Newton, MA
1994

One of kor group’s first projects was developing a special communications package for premier clients of Cahners Publishing, a large specialty and trade publisher based outside of Boston. We fabricated clear Lucite forms and used strong lighting and sophisticated photography to tell a story of vibrancy and growth. It became Cahners’ most valuable client communications vehicle for its Premier customer base and the Lucite sculptures were put on display in their reception area for visitors and clients to enjoy.

London, UK
1995

With initial sales at its first US mall store below expectations, London-based Waterstone’s Booksellers contacted kor group to help it successfully execute its planned expansion into the US market. We began our work by conducting a series of in-store customer focus groups and collaborating with architects to organize and enhance the shopping experience. We streamlined Waterstone’s color scheme and logotype, and designed a wide range of print and in-store materials, including signage, environmental graphics, wrapping paper, shopping bags, catalogs, and posters.

The impact of our work was immediate: sales jumped 25 percent within the first week of the store’s reopening, and paved the way for the company to open another 20 US stores.

Danvers, MA and Munich, Germany
1996

Based on the strength of our research-based design, we were asked by OSRAM Sylvania, the US arm of one of the world’s largest lighting manufacturers, to create its first company website and intranet. Our site design included an innovative user interface that allowed visitors to educate themselves on different types of bulbs by clicking on lights in different areas of the home page. Working in conjunction with OSRAM’s German headquarters team and ad agency of record, we completed a wide range of projects over the next decade, including an employee newsletter and global publications standards.

Boston, MA
1997

Our work with the Huntington Theatre Company, one of Boston’s leading professional theaters, illustrates the breadth of our craft and our commitment to true creativity. We refined the HTC’s brand identity and over the course of five seasons created a series of highly imaginative print materials, including season brochures, direct mail, and posters. Utilizing everything from original illustrations and historical photography to collages and mixed media, our work reflected the artistic direction and cultural depth inherent in each Huntington production.

Boston, MA
1998

Financial services powerhouse State Street Corporation has been a kor group client since we opened our doors. We began our relationship with the company by developing internal communications for its global human resources and State Street Associates’ divisions, and later created a comprehensive communications program for Global Link, the firm’s international trading practice. Our work for Global Link included an overarching brand identity and innovative flexible brochure system that allowed the company to market the highly specialized services it provides to its clients. Through the years, we have created communications for State Street in a variety of languages, formats, and color palettes, and more than a decade after beginning our relationship, we still work with the company’s ING affiliate.

Needham, MA
1999

Global tech company Parametric Technology Corporation, also known as PTC, came to us in the midst of the dot-com boom to better communicate its leading position in the burgeoning internet-commerce category. Working under tight deadlines, our team came together to develop an identity, tagline (“Shaping Innovation”), graphic standards guide, annual report, and brand book. Almost 15 years later, the PTC logotype is still in use.

Spencer, MA
2000

Partnering with the Holy Rood Guild has been one of our most rewarding long-term client experiences. For more than 15 years we worked with the monks at Saint Joseph’s Abbey in Western Massachusetts, developing marketing catalogs for their handcrafted vesture and liturgical products. These catalogs showcase the spirituality, artistry, and craftsmanship of the products as well as the contemplative and quiet culture of a cloistered Roman Catholic monastery. As a self-supporting community, the monks collaborated closely with our team on these pieces, influencing the overall look and feel, and even building and painting backgrounds for photo shoots. Over the course of a relationship built on trust, honesty, and creativity, the members of the Guild became more than our clients – we are proud to consider them lifelong friends.

Boston, MA
2001

Our large-scale admissions program for Emerson College included a website, a wide range of print materials, and design consultation on environmental graphics in their new admissions visitor center. The “I Am” brochure we created is an example of the creative thinking we brought to this project. High school sophomores and juniors discover reflections of themselves as they flip through halved pages that mix and match different faces. Inspirational stories and photography tell the Emerson story, and encourage prospective students to explore their interests, passions, and goals for the future.

The “I Am” brochure was a highly effective piece. It contributed to a significant increase in campus visits and qualified applicants, and began a nine-year partnership between Emerson and kor group.

Norwood, MA
2002

Millennium, a well-respected regional commercial printer, came to us looking for a new brand and materials. We developed a fresh identity system and new signage, but it was our highly creative capabilities brochure that got people talking. Titled 1,000 Reasons, the piece highlighted the company’s strengths and differentiators, and used every printing process imaginable to illustrate its full range of capabilities and services. Tying the piece together was an extensive list of 1,000 reasons a client should work with Millennium. It’s no surprise that this one-of-a-kind piece has become something of a collector’s item in the design and printing community.

Boston, MA
2003

The Instrumental, Vocal, and Ensemble Programs brochure we created for Berklee College of Music was designed to showcase the school’s position as a premier learning lab that teaches its students through a vibrant combination of music theory and practice. The Play button image on the cover reflects the school’s energy; edgy, experimental culture; and the constant discovery and exploration that takes place between students and teachers. Imaginative use of photography and typography throughout the brochure speaks to the school’s diversity and breadth, as well as its focus on collaboration, improvisation, and passion for developing world-class musicians. Berklee used this brochure for over 7 years to communicate to prospective students this very important part of the music education at the school.

Boston, MA
2004

While family-owned YALE enjoyed a strong reputation among its core of existing customers, many potential consumers assumed that it was a utility company and did their shopping elsewhere. After conducting qualitative research with customers, we changed the company’s name from Yale Electric to Yale Appliance + Lighting, a subtle shift that more clearly articulated its position as a high-end appliance retailer. We followed up with a new identity system and tagline, as well as vehicle branding, advertising, posters, and print pieces for in-store promotions and fundraising events. We even designed an identity for YALE’s hockey team! Nine years later, the Turn It On! tagline can still be seen all over Boston.

Cambridge, MA
2005

The stewardship campaign wrap-up piece we developed for MIT uses dynamic photography and varnish techniques and an atypical size to capture the school’s unique problem-solving approach to learning. Titled What is the Structure of Invention? this beautiful piece depicts MIT’s groundbreaking innovations in energy, entrepreneurship, and humanoid robotics, and illustrates how campaign contributions helped the school realize its extraordinary ambitions.

Boston, MA
2006

BIDMC had been a kor group client for almost a decade when they asked us to create a brand and marketing program for their $300 million capital campaign. To highlight the unique combination of patient focus and cutting-edge medicine that differentiates BIDMC from other Boston hospitals, we named the campaign State-of-the-Art Humanity and created a logo, case statement, coaching guide, direct mail pieces, and various events communications. Our work for the campaign helped to raise $301 million, won several awards, and has further strengthened the unique partnership we enjoy with BIDMC.

Boston
2007

Our work for New England School of Law began with the branding of its Centennial year communications and events, a process informed by extensive qualitative research, experiential discovery, and strategic planning. This engagement grew into a multi-year relationship between kor group and the school, including a renaming to New England Law | Boston and an elegant new visual identity inspired by Boston’s Leonard P. Zakim Bridge (Zakim was a New England Law graduate). We also created a new website, advertising, and print communications to support Admissions and Development, environmental graphics, signage, bookstore apparel, and brand standards for the school. As a result of our work, New England Law has seen greater brand awareness and an improved reputation.

Everett, MA
2008

We were asked to complete a comprehensive rebranding for Bond Brothers, a family-owned construction company entering its second century and fifth generation of leadership. Our research revealed confusion between the company’s different divisions, so we created unique messaging for each while also developing a set of overarching brand messages for the parent company. We shortened the name from Bond Brothers to the gender-neutral and more memorable BOND, and designed a website that highlights a cross section of employees and work. We also developed a new identity and proposal system, signage, hard hates, site banners, and equipment labels. Our work made an impact: BOND was awarded a first-place award for its visual identity by the Society for Marketing Professional Services.

Worcester, MA
2009

We took a novel approach to our work with College of the Holy Cross, a leading Jesuit liberal arts college. To execute on the Being Holy Cross concept selected by the client team, we chose to forgo scripted videos or highly stylized photography and instead used more spontaneous photos and video clips. We also oversaw the development of student-generated slideshow content and voiceovers, and an original musical score to accompany various communications assets. The print program we developed served as a perfect complement to the digital pieces, allowing us to tell the Holy Cross story organically and comprehensively.

Our work helped Holy Cross meet its enrollment targets, and was recognized with gold and silver medals by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.

Lewisburg, PA
2010

Bucknell University hired kor group to develop an admissions strategy that highlights the school’s tradition of rich academics and intellectual engagement. We created a multiplatform campaign that encompassed print pieces, web, and an interactive video wall that became the centerpiece of the school’s website. This virtual wall showcases faculty and students discussing intellectual topics and stories they feel passionate about, and provided a unique way for prospective students to connect and engage with members of the Bucknell community.

Boston, MA
2005–2011

We were asked by Boston Properties to develop a brand for the Prudential Center, a 23-acre retail and office complex located in Back Bay and anchored by the iconic 52-story Prudential Tower. We designed a strong, distinctive identity for the Tower, and a family of unique yet connected sub-brands for the Center’s two other buildings. New property kits used dramatic color photography to highlight each building’s features and amenities. With this new brand, which is still in use today, the Prudential Center has distinguished itself in a highly competitive real estate market.

Braintree, MA
2012

Suburban, which enjoys a strong regional reputation for providing high quality contract cleaning services, asked us to develop a brand that supported its expansion into building services, specialized cleaning, and other high growth areas. After conducting extensive qualitative research with internal and external stakeholders, we recommended that the company shift its name to Suburban Integrated Facilities Resources, which better articulates its cross-functional, cross-market service offering. We created a new brand identity system and website that supported the new messaging, as well as a capabilities brochure and brand launch piece.

Marlboro, VT
2013

Located in the foothills of Vermont’s Green Mountains, Marlboro College is a small institution built on a strong community governance model. When we began working with the school to bolster its recruitment and raise its profile, we were welcomed into a community where students, faculty, staff, and administration would all play a crucial role in our efforts. A major part of our work for Marlboro was centered on creating a brand platform for Marlboro that included an upgraded seal and logo, high-level and supporting messages for the school’s undergraduate and graduate programs, keywords, and core brand attributes. We also developed “Creative Collection Week,” a special event that provided students and other members of the Marlboro community with a chance to evaluate the various creative concepts developed by our team. Ideas and observations that stemmed from this evaluation process were later integrated into the materials we designed, wrote, and produced.