Newest Tramps

The only thing we like more than solid design is a new crop of Trampoline interns. Each spring they bring with them an incredible ability to shift the chemistry in the shop. This year we're lucky to have 3 Trampterns, with another starting in a few weeks. 

Heather joins us from Sage, Rob from St. Rose, and Christine from Ithaca. 

As tends to happen, they start out very quiet, with lots of nodding and smiling. Little by little they begin to open up and contribute their ideas and opinions during production meetings and crits. Other times they boldly hurl zingers, the resulting laughter and camaraderie are what help to create a culture that fosters creativity, independence, and contributes new phrases to the Trampoline lexicon.

We owe it to our clients and to our own ability to evolve, to spend time with new designers, listening to their perspective and discovering more about our own as we work with them.

It's only been a few weeks, we can't wait to see what the rest of the summer holds and how their strengths will grow between now and then.

What they say is true

My passion for the Double H Ranch has grown every year I've spent time there. My first experience was simply working on the design of a camper sponsorship piece, an integral part of the Ranch's fundraising efforts that continues the 'free of charge' policy that they extend to all campers.



In talking with the folks on the Ranch and hearing more about what happens there, my interest was piqued. So I took a leap of faith and signed up for a week as a volunteer nurse. The nervousness of what to expect disappeared the minute that I checked my first camper in and I've been hooked ever since.

Since that summer I've continued to volunteer as a nurse for a week each summer, as well as on weekends in the winter for the adaptive ski program. I'm also on call as a fill in volunteer on check-in days when the camp is inundated with smiling, happy faces ready to start their week at an amazing camp.

This year I am busy serving on the annual gala committee, one of the camp's largest fundraisers, that takes place at the end of June at The Great Escape. We still do things with the Ranch through Trampoline, with our agency sponsoring the first ever Winter Adaptive Ski Program Fundraiser last February. It was a bona fide success and we are looking forward to our continued sponsorship in what will now be an annual event. I'm already busy filling out my forms for my week at the Ranch. Over the winter we foster-housed several of the bunnies from the Ranch. My daughter Julia, who came with me for a week, is applying to volunteer in the barn in what I think will be the beginning of a long relationship between her and the Ranch; her ultimate goal is to become a counselor. 

What they say about the Ranch is true, it really is magical. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities it has given me, as a business owner, nurse, individual, and parent, to experience the magic.

Doggone Good

In the fast paced, modern work place, it's pretty easy for employees to become cogs in the giant wheel of industry, pressured to perform efficiently and with the bottom line in mind. Particularly lately, with tough times affecting us all, employees are constantly being asked to do more with less, often at the expense of their personal lives. There is definitely something to be said for having expectations of your employees and a healthy respect for end of year profits, from an employee's perspective it's equally important to recognize the value of us workers and human beings. Outside the walls of the office, we have lives that include joys and sorrows, changes, challenges and celebrations, (all of which, by the way, impact our performance as employees). 

As I've looked around at other businesses and the employment situations of my friends and family, I've come to greatly appreciate the support I've received at Trampoline, not only in the office, but outside of it as well. Balancing the challenges that I know that small agencies face, with my gratitude for their willingness to see me as more than an employee, makes the work I do here feel more significant. I understand that I am contributing in a meaningful way, just as they are supporting my life outside of work.

I began working at Trampoline on the front end of my 20's. Now at the tail end, Trampoline has been witness to some of my biggest life changes: meeting my husband, planning a wedding, buying my first house, going back to school for my masters, and bringing an adorable puppy, Albie, into the fold. Through each of these life events, Trampoline has been there on the sidelines cheering me on. In fact, they've done more than cheer. 

When I decided to head back to school, Trampoline respected my decision and made it possible for me to work and go to school at the same time by offering a flexible schedule that could shift as my classes and school obligations changed from semester to semester. And when Albie trotted into my life as an 8 week old puppy, on day 5 of puppy-ownership, I brought him into work with me every day until he was old enough to be home alone.

Without this support, it's quite possible that I would not have been able to welcome these exciting new things into my life. It's one of those intangible perks not necessarily reflected in a standard "benefits"package or a pay check, but that is worth its weight in gold in the sense that I can live a full life while still maintaining my professional career.

Thanks, Trampoline!

Higher Ed & Gratitude

There is a lot said about the advertising industry, not all of it positive, but after post-Oscars backlash, we can say that our awards season tends not to carry much controversy with it. Over the past several weeks while Hollywood has been glitzing it up, many of us in advertising and marketing have been tracking the awards in our industry. Yesterday we received word that our work had been recognized in the 28th Annual Educational Advertising Awards.

We were awarded a silver for our work for the purple and gold at UAlbany.

The logo we created for The VIC at Paul Smith's College received a merit award. 

The billboards we created for the SUNY Plattsburgh at Queensbury campus also received a merit award.

The regional communications equivalent of the Oscars, long known as the NORIs, happen this Friday. The Ad Club has rejoined the American Advertising Federation, which is why instead of the NORIs, the event will be called the Albany ADDY Awards. This year there is a Mad Men theme, being a creative bunch we plan to go dressed in a thematically appropriate way. Our efforts to look the part will be a way that we honor our old friend Patrick Sisti. He never met a costume he wasn't willing to wear. The Ad Club will be celebrating his memory and we look forward to being a part of this evening. 

Award ceremonies, trophies and the celebratory announcements that follow them are all wonderful. However as we reflect on the road we took to create our body of work, we linger on the idea of community and of trade. Behind analytics and buried beneath proofs and tear sheets, there is the spark that started it all. It's the spirit of a creative who, while taking the train to the city or hiking Sleeping Beauty, spies something that they know they can use to build a concept for a capital campaign. It's the copywriter scribbling headlines on a cocktail napkin or the art director refolding a sheet to create a more compelling mailer. 

Right now we are proud to be a part of the sometimes undersung community who takes risks, makes mistakes, and disappears into the character of a project in order to delight an audience. It's a pretty incredible thing to have the privilege of working in this industry and calling so many amazingly talented and imaginative people our peers. 

Longterm Giving

The Double H Ranch, a division of the Hole in the Wall Camps founded by Paul Newman and Charlie Wood, has been a member of the Trampoline client family since Trampoline’s inception. As one of our longest standing clients, the Ranch has become a part of the fabric here at Trampoline, predating the birth of six Trampoline babies, the employment of 4 staff members, and two new office spaces.  Over the course of those years, Trampoline has enjoyed watching this functional client relationship grow and evolve. 

It’s a privilege working with the warm, enthusiastic and incredibly capable staff at the Ranch and now, in addition to the numerous design projects we’ve created on behalf of the Ranch, we have also begun contributing in a very important and meaningful way. Paula, our Business Manager at Trampoline and a Registered Nurse has spent one day a week up at the Ranch volunteering her time to assist the many campers as they make their way to camp this summer.

The beloved Double "H" tree.

Check-in day with Double H. Getting to know the campers and counselors.
 

Just as our personal connections to the Ranch have grown, so too has the scope of the projects required by the Ranch. This year provided one of the most challenging projects to date. 

Offered a matching grant, the Ranch was tasked with raising $30,000 of new contributions as the first phase of a three-year fundraising effort. Trampoline was charged with creating materials to help secure these gifts.

As our team brainstormed, we developed a cost-effective sponsorship piece that included an audience-specific sleeve and custom illustration of the Ranch grounds. Called to “Blaze a Trail”, this map served as both a call to action and keepsake for donors.  Loved among the team at the Ranch, this illustration has also been included in several other long-term marketing projects.

Empowered with effective sponsorship materials that speak to the unique atmosphere and experience at Double H, the Ranch has so far seen a tremendous response to this campaign. Just in year one however, there is a long way yet to go and Trampoline is excited to be a part of the next phase of the campaign. 

You too can be a part of the magic that exists at the Ranch by becoming a sponsor, whether for $25, a day at camp, or a week. No gift is too small. So become a trailblazer, you'll never regret it.

Greater than the Sum

The Albany Ad Club's 38th Annual NORI Awards were held last Friday night. The Trampoline team descended on Proctors Theatre, spouses in tow, with clients and friends, to represent our agency. It's important for us to be part of a growing creative community in upstate New York. We raised a glass with the id29 crew at Aperitivo beforehand, traded jokes with the Behan Communications team during the reception, and congratulated Freshrr on attending for the first time.

The NORIs pull us all together as an industry, and they set us apart as agencies. Internally, awards like these serve a similar purpose—rewarding the strength of an organization's process while spotlighting the efforts of individual designers. We're a spirited bunch here at Trampoline, make no mistake. Collegiate rowers, mountain bike racers, track & field stars, mathletes and triathlon competitors. We make our living getting attention for our clients. We do that by assembling the most talented people, a deep bench of professionals who love design—but measure success in the results their design generates.

Measurable impact like increased season subscriptions for the Adirondack Theatre Festival, a double in draft accounts for Davidson Bros. Brewing Company, a robust sample library for Finch Paper, a new swagger for SUNY Adirondack, or an added destination for Downtown Glens Falls. We're lucky to have great partnerships with clients who trust us, and let us create powerful work. 

Results and design should speak for themselves. But in an industry where the product (design) is completely subjective, it's nice to be acknowledged by your contemporaries. You can see our first place finishers here. This is not to say that it's all about the awards. We spent time before the event recognizing the obstacles and triumphs for each of us, that will never make into an awards ceremony or a blog entry. It was a poignant milestone, because it marked the union of us as individuals and teammates. Before any names were called, we simply and proudly acknowledged that who we are matters as much as what we do.

A lot happens in a year's time, Trina got married, Jake had a baby, Partick Sisti (pictured below) retired*, we opened a retail store, and relocated our studio. Our staff has been incredibly dependable and consistently awesome throughout.

It was true when we first hung our shingle, and it is still true today, Glens Falls is exactly the place we were meant to start this business and build this family.

Amanda and Paula celebrate hard work recognized.

Derek accepts a trophy from Patrick Sisti. They immediately began a discussion about fly fishing.

Jacob Hadden, center, award-winning illustrator.

Amy's work for ATF won a NORI in 3 categories. On newsprint, no less. No school like the old school.

Trina collected a statue for her Herculean efforts as our Production Coordinator

Even our summer intern, Leslie Searles, got into the act, winning in the student category.

*We did some of our first print jobs with Patrick, and just prior to his retirement, he did his last with us. See you around the trout stream, pal.

Thanks to Albany Alive for covering the NORIs, and providing a few of the photos used above.