We sat down with Oblique’s founder, Janice Ferrante, as she reflected on the challenges, accomplishments, inspiration and everything else that comes with running an agency for 20 years.
Feb 14
Creating or revamping a brand goes well beyond logo design. Before elements like color, shape or typography are even considered there is a lot of strategy and discovery that’s involved. It’s a “get ta know ya” kind of process, but in the process you get to know yourself a little better too.
Clarity in your brand’s mission, values, personality, competition and–perhaps most importantly–differentiation are key to your success. It’s important to know who you are, what you do, who you do it for and how you do it differently from your competitors. A clear and powerful positioning should serve as much as a rudder for your brand, as it should for your business. It’s the voice and soul of your company—resonating across audiences, raising awareness, defining your customer, and galvanizing stakeholders and the broader public. This is where brand strategy comes in.
Aug 9
Giving back is a great way to show you’re more than talk and it can serve to reinforce your brand’s identity while you serve your community. We aim to talk the talk AND walk the walk. After all, a successful company is only as strong as the communities and people it cares about. Some brands, like TOMS shoes, are building charity right into their business model. A lot of brands are giving back in other ways, whether it’s part of the way they do business or not. Using their powers for good has become a trend that we can definitely get on board with.
Jul 26
To say Loui Pacheco is passionate would be an understatement. From the moment we had our first meeting, it was obvious the amount of work, emotion and passion Loui has put into his company and career. His success is a testament to this as he has become one of the most sought after Los Angeles based personal trainers and an ambassador for Lululemon. His energy and passion are contagious, to say the least. Team Oblique was beyond excited to partner with him on his branding efforts that are so close and dear to his heart.
Apr 22
Every agency should have a roadmap for clients to refer back to in order to ensure that the agency will deliver the right end product. These methodologies are developed over time and experientially based so that the agency can recognize clear progress markers as they work with an array of clients.
At Oblique, the SLNT (slant) Method™ is our roadmap to lead brands down an actionable, strategic path so you can get the clarity and results you want. Our approach is purposefully linear and methodical as we fully immerse ourselves in your brand’s objectives, giving your values the proper context to shine. Each step along our path builds on the previous in order to create and sustain momentum for your brand for years to come.
Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty.
Nov 5
If 2020 has taught the world anything, it is that change is constant and innovation is continuous. You have to keep your brand fresh and current.
About four years ago or so, we launched our current site and since then, Oblique has changed quite a bit. If you really think about all that’s happened in the brand world, 2015 was a long time ago. Since then, we’ve transferred to a remote-friendly working model, our team has transformed, we offer slightly different services, and we have collected a bunch of amazing new clients. Our website needed a slight update to reflect our changes.
With that in mind, we did what we do best for our clients and applied it to ourselves. We put our SLNT Method into action and did a complete website overhaul. SLNT stands for Strategize, Leverage, Narrate, and Target.
Sep 26
Our client Cause+Medic has a special place in our heart. The mother of Founder, Hugh Huffaker, was suffering chronic pain due to multiple sclerosis, and Hugh wanted to create a CBD cream that would help alleviate it. What resulted was Cause+Medic, you may have heard about them in Forbes, Organic Spa Magazine, or Dope Magazine.
Upon product launch, Oblique was asked to do the original creative package design oriented towards the ‘everyday’ consumer. Our designs were colorfully eye catching and dynamic. As Cause+Medic began to gain more clout in the massage world, high end spas started to pick up on all of the hype. Soon enough, the Four Seasons wanted in on the action and requested that these massage oils be used in almost every one of their spas worldwide. This called for a complete packaging redesign. Oblique was on the case again, this time redesigning the original packaging to be more sophisticated and sleeker to appeal to high end clientele.
Sep 3
We’re about to toot our own horn here! Beep beep.
Recently, we designed a logo and infographic for the House Democrats’ Member Online All-Star Competition. That’s right, we said THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES! We wanted the competition logo to stand out and denote a fun creative pursuit (gaining social media followers- the competition’s objective) and we were also tasked to design an infographic to display the competition winners for this year and all past years in a fun and engaging way; and we did so with pride! (more…)
Jul 7
Jake Pates is the coolest 21 year old we know. Olympic Snowboarder, nonprofit founder, Brain Health Activist, and Oblique Client. Born and raised in Eagle, Colorado, Jake began snowboarding as a little kid. By 8 years old, he was with USASA, which gave him the opportunity to create a career for himself in professional snowboarding. Over the past 14 years, Jake has had multiple concussions; and as a result, has suffered with anxiety and depression.
Jan 17
2019 was an experimental year for Oblique. The company traveled the world working remotely out of various co-working spaces (12 workspaces on 5 continents, to be exact). While fully immersed in the remote work lifestyle, they met many freelancers across the globe. That is not to say that digital nomadism is synonymous with freelancing. But, while traveling they noticed that freelance talent pools are growing quickly the world over and providing a flexible and viable business model for those who want a less traditional structure.
