Craig Lennie – Craig Lennie

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The Mind-Body Problem: Branding, Marketing and the Dangers of Dualistic Thinking

TLDR: I Think, Therefore I Brand. All boundaries are tenuous. Whether marked by a handshake or a stretch of steel bollards, the strength of a border ultimately comes down to authority. Who has it. Or, more importantly, the power to enforce it. In the absence of clear authority, or deterrent, conflict escalates. Each side emboldened to lay claim to their…

Craig LennieJuly 18, 2019

Project Spotlight

Project Spotlight: Prep U Boyifesto

Prep U was launched to provide parents with a suite of safe, age appropriate personal care products designed to tame the terror of boy stink. And, in the process of solving the challenge of body odor, help boys ease their way into adulthood rather than leap headfirst from their bubble bath to body spray. Part of our challenge in establishing…

Craig LennieJune 12, 2018

Project Spotlight

Project Spotlight: Traits of Success

Originally delivered as a speech to graduating seniors at Berry College as part of an executive roundtable, Traits of Success is a continuation of the age old hope that the next generation of thinkers, doers and makers can learn from the experiences and difficulties of those who came before them. After the incredible, positive response at Berry, we adapted the…

Craig LennieMay 28, 2018

Project Spotlight

Project Spotlight: Frontyard Brewing

In a booming craft beer market, the Frontyard team came to Creative Tonic with a lineup of bold, non-traditional beers and a desire to be the preferred choice of suburban dads who enjoy a cold beer shared among their friends, family and neighbors. To capture the attention of these aficionados, it was essential to create a brand that would stand…

Craig LennieMay 17, 2018

Inside The Studio

The Death Of The Fixed Bid Project

We don’t want to say it. Clients don’t want to hear it. And yet, it stands – elephant-esque – as the last, and only, line of defense in the fixed-bid, agency-client ecosystem. Over the last couple of years, we’ve begun evolving our approach with clients to avoid this tipping point where collaborators become adversaries. And central to this shift is…

Craig LennieMay 2, 2018

Project Spotlight

Project Spotlight: Abundant Trading Company

An importer of lifestyle products and retailer of worldly goods, Abundant Trading Company was founded to create stronger connections between consumers and the people and places their favorite products originate from. Dedicated to sourcing high quality, affordable and compelling products that represent living an abundant life, they tasked Creative Tonic with bringing their vision for fair, sustainable and conscientious consumer…

Craig LennieApril 17, 2018

Inside The Studio

Design, Detente & Why There Needs To Be A Shift In Thinking To Thinking Across Disciplines

As specialization becomes the new standard for the creative industries, there has been a shift in the common meaning of the term design. Where once it stood as a trade, it now stands as a toolkit, defined by the descriptors we attach (graphic, experience, industrial, etcetera), rather than the process of thought and creation that connects them all. At a…

Craig LennieJanuary 4, 2018

Project Spotlight

Project Spotlight: Key

Part technology platform and part white glove concierge service, KEY partners with luxury property management companies, private airlines and event venues to help deliver an effortless, personalized travel experience for their clients. After an initial launch in 15 markets, Key came to Creative Tonic for help in defining their market position and evolving their brand prior to their next stage…

Craig LennieDecember 8, 2017

Inside The Studio

Why The Coffee Is Never Right – And That’s Okay

We had an incident the other morning that almost derailed an entire day’s worth of productivity in the studio. The coffee was bad. Not, gross but I can-power-through-it-bad. Spoon dissolving as you stir bad. This wasn’t the first time this has happened. In fact, it’s a fairly regular occurrence. Maybe not pots of wallpaper-stripping sludge, but we are constantly having…

Craig LennieApril 18, 2017

Project Spotlight

Project Spotlight: Chi’Lantro

With a primetime feature on ABC’s Shark Tank looming, the Chi’lantro team came to Creative Tonic for help updating their site to make the best, and biggest, impression possible for their introduction to a national tv audience. From the visual language for the brand to the actual language on their site, we turned up the heat on the site experience…

Craig LennieNovember 28, 2016