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The 2013 UNT Communication Design Show was held Friday, May 10, in the gallery at the College of Visual Art and Design. Launch awarded $1,000 scholarships to the top junior design and art direction portfolios. This year’s winners were Whitney Smith for graphic design and Natalia Vargas for art direction. This is the seventh year that Launch has awarded scholarships to the student design and art direction majors whom Launch representatives and UNT faculty recognize as having achieved an outstanding body of creative work. Congratulations to Whitney and Natalia!
(Photo: Whitney Smith design award winner)
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Each year, the CACCC honors the person or organization who’s had an extraordinary impact on the abused children of Collin County. This year, the Eagle Award was presented to Launch Agency for calling attention to the good work of the Center, an organization that operated under the radar for approximately 20 years.
Agency principal Diane Seimetz on the Eagle Award, “While we don’t donate our time and talents for recognition, it’s a great feeling to know you are making a difference when you do.”
Mike Newman of the Plano Profile on the CACCC: “Their mission is a simple, to-the-point one: ‘to provide safety, healing and justice to children victimized by abuse or neglect.’ The job of accomplishing it is anything but simple.”
Launch principals Seimetz, Michael Boone and David Wilgus are grateful for the honor. And express thanks to the talented team that worked so hard on behalf of the CACCC, including Alexandra Watson, Jon Fullrich, Laura Carroll, Ryan Ingram, Reuben Miller and Alison Hamilton.
To learn more about the CACCC, visit www.cacplano.org.
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Inc. magazine seeks to recognize and to celebrate the creativity, dedication, and hard work that entrepreneurs put into building their companies. The Inc. 5000 annually ranks the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. And for the second consecutive year, Launch was honored to make the list.
We moved up a few hundred spots, landing at #3145 for 2011. There are more than 27 million businesses registered in the U.S. so the ranking puts the agency in some lofty company.
The Inc. 5000 are catalysts for job creation and growth. In fact, the 5000 created 370,592 jobs in the last three years.
Launch Principals Michael Boone, Diane Seimetz and Dave Wilgus would like to thank Jane Berentson, Editor, Inc. magazine and her staff for the list and recognition. And, of course, credit goes to our client partners, and our creative, talented staff.
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For the past five years, Launch has awarded $1,000 scholarships to the top design and art direction portfolios at University of North Texas’ College of Art and Design. Based on a portfolio review, these scholarships are given to the design and art direction majors whom Launch representatives and UNT faculty recognize as having achieved an outstanding body of creative work. David Wilgus, agency principal and creative director, was on hand for the judging and to meet the winning students.
This year Aaron Kotara (left) was the winner of the 2011 Launch Agency award in Art Direction and Ashley Ayer (right) was the winner of the Graphic Design award. Eric Ligon (center) is the Associate Dean at the College of Visual Art and Design.
Kotara, Ligon and Ayer at UNT
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No question, advertising is an unusual industry. And in an appropriately “truth is stranger than fiction” moment, Launch Agency managed to win two prestigious awards from the Dallas Society for Visual Communicators this past Saturday for work promoting an entirely different award show, the 2011 Dallas ADDY Awards.
The winning entry was a video piece originally screened at the aforementioned ADDY event, titled “Suffer For Your Art Teaser Video.” This entry received a Gold Medal, as well as a Judge’s Choice award from judge Greta Ackerman, Associate Design Director at Crispin Porter + Bogusky.
The video focuses on some of the strange, silly and downright surreal moments that Dallas advertising notables have encountered during their time in the ad business. Launch principals/creative directors Diane Seimetz and David Wilgus created the video, with the help of acclaimed director Jeff Bednarz and Directorz executive producer Jeremy Besser, and also appear in it. Charlie Uniform Tango edited the piece, including the efforts of executive producer Lola Lott, editor Jack Waldrip, assistant editor Alex Campos and graphic artist Dave Slack. Launch principal, Michael Boone makes a cameo in the video as well.
Watch the winning entry here:
Suffer for Your Art Teaser Video
And check out more photos from the 43rd annual DSVC Professional Show:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/launchagency/sets/72157626889614148
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Launch principal David Wilgus has served on the University of North Texas CVAD board for the past two years.
“I’ve been a big fan of the school over the years,” UNT alum Wilgus said. “We’ve hired several art directors from their award-winning design program, and I’m always impressed by the talented students they produce.”
UNT’s College of Arts and Design is considered one of the best art schools in the southwest, offering 30 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Wilgus has been closely involved in helping the school launch its new Design Research Center (DRC) in downtown Dallas. The DRC opened in January to serve as an “urban laboratory” where graduate students and faculty members can spark and sustain design-driven solutions to real world problems.
To learn more about UNT’s College of Visual Arts and Design visit http://www.art.unt.edu.
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After developing a new brand identity earlier in the year for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, the creative team at Launch was thrilled to bring it to life in an emotionally engaging print ad. Fortunately, our non-profit client scored some low-cost media opportunities thanks to the Dallas Ad League’s charity media auction.
Launch was tasked with introducing the new brand look, soliciting donations, and building awareness for the Center’s mission – providing safety, healing and justice to abused and neglected children throughout Collin County, which covers many of Dallas’ northern suburbs.
Agency Partners and co-Creative Directors Diane Seimetz and David Wilgus created the print ad, which calls on one’s instinct to protect a child in danger and defines the team of specialists that make it happen at the Center. The full-page ad is running in the October issues of Texas Monthly and Dallas Child.
Special thanks to the friends of Launch who made it happen. Photographer Brian Braun and beautiful young model Sydney Coon graciously donated their services for the ad.
View a PDF of the print ad:
Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County print ad
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Launch principal, creative director, David Wilgus, played host this past Saturday to scouts from his church. Boy Scout Troop 835 came to the Launch office for insight into the world of advertising. In addition to Wilgus’ words, the scouts were particularly impressed with the “fun” office, replete with all the toys and random decorations that make it comfortable and personable.
As thanks, the Troop sent Wilgus a Merit badge in Space Exploration. The rocket-themed patch matches the Launch decor and will be a great addition to our prized collection of memorabilia. The boys received more than Wilgus wisdom; each walked away with a brand new Launch ball cap.
Merit badge for Space Exploration
Boy Scout Troop 835 visits Launch
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David Wilgus has won many of advertising’s top awards including CLIO, New York Art Directors Show, ADDYs and a host of international festival awards. But he may be most proud of being named the “Best Creative Director” recently by the Dallas Ad League.
“It’s a great honor. I’m also extremely humbled by it; Dallas has an incredible talent pool and I’m flattered to be recognized by my peers here” said Wilgus, a principal at the Launch Agency. Wilgus is one of a rare breed: he’s a native Dallasite, graduating Richardson High School and the University of North Texas. Wife Jeanne and his four children – ranging in age from 3 to 20 years old – are also Dallas born and bred.
Before forming the agency with partners Diane Seimetz and Michael Boone, Wilgus was in creative management at Temerlin McClain and Tracy-Locke, where he led efforts on such blue chip clients as American Airlines, Subaru, JC Penney, Bank of America, Frito-Lay, KinderCare and Paris Las Vegas accounts. The trio “launched” Launch in late 1999 to assist in developing new brands, and revitalizing mature brands. Clients such as dating giant Match.com, online supermarket GroceryWorks, travel site Hotels.com, gourmet hot spot eatZi’s Market and Bakery, Blockbuster.com and the Fort-Worth Star Telegram were among the company’s highly successful case studies.
Creative partner Seimetz also was nominated for a Dallas Ad League Eagle Award “Best Of,” as well as two of its clients: luxury car purveyor Park Place Dealerships and the Fortune 500 Rent-A-Center, based in Plano.
Wilgus is quick to cite his agency compatriots, clients and creative philosophy as major contributors to his success. “It’s our strong belief that it’s not about ads, it’s about the power of big ideas. Our passion is building brands that make a strong emotional connection with the consumer, and working with clients who share that passion. Consumer relationships consistently deliver proven business results.”
Wilgus’ most memorable local campaign was for GroceryWorks, one of the first web-based grocers in the country. “The convenience of ordering groceries online and having them delivered to your home was highly appealing,” explains Wilgus. “But we had to overcome the fear of ordering apples and steaks over the Internet. Through consumer research, it became clear that lowering the barrier to entry – rather than capitalizing on convenience, or dislike of grocery shopping – became Job One,” Wilgus continues. Working with photo illustrator Saxton Freymann to create whimsical fruits and vegetables in the shapes of octopuses and hummingbirds, Launch was able to communicate simplicity and freshness, winning the hearts and wallets of time-poor shoppers. Shattering early traction records with more than 85 percent awareness in the first four months, the award-winning campaign caught the attention of packaged goods giant Procter and Gamble, among others. The company was ultimately sold to Pleasanton, California grocery chain Safeway.
“Successfully launching and re-launching brands is a culmination of spot-on insight, years of experience and a constant flow of new thinking. I love it,” said Wilgus. Based on his latest accomplishment, it shows.
More information on The Launch Agency is available at www.launchagency.com.
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