Toyota Rav4 Introduction
I was responsible for designing the inside of the Toyota headquarters and the campus with promotional material when new models were introduced. This schematic shows the promotional signage for the Rav4. It was through Callahan Creek’s exceptional knowledge and expertise in printing that Toyota hired us to solve their printing problems, resulting in improving quality, streamlining, and saving them millions in the printing process. We soon had a Callahan Creek office dedicated to print management in the Toyota headquarters, and soon after that, we had a creative department there, too. Designing the office atrium area and grounds was like a battle of sorts, with the all-nighters sometimes going into the next day and weekends trying to meet the crazy deadlines for each new model introduction. Despite the stress and lack of sleep, we still had fun. The challenge was always exciting, and there was a sense of accomplishment once the project was completed. Until the next battle! ↓
This was the first model introduction design that Callahan Creek would create for Toyota, and I knew we had to take it through the roof and beyond to prove we were suited for the job. After a few initial banner designs and concepts, I had an epiphany: rather than one-dimensional banners hanging from the ceiling, let's hang three-dimensional 4ft x 4ft cubes from the four-story ceiling with the Rav4 messaging on all sides so they could be viewed from multiple sides. Other complementary signage would also be placed strategically throughout the Toyota campus. Toyota was ecstatic, and after hearing that, so was I! ↓
Another view of the atrium area with the Rav4 floor display in the foreground, a cube balancing on a smaller cube, ↓
The Rav4 messaging was also allocated to the parking lots. ❦
Preliminary RAV4 Concepts
For the runner-up concept, I designed a Rav4 banner that was to be hung diagonally in the atrium area that was 8ft tall by 12ft wide and was cut into four strips, each one with a different feature of the car. Additionally, a transparent film strip with the word "Rav4" printed vertically with white lettering was placed a short distance in front and to the right of the banner. On the floor was a Rav4 6ft tall by 1 1/2ft square column with rotating colored lights inside illuminating the outer walls of the column, and on the light poles were Rav4 promotional banners. ↓
Rav4 sexy red-on-red eye candy concept banner to hang in the Toyota HQ atrium. ↓
This is an eye candy concept, with multiple banners with Rav4 beauty shots. ❦
This concept is “from the engineer’s drawing board to reality,” which I believe worked well to introduce a new model. ↓
Toyota FJ Cruiser Introduction
Toyota Fj Cruiser was an off-road compact SUV of Toyota Motors. that had a powerful engine and an attractive exterior and interior design. ↓
These were 1 1/2ft x 5ft light pole banners and 4ft x 5ft ceiling banners. If you look closely at the background, you’ll see that there is a topographical map, my creative director's idea, to further enforce the idea the vehicle is tough enough to handle any terrain. ↓
The FJ Cruiser was a concept car at the January 2003 North American International Auto Show and was approved for production after a five-star rating by consumers and debuted in 2006. ↓
The FJ Cruiser concept debuted at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show in Voodoo Blue, becoming the signature color for the production FJ Cruiser. ↓
Props from the Hollywood props warehouse were utilized in the Toyota atrium for the model introductions. Artificial boulders were used with the FJ Cruiser to portray ruggedness. ❦
Toyota Camry Introduction
Toyota Camry MP3 player can put out the decibels! Great hair day, though! ↓
Rest assured that your Toyota Camry is safe from theft with the immobilizer. ↓
They were 4ft x 5ft banners that hung from the ceiling in the Toyota headquarters in Torrance, California. ❦
Toyota HQ SEMA Panels
These were floor panels in the Toyota HQ in Torrance, Calif. (now in Plano, Texas) that were approximately 3ft by 6ft high. SEMA or the “Specialty Equipment Marketing Association” for after-market vehicle parts and accessories. If you notice, I designed each one with a different logo design and different metal borders to convey the idea of custom-built parts. ❦
Magazine Wrap
This was an after-market parts magazine wrap for trucks. It was a cross-promotion with Knaack, a company that sells toolboxes and the Toyota Tundra. This was a fun piece to design. Notice the tire tracks running across the left side. ↓
The kicker on the back of the wrap is bold and to the point. ❦
Lexus Dealer
Success Guide
The guide went out to all the dealers in North America. I enjoyed this challenge. Designing anything for Lexus was exciting. Lexus was also located at Toyota HQ. ❦
Lexus Navigation
Announcement
I designed this Lexus navigation announcement brochure and the envelope under another tight deadline. I particularly liked the flap on the envelope. It was a little extra for Lexus. ↓
The tri-fold brochure announced a new upgrade for Lexus navigation systems. ❦
Lexus XM Radio Offer
Lexus tri-fold brochure offering XM satellite radio. Lexus also showed the XM NAV Traffic, which would be helpful during the morning and afternoon rush hour. I hate traffic! ❦
Nylabone Sales Brochure
This was a tri-fold brochure promoting Quest Multi-Care, a dog dental system by Nylabone. The brochure was aimed at merchandisers to encourage them to purchase Quest products. Incorporating a toothbrush holder and the toothbrush seemed like a natural fit for the product. ↓
The edge of the toothbrush was cut out on the cover page for a more dimensional feel. The green Quest products and the blue toothbrush, along with the toothbrush holder, were composited in Photoshop. ❦
Kansas Travel and Tourism
Kansas Travel and Tourism campaign, car window sticker. ↓
This was a countersign for Kansas Secrets, a campaign to attract more tourists to Kansas. ↓
A tent card was placed on tables for the Kansas Secrets campaign. It was printed on both sides, and the illustration was airbrushed, which became obsolete once the computer took the stage. ❦
Ethel Lee
When I was six, I was terrified of walking to and from school, fearing a particular old lady would get me. This scary old lady lived across the street from our house. Her red house resembled a barn and sat back among bare, dying trees in a weed-choked yard that was never mowed.
Her name was Ethel Lee, and she was of Native American descent. Her mostly gray hair was braided into long pigtails. She wore an old-fashioned reddish dress down to her ankles and had a pronounced waddle as she walked.
My older brother and his friends would purposely walk on her side of the street just to rile Ethel Lee up. She was very much on the cantankerous side; she would throw all kinds of curse words your way if you got near her property.
There were plenty of dark stories about her. I now realize they were more than likely made up. Sometimes, when I was in the car with Mom or Dad, we would see Ethel Lee waddling down First Street in a large old-fashioned cloth tote bag with leather handles and a faded floral design. It was said she carried a machete in that bag, and she would chop you up into bite-sized pieces if she caught you. Most of these tales came from my older brother and other kids. Of course, being six years old, I took it all in.
Even though I was terrified to walk to school, I wanted to because I had a crush on a girl who also walked to school down First Street. Her name was Jill, and I thought she was beyond beautiful. That’s why I was willing to risk being chopped into bite-sized pieces just to see her every school day.
Ethel Lee and her red house are no longer there. In their place is a self-storage building, also red. ❦
The Preforming Arts
A self-promotional ad for Hill’s Pet Nutrition in The Performing Arts program booklet. The concept is, of course, a play on the tragedy and comedy masks. (3D illustration) ❦
The Villages
Designing this two-color brochure for The Villages was both fun and rewarding. ❦
Children Mercy Hospital
This was a brightly colored folder with a circle cut out of the center of the cover, which revealed the face of a child. The parents could keep all their CMH paperwork in one place while at the hospital. It also had a tab on the top front page so it could be easily filed away with other important documents. CMH was extremely pleased with piece. ↓
When opened, it revealed a pocket with the entire photo of all the kids. The mission statement was printed on the inside front cover. It won an award in the design category. Another fave! ❦
6Ft Mall Panels
Front & backs of 6ft tall panels housed at the Oak Park Mall in KC. They were to build awareness of a new Children's Mercy Hospital urgent care unit on the east side of KC. ❦
Grundfos Pumps
This is a marketing packet for the Grundfos Comfort System pumps that went to merchandisers and contractors. ↓
The photo of the copper pipes is a flap that folds up to reveal the messaging below. ↓
The packet contained a pocket with several letter-sized sheets of paper highlighting selling points. The background featured a water graphic depicting a photograph of waves and bubbles. This graphic was replicated and screened back across the paper
sheets. ❦
Grundfos press kit (a set of documents, photos, and materials sent to media outlets for promotion.) ❦
FootPrints
The Footprint’s catalog cover was just your run-of-the-mill job to manipulate a photo of a foot in a scandal to the point where it looks like a stone statue made into a house! ↓
For over 40 years, “Footprints” served local and mail-order customers from their storefront in Lawrence, Kansas, and hopefully will for another 40 years. ❦
“42” Poster
The concept is a parody of the “Spartan 300” movie, a few brave warriors against multitudes of the enemy. The client didn't have much of a budget at all. To get around this, I took advantage of a stock photography website and collected the photos needed for the poster. The photos were composited in Photoshop to create what you see. The helmet, face, and smokestacks were all separate photos. Color, darkness, and contrast were applied to mimic a movie poster. ❦
Barf bag recommended!