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.

Caffeinated Consumers

Being an opinionated and often inscrutable bunch here at Trampoline, we decided to conduct a litmus test of sorts. Mornings in the office you can find the staff clinging to their cup of giddyup. We looked around the room at our production meeting and everyone had something different. Each of us has our favorite, and we all know one another's preferences, but not why. As a culture, we make our purchase decisions based on predictable data, or do we? Is it location, convenience, price, habit? Turns out, it's different for each of us. 

Sean: Rock Hill Bakehouse
Coffee is an absolute necessity. Quality is less of a consideration for me than unfettered access to caffeine. There are a number of cafes around the office, I drive by two different Dunkin' Donuts on my way to work, and continue past the Cool Beans that my mother is loyal to. Apparently coffee preference is not a genetic trait. I get my coffee at Rock Hill bakehouse. Not because it's close to the office (it is) not because it's organic and free-trade (also true) but because of Beth. She floats behind the counter with a big smile, asks about my family and calls me Mr. Magee. I can get coffee anywhere. I get it from Rock Hill because Beth makes me feel appreciated. Service, people.

Derek: Lox of Bagels & Moor
Lox of Bagels & Moor. Yeah, weird name, looks and location. But inside: best egg-bagel sandwiches bar none, Green Mountain Coffee and usually a smile. Like most on this list, here's another local, family-owned biz that brings pride to area.

Amanda: Starbucks
It's less about the products than it is about the experience. When I step into a Starbucks the smell of coffee beans and the whir of steamers transports me to the fuzzy euphoria of the holidays. Hearing my drink called and collecting the hot cup gives me a sense that anything is possible. The displays are intoxicating in their unnecessariness and relative affordability. I even enjoy the occasional haugtiness from the baristas, signaling that they feel as special working there as I do visiting. The 3,000 miles between where I have chosen to raise my family and where I was raised is bridged when I visit Starbucks. It isn't buying-local, but for me it's visiting-familiar and it's priceless.

Jake: Stewart's
It took me more than 30 years to develop an appreciation for coffee - now it's a morning ritual that I rely on to carry me through my day. Always on the run, I constantly find myself pulling into the first establishment on my commute. No Lines, No Hassle, No Nonsense - just a simple cup of coffee for a simple kind of guy. Though I do enjoy indulging in the occasional upscale cup o' joe, there's certainly something about the straight-forward and uncomplicated convenience that keeps me coming back for more.

Trina: Loose Leaf Tea
So much of my tea enjoyment lies in the ritual of tea. When in a rush, a tea bag is just fine, but I prefer loose leaf. At work, it's the act of filling the small, wire mesh strainer with green tea, cinnamon tea, or a classic English breakfast and then letting the warmth of the mug melt into my hands and calm my mind during a busy day. At home, my husband and I will often split a pot of tea. There, it's filling the kettle, cooking an egg or two while we wait for it to boil, and then pouring ourselves tiny cups, refilling as we go along in conversation, easing ourselves into the weekend. Tea is simple and quiet, a pause steeped deeply in every culture, connecting me back to myself.

Amy: The Chocolate Mill
Walking into The Chocolate Mill reminds me a little bit of a European-style Manhattan-ish cafe, it's dark, warm and cozy with a perfect little bit of sophistication. My husband and I have two kids in daycare and rarely splurge on ourselves, but a good cup of coffee (not made at home!) is something we never go without. Honestly we never feel guilty about our little Latte Factor addiction either. Dudes, we have one car, don't have cable and are stuck in the space-time continuum of Dora and Diego videos. My vice is factored into my day, give me a little Greenwich Village feel with my coffee and all is right with the world. 

Paula: Diet Coke
I am the only smart one. I choose to drink a self contained, ice cold beverage that doesn't require an extra stop in the morning or the extra cash.  I simply reach into the fridge for a cold one-no, not beer-a Diet Coke. I'm that 30 something (ok maybe just 40) that the Diet Coke execs are targeting. And its working. To me, there's nothing like the "fizz" of caffeine in the morning. I'll admit this habit started in college when money was tight and the only thing found in our fridge was Diet Coke, most often a left over mixer from the night before.  But I have to admit it's pure genius. Where else can you get your morning caffeine fix for 44 cents?

Mountain Bound

Late last week, Derek took a powder day.

Some execs take their time in the tee box, others overload on conferences, in the Adirondacks when the snow flies, we head to the mountains.

Rest assured he'd earned it after killing it on a campaign for Finch Paper's line of digital papers. Derek hit the slopes at West Mountain, our local favorite and the subject of a recent rebrand by the team here at Trampoline, and the subject of merch and more downstairs at Nine, our retail store.

While West isn't the biggest mountain in the region, it is, without question, the closest. Families with kids avoid the car trip, skiers from the city exit at 18 rather than spend another hour on the road, and locals know how good the conditions are. 

Derek brought his camera, attempting to redefine the notion of working remotely.

The view of the valley where we live and work, with Vermont in the distance.

The crowds and the Base Lodge beyond.

The perfect place to learn.

Night skiing, and snowmaking.

Freshly pressed corduroy, 

Live music in the lodge, aprés ski.

Media Night Cabaret

We're getting the band back together. Again. 

It's the Third-Somewhat-Annual Media Night. An open mic, coffee house cabaret made up of people like us—communication pros: copywriters, journalists, coders, designers, and creatives in the region. We shuck our pantone books and thesauruses for guitars and microphones in an effort to raise money for a worthy cause. 

Last time we took to the stage to benefit Feet First, a regional non profit dedicated to putting shoes on kids who need them. This year proceeds will be donated to the House of Grace of the Adirondacks, a local hospice provider. The show is free, and promises to be spectacular entertaining laughable fun. Stop by, heckle us, leave a donation. It 's Friday, October 15th. 

Awesome, for his age.

Derek Slayton, a Principal here at Trampoline has been named to the Post Star's 20 Under 40 list.

Co-founding a creative agency that has grown by leaps and bounds in each of its 7 years, producing campaign work that has won 17 Nori Awards from the Albany Ad Club, contributing well over $100,000 in volunteer time, in-kind donations, and financial contributions (just last year) and providing new jobs for young professionals in the middle of a recession is a lot to do.

Dude ain't even 40 yet.

We'd also like to congratulate a few of our friends and clients who also made the list: Christine Dawson, Director of Development at the Hyde Collection, Michael Murray, Vice President of Commercial Lending at Adirondack Trust, and Likling Khoo, Owner of Baker's Dream and creator of incredible deliciousness.

Congrats to all the deserving professionals who made the list!