advergirl

Creative Columbus Spaces: Hiatus

I've received great feedback -in the form of comments, emails, tweets, and referral traffic- about the series.  Thank you all for that. I'm very proud of this place I call home - so, it feels great be part of the energy around our creative economy.

I've reached the end of my photo collection FOR NOW. That said, I know there are a lot of other great creative spaces in Columbus and I'd love to do another week of show-and-tell. I know we've got to check out Northlich's new space in the fabulously urban Smith Brothers Building. And check out that incredible new building Paul Werth & Associates moved into downtown. Who else? Connect me with some agencies you think deserve to be shown off. (Specific go-to people or - heck, why not ask - final photographs would be greatly appreaciated.)

We're off to a new topic tomorrow, but I'll plan to return to this series at the end of the month. Until then, just a few quick updates:

• Bloggers love Columbus. The series has received lots of referral traffic from far-flung bloggers, like Armin at Quipsologies and Darryl at BrandFlakes for Breakfast


• Things are changing at Fitch. Word is they're moving from that cool getaway we looked at to some new space in the brewery district south of downtown.


• And I found out that Conrad I Phillips I Vutech and I share a common favorite. Apparently their space is decked out with work from the same artist who dominates the shelves and walls at my house - the fabulous Columbus alum, Michael Phillips. Love that.

Creative Columbus Spaces: Conrad I Phillips I Vutech & Salvato Coe + Gabor

Wow, that's a lot of names!

Here's the story: full-service marketing agency CPV shares space with hot design firm Salvato Coe & Gabor. The cohabitants built the space from the ground up in an emerging creative services corridor on Goodale Boulevard. The area is home to both the "create" and the "do" of our industry - design firms, special events planners, printers, and production companies. Today, it shares space with the abandoned Big Bear grocery store HQ. But that hulking campus is soon to be redeveloped as "Grandview Yard" - a mixed use urban community abutting the young, vibrant Grandview neighborhood.

The firms moved to these new wilds from our gallery and boutique district to create a better place to work. The building was designed to coordinate with the two existing converted warehouses in the same compound. Inside, everything's exposed. Lots of concrete, wood trusses, exposed HVAC. Flooded with natural light. Kirk Phillips jokes, "In many ways it resembles a large Chipotle."

Oh, and while the good people at B&A are brainstorming in the concrete corn field, the team at CPV is getting inspired by a little microcosm of human habitat right outside their windows: The Grandview Pool. Ah, moms, kids and angry teenagers - that's America!

 

Creative Columbus Spaces: SBC Advertising

I know, I know. You're wondering - where does the famous Adverboyfriend work?

Answer: SBC Advertising.

(No, not the phone company)

(Wait, maybe with all the mergers and whatnot, I don't have to say that anymore)

Anywhoo - SBC is a retail advertising/PR/Web shop. One that national and regional retail brands like AAA, Bed Bath & Beyond, Big Lots!, Elmer’s, Oreck, HoneyBaked Ham and Subway rely on.

It's located in the growing Arena District, in batting distance of the construction zone soon to be the Columbus Clippers new home: Huntington Park.

SBC moved into the historic Belmont Block this March. It was a culture-changing move. From a white-washed office park in the 'burbs to one of the city's hottest creative neighborhoods. The bar has officially been raised.

The design of the space - spearheaded in part by Adverboyfriend himself - reflects that change. It has lots of mini meetup zones for collaboration, an on-site test kitchen, an innovative consumer lab, and a playroom (wait, what's the official name for the room with the xBox?)

And while Falhgren and Ologie may talk about desk-side recycling, SBC got way more creative in their commitment to mother earth with a little "up-cycling." That's right - a la Trading Spaces - they left no "good bones" behind, using some of the existing office furniture, a lot of paint and some innovative design to create a new vibe without choking the landfill.

I talked a little about the various perks some of the other agencies offer. SBC has an interesting one: You can actually build an entire career there. They're one of the few creative shops that invests in people for the long haul. It's rumored around town that one of the VPs there has more candles in his SBC anniversary cake than some of the interns have in their birthday cakes.

Ok, onto the sneak peek.

(Incidentally, that's Adverboyfriend posed on the couch watching football. Doesn't he look like such a guys-guy when he's not picking out great dresses for me in NYC or fussing the color of a pink stand mixer in post?)

Creative Columbus Spaces: Ologie

Ologie is home to Advergirl!

Seriously, can you believe I waited this long to showoff?

Ologie is a nationally-recognized branding firm owned by three partners who definitely don't believe in treating office space as a neutral asset - just some place to come and work. They've transformed an old auto dealership in the sometimes-dicey Market Exchange District into a living treatise on how to do good work. 

Most of the walls are covered floor-to-ceiling with cork - not that you could tell walking in. More often they appear to be covered with hundreds of tacked up sheets of ideas and work and reference. The few walls that are cork-free are emblazoned with shared values. The entire place is flooded with natural light. It's space made to align and inspire.

Ologie has lots of people-friendly perks, like super comfy, Dr. Suess-esque brainstorm chairs; totally-private, cleverly-signed restrooms; yummy organic homemade lunches; visiting pets; and SNOW DAYS.

Yeah, I know, send me your resume.

Anyway, here's the promised peek inside.

(The first 5 images are from Ologie's marketing library; the peek into my office is from me; the desk shot is from Aaron Blazey and the two pictures from our media space were taken by Brandon King.)

 

 

Creative Columbus Spaces: Fitch

Where can you design a better sippy cup for Gerber and a cool popup store for Nokia? In the woods, of course. That's where design consultancy Fitch located their innovative North American HQ.

I'll share some pictures of the outside (literally a retreat located in a bedroom community not far from a historic downtown) at the end of this series. But for now, let's talk about the inside -

A serious creative space. Chocked full of resources, libraries and inspiring art and artifacts.

These pictures speak for themselves:

(See their entire Flickr photo stream here)

Creative Columbus Spaces: B&A

Who the heck is B&A? Well, I asked and they told me to let you know that they are ‘strategic’ and ‘integrated.’ Because agency people eat that stuff up.

Want to go a little deeper? Formerly know as Buchanan and Associates, this 20-person team located in a prominent business district along our outerbelt proves you don't have to be big or downtown to have great space.

B&A's space is built around their culture. Entrepreneurial and flexible by habit and design, all the desks are on wheels. The computers are laptops. And the internet is wireless. All to enable work teams to pull together (literally) and pound out great work.

And if the good people of B&A ever feel cramped in their collaborative space, they can always walk across the street to brainstorm in a giant field home to 109-ears of people-sized concrete corn. (What's out your window?)

B&A is a people-focused place. The wall of frames below is a lobby view of each of their team members (including reader favorites like Holly Roby, Billy Fischer and Tim Laubacher). The benefits are creative and enviable, like: unlimited vacation days, unlimited book allowance, unlimited ... well, beer.

Peek inside:

Creative Columbus Spaces: Resource Interactive

Resource is a constant on the AdAge Top 50 Digital Agency list. It's known as a thought leader. And as a destination for the Midwest's - if not the country's - top interactive talent.

Today, it makes its home in the Arena District, our sports & events hub. As one of the first agencies to locate there, it's becoming something of an anchor for the many creative businesses moving to the area.

Resource's team of ~500 designers, strategists, developers, writers and account managers create digital and social experiences for Procter & Gamble, Hewlett-Packard, Wal-Mart, The Coca-Cola Company, Victoria's Secret, Sherwin-Williams and L.L. Bean, among others.

(One last note: Those of you familiar with Arena District have probably heard some of the ghost stories and assorted lore about the area. Don't be afraid of the images below. Those humans are just blurry because they're moving at agency speed - not because they're scary spirits haunting the RI halls)

Look inside:

Creative Columbus Spaces: Fahlgren

What better place to start our peek inside Creative Columbus Spaces than in our newest one: Fahlgren's agency HQ.

*wolf whistle*

Just built in our retail hub, Fahlgren’s 2-story, penthouse space is already home to 160 creative professionals. And that number is still growing. Barely moved in, the integrated PR/Advertising/Interactive/Experience agency is already planning to break down walls and keep growing.

Everything is new in this well-appointed space. (Well, except the agency pool table that has been with the firm since its very inception - but even that battlehorse got a new coat of felt for the move.)

Just about everything else is new AND green. From desk-side recycling to smart lighting to reclaimed materials, Fahlgren went all out to build their new digs responsibly.

Last night, Fahlgren opened their doors to show off. Hosting 400+ friends, clients and staff for a blowout of an unveil. With at least 5 bars, an army of savvy tour guides (including sports guru / xbox wizard / account director Ray Hancart who led my unfocused little troupe), and piles of food, it was a coming out party with creative style. 

 

Creative Columbus Spaces: A peek inside

You’ve probably wondered what it’s like: working in a creative industry in the Midwest. Far from the buzz of Madison Avenue or the production powerhouses of L.A. On the ground in middle America, toiling in the midst of real people (committed sports fans, new parents and bakers of truly great apple pies).

It can actually be pretty invigorating. Columbus – particularly – is home to a creative vibe, an undercurrent of artistic energy that breaks through in both traditional arts and in our creative economy. Nowhere can that be better seen than in the places we work. The agency spaces designed for no less than inspiring great work.

Over the last few years, Columbus agencies have really invested in space. Building exciting new workplaces, moving to hot neighborhoods, creating buzz. This series will give you a peek inside some of those spaces – from a tiny innovative hub to a big national interactive player.

Stay tuned.