Big ideas for a global furniture giant.

We rolled up our sleeves and got down to business when West Michigan furniture company, Herman Miller, called on us to create the branding for a new line of home office furnishings. 

Bringing together mid-century style and modern moxie, the success of the initial project prompted many more product launch campaigns, supported with packaging, dealer/consumer sales materials, publications, videos and an award-winning trade show booth design for NYC’s ICFF. All the while, we’re still superfans! 

• • • 

“...their work for Herman Miller always went beyond meeting our objectives. They took the time to become deeply familiar with our target customers and retail business partners. Their creative campaigns reflected this discipline and were very successful because of it. Plus, Eric is a terrific writer and a true joy to work with.” 

— Paula Kendra, Fmr. Senior Retail Brand & Merchandising Manager 

• • • 

Photography: Mitch Ranger

Creating a call-to-action for Michigan’s wilderness vacation destination.

Our mission: outfit the Gaylord Tourism Bureau with a rugged new brand to capture its outdoorsy vibe and geographically-gifted position as the state’s best base camp for any outdoor pursuit.

All Outdoors! was conceived not only to define them, but to invoke action—an invitation to get out there! 

We assisted the busy Tourism Bureau beyond the rebrand with the development of a cohesive suite of print collateral, visitor publications, maps, guides, and print and electronic advertising. 

 • • • 

“Proof Positive has a keen sense of what best represents the Gaylord Area Convention and Tourism Bureau. 

They are extremely creative, very responsive and just a whole lot of fun to work with!”

— Paul Beachnau, Executive Director

Delicious design for a far-out new product concept.

When 20-year-old cookie dough kid, Austin Groesser, conceived of a new product concept—edible, dip 'n' eat cookie dough—he called on the stellar design team at Proof Positive.   

Our team dug in, named the company Big Dipper, and created a cast of cookie dough characters—the Star Struck Squad—to represent each of the flavors. Once Austin was on board, we blasted off into creating product naming, packaging design, point-of-purchase and promotional materials.  

Consumers have embraced the new product concept and sales have been out-of-this-world. 

Conserving. Connecting.

Colorful, friendly and accessible, the GTCD icon system connects 5 distinct brand pillars, while punchy messaging and photography created for fundraising and brand awareness collateral captures the honest and candid connections between this essential organization and the community it serves.  

• • • 

“Proof Positive offers a unique set of skills, as designers, brand developers, and community advocates. By weaving together these talents, they were able to offer us a high quality product that synthesized our multifaceted organization into a set of concise messages-- supported by a clear graphic identity.”

– Treenen Sturman, Executive Director

Brushing the sawdust off an old brand. 

Proof Positive was called upon to build a new brand for the world’s oldest and largest manufacturer of butcher block products, the Michigan Maple Block Company.
 
Building on 125 years of craft and character, it was key to capture their heritage while also creating new momentum in the modern marketplace.

From unifying their internal brand architecture, to shaping their entire marketing strategy, to crafting a cohesive family of marketing tools—print and digital—we’re ensuring Michigan Maple Block will be into wood for good.

butcherblock.com

An ace in the hole for America’s Summer Golf Mecca.

Situated smack dab in the center of seventeen magnificent golf courses, the Gaylord Golf Mecca required clever marketing to capture the rustic-refined vibe of this exceptional golf experience. 

Proof Positive delivered with a brand identity system and complete suite of promotional materials that are anything but par for the course. 

Design that’s more than skin deep.

Planning and executing a complete marketing program for a premier plastic surgery practice is a beautiful thing. It enables us to successfully implement a print, promotional, and digital strategy that is consistent and cohesive.

Proof Positive helped give the brand a lift, extending it to their new Skin Care Center with a clean color palette and fashion-forward aesthetic. Happy docs. Healthy patients. The future looks rosy for the good doctors. 

A wealth of information, delivered.  

Financial planning: a confusing subject, laden with fine print, legalese and often locked down by government compliance. Our goal: elevate the client experience.

Proof Positive worked with Prout to develop a clean, simple collateral system for welcoming new clients and delivering info in easily digestible bits.

Specialty projects—including a nautical themed event invitation—allow us to tap the client’s otherwise cheeky personality and bring a measure of whimsy to wealth management.

proutfinancialdesign.com

Cultivating fresh creativity for a fabulous retail concept. 

The Terrarium Bar is a do-it-yourselfer's dream, inviting one and all to build their own living little worlds. This fresh boutique needed an equally fresh brand identity. We worked with them to create a lively identity system and bold poster series.

Proof Positive has since developed another fresh brand and logo design for the Darling Botanical Company, the umbrella brand for the Terrarium Bar.    

• • • 

Ad photography: Mitch Ranger 
 

Dog is our co-pilot.

Pooch ‘n’ Purrs Professional Pet Sitting prides itself on quality, conscientious, expert pet care. They threw us a bone and we worked with them to create a complete brand identity, including a website, promotional materials and naming/packaging for their line of homemade pet munchables, Buster's Barkin’ Good Biscuits. 

poochnpurrs.com 

Cheers to clients who care about their craft—and embrace ours!

Dan Young and Co. make smart, more-than-sippable ciders crafted from traditional methods at this quaint Leelanau County hard cidery. Witty copy, spirited design and a bold color palette make this redesigned label series pop! in a crowded retail category. Raise a glass to good design! 

Branding the 'real' in Boyne's small town waterfront real estate development.    

Capturing a splash of authentic Americana was key to selling the laid back charm of One Water Street USA, a mixed-use development on the shores of Lake Charlevoix in Boyne City, Michigan.

Beyond the brand identity, we created a series of launch materials to generate sales and buzz about the project, including print ads, invitations and a microsite.

Pre-sales have been brisk, proving that smart branding always has a place—even in Small Town America.  

onewaterusa.com

Considerate and Strong.

Professional photography and layout design organize the plethora of information necessary for this very-worthy institution. Focused on the care and education of families and children in need, Eagle Village’s print materials contain concise information and a strong visual appeal.

A solid brand for a hardworkin’ family farm winery. 

The Gregory family has been in the business of fruit in Leelanau County for 4 generations. When they made the decision to buy and rebrand a struggling winery, they called on us to develop a new brand identity and label series.

Upon digging into the project, we were immediately intoxicated and inspired by the family’s many vintage barns. In this cleverly conceived logo, the ‘chateau’ becomes the barn, the grain silo, a wine bottle. Each vintage in the label series features a different ‘chateau’ from their many farm plots. 

Customers are drinking it up! Since the rebrand, tasting room (also in a barn) sales have grown faster than you can say “great gewürztraminer!” 

Capturing history at a homestead. 

Hillside Homestead owner and proprietress, Susan Odom, painstakingly and lovingly restored this Leelanau County turn-of-the-century farmhouse to its original state, researching and sourcing every fixture and filagree for authenticity and period accuracy.

So, creating an identity and collateral system to match was critical to the entire guest experience—and Susan’s meticulous standards.

We went to work, using period typefaces, colors, paper stock and language to fit this historic farmstay. We collaborated with the venerable Steve Noble to create the scratchboard illustration of the inn, which plays prominently throughout the entire system.   

• • •

Illustration: Steven Noble
Photography: Brian Confer

Start-ups to re-brands, success begins with a solid foundation. 

We do logos well. Beyond the mark, we set-up color systems, typeface standards, paper specifications, and write clever taglines—all carefully curated parts of an effective “brand identity.”

A strong identity creates immediate equity and establishes a visual shorthand for accessing your company, product or service.

Let’s build you a better brand. 

• • • 

Agrivine

Boyne Country Sports

Community Mediation Services

Interwater Farms

Local Yokels

Otsego Community Foundation

Shift

The Trailer Guys

Wine Coast Life

Jolli Lodge

Eagle Village

Evans Brothers Fruit Company

Historic Sleeping Bear Preservation

Tatanka

Waxwing Vintage

Pure Health

Starry Night Barn & Studio

Northwest Carpentry

Food for Thought

The Timbers Lodge

Devil's Dive Vineyard

Darling Botanical Company

The Tribune Ice Cream & Eatery
Featured in LogoLounge Book 9

Traverse Aquaponics Logo & Brand Amenities

Michigan Runner Girl Logo & Tagline

Leelanau Fruit Co. Logo & Concepts
Featured in LogoLounge Book 9

Inhabitect Logo & Concepts
Featured in LogoLounge Book 9

Too Hot Mama's Logo

Good Harbor Coffee & Tea Logo

Campbell Printing Logo & Concepts

Cone Drive Logo & Concepts

Hazelnut Kids Logo & Concepts