing your hard work over to someone else. You will build real relationships both inside and outside of these walls. And you will become an integral part of the engine that drives our success. We will value you as such. And we will all live happily ever after. (Well, on most days, anyway. Gotta be realistic, right?)

Already interested? Shoot your resume to [email protected]

Want the nitty-gritty? Read on.

Who You Are:

You have 5-7 years agency account management experience

You’re authorized to work in the United States

Your communication and organizational skills are impeccable

You’re a creative problem-solver, and you can prove it

You have a growth-oriented lust for life

What You’ll Do:

Maintain daily contact between the agency and the client under the direction of the account supervisor or account director.

Work closely with the production & resource team to produce estimates and project plans; review and approve these items for accuracy.

Spearhead project ownership. This includes maintenance of status reports and working with internal agency personnel to prepare & manage project milestones/project timeline adherence while always actively seeking to improve workflow and maximize the team’s efficiency.

Inform account supervisor/account director regularly of account progress for all assigned clients; involve account supervisor immediately in event of potential problems, i.e., client/agency relations, budget overruns, etc.

Champion our creative product by actively participating in creative concept sessions on behalf of the client and providing input/approval of all creative work (copy, layouts, production materials, etc.) prior to client reviews or presentations.

Actively seek to understand client’s brand/business/products/services/industry in order to serve as an advisor on behalf of the agency and readily identify opportunities for growth with existing clients.

Assist in researching and writing client proposals, insight & strategy development and the ongoing creation of effective marketing communications including strategic advertising & media plans that connect back to clients’ business goals. Once marketing plans are approved, you will be responsible for carrying out the plan(s) on a daily basis.

Effectively present, sell and defend all agency work/proposals to clients; support other client service team members in these functions.

Interface with various agency departments to move projects through on behalf of the client. This includes preparing insightful creative briefs for a variety of projects along the way while working closely with the creative, media and production & resource teams.

Manage client billing and budget recaps in conjunction with finance department and contribute to/lead client analytics reporting as needed.

Who We Are:

redpepper is a company that takes a lot of pride in its culture. We believe in Culture > People > Clients - in that order. We’re an integrated advertising agency that has embraced the ever-changing marketing landscape. In fact, we consider it part of our job to keep up with all the things.

redpepper is a place where your creativity thrives and benefits others.

People who hire redpepper want more than just an ad agency. They want to make sense of the world of new media and how to effectively integrate it with the rest of their marketing. They want to connect to consumers in a relevant, engaging way. And they have the desire to connect their marketing activities to key business metrics. They want solutions, not just ads.

We offer a competitive salary, health, vision, and dental coverage and other highly competitive — dare we say unbeatable — benefits. Like unlimited paid vacation, for example. True story. But wait! It doesn’t stop there. We have an employee-directed 401K and offer an incredible culture and work experience, ongoing personal growth opportunities, profit sharing, and flexible hours.

And for a sneak peek into exactly how much fun there is to be had around here, check out our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter for more regular updates, and read our thoughts over at Medium.

Sound like your dream job?

Send your resume to [email protected]! (Psst: Please remember to put “Atlanta Account Executive” in your subject line).

[redpepperland]

Now Hiring: UX Designer

Know a thing or two about wireframes and UX design documentation? Nerd.

Workflows and user stories capture your heart? Super Nerd.

Been called a nerd once or twice? Perfect.

We see you for what you really are - an amazing UX Designer. And we want your curious, passionate, UX-lovin’ self to join our team.

Who You Are:

You have 3-5 years of UX design, development, or product design experience

You’ve worked as a member of a team of designers and strategists to serve large clients

You’re a curious, passionate problem solver

You can clearly and convincingly explain your decisions and perspective

People like you, and you like people

You’re capable and confident, but humble

You understand people, technology (particularly web applications, mobile app, etc.), and how people interact with technology

You are empathetic

We’ll be extra impressed if you also have some knowledge and experience in the realm of financial services, B2B, and/or enterprise

What You’ll Do:

Attend user design workshops and both co-facilitate and produce sketches and notes (10%)

Create user workflows, narratives, and UX design documentation (30%)

Create wireframes and present them to both clients and a UI team (20%)

Study trends and best practices in enterprise UX design (20%)

Collaborate with a design team internally on redpepper-focused initiatives (20%)

Who We Are:

redpepper is a company that takes a lot of pride in its culture. We believe in Culture > People > Clients - in that order. We're an integrated advertising agency that has embraced the ever-changing marketing landscape. In fact, we consider it part of our job to keep up with all the things.

redpepper is a place where your creativity thrives and benefits others.

People who hire redpepper want more than just an ad agency. They want to make sense of the world of new media and how to effectively integrate it with the rest of their marketing. They want to connect to consumers in a relevant, engaging way. And they have the desire to connect their marketing activities to key business metrics. They want solutions, not just ads.

We offer a competitive salary, health, vision, and dental coverage and other highly competitive — dare we say unbeatable — benefits. Like unlimited paid vacation, for example. True story. But wait! It doesn’t stop there. We have an employee-directed 401K and offer an incredible culture and work experience, ongoing personal growth opportunities, profit sharing, and flexible hours.

And for a sneak peek into exactly how much fun there is to be had around here, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter for more regular updates.

Still reading? We like you already. Send your resume to [email protected]. (Psst: Please put “UX Designer” in your subject line. Pretty please? Cool.)

[redpepperland]

Now Hiring: Account Supervisor

First things first: You’ve perfected the art of client relationships as they relate to agency life.

The day-to-day of this position is second nature to you. You were doing it before you knew what “it” was— Coordinating with your friends and family. Buttoning up details left and right. Seeing the big picture before anyone else could.

Things do not fall through the cracks on your watch. In fact, there are no cracks because you seal them with a smudge of “I’ll handle it” and you’re not afraid to spackle with “This isn’t exactly what we discussed.”

Second things second: You’ll be working with some of our most high-profile clients. So we’re trusting you with a lot here. You will lead detail-driven, detail-oriented communication between the client, you, and your creative team, and together, you’ll make great work.

Lastly, you’ll bring outstanding strategic thinking and planning ability to developing client and brand strategy. You’ll enjoy helping your creative teams work to craft concept presentations into just the right story for your clients. You will build real relationships both inside and outside of these walls. And you will become an integral part of the engine that drives our success. We will value you as such. And we will all live happily ever after. (Well, on most days, anyway. Gotta be realistic, right?)

Did we mention that retail experience is a plus? Did you just say aloud, “No, but I’m clearly your guy/gal?” Well then strap on your summer trends and send us your resumé, friend.

Who You Are:

10+ years of agency account management and account supervision experience

Authorization to work in the United States

Impeccable communication and organizational skills

Proven creative problem-solving skills

A growth-oriented lust for life

What You’ll Do:

Maintain contact between the agency and the client as needed, communicating and coordinating internally with AEs, strategy team members and creative team members.

Work closely with AEs, plus your production and resource team to produce estimates, project plans; review and approve these items for accuracy.

Spearhead project ownership. This includes maintenance of status reports and working with internal agency personnel to prepare/manage project milestones/project timeline adherence while always actively seeking to improve workflow and maximize the team’s efficiency.

Champion our strategic and creative product by actively participating in creative concepting sessions on behalf of the client and providing input/approval of all creative work (copy, layouts, production materials, etc.) prior to client reviews or presentations.

Actively seek to understand client’s brand/business/products/services/industry in order to serve as an advisor on behalf of the agency and readily identify opportunities for growth with existing clients.

Assist in researching and writing client proposals, insight and strategy development, and the ongoing creation of effective marketing communications including strategic advertising and media plans that connect back to clients’ business goals. As marketing plans/projects are approved, you will manage internal execution from a strategic and goal-driven perspective, ensuring both small- and big-picture goals are met within the timelines discussed.

Effectively present, sell and defend all agency work/proposals to clients; support other client service team members in these functions.

Interface with various agency departments to move projects through on behalf of the client. This includes preparing insightful creative briefs for a variety of projects and working closely with the creative, media and production teams.

Manage and/or oversee client billing and budget recaps in conjunction with finance department and contribute to/lead client analytics reporting as needed.

Who We Are:

redpepper is a company that takes a lot of pride in its culture. We believe in Culture > People > Clients - in that order. We're an integrated advertising agency that has embraced that the marketing landscape is ever changing and it's our job to keep up with it.

redpepper is a place where your creativity thrives and benefits others.

People who hire redpepper want more than just an ad agency. They want to make sense of the world of new media and how to effectively integrate it with the rest of their marketing. They want to connect to consumers in a relevant, engaging way. And they have the desire to connect their marketing activities to key business metrics. They want solutions, not just ads.

We offer a competitive salary, health, vision, and dental coverage and other highly competitive — dare we say unbeatable — benefits. Like unlimited paid vacation, for example. True story. But wait! It doesn’t stop there. We have an employee-directed 401K and offer an incredible culture and work experience, ongoing personal growth opportunities, profit sharing, and flexible hours. Oh, and we use Slack (get ready to love your inbox again).

For a sneak peek into exactly how much fun there is to be had around here,check out our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter for more regular updates.

Still reading? We like you already. Send your resume to [email protected] for goodness sake (Psst: Please remember to put “Account Supervisor” in your subject line).

www.redpepperland.com

[redpepperland]

Calling All Freelancers

Love your freedom? Not ready to put a ring on… anything? Works for us.

Join us—freelance at redpepper.

We’re looking for: * UX/UI Designers * Web & Mobile App Developers * Copywriters * Graphic Designers * Production Artists * Art Directors who take pride in doing great work, know how to meet deadlines, and are down with teamwork.

Sound like you? Send us your stuff already!  

Send your resume, portfolio, and a cover letter to [email protected], and include “freelance _____________” (<-- your area of expertise) in the subject line. Easy as pie. Or, easy like Sunday morning. Whichever you prefer.

[redpepperland]

Now Hiring: Account Executive

You know the drill. The day-to-day of this position is second nature to you. You were doing it before you knew what “it” was – coordinating with your friends and family. Buttoning up details left and right. Inspiring your friends to rally around a vision or strategy in a way that they couldn’t help but believe in it. And now, you’ve perfected the art of client management as it relates to agency life. And you want more.

We’ve been waiting for you.

Detail-driven, detail-oriented communications — between the client and us - between you and your creative teams — those are all a part of this position as you might expect. But what you might not expect is that you’ll also play a role in developing client and brand strategy. You’ll work to craft concept presentations into just the right story for your clients. Then, you will present to your clients instead of handing your hard work over to someone else. You will build real relationships both inside and outside of these walls. And you will become an integral part of the engine that drives our success. We will value you as such. And we will all live happily ever after. (Well, on most days, anyway. Gotta be realistic, right?)

Already interested? Shoot your resume to [email protected]

Want the nitty-gritty? Read on.

We’re looking for someone with:

5-7 years agency account management experience

Authorization to work in the United States

Impeccable communication and organizational skills

Proven creative problem-solving skills

A growth-oriented lust for life

As an Account Executive and member of our Account Strategy Team, you will:

Maintain daily contact between the agency and the client under the direction of the account supervisor or account director.

Work closely with the production & resource team to produce estimates, project plans; review and approve these items for accuracy.

Spearhead project ownership. This includes maintenance of status reports and working with internal agency personnel to prepare & manage project milestones/project timeline adherence while always actively seeking to improve workflow and maximize the team’s efficiency.

Inform account supervisor/account director regularly of account progress for all assigned clients; involve account supervisor immediately in event of potential problems, i.e., client/agency relations, budget overruns, etc.

Champion our creative product by actively participating in creative concept sessions on behalf of the client and providing input/approval of all creative work (copy, layouts, production materials, etc.) prior to client reviews or presentations.

Actively seek to understand client’s brand/business/products/services/industry in order to serve as an advisor on behalf of the agency and readily identify opportunities for growth with existing clients.

Assist in researching and writing client proposals, insight & strategy development and the ongoing creation of effective marketing communications including strategic advertising & media plans that connect back to clients’ business goals. Once marketing plans are approved, you will be responsible for carrying out the plan(s) on a daily basis.

Effectively present, sell and defend all agency work/proposals to clients; support other client service team members in these functions.

Interface with various agency departments to move projects through on behalf of the client. This includes preparing insightful creative briefs for a variety of projects along the way while working closely with the creative, media and production & resource teams.

Manage client billing and budget recaps in conjunction with finance department and contribute to/lead client analytics reporting as needed.

A Bit About Us:

We offer a competitive salary, health, vision, and dental coverage, employee-directed 401K, incredible culture and work experience, ongoing personal growth and flexible hours.

redpepper is a place where your creativity thrives and benefits others. People who hire redpepper want more than just an ad agency. They want to make sense of the world of new media and how to effectively integrate it with the rest of their marketing. They want to connect to consumers in a relevant, engaging way. And they have the desire to connect their marketing activities to key business metrics. They want solutions, not just ads, and our greatest strength lies in producing custom solutions for these types of clients. (Learn more atredpepperland.com)

Sound like your dream job?

Please send your resume to [email protected]

[redpepperland]

Now Hiring: UX/Product Strategist

You’re the needle in the haystack.   You’re the princess who felt the pea.   You’re the squire who pulled the sword from the stone.  

You are the UX/Product Strategist we’ve been searching for.

In other words, you’re a servant leader, a conductor, a facilitator. You’re passionate about empowering others to find the best answer, to do their best work, and to make the right connections. You’re also a strategist, through and through. You think strategically about projects, concepts, platforms and initiatives, and then you use your powers to help the team get to the execution stage.

We need you and, we need you to be good. You, our new UX/Product Strategist, will have great partners in place to be set up for success, including other facilitators, strategists, designers, researchers and more. Your job will be to plan enterprise level application design, ideation and design thinking sessions, and strategic alignment around an initiative.  

Sound like stuff you were born to do?  Read on. And then send your resume and such to [email protected].  Be sure to include “UX/Product Strategist” in the subject line.

Your expertise is in:

Strategic Planning:

Software Products

Applications and Experiences

Business Processes

Workshop facilitation

Understanding technology capabilities

Divining patterns and insights

Translating strategy into key actions for production teams

Working with enterprise level clients

Who you are:

You have 7+ years of experience in UX, product management, business analysis, and/or project management

You can command a room, but you’re humble and inclusive

You’re inspiring and passionate

You’re self-initiating and curious

You’re empathetic and really likeable

You like people - you like working with them, coaching them, helping them, and leading them

You take your work seriously, but you don’t take yourself TOO seriously

What you’ll do: 

Lead workshops (25%)

Prepare for and follow up after workshops (25%)

Work with users, clients, technical teams and design teams to understand needs and align activities (25%)

Research and learn (25%)

Travel! Be prepared to travel at least once a month, sometimes more

Bring on the benefits.

We offer a competitive salary, health, vision, and dental coverage and other highly competitive — dare we say unbeatable — benefits. Like unlimited paid vacation, for example. True story. But wait! It doesn’t stop there. We have an employee-directed 401K and offer an incredible culture and work experience, ongoing personal growth opportunities, profit sharing and flexible hours.

And for a sneak peek into exactly how much fun there is to be had around here, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter for more regular updates.

Still reading? We like you already. Send your resume to [email protected] for goodness sake (Psst: Please remember to put “UX/Product Strategist” in your subject line).

[redpepperland]

Now Hiring: Event and Facility Sales Manager

You’re entrepreneurial by nature - always seeing opportunities where others don’t and fearlessly pursuing them. As a kid, you had the most profitable lemonade stand the neighborhood had ever seen. As a teenager, you turned your lemonade regulars into clients of your babysitting, lawn care, and tutoring business. Later, you pocketed more tips in college than any other flare-covered server--and working the same section, to beat it all. Since then, you’ve thrived in roles that allow you to get out there, meet people, and create opportunities. Maybe you have a background in hospitality or sales. Regardless, you’re independent, hardworking, courageous, and resilient. You’re even a little bit of a trailblazer. And now, you’re determined to bring your talents to redpepper.

As the Event and Facility Sales Manager, your role will be to market and promote the awesome, new redpepper space. We want redpepper to be a place where creatives congregate, where professionals collaborate, and where growth happens. In order to make our vision a reality, we need you to get out there and let people know that 305 Jefferson is the place for meetings, facilitated workshops, sessions, and events. You’ll create a marketing plan and tools, you’ll build relationships, and you’ll make it happen!

Already interested? Shoot your resume to [email protected] and be sure to include “Event and Facility Sales Manager” in the subject line to be considered.

Want the nitty-gritty? Of course you do. Read on.

Our ideal Event and Facility Sales Manager will have:

1-3 year of event or related sales experience

Outgoing and professional demeanor

Ability to manage a variety of projects and work well in a fast-paced environment

As a Event and Facility Sales Manager and member of our New Biz Team, you will be responsible for the following:

Creating a marketing plan using the proper channels to promote and feature the redpepper space

Finding and researching new business opportunities

Building relationships with potential clients

Working with the Facilities Manager to coordinate space rentals

Providing excellent customer service and hospitality to clients

Participating in weekly staff alignment meeting and contributing to the communication and sharing of information/ideas

Participating in New Biz departmental growth and health

Mentoring interns

Preparing for and working the events to help ensure success

A Bit About Us: We offer a competitive salary, health, vision, and dental coverage, employee-directed 401K, incredible culture and work experience, ongoing personal growth and flexible hours. redpepper is a place where your creativity thrives and benefits others. Learn more at www.redpepperland.com

Sound like your dream job? Please send your resume to [email protected] and be sure to include “Event and Facility Sales Manager” in the subject line to be considered.

[redpepperland]

Love is a battlefield.

By Joshua Hernandez

February is a month known for the holiday that falls right in the center of it—Valentine’s Day. I wanted to take this iconic holiday and mess with it a little bit. For most people, Valentine’s Day can go one of two ways—really well or really badly. I wanted to create a scenario where either of those extreme outcomes could be a reality—it was simply up to the viewer to decide. Sometimes Valentine’s Day goes all wrong, sometimes it goes allll riiiight.

For the type itself, the answer was obvious—rose petals, a classic flower choice on Valentine’s day. I sketched out the image first on a whiteboard to figure out where everything would go. I wanted the roses to be the focus of the image with the other elements telling a story around it.

Once I had the placement figured out, I went about creating the image itself. I first created the type out of petals, following my sketch, and then created a world around it from standard Valentine’s Day objects—dropped cake, spilled wine, smashed chocolates, and a ripped stuffed animal.

As the holiday approaches, here’s hoping yours isn’t a Valentine’s Day gone wrong, but one gone very, very right

[redpepperland]

Now Hiring: Project Manager

You’re a planner by nature - naturally obsessing over every detail ensuring things are practically perfect. Out of your circle of friends and family, you’re probably the one who organizes the best parties, vacations or weekend adventures.  In your work life you flawlessly execute projects and have mastered the art and science of managing a team. You might even consider yourself a little bit of a control freak. It’s ok. We won’t tell. In fact, we like it that way.

As Project Manager, your first and foremost responsibility will be managing projects to ensure seamless execution of all department business, including organizing, managing and communicating with internal resources who deliver the work required to complete a project. This position will manage all factors that govern project success to ensure high-quality delivery within time, cost and scope, while guiding multiple mid- to high-level projects.

Already interested? Shoot your resume to [email protected] and be sure to include “Project Manager” in the subject line to be considered.

Want the nitty-gritty? Of course you do. Read on.

Our ideal Project Manager will have:

- 5+ years project management experience

- Advertising/Marketing experience (Advertising agency experience a plus)

- Bachelor’s degree

- Ability to manage a variety of projects simultaneously and work well in a fast-paced environment

- Ability to pay close attention to details and manage workflow process

- High proficiency in Google products (Google Docs, Google Calendar, Google Hangout, etc.), as well as Excel, Basecamp, Workamajig or other project management software solutions

As a Project Manager and member of our Studio Group Team, you will be responsible for the following:

Managing large-scale capacity creative initiatives, campaigns and multi-market projects

Enforcing a streamlined workflow of agency processes

Consolidating communications by serving as a central communications point and ensuring that all team members receive all timely and appropriate project information

Monitoring and communicating the impacts and/or risks/changes in project scope to the appropriate project stakeholders, and making necessary adjustments as needed to ensure that project timelines, budgets, and quality are not adversely affected

Mapping out intended client projects in a capacity plan for review against other work in progress

Working with the Traffic Coordinator to schedule projects

Overseeing and managing schedules throughout project lifecycles to track progress and make necessary adjustments for any changes that may be needed

Securing approvals at all stages of the workflow process

Ensuring adherence to all quality assurance tasks to minimize risk of error

Monitoring problem projects to ensure that issues are resolved satisfactorily and in a timely manner

Identifying project risks and providing contingency plans as needed to ensure satisfactory and timely resolution

Ensuring that project job numbers have been opened, and estimates/budgets have been established in Workamajig and properly approved prior to the commencement of work

Tracking estimates to actual costs during the project lifecycle and managing costs to budget, as needed

Leading meetings that achieve effective communication and exchange of information between all key project stakeholders

Developing sound project implementation plans that meet the project strategy while upholding the project scope, budget, timing constraints and quality standards

Organizing and setting clear expectations for all project tasks and deliverables, then communicating those clearly to the team including gathering and managing proper materials/documentation as necessary and disseminating to the team

Monitoring production progress and creatively problem solving issues affecting job quality, due dates and costs, and communicating such discussions to key project stakeholders

Maintaining continuity of processes, learning and quality assurance across all projects

Ensuring strong relationships are built and maintained with project team members across functions and client stakeholders

Contributing ideas for improvement of processes and/or departments

Participating in weekly staff alignment meeting and contributing to the communication and sharing of information/ideas

Participating in Studio Group departmental growth and health

Mentoring interns

Helping manage more junior members of the Studio Group

A Bit About Us: We offer a competitive salary, full health and dental coverage, employee-directed 401K, incredible culture and work experience, ongoing personal growth and flexible hours. redpepper is a place where your creativity thrives and benefits others. Learn more at www.redpepperland.com

Sound like your dream job? Please send your resume to [email protected] and be sure to include “Project Manager” in the subject line to be considered.

[redpepperland]

Move over Martha, there's a new Crafter in Town.

Passion Share: Jennifer Williams

Who is this again? Jennifer is an Account Supervisor here at redpepper.

What is Jennifer’s passion? Crafting!

Tell us a little more! Jen showed off some of the things she’s been working on recently with three lessons from crafting that have also made her a better marketer. Here's a summary of those insights for your benefit too:

1. Crafting lets you practice telling an authentic story.

2. Crafting requires you to re-use methods that work where they work, and improvise elsewhere.

3.  "Inspiration never starts with you."--Tank filling and research should always be the first step of a project. 

Want to find more passion shares? Try here.

Have no idea what a passion share is? This will help.

[redpepperland]

Creative Crushes: Music Videos

Can you have a crush on a concept? Sure! Music videos, for me, are a unique medium that so often inspire out-of-the-box thinking. Here’s why I love them--they’re longer than commercials, but smaller than movies and they’re made to be creative productions. Music videos are literally designed to be interesting, to keep you listening to the track they bring to life.

The stats back up the popularity of this unique art form--in 2013, Vevo attracted 243 million unique viewers worldwide (http://www.ifpi.org/facts-and-stats.php). A good music video takes a song and makes it something more, and is something you want to watch and listen to over and over again. In December of 2013, Vevo has 5.5 billion monthly views. In fact, revenue from advertising-supported streaming services went up 17.6 percent in 2013.

So the next time you’re feeling a little stuck on how to bring an idea to life, hop on YouTube or Vevo and explore some music videos for a while. You’ll leave feeling inspired.

Find my introduction to this post here, and read the whole series here. 

[redpepperland]

New year. Big news.

This year, redpepper’s fresh slate will be fresher (and bigger) than ever before. This year, we’re trading our lunch time treks across the bustling lanes of West End Avenue for the smell of fresh paint, noon gatherings at Big Al’s Deli and a rooftop view of the new Sounds Stadium. This year, redpepper is moving to Germantown. In fifteen days, to be exact.

As we’ve prepared for the big day, we’ve learned a lot about what’s important when creating a workspace designed especially for what we do. Stuff like: Natural light is good. Cubes are bad. Having more than one microwave is probably a good idea. And round tables are pretty much the worst.

We’ve always believed wholeheartedly that people are a product of their environment — color, other humans, food, sound, fresh air and physical space are just a few things that make up any work environment. Our new office space in Germantown provided an opportunity to design a work environment of our very own, for the very first time. A place made for us, by us. Quite literally. Every person here has had a say in the design — right down to the doornails.

Over the next month, we’ll be sharing our learnings with you. In fact, it’s our one resolution: Share more knowledge. Like we said, we’ve learned a ton in designing and creating our soon-to-be new agency space (pictures soon, promise) and we think you might find the information useful, too. Yes, you. So, be on the lookout for tips, tricks and fun stuffs related to our big move (#GermantownBound). And, if you want to bake us a pie or send us some cookies, after January 16th, you can find us at 305 Jefferson Street, right here in Nashville. (Our Atlanta office is staying right where it’s at.) 

Last but not least, to kick off the change-filled month that is January 2015, our first and only move-inspired Facebook cover photo this year was created by none other than our own Tyler Zenk. Here’s the story of how he made it:

“I knew I wanted to find some way to capture both our move and the new beginnings that January offers in my cover photo. As I brainstormed around the elements of a big move, the most obvious thing that came to mind was the quintessential cardboard box. It tends to be the key tool in getting your stuff from one place to another, and moving forward--in this case, into a new year.

That led me to think about how I could capture type and movement in my cover photo. Ultimately, I decided on a spilled box--after all, every move has at least one spilled box of something. I wanted to use the cardboard as a frame for the type, so I hand-lettered January on and  of the box and created the rest of the scene with items from around the office (we’re just starting the packing process ourselves). This also left us with a neat little January spelled out of cardboard.

    We even spilled the box ourselves a few times to get an authentic feel:

We then captured the scene, which involved standing on a few tables and chairs--it looks like we’ve already packed up our step ladder. And the final cover photo was created! Here are some versions made for your mobile device: 

iPhone 5 | iPhone 6

Hopefully your January is off to a momentous start with boxes full of possibilities--don’t be afraid to spill a few along the way!”

[redpepperland]

Six Degrees of Separation: Jeremy Mitchell Style

Passion Share: Jeremy Mitchell

Who is this again? Jeremy is a UI Designer and Video Producer here at redpepper.

What is Jeremy’s passion? Making connections with people.

Tell us a little more! Jeremy loves reaching out and meeting people whose work he’s inspired by.  He encouraged us all to try sending an e-mail to someone we admire and see what happens—and then showed us all the super cool people he’s met over the years, including how his connections with people led him to work at redpepper.

  Want to find more passion shares? Try here.

Have no idea what a passion share is? This will help.

[redpepperland]

Creative Crushes: The Introduction

I am addicted to creativity.  The more I learn about it, the more I need to learn.  To satisfy my craving I study creative people, things, and places.  I absorb myself in the disciplines and work of others, in the hopes that it will inspire and challenge my own creative process.  

In truth, creativity can come from just about anywhere these days.  The opportunities to practice creativity in our modern world are endless.  Over the next few weeks I want to share with you all my creative crushes: the people, places, and things that inspire me on a daily basis. Creativity is everywhere, let’s go get some.

[redpepperland]

Made to be Judged by Its Cover

Passion Share: Jaron Jackson

Who is this again? Jaron is a Designer and Art Director here at redpepper.

What is Jaron’s passion? Making art.

Tell us a little more! We get to see Jaron’s artistic eye in a work context, but not always outside of that. Jaron normally does most of his work for the digital realm, but he was recently a part of an art show that allowed him to get more hands-on by making a book. Check it out:

And see even more by clicking here!

Want to find more passion shares? Try here.

Have no idea what a passion share is? This will help.

[redpepperland]

Deliciously December

For the December cover photo, I wanted to do an ode to baking. I found a homemade gingerbread cookie recipe and purchased things I never thought would make it into my basket (molasses and shortening are some of the weirdest "foods" to work with). I mixed the dough, let it rest for 3 hours and then baked a test batch of cookies. I wanted to see how much the dough would rise and how long I needed to bake the suckers to get a nice golden color.

Once it was time for the real deal I rolled out another batch of dough on a cookie sheet, put Elf on the tv and started cutting out the typography with an exacto knife. About halfway through I wished I would have added more flour so the dough was less sticky—but at that point I was committed. It took almost the whole movie of Elf to cut out the letters (good thing I know that movie by heart and didn't need to look at the screen). The house filled with the delicious smells of December and our cover photo was born.

Download a hi-res version here to use as your desktop background this month.