Vision is the ability to see and communicate what exists beyond blank paper. Or, in this case, a blank screen. When it was still called G4, the promise of capturing the elusive and highly coveted consumer group of affluent, metropolitan men had to be shown to thousands of media buyers at the Upfront. Mission: Sculpt fog, without one single frame of new original programming. Once Esquire was launched, that same vision had to be shared with everyone who worked inside the network through a Brand Code in a way that was instantly accessible and understandable. Mission: Sculpt granite, without one word of marketing speak. And everything that followed, embodied the new Esquire lifestyle brand for consumers, media buyers and ad clients through idea, word and design.

Curiosity is constantly searching for data that unlocks transformational insights. For the Vancouver Olympics, exhaustive research uncovered the kind of “unsexy” creative that can actually make a difference: local affiliate spots. Broadcast and cable affiliates would air commercials in their own local media time, they just needed the right kind of content to champion their hometown heroes and to sell to area businesses. Eighteen months and 500 spots later, the Vancouver Olympics became the 2nd highest rated Winter Games in U.S. history. Those local spots became a lot sexier when they added up to over $30MM in free air time.

NOTE: The highest rated Winter Olympics is still Lillehammer, which featured the epic “Kerrigan v. Harding” showdown.