Axiom: Creative Energy

Happy Holidays

2011-12-22T15:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays. From the coolest member of Axiom.

Axiom Fire Station Social Media Campaign Among Eight BMA Lantern Wins

2011-11-18T13:41:00.000-08:00

November 17, 2011 – Each year we spend days compiling dozens of entries for key marketing association award programs. We’re proud of the work we do for our clients and having our peers validate the quality, strategy, execution, impact and results makes the clients proud as well. Many of our clients use the awards as part of their budget justification to increase marketing efforts.

Discover Cameron campaign was awarded for Lanterns and Best of Show.

The latest of these shows was the Business Marketing Association (BMA) Lanterns Awards of Texas, November 15, 2011. Axiom was recognized with eight Lantern Awards (Best in Category) and 33 Awards of Excellence for its business-to-business (B2B) marketing prowess. One of the Lantern winners, Discover Cameron Trade Show Campaign, received top honors as “Best of Show,” and the Discover Cameron campaign was awarded four other Lantern Awards.

Restoring Fire Station No. 6 microsite wins Lantern for Social Media Campaign Marketing

We are very proud of being recognized with a Lantern for Social Media Campaign Marketing for the Fire Station 6 blog/website, Facebook page and site banners featuring QR codes that link to the site. The win was especially sweet because it recognized the efforts to document the restoration of a 100 year old fire station into Axiom’s new home. The site features stories related to the building’s history, construction highlights and people features.

The Fire Station Blog documents the restoration of Fire Station No. 6 built in 1903 as Axiom's future home.

With a focus on strategic communications in the global energy market, Axiom’s work was also recognized with Lanterns in the following categories: Websites and Interactive Presentations, Trade Show Campaigns, Illustration, Social Media Marketing Campaigns, Qualitative Research, Package Design and Online and Print Advertising

In addition to the Discover Cameron Trade Show Campaign and the Fire Station Banner and Microsite, Axiom received Lantern Awards for:

Interactive Presentation – Discover Cameron Multimedia
External Website – Budget under $24,999 - Gardner Denver Hoffman Revolution Website
Online Advertising – Discover Cameron Web Banner
Package Design – Discover Cameron CD & Case
Illustration – Discover Cameron Landscapes
Qualitative and/or Quantitative Research Project – Kelman Marketing Strategy Profile

BMA Houston created the Lantern Awards of Texas more than two decades ago to highlight top-quality creative and strategic business-to-business communications. Entries were judged against AIDA principles — how well they generated Attention, Interest, Desire and Action from a targeted B2B audience.

MicroTiles and QR Codes at SEG 2011

2011-09-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

If you attended the SEG (Society of Exploration Geophysicists) Annual Meeting this week in San Antonio, you might have noticed a couple of cool MicroTile animations at the ION Geophysical booth. This was an exciting project to work on in terms of its potential to create some compelling motionography that leverages the capabilities and flexibility of the Christie MicroTile format.

For the ION booth, the MicroTile was configured in a 8 x 6 tile configuration. This enabled for a very salient display that helped showcase, clearly and passionately, ION's new brand standards initiative. Also due to the matrix configuration of the tiles, Axiom was able to explore some Trompe-l'œil techniques with the MicroTile format and the individual seams of each tile panel.

To coincide with the event and brand refresh, Axiom also developed a series of animated QR Code screensavers that would enable attendees with smart phones and/or tablets to scan the animated QR Code photo mosaic and direct them to ION's new corporate website. The take away here is the novel integration and synthesis of contemporary tradeshow display animation, physical hard-linking of URLs, and mobile interaction to facilitate real time engagement of audience members.

Check out the animations below.

Reigniting Houston History

2011-06-28T12:45:00.001-07:00

As a native Houstonian I was immediately drawn to the neighborhood near where my Italian ancestors lived, the Historic Sixth Ward, when I began a search for a permanent home for Axiom. I knew immediately that Fire Station No. 6 on Washington, constructed in 1903, could spark creative energy for our team once restored to its historic charm.

Restoring the building has proven a major undertaking, especially with the market downturn stopping the project for over two years. But in 2009 we began the exterior renovation to bring the 4,000 square foot building back to its original appearance.

One of only seven stations serving the rapidly growing city of Houston in 1903, just after nearly 45,000 Galvestonians flocked to Houston after the 1900 hurricane. The classic Italianate was hailed as the most modern fire station in Houston. The all brick construction was a departure from earlier wood buildings which often fell victim to fire. With 27 windows and hot AND cold indoor baths, it was a luxury never dreamed of by fire fighters of the day.

Fire Station No. 6 sported the well-earned motto "Rough and Ready” because of its hard working, hard fighting crew. While scouring the Internet, local libraries and archives to information on the building and its old teams, I’ve met several historians and restoration specialists who are helping me to bring this building back to life.

Axiom is creating a microsite that will chronicle the restoration, describe the first fire fighters, document the building’s history and offer a glimpse into that history through some retrieved artifacts.

Join us on Facebook to watch for the launch of our Fire Station No. 6 microsite

Axiom Achieves (6) Best in Category Crystals at the American Marketing Association of Houston's 2011 Crystal Awards

2011-05-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

The American Marketing Association (AMA) of Houston honored Axiom with a Best in Category Crystal, to (6) Axiom nominated entries — the most Crystals received by any one firm in the show. Competition was fierce as this year's galleried event drew record participation from 76 Houston-area finalist companies and organizations. Judges score nominations on both the quality of the creative and the ability to demonstrate strategy, execution and measurable results.

Axiom’s AMA Houston 2011 Crystal Award Winners:

Cameron’s 2010 Offshore Technology Conference – Marketing Campaign (Business-to-Business)
Cameron’s 2010 Offshore Technology Conference MicroTiles – Animation
Dawson Geophysical Company – Advertising Campaign
Gardner Denver Hoffman Revolution – Trade Show Booth (Medium)
Joseph Havel Catalog – Corporate Citizenship
PGS OptoSeis – Interactive/Multimedia Marketing Presentation

With over 1100 members, the Houston AMA chapter is also one of the largest and most active in the nation. Adding excitement to the gala, it was announced Houston won "Chapter of the Year” this year for the 5th time in the past 7 years.

Thrive: Executives for Servant Leadership in Action

2011-05-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

Axiom’s creative team concluded a naming project for a new national organization based on Servant Leadership. The selected name, Thrive, fit the key objectives: keep it simple and represent the core principles of Servant Leadership which targets C-level executives who strive for operational excellence by motivating employee engagement, and by exploring their own personal growth.

Axiom Leads American Marketing Association’s 2011 Crystal Awards with 26 Finalists

2011-05-06T12:32:00.000-07:00

The American Marketing Association (AMA) of Houston’s prestigious Crystal Awards Show has selected 26 Axiom projects – the most nominations from any one firm in the show – as finalists to display in a juried gallery and compete for best in category.

Judges for the AMA Crystal Awards assess entries for acceptance into the show on both the quality of design execution and the validity of an entry’s essay. Each essay must report five essential criteria: situation/challenge, objectives, strategy/tactics, message alignment and results. The results section is given double weight in relation to the final score.

The Houston AMA chapter is one of the most competitive chapters in the nation. It has won “Best Chapter of the Year” three times in the past five years and this year achieved an exponential increase in the volume of Crystal entry submissions.

With a focus on strategic communications for the global energy market, Axiom’s work is recognized in the following categories: Qualitative Research, Annual Reports, Digital Presentations, Special Events, Trade Show Booths, Corporate Citizenship, B2B Marketing Campaigns, Product Launches, Direct Mail, Brochures, Websites, Online Marketing Campaigns, Interactive Multimedia, Promotional Products, Animations and Illustrations.

The following Axiom entries have been nominated and will be exhibited at this year’s ceremony:

Axiom’s American Marketing Association Crystal Award Finalists

Cameron’s 2010 Offshore Technology Conference – Exhibition
Cameron’s 2010 Offshore Technology Conference MicroTiles – Animation
Cameron’s 2010 Offshore Technology Conference – Trade Show Booth (Large)
Cameron’s CAMSERV – Advertising Campaign
Cameron’s Code of Conduct – Brochure
Cameron Do Brasil – Illustration
Clark Condon – Website
CPI Marketing Strategy Profile – Qualitative Research
Dallas White Rock Marathon – Corporate Citizenship
Dawson Geophysical Company – Advertising Campaign
Gardner Denver Hoffman Revolution – Direct Mail Three-Dimensional
Gardner Denver Hoffman Revolution – Marketing Campaign
Gardner Denver Hoffman Revolution – Trade Show Booth (Medium)
Gardner Denver Hoffman Revolution – Website
Gardner Denver PZ-2400 – Direct Mail Three-Dimensional
Gardner Denver PZ-2400 – Marketing Campaign
Halliburton 2010 – Annual Report
Hope Stone – A Full Season of Hope – Corporate Citizenship
Houstonian Hammerhead Jersey – Promotional Product
Joseph Havel Catalog – Corporate Citizenship
Lufkin Investor Relations – Digital Presentation
Microsoft Global Energy Forum – Online Marketing Campaign
Microsoft Global Energy Forum – Special Events
Paradigm “Redefining Interpretation” – Animation
PGS OptoSeis – Animation
PGS OptoSeis – Interactive Multimedia Marketing Presentation

Art League Exhibition Catalog Brings ADDY Gold to Axiom

2011-03-02T16:46:00.000-08:00

Axiom received a Gold ADDY at the 49th Annual American Advertising Federation-Houston ADDY® Awards for capturing the creative fire of the Art League of Houston's 2010 Artist of the Year in an Exhibition Catalog. This catalog design also won a bronze award from the Art Director's Club of Houston.

The annual award recognizes the outstanding contributions of extraordinary Texas artists and documents Texas' rich art history. The 2010 honoree was Joseph Havel a critically acclaimed sculptor who has had a significant impact on contemporary visual art in Texas, the United States and Europe. He has directed Art League Houston's Glassell School of Art core program for nearly 20 years.

Axiom's Tom Hair sits on the Art League Board of Directors and has already committed to designing the catalog for the 2011 honoree.

Axiom Scores Triple ADDY Gold with Extreme Sports Creative

2011-03-02T16:44:00.000-08:00

Axiom flexed its creative muscle in designing logos and clothing applications for two extreme sporting events, scoring gold at the 49th Annual American Advertising Federation-Houston ADDY® Awards ceremony Saturday, February 19. The Gold ADDYs qualify Axiom, for the fifth straight year, to progress to the Regional competition.

Working with Lisa Rainey, who heads the Houstonian Hammerhead cycling team, Axiom put a unique “spin” on the design that would be used on the cycling jersey kit that included shirt, pants and t-shirt. The result was a Gold ADDY for the logo design.

Axiom took gold twice for its work with the Dallas White Rock Marathon (DWRM). The first firm outside of Dallas to develop graphics for DWRM, this is the second year that Axiom provided the creative spark to this major southwest marathon. The Gold ADDYs recognized Axiom's promotional poster design and mixed media campaign which included the poster, medallion and racing shirts.

New Shark Skins for The Houstonian Hammerheads…by Axiom

2011-02-10T07:09:00.000-08:00

The Houstonian Hammerheads Cycling Team, sponsored by The Houstonian Club, is training hard for the annual BP MS150 bike ride from Houston to Austin, April 16-17, 2011. Their cycling uniform now sports an all new design, courtesy of Axiom.

The Hammerheads train for 12 weeks for the two-day cycling adventure that raises funds to help people living with Multiple Sclerosis. Training for and riding in the MS150 gives Houstonian members a great way meet and interact with other members as they get into top shape.

Axiom worked with Lisa Rainey, who heads the Hammerhead team, to put a unique “spin” on the design that would be used on the cycling jersey kit that included shirt, pants and, of course, t-shirt.

Out of several Axiom designs, The Houstonian chose one that was contemporary and would stand out from the other jerseys within the race. The cycling uniform was manufactured by Sugoi (leading supplier of endurance sports apparel).

Check out the Houstonian Hammerheads and for more information about the team, training and class schedules or to register, email Lisa Rainey.

Axiom Launches NEOS Rebrand and Corporate Website

2011-01-25T07:24:00.000-08:00

As part of a total rebranding initiative, Axiom recently launched a new website for NEOS GeoSolutions (www.neosgeo.com.) Based on Axiom's expertise in brand positioning and marketing communications for the upstream and midstream energy industries, NEOS chose Axiom as their creative partner to develop their new tagline, brand identity and external marketing. And as of early January, their audiences have taken note. In addition to founding investor Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, such prestigious investor partners as Bill Gates and Saudi-based Energy Capital Group have made a recent $60 million follow on position in the company, endorsing the huge potential of NEOS' vision and offering to the industry.

A leader in multi-measurement subsurface interpretation, NEOS integrates a broad range of geological and geophysical data within a proprietary data management system, to assist geoscientists to make faster, more informed decisions about where to explore, where to lease, and where to drill for oil and natural gas. Additionally, NEOS' time-lapse environmental surveillance program has been deployed along the sensitive bays and estuaries of the Gulf Coast region in the wake of the Macondo oil spill. The data collected is being used by Macondo owners and service providers, regulatory and monitoring agencies, or litigants to establish the areal extent of hydrocarbons in the region, the impact on flora and the success of remediation as clean-up activities continue in the years ahead.

Axiom Wins "Best in Show" and More at the 2010 Lantern Awards

2010-11-23T10:49:00.000-08:00

Axiom was the year’s biggest winner at the 2010 Business Marketing Association Houston’s Lantern Awards on Nov. 16 at The Petroleum Club – receiving the Best in Show Award plus five prestigious Lantern Awards and 17 Medals of Excellence.

The Lantern Awards annually recognize top-quality creative and strategic business-to-business communications. The Best in Show accolade — given to only one project — honored Axiom’s total communication program for Gardner Denver’s PZ-2400 launch campaign. The Gala’s Master of Ceremonies pumped up the excitement when he introduced the night’s overall winner with “If I was Axiom’s competition, I’d be terrified.”

Axiom also earned three of its Lantern Awards for Gardner Denver, a provider of compressed air and gas, vacuum and fluid transfer technologies. These included a website, a flash-animated email campaign and the total communication program for the PZ-2400 project.

Axiom’s illustration for a Cameron project in Brazil and its advertising campaign for ION BasinSPANS also received Lantern Awards, marking them as the best work in their categories.

Axiom’s 17 Medals of Excellence — the most of any firm in the year’s juried exhibit — further demonstrated its broad capabilities with work for clients including PGS, ION, Cameron, Clark Condon Associates, Basic Energy Services, the Art Directors Club of Houston, Dawson Geophysical, Gardner Denver and Axiom's own self promotion.

Awards were received by Axiom in the categories of 3D Animations, Motion Graphics, Interactive Multimedia, Interactive Trade Shows, Websites, Online Advertising, Billboard/Posters, Small Trade Show Exhibits, Sales Brochures, Technical Literature, Direct Mail, Advertising, Total Communications Program, and Qualitative Research.

The Art League Houston's 2010 Gala

2010-11-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

As a Five Thousand Dollar sponsor of The Art League Houston's 2010 Gala, Axiom supported the yearly event with two tables of guests. Axiom President, Tom Hair, recently joined the Art League Houston’s Board of Directors and as a native Houstonian has also been a past student at the League.

Honoring the 2010 Texas Artist of the Year, Joseph Havel and 2010 Texas Patrons of the Year, Leslie and Brad Bucher, the Gala featured a silent auction of work by local artists, guest speakers, a screen presentation of Mr. Havel's art and formal dinner and dancing.

The event also had a special exhibit of work from the Healing Arts program. Art League Houston has offered the Healing Art programs since 1991. The outreach classes are presented free of charge and provide access to the creative process for individuals in the greater Houston area who often have little or no opportunity for creative outlets or artistic expression.

Art League Executive Director Vanessa Wodehouse said "Every year Art League Houston friends gather to celebrate the Texas Artist of the Year and Texas Patrons of the Year. This year we honored artist Joseph Havel and patrons Leslie and Brad Bucher. Nearly 300 guests crowded the ballroom at the Omni to congratulate them. It was a festive evening brimming with great food, incredible artwork, and fun dancing to the Allen Oldies Band. And to top it off, Art League Houston raised money to support its school, exhibitions, and outreach programs!"

To learn more about supporting the arts, local outreach and attending classes, visit www.artleaguehouston.org.

America's Energy Future

2010-10-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

Houston’s video production and event planning phenom Vision, hosted Axiom at the Greater Houston Partnership's America's Energy Future event held October 12th. As specialists in creating integrated marketing communications for the energy sector, Axiom found the conference relevant and timely for its content on the state of the energy industry and future trends. The forum featured corporate and academic experts across the energy continuum from such notable enterprises as the Citizens for Affordable Energy; The Houston Technology Center; Schlumberger; Shell Wind and more. The panel presentations addressed the impact of emerging technologies and renewables on economic development, job creation and energy independence. In addition to these dynamic discussions, Governor Rick Perry provided a “State of the State” following the program.

Texas Artist of the Year Award

2010-09-27T07:30:00.001-07:00

Axiom salutes Houston Artist of the Year, Joseph Havel who will be honored at this year’s Art League Houston “White Shirts & Chiffon” Gala. Held November 5th at the Omni Houston, the event celebrates the rich diversity of Houston’s art community and the artists and patrons that make it thrive. We encourage you to support local art, and the Art League of Houston, by purchasing tickets to this event.

Young Film Maker Adam Will Pursues His Dream Out West

2010-07-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

Building on the inspiration of master film-makers Quentin Tarantino and David Zucker, Adam Will is embarking on his own film career. He’s already produced a couple of creative short films and has several in production.

Adam just graduated from Southern Methodist University (SMU) with a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema/Television. He was one of only three students in his field to receive the Meadows School of the Arts Honors for Scholarly Achievement. Recipients are honored based on grade point average and professor selection for outstanding achievement.

He joined Axiom as an intern following his high school graduation in June 2006 and we were so impressed we asked him back again after his freshman year at SMU. Adam got to exercise his creative energy with a major role in the creation of a “day in the life” video about our great, Great Dane mascot, Ruling Duke.

“Axiom afforded me the first opportunity to work closely within my field,” said Adam. “My two summers at Axiom gave me a competitive edge in school because I was actually working with professionals and using the latest tools and techniques to cut up animations. They had enough confidence in me to put to work on some pretty complex client animation projects.”

Growing up in a very left-brained family, Adam was drawn to the artistic inspiration and support of his grandfather. While working in tourism, his grandfather stoked his own artistic fires by teaching art classes, including Adam whenever he could.

From the start, Adam expressed his creativity through film and video. He used an old family video camera to film his first movies, short comedic videos that assignments for his high school Spanish class. And his passion for film has only deepened.

After his sophomore year, Adam took an internship with VT2, a Houston-based video studio where he gained valuable experience as a production assistant. “At VT2 I got to do everything from filing to rigging lights to being a general set gopher,” Adam recalled. “I actually got to work on a Wendy’s commercial, and a music video for a local rapper, where I was production assistant and stage manager.”

His third internship took him to Los Angeles (LA) to work with Fox Sports’ Fuel TV, a channel devoted to action sports including skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, among other extreme sports. “Living and working in LA was a real eye-opener, we only thought Houston traffic was bad. Traffic aside, it was incredible participating in the production multiple TV shows,” said Adam.

Adam shot his first short film using his Dad’s 16mm Bolex camera, circa 1960, on a really tight budget (just $2,000), starring one of his friends. His next film, “Number One Fan,” is nearly complete. This time out, he worked with a slightly larger budget and professional actors. Check out the trailer up top.

Now graduated with honors with solid internship experience on his resume, Adam is in the process of moving to LA this summer to pursue his dream full-time. He is already interviewing with a variety of companies.

Adam still visits Houston and he drops in to keep us posted on his progress. With his creative energy drawing him ever closer to his dream, the Axiom team can’t wait to say, “We knew him when.”

Bicing in Barcelona - Alternative Mass Transit

2010-06-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

As we wander the beautiful city of Barcelona in our off hours from EAGE, we can't help but notice amazing examples of creative energy at work. The Europeans have always excelled at mass transit, and the primary mode of transportation around European inner-cities is via bicycle. In fact, Europe has one of the oldest and most mature biking cultures in the world.

This love of bikes has given way to mass biking services offered in many
major European capitals. Bicing is the alternative public transportation in Barcelona, launched in March of 2007 with 200 bicycles to rent and 14 stations spread around the city. The purpose of the system is to cover the short everyday journeys made within the City via bicycle, reducing the city's carbon footprint. As of May 2009 there were 6,000 bikes and 401 stations.

Each bright red Bicing SmartBike is a three geared bicycle made of stainless steel and aluminum, weighing around 16.5 kg, equipped with headlights, back lights and a RFID tracking system. The SmartBikes were specially designed to be easily recognizable and to prevent theft of parts or of the whole bike. Vans redistribute Bicing SmartBikes between the stations as needed.

The idea is to use the bikes to easily maneuver around the City without
having to rely on cars, buses or taxis. An annual membership of €30 ($36.93) is required, with most stations located near entrances of public
transportation like the metro, public parking lots and train stations. The
yearly fee allows members to use their RFID card to rent a Bicing SmartBike for up to two hours a day. The first 30 minutes are free of charge. A fee of €.50 ($.62) is charged for every additional half hour. After two hours a penalty of €3 ($3.70) an hour is charged, encouraging short-term use. If a user does not return the bike to a station within 24 hours of rental a charge of €150 ($185) is levied.

Barcelona City Council and Clear Channel manage and maintain the system.

Is creative energy at work in Barcelona? Absolutely.

Axiom Showcased in AIGA's "The Texas Show" with 2 Best in Category Awards

2010-06-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

Recognized by the AIGA, the professional association for design, Axiom's work is showcased in a book and traveling exhibit highlighting the Best in Texas design and graphics communication, called "The Texas Show." The inaugural Houston event was celebrated at the Heights Theater on May 27, 2010, where Axiom was awarded Best in Category Poster for its promotion of the Houston Art Directors Club, Best in Category Video & Motion for ION Geophysical, an Honorable Mention Poster for a Public Relations Society of America promotion, and an Honorable Mention Video & Motion for an Axiom self promotion.

Winners from the Austin, Dallas and Houston Chapters of AIGA are included in “The Texas Show.” Of the 149 entries from Houston's marketing and communications firms, designers and students only 17 received awards. Axiom was one of only three marketing communications firms included in the retrospective and road show. "The Texas Show" will be produced biannually with staged exhibits across Texas.

Founded in 1914, AIGA remains the oldest and largest professional membership organization for design. AIGA now represents more than 20,000 design professionals, educators and students through national activities and local programs developed by 65 chapters and 200 student groups.

Photos courtesy of Myke Toman | www.tomanimagery.com

Barcelona, Birthday, EAGE and Synchronized Swimming

2010-06-14T14:12:00.001-07:00

by Tom Hair

I’m posting this from Barcelona, while mixing a bit of fun with work as my wife Molly and several other Axiom team members attend the 72nd European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers (EAGE) Conference June 14-17.

Molly and I celebrated our arrival to Barcelona, and my birthday, by my swimming 3,300 yards at Piscines Picornell, the pool that is part of the Parc de Montjuic, which was the home of the 1992 Summer Olympics. Parc de Montjuic is the largest park in Barcelona and is 213 meters above the commercial zone of the city.

Often referred to as Montjuic Park, or simply Montjuic, this is actually a huge mountain that divides part of the city of Barcelona from the sea and gives it a unique character of natural beauty. There are two theories about how the name came about – the first one says that it is derived from the old Catalan phrase meaning 'Hill of the Jews' and the other one suggests that it comes from the corruption of the Latin Mons Jovicus (‘Hill of Jupiter’).

We then enjoyed a slice of life in the Parc watching a synchronized swimming competition. The obvious camaraderie of the young girls was a wonderful example of creative energy.

How Branding Conquers The Three Plagues

2010-06-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

Let’s begin with a simple definition of branding.

Branding is the art of becoming knowable, likable, and trustable. Branding is an art because it deals with the interplay between strategy [logic] and creativity [emotion]. Too much strategy and too little creativity exude a cold bureaucratic image. Too much creativity and too little strategy send disjointed and confusing messages. The trick is to maintain balance.

Unfortunately, three forces team up to keep the scales wobbling.

In today’s always-on, always available business world, we suffer from the plagues of time famine, overchoice, and short attention spans. In order to mollify the relentless stress spawned by these three plagues, marketing professionals will often jump into creating marketing tactics and vehicles (website, brochures, logos, brochures, tweets, posts, etc.) prematurely—before investing in good branding principles. In light of the three plagues, the urge to leap ahead with creating tangible stuff is particularly tempting. Don’t just sit there, do something!

But there’s good news: good branding cuts through the visual noise pollution. Good branding clearly demonstrates to the world: we value the important over the urgent. It simplifies and distills choice-making down to its essence. The pay-off? Reducing someone’s stress.

Axiom Wins 5 “Best in Category” Awards at the AMA Houston’s 2010 Crystal Awards Show

2010-05-24T13:10:00.000-07:00

Axiom brought its “A” Game to this year’s AMA Crystal Awards and walked away with 5 “Best in Category” Crystal wins. Additionally, Axiom had the most finalists in the show with 32 projects recognized across 18 categories.

Highest honors (Crystal Awards) were achieved for the following print and screen-based projects:

Advertising – Magazine (single): Cameron Tree Rings Ad

Advertising – Online (single banner, button, pop up): Cameron Acquires NATCO

Interactive/Multimedia Marketing Presentation: ION Geophysical Interactive Tours

Website – Business to Business: Axiom Creative Energy

Website – Non-profit: Historic Houston

The evening’s accolades were especially notable as the 2010 competition had the most participation in the history of the event. The American Marketing Association’s Houston chapter has the second largest membership (after the founding Chicago chapter). In four out of the past five years, Houston has been acknowledged as Chapter of the Year — a record in charter history.

Within the marketing communications industry, the AMA Crystals represents one of the most challenging shows. The entries submitted are judged primarily on (1) solid execution against a strategic marketing plan, and (2) measurable results. Axiom’s five Crystal awards continue to demonstrate the company’s Creative Energy, and their mission to provide exceptional creative solutions aligned with clients’ business goals. To learn more about Axiom’s unique brand of Creative Energy visit www.axiom.us.com.

Pain Relief Is Only A Wallet Away

2010-05-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

Nagging pain? Headache? Worried? It looks like it pays off to have a wad of cash handy. According to compelling behavioral research, the simple act of physically handling money relieves pain.

The good news? Money makes people more self-sufficient and more motivated. The dark side? Money makes people less helpful, less social, and less charitable.

Perhaps banks should consider a new product line extension: a room where customers could rent time to fondle money to alleviate pain. Add a coffee bar, snacks, good music and--voila!--a new business model is born.

Visual Storytelling Now Mainstream

2010-05-19T14:41:00.001-07:00

What was once deemed as “adult comic books,” graphic novels are gobbling up shelf space alongside “serious literature” these days in bookstores. Over the past decade, the graphic novel industry has reported double-digit growth according to Joe Field, president of ComicsPro, a trade organization for independent comic retailers. “Ten to 12 years ago, I had to pay attention to 12 to 20 publishers,” Field said. “Now, literally every publishing house has a graphic novel imprint ... Graphic novels are the only segment of publishing that has consistently gone up in the last five to six years.” Publishing giant Hachette Book Group set records for first-week sales with the first volume of a graphic novel adaptation for Twilight.

In order to meet this rising tide, the University of Houston has begun a Graphic Novel Workshop to help budding writers craft their narratives. Mat Johnson, who teaches at The University of Houston Creative Writing Program and author of the graphic novel, Incognegro, leads the Workshop.

“In graphic writing, I'm reaching about five times as many as my novels,” Johnson said. “I love the novel, and it's my first love, but graphic novels just fit the culture today.” Johnson was named the first USA James Baldwin Fellow by the United States Artists Foundation.

Graphic novels popularity has extended into huge box office successes, too, with adaptations of 300, X-Men, Batman Begins, A History of Violence, Sin City, “V” For Vendetta, The Road To Perdition, and others. Disney bought Marvel Comics for $4 billion in 2009. According to The Numbers’ Box Office History for Based on Comic/Graphic Novel Movies, the total worldwide box office gross is a whopping $10,213,804,362! The worldwide average for each film is $124,558,590.

Not a bad return on investment.

The Fall of the Web’s Latin Hegemony

2010-05-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

Imagine you are Chinese, Egyptian, or Russian. Now, imagine that over the past few decades, you’ve been driving your car throughout your homeland, navigating with Latin language traffic signs. Annoying, but doable. Then suddenly, the signs have been replaced with your native language.

Welcome to the web's non-Latin language domains.

"You should have seen the Russian celebration of this, it was so emotional. Suddenly their own language can be used," says Tina Dam, Senior Director of International Domain Names for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, which is working on implementing 21 international applications for domain names in 11 languages. "This is the biggest change in the Internet in 40 years."

For example, let's say you wanted to go to the office of the President of the Russian federation, you type in "president.rf" Today, the Cyrillic address is http://президент.рф/

To be sure, there’s plenty of security work that lies ahead. We’ll need to thwart a new wave of spammers and phishers hoping you’ll click on a non-Latin language link. But the language liberation has begun. You can’t unshout this booming crowd.

Axiom Achieves Finalist Status in 18 AMA 2010 Crystal Award Categories

2010-05-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

Axiom took the theme of this year’s 2010 American Marketing Association (AMA) Houston Crystal Awards to heart, and brought its “A” game to the annual juried competition. As a result, Axiom will go to the award ceremony May 20 as the finalist leader with 32 accepted entries across 18 categories. Axiom’s 32 finalists will all earn at least a “Citation of Excellence”, with the Best in Category winners receiving the coveted “Crystal Award.” 

Topping the list of Axiom’s finalist entries were two integrated marketing communication programs that each encompassed overall strategy and implementation and included theme and message development, websites, brochures, print and online advertising, multimedia, tradeshows and direct mail. In addition to these two comprehensive campaigns, Axiom’s entries for energy, technology and non-profit clients spanned a full range of marketing communication and design categories such as advertising, animation, annual reports, brochure systems, websites, web-based marketing, multimedia presentations, tradeshow booths, illustration, promotional items, direct mail and more.    

Category Winning Crystal Awards will be announced Thursday, May 20, 2010 in Houston.

Axiom President Tom Hair Named to Art League Houston Board

2010-04-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

HOUSTON (April 5, 2010) Houston native Tom Hair, President of Axiom, was recently named to the Art League Houston (ALH) Board of Directors for a three-year term.

Degreed in the Graphic Arts, Hair has been inspired by his academic history, which has included classes and labs at the Art League Houston, Glassell School of Art (MFAH), School of Visual Arts (NY) and Texas Tech University. This inspiration continues today at Axiom, founded in 1998 as a marketing strategy and creative communications agency.

“Joining the Board of Directors of ALH takes me from student to patron, now working to provide the general public and deserving individuals an opportunity to take advantage of the variety of programs offered by Art League Houston,” said Hair. “I’m excited to offer the experience gained from managing Axiom successfully for 12 years and bringing the combination of creative energy and business acumen to the Art League Houston.”

ABOUT ART LEAGUE HOUSTON
Art League Houston is one of Houston’s longest operating non-profit visual arts organizations and was the first alternative art space in Texas. Founded in 1948, Art League Houston has provided over 750 exhibitions to the Houston community, showcasing the work of nearly 22,000 artists and over 29,000 students have received instruction at the Art League School. Twenty-one outstanding artists have been awarded the Texas Artist of the Year recognition and twice the award has been given to exceptional patrons. Free art classes are offered year round through the HIV+ and Cancer Related Illnesses Healing Art Group, MS Healing Art Group and Physically Challenged Healing Art Group.

ABOUT AXIOM 
Established in 1998, Axiom provides marketing strategy, branding and creative communications programs to clients primarily focused around the commercialization of traditional and alternative energy sources. Axiom’s work has been recognized by professional organizations and publications including: American Advertising Federation, American Marketing Association - Houston, Art Directors Club of Houston, Business Marketing Association - Houston, Communications Arts magazine, Graphis, How magazine and Print magazine.

Hope Stone Inc. Awards 2nd Annual Duke Memorial Scholarship to Talented Fourth Grader

2010-02-26T06:43:00.000-08:00

Writer, drummer, dancer and actor Sofia Ivanka is the recipient of the Second Annual Duke Memorial Scholarship awarded by Hope Stone, Inc to provide a year’s tuition for a talented, financially-in-need student to participate in the schools creative play programs.

Tom Hair with Sofia Ivanka

The scholarship memorializes Axiom’s kid-friendly mascot Great Dane, Duke, who interacted with the Hope Stone students within the Tribeca Lofts where both Axiom and Hope Stone reside. The scholarship spotlights and supports the responsibility of society to make training in art, music and dance available to all children.

Sofia was chosen for her quiet leadership, particularly with the younger students, her empathy with animals and her outstanding performance as a student. She has been studying at Hope Stone for four years, developing her many talents.

Sofia recently completed her first book, Fourth Grade Math Rules, which will soon be available at Barnes and Noble and at Borders. She has designated a portion of the book’s receipts be donated to Hope Stone to help other financially-challenged kids.

The Houston-based Hope Stone, Inc. provides outreach and support services for talented, under-privileged children in the Houston area through dance and performance art.

Creative Energy Blankets House in 130,000 Points of Light

2010-01-12T09:09:00.000-08:00

What better way to kick off our Creative Energy blog than to spotlight a Houston family who caught the spirit of the holiday and lit it up, way up.

Three years ago, John Briers and his family had a discussion about why they only decorated the inside of their house for the holidays. John and his daughter immediately headed off to their Home Depot and, as John said, “Filled my Suburban with all the lights it would carry.” It was just a start.

The decorating has become a true family affair. While John and his 26 year-old son Michael do the heavy lifting, the entire family and extended family get into the act. John’s wife, an accomplished sculptor, designed a life-like Santa to ride and fiberglass sleigh built by her brother-in-law. The sleigh is mounted on a hydraulic scissor lift. Nieces and in-laws help to light every bush, tree and inch of the house.

Here are a few stats regarding their decorating efforts:

2500 straight strands
Between 130,000 and 180,000 lights
all are LED
900 man hours to install
About $3.15 per hour to illuminate @ 5 hours per night for about 40 nights

An effort of this magnitude does require some planning. John says he and the family discussed what they wanted, deciding on something pleasant to the eye, kind of calm. There are no flashers or inflatables.

John owns his own contract construction business so his expertise in planning came in handy for developing a grid system for installing and dismantling the lights. They took painstaking care to straighten and align each strand, providing just enough tension to ensure that each of the 130,000+ bulbs stood tall and shined out.

Now creative energy isn’t always met with the same levels of enthusiasm. While most of John’s neighbors welcome the Briers’ display of holiday spirit and enjoy hot chocolate and popcorn as they visit, others made it clear that they didn’t care for it. John worked with City officials and Constables to make sure the house was never unattended while the lights were on to keep everyone safe.

The naysayers haven’t dampened the Briers’ enthusiasm. They installed an entire new electrical system in 2009, including a generator to replace their old one that helped to power three families during Hurricane Ike and that powered the lights. “We’ll be starting 35 days before Christmas on the 2010 display,” said John.

What keeps them going? “A mom and her kids came down from Cleveland, TX, just north of Houston, and stood in the front of the house with arms around each other,” John recounted. “One of the daughters looked up at the mom and said, ‘Don’t worry Mom, see, it will be all right.’ They had just lost their dad and the lights brought them comfort.”

Creative energy has the power to move people.

Creative Energy Sparks Axiom’s Recognition at Business Marketing Asociation Houston 2009 Lantern Awards

2009-12-02T07:13:00.000-08:00

Houston, TX (November 23, 2009) — Recognized for its marketing strategy and creative work across a wide range of screen-based and print media, Axiom received 4 Lanterns and 23 Excellence Medallions at the recent Houston Chapter of the Business Marketing Association (BMA) 2009 Lantern Awards.

With an emphasis on its work for energy-related enterprises worldwide, Axiom was honored for branding strategy, screen-based and print initiatives, advertising and promotional displays for clients, including Basic Energy Services, Cameron, Gardner Denver, HighMount E&P, ION, Paradigm, Vortex Ventures and Wild Well Control. In addition, Axiom’s self-promotion of its “Creative Energy” theme received several Excellence Medallions for advertisements, animations and web promotions.

Following are some of the Axiom entries that were recognized and exhibited at this year’s ceremony:

Axiom received the prestigious best-in-category Lantern Award for:

Basic Energy Services: Graphic Standards Manual
Cameron: Corporate 2-Page Spread Advertisement
Vortex Ventures: Most Improved Website
Axiom: “Creative Energy” Promotional Item Under $20

Some of Axiom’s 23 Excellence Medallions were awarded for:

Basic Energy Services: 2008 Annual Report, Website, 2009 Ad Campaign and Trade Show Exhibit
Cameron: Corporate Advertising, Brochures, Human Resources Website
HighMount E&P: Branding Campaign and Trade Show Exhibit
Gardner Denver: 2009 Advertising Campaign
Wild Well Control: Capabilities Brochure
Paradigm: “Rock & Fluid Canvas” Web Module

For over 10 years as a strategic branding and marketing communications agency Axiom has been infused with creative energy. Building on the business passion of its clients, the innovative sparks that come from an experienced team and a solid process that delivers compelling business results, Axiom’s creative energy drives growth opportunities for its clients.

Compelling Design + Measurable Results = Big Wins for Axiom at the 2009 AMA Crystal Awards

2009-06-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

Houston, TX (June 2, 2009) – Axiom, a leading advertising/design hybrid, is proud to announce triple wins at the American Marketing Association (AMA) of Houston’s prestigious Crystal Awards Show. The AMA selected fourteen Axiom projects as finalists in the show and awarded the firm three Crystals for best in category.

The AMA Crystal Awards competition is unique in that judges select finalists based both on the quality of design execution and the validity of an entry’s essay. Each essay must report five essential criteria: situation/challenge, objectives, strategy/tactics, message alignment and results. The results section is given double weight in relation to the final score.

The Houston chapter is also one of the most competitive chapters in the nation. AMA Houston won “Best Chapter of the Year” for a third consecutive year in 2009 and saw another increase in Crystal entry submittals, up 28% from 2008.

Specialists in strategic communications for the global energy market, Axiom’s entries spanned the advertising, multimedia, motion graphics, print collateral and investor relations communications categories. The following are the Axiom entries that were recognized and exhibited at this year’s ceremony:

Axiom’s American Marketing Association Crystal Award Winners
• Cameron Fantastic Five Superhero Animation
• ION Geophysical 2007 Annual Report
• Hope Stone Center Catalog of Hope

Axiom’s American Marketing Association Certificate of Excellence Winners
• Paradigm “SKUA is Now” Campaign
• ION “The Brightest Minds in Seismic” Recruiting Campaign
• Basic Energy Services Marketing Collateral Program
• Axiom “10 Years of Creative Energy” Website
• Cameron CAMFORCE Multimedia
• ION Virtual Systems Toolkit Multimedia
• Basic Energy Services Corporate Video
• Cameron “Mark of a Leader” Video
• Axiom “10 Years of Creative Energy” Print Ad
• Axiom “1st Annual Duke Toy Drive” Event
• ION “FireFly Returns” Campaign

These Crystal Awards join a long list of industry accolades Axiom has received in the past year, including top honors from the Business Marketing Association of Houston, the Art Directors Club of Houston, and the local and regional American Advertising Federation ADDY® Awards.

FIREFLY RETURNS

2009-05-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

Take on Me Video: Literal Version

2008-11-11T16:59:00.000-08:00

If you like the 80's like I like the 80's you'll love this video.