A new artist bio for roots rocker Rich McCulley, who is releasing his fifth record “Starting All Over Again” in March 2010 with a full press campaign.  This bio had to promote the record and McCulley’s substantial achievements while also dealing sensitively with two deaths of close friends and collaborators who were heavily involved in his work.  The bio runs long, but it is intended to give fodder for a wide variety of shorter marketing materials and therefore covers a wide range of topics in depth. (more…)

A new fully featured website for The Steve Alexander Group, a powerful San Diego-based communications company that provides a full range of services to both the public and private sector.

The site harnesses compelling animation, the latest blogging and social media strategy, as well as classic capability descriptions to showcase the Group’s unique vision and strengths.

The header for the site uses an animation of a light bulb with a spinning Earth overlay, out of which various trademarked slogans emerge to highlight the major points of each page.

The home page allows visitors to jump quickly to service offerings, or to browse recent blog postings either as a list of headlines or as an excerpted version of the latest post.  Once the visitor clicks deeper into the site, the sidebar changes to a list of headlines.  A handy link below allows a visitor to subscribe to the blog;  they can choose either to receive instant emails alerting them to new posts or receive summaries in a weekly digest form.

The blog itself has all the bells and whistles a reader could want — simple indexed navigation to major content areas, easy two-click sharing to any social media site (Twitter, Facebook, Digg, etc), and moderated discussion and commenting.  It greatly boosts the search engine profile of the site, as it keeps content fresh and continually adds new keyword-rich pages to the site, providing plenty of new fodder every time the site is indexed by Google, Bing, or Yahoo.  From the contributor side, adding new posts with text, images, video, etc. is a simple process using the secure backstage area that can be accessed from any browser (even via PDA or cell phone).  As recognized thought leaders in communications strategy, this area will be heavily used by the company and be a key educational tool for current and prospective clients.

The site design sits in a subtly 3D looking frame that seems to float slightly above the page, with corners turned down to touch at bottom right and left.  Colors feature blue (signifying dependability, reliability, and calm) balanced by a secondary orange tone (which radiates vitality, action, stimulation, etc).  The combination gives a highly professional look without distracting from the main content delivery.

A handy tab at top left allows visitors to bookmark the site for easy access in the future.

A new one sheet description for Andrew Griffin’s new melodic pop project Felsen, which pulls together many notable San Francisco playing and writing partners into one killer project.

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“Sometimes, making a pop record is like chiseling away at a huge block of granite with a pair of tweezers.” (more…)

This advice onesheet, for handing out to spa owners at event and for download by spa owners, was edited down from a much larger piece.  It has a basic but clean design scheme that will print fine on a home or office printer.

Many small businesses lack a cogent strategy for gathering positive online reviews, though online reviews factor large in customer decisions.  This piece lays out the basic idea and explains the powerful effect that can result.

A web banner ad for an auto technology company, touting their significant ROI advantage.

Simple, persuasive creative, to be placed in a popular auto industry newsletter.

A new page written and designed for the Hollywood Sign Trust, exploring the Sign’s airtight security profile and explaining why it is no longer possible to hike directly to the Sign.

Having visited the Sign personally as authorized guests, climbing down the steep slope on a rope and teetering on the slim strip of flat ground next to the Sign, we can attest to the fact that though the view from the Sign is spectacular, it is not someplace a casual visitor or hiker could get to even without the helicopters and razor wire-topped security fence.

Also, a little known fact is that, when standing next to the Sign, you really can’t see it… it is just too big.  And it is HOT too, standing in the glare of all that white paint and SoCal sunlight.

Enjoy this landmark from below, please!

This marketing email quickly communicates the benefits of a new feature of a large SEO marketing program offered by an auto industry technology provider.  Simple text and graphics for fast loading and a redundant text area at the bottom in case the recipient can’t see the images.

A public safety one sheet to be distributed by a major spa technology resource through day spas, resorts, and salons across the US this month to raise awareness about the dangers of melanoma.

We wrote and designed this in a breezy, women’s magazine style to make it accessible and fun, not preachy.  The layout uses an image of a sun smart young girl using sunscreen, a wide column citing common sun myths, stats about cancer, and helpful tips from a noted skin expert who will also be out working the media on this topic.  There’s also a promotion at the bottom for special sun sensitive wrist bands that change color in the sun, reminding the wearer to put on sunscreen.

We are pleased to announce that iWine.jp, a leading bilingual online wine shop in Japan, has named Amplitude Creative as its new English content editor. We will be gathering material from the excellent roster of wine writers that supply copy for the site, editing it for final production, and assembling the delivery. This great content, delivered both on the site and through html marketing pieces, will be on topics such as understanding wine, selecting bottles, storage, wine/food pairings, wine accouterments, and more.

Wine culture is really taking off in Japan, despite the rough economy. All things being equal, getting together with good friends and enjoying a good bottle of wine is always a relatively cheap way to relax and socialize.

The latest incarnation of our company website utilizes twin bullhorns at the top to illustrate our ability to amplify the marketing power, creativity, and reputation of any organization.

In order to let the content take center stage, the site look and feel is deliberately neutral and understated in muted grey set against a white backdrop. Intuitive navigation, fast loading, and ease of use was of paramount concern. (more…)