Brands are businesses, AND we know brands can also hold privileged places in our lives. We bring them into our homes; we play favorites among them; we give them our money in exchange for products or to forward the causes we believe in. With so much integration into our day-to-day, strong brands aren’t just brands. … Continued
Line cook and Digital Director. Two professions that have more in common than you’d think. As I reflect on my time in the kitchen while watching Season 4 of The Bear, the transferability of skills and strategic thinking becomes more and more apparent. When I consider what makes me the performance digital marketer that I … Continued
Even though we’re “based” in Boulder, Colorado, Vermilion has been a 100% remote creative agency since the start of 2024. It’s great for the reasons you read about and experience. There are also challenges for the reasons you read about and experience. With our team tip-tapping at each other through our keyboards and hopping on … Continued
Couldn’t attend “What’s a Stake?” Want to know more about the intersections of some of today’s most pressing 2024 election issues? You’re in the right place. Agency life is more than pitching and producing. For Vermilion, it’s also about partnering with our communities—growing and deepening relationships, activating purpose beyond the work, and uplifting current (and … Continued
New to marketing agency relationships? Choosing a new agency and wondering what kind of partners they’ll be after the pitch? Curious about Vermilion’s approach? Let’s remove some of the mystery around how we partner. Cultivating strong partnerships goes beyond managing deadlines and deliverables. At its core, it’s about building trust, communication, and creating space for … Continued
After 42 years at the helm of Vermilion, in 2022 I made the decision to transition the ownership to three longstanding leaders of the company, Susan Touchette Aust, Thaddeus Napp, and Sarah Halle. The transition to a new generation was in the works for some time. It was always my hope that Vermilion could continue … Continued
From natural product brands to legacy social impact organizations, a brand logo doesn’t just *waves hands wildly* appear. But it does beg the question: what type of brand-building sorcery goes on behind the curtain? There’s no curtain. Or sorcery (sorry). But there are a lot of open Google Chrome/Safari tabs and a ton of sketching and tinkering. Q: Every brand … Continued
Gilly Loco Salsa I loved the simple triangle pattern on the edges and wanted to play that up more as a larger repeating pattern. I also thought the logo felt like it could go toward a more graphic and iconic style – less ‘airbrush.’ A more limited color palette might also make this feel more … Continued
As Mother’s Day approaches, I’m flooded with memories of my younger working mom self while I navigate my newer role as a work-in-progress CEO mom. In my 27+ years of being a mom, I never wanted my work to stand in the way of being a good parent, or my motherhood to hurt my profession. … Continued
I’m often asked how I came up with the name “Vermilion.” Quickly followed by “and, what does it mean?” There are many influences, but one story I often share is I came across the color vermilion, a bright Chinese red, back in college when I was reading James Clavell’s Tai-Pan about the takeover of Hong … Continued