Blog

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BlackWing Represented Among Top Creatives Judging International Competition.

06.19.2017
Jonathan Butts
President and Executive Creative Director

Big names from leading agencies around the globe gathered in New York this May to judge the International Caples Awards. BlackWing Executive Creative Director, Jonathan Butts was among the 20+ veteran creatives who determined which work will receive coveted Caples trophies later this Summer.

Hundreds of entries from Australia, China, India, Poland, the U.S., the U.K. and dozens of other countries were evaluated. Only the most courageous, innovative, masterfully executed marketing work was recognized by the senior judging panel.

Jonathan’s Posts

03.25.2024 Ineffective Advertising is a Climate Crime.

02.08.2024 BlackWing Will Weigh in on the World’s Best Creative Work.

11.27.2023 Built to Win.

Caples 2017
Caples 2017
Caples 2017
Caples 2017

About The Awards.

The International Caples Awards is the only direct response and digital competition for creatives that’s judged exclusively by creative directors. The Caples Awards was founded in 1978 by Andi Emerson in honor of famed BBDO direct marketing copywriter, John Caples. Today, The Caples Awards is internationally recognized as one of the premiere direct and digital award shows in the industry.

Winners will be announced June 28, 2017, and more information can be found at caples.org.

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How Modern Is Your Content?

05.10.2017
Jonathan Butts
President and Executive Creative Director

The majority of people now read email and conduct search inquiries on mobile devices. Marketing on social platforms tends to outperform traditional email marketing. These are two “no-duh” statements for most marketing professionals.

This does beg the question, why are marketing organizations still offering up old-school whitepapers, infographics and other content that’s not optimized for mobile viewing and social sharing?

Here are just a few examples of how BlackWing Creative is helping clients to modernize their informational offers.

Jonathan’s Posts

03.25.2024 Ineffective Advertising is a Climate Crime.

02.08.2024 BlackWing Will Weigh in on the World’s Best Creative Work.

11.27.2023 Built to Win.

Goodbye static PDFs. Hello interactive publications.

It’s true that you can do a lot more these days with PDFs. We take that to a higher level by turning PDFs into digital flipbooks.

Here are just a few reasons why we love these flipbooks:

  1. They’re responsive and instantly adjust to the device of each reader.
  2. They can live in the cloud or be hosted on your site.
  3. They have nifty navigation and search tools that improve the reading experience.
  4. They can be shared via email and social platforms with a single click.
  5. They can contain links, videos and other embedded content.
  6. They can be downloaded in PDF format with one click.
  7. And they serve up Google Analytics data.

Make your infographics more versatile.

We design infographics in a way that’s optimized for mobile viewing. We make sure they can do double duty by slicing them up for social posts.

In this example, the copy at the top — and each of the visual sections — are perfect for LinkedIn sharing. So you can simply cut, paste and create multiple posts in just a few seconds.

Fiserv Infographics
Fiserv Infographics
Fiserv Infographics
Fiserv Infographics
Fiserv Infographics

Learn more about modern B2B content.

We’re always working on new ways to advance B2B marketing. If you’d like to learn more about modern content, contact us today.

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When Is A Single Video Worth Millions?

04.12.2017
Jonathan Butts
President and Executive Creative Director

Let’s say you’re fighting to win a multi-million dollar sale, and you need a secret weapon to tip the scales in your favor. Unisys, one of the world’s largest tech companies is elevating its sales pitches and closing massive deals with the help of specialized sales pitch videos.

Just recently Unisys inked a $113 million contract with a leading U.S. healthcare organization. And the sales team gives a large portion of the credit to a video produced by BlackWing Creative.

Check out our latest sales enablement video and see how we illustrate the impact that Unisys can have on every employee, every day, everywhere.

Jonathan's Posts

05.10.2017 How Modern Is Your Content?
04.12.2017 When Is A Single Video Worth Millions?

More Unisys

Work: Last one to the future loses.

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From Pragmatic To Provocative. A Gutsy Upgrade For International Award Show.

02.14.2017
Jonathan Butts
President and Executive Creative Director

BlackWing Creative just launched a daring new website and social media campaign for one the world’s most respected marketing competitions — The International Caples Awards.

Caples celebrates the work of the most courageous, creative practitioners in direct marketing. For the past three decades this competition has received thousands of entries from top agencies around the globe. And it happens to be the only international marketing show for creatives that is judged exclusively by top creative leaders.

Like many award shows that operate on shoe-string budgets, Caples had a utilitarian website. BlackWing volunteered to develop a site and promotional campaign that was truly representative of the audacious work that’s recognized by the competition.

Jonathan’s Posts

06.19.2017 BlackWing Represented Among Top Creatives Judging International Competition.

05.10.2017 How Modern Is Your Content?

04.12.2017 When Is A Single Video Worth Millions?

WEBSITE

OLD

NEW

Instant street cred well leveraged.

By using social media to call out top agencies and Creative Directors that won a Caples award in 2016, BlackWing is firing up a storm of social media conversations and friendly (or not so friendly) competitive banter.

SOCIAL POSTS

The ability to tag agencies and creative leaders amps the visibility of social posts. And emotionally-charged phrases combined with challenging language increase the likelihood that the posts will be talked about and shared.

The new site and campaign launched on January 24th. And The Caples Call For Entries deadline is March 6th.

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BlackWing Creative Scores a DMA 2016 International ECHO Award.

11.01.2016
Jonathan Butts
President and Executive Creative Director

At the 2016 ECHO Awards Gala in Los Angeles, BlackWing Creative and Unisys received a Bronze Medal for their LAST ONE TO THE FUTURE LOSES campaign. This year, the Direct Marketing Association only handed out a total of 64 Medals spread across 21 different categories.

“Considering all of the incredible creative work that we were up against, we’re extremely proud to have won a medal,” said BlackWing Executive Creative Director Jonathan Butts. “Over 75 percent of ECHO trophies went to powerhouse, global agencies, including Ogilvy, BBDO and MRM//McCANN. So for our independent B2B agency to be included in that mix is quite an honor.”

“These ECHO-winning campaigns represent the highest caliber of data-informed marketing that delivers results,” said Jennifer Monaghan, Chairman of the ECHO® Board of Governors. “The entire Board of Governors and our outstanding judges from around the world congratulate these 100 campaigns from 17 countries for their innovation in advertising and marketing.”

The 2016 ECHO Awards were judged by 90 brand, agency and marketing executives, more than 25 of whom hold a CEO, founder, partner or principal position within their companies and more than 20 of whom hold an EVP, SVP or VP position within their companies.

Jonathan’s Posts

06.19.2017 BlackWing Represented Among Top Creatives Judging International Competition.

05.10.2017 How Modern Is Your Content?

04.12.2017 When Is A Single Video Worth Millions?

About DMA’s International ECHO Awards

The DMA International ECHO Awards honor excellence in creativity, marketing strategy and response results in data-driven marketing campaigns. With entries submitted by agencies and advertisers worldwide, DMA’s ECHO Awards recognize every type of media used in direct and interactive marketing campaigns. The ECHOs – the world’s top advertising and marketing competition solely dedicated to data-driven marketing – were first established in 1929.

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BlackWing Joins Alaska Airlines on 737-900ER Inaugural Flight.

10.31.2016
Spike
Chairman of the Board

BlackWing joined client Alaska Airlines two weeks ago as they took delivery of a brand new Boeing 737-900ER passenger airplane. We were special guests of the Alaska Air Cargo team on the plane’s inaugural flight, which took us over the city of Seattle and the spectacular Olympic mountain range on the western Washington coast. The airplane features, among other innovations, it’s new “Space Bins,” which hold almost double the amount of cabin baggage.

More on the 737-900ER

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More Alaska Air Cargo

Work: Amazing feats.

Blog: Alaska Air Cargo selects BlackWing Creative as its advertising agency.

BlackWing team members, Mitch Sieber, Stephanie Cooper, Gary Meyers, Gina Markovich, and Charlie Worcester, in front of one of the new airplane’s engines.
The spectacular Olympic mountain range below.
Alaska Airlines’ brand new 737-900ER at Boeing Field before take-off.
City of Seattle under the wing.
Mitch Sieber and Stephanie Cooper with Alaska’s Rick Bendix.
Associate Creative Director, Charlie Worcester, enjoys his first class seat alongside Alaska Air Cargo’s Shannon Stevens.
BlackWing Production Director, Gina Markovich, on board.
Charlie Worcester holds an impromptu creative presentation for Alaska Air Cargo’s Marketing Manager, Rick Bendix.
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How Do You Transform A Brand That Transforms Lives?

06.24.2016
Gary Meyers
CEO and Chief Creative Strategist

CyberGrants is an innovative leader in grant management software that every year facilitates billions of dollars in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Over the course of 20 years, the organization advanced to the point where its brand did not properly reflect the incredible impact it has on helping companies do astounding amounts of good throughout the world.

Enter BlackWing Creative, the bold B2B marketing agency that specializes in brand transformations. BlackWing worked closely with the CyberGrants executive leadership team to redefine and bring the organization’s story to life — including its brand promise, position, and personality.

Then BlackWing developed a new messaging and brand identity platform, complete with a new logo, brand guidelines, and website design.

CyberGrants CEO Mark Layden says: “As part of our aggressive investment in the future, we felt that it was a good time to better visually represent what we do. Our new logo, a graphic, artistic hand, symbolizes helping our clients — and ultimately their beneficiaries. Giving a hand has two important and distinct meanings: helping someone, and acknowledging hard work and success. These concepts are the embodiment of CyberGrants … and most importantly, our clients.

“Our new tagline, ‘How Incredible Happens,’ speaks directly to the incredible acts of good our customers create throughout the world, and our role in helping those acts come to life — whether it’s providing creative technical solutions to giving challenges, offering strategic guidance on programs, or virtually holding the hands of applicants and donors as they make their requests.”

Gary Meyers, CEO of BlackWing Creative, says: “Were extremely proud of the role we’ve played in helping CyberGrants. By getting employees to understand that they aren’t just members of a technology company, but members of a force for good that has an impact on lives around the world, we’ve helped to re-invigorate the entire organization. You can clearly see this mission brought to life in the fresh and powerful new brand work.”

In addition to a new brand platform, BlackWing Creative is helping CyberGrants with a number of marketing initiatives, including sales support, trade show events, and customer communications.

Gary’s Posts

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More CyberGrants

Work: How incredible happens.

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76 Shoeboxes Delivering $100.1 Million In Revenue.

06.09.2016
Jonathan Butts
President and Executive Creative Director

Who says direct mail marketing is dead? With help from BlackWing Creative, Unisys, a global leader in information technology services and support is reeling in a mind-boggling $100.1 million in new revenue from a single DM campaign.

According to BlackWing Creative’s Executive Creative Director, Jonathan Butts, “This is what’s possible when all of the stars align. We were able to produce a concept that had a lot of creative swagger, we had an exceptional mailing list, our offer was unique, and the follow-through from Unisys sales reps was tightly integrated. In 20 years I’ve never had a campaign that generated numbers like this.”

Jonathan’s Posts

06.19.2017 BlackWing Represented Among Top Creatives Judging International Competition.

05.10.2017 How Modern Is Your Content?

04.12.2017 When Is A Single Video Worth Millions?

More Unisys

Work: Last one to the future loses.

The goal of the campaign was to book face-to-face sales meetings with CXOs and senior leaders at Fortune 500 companies. In order to grab the attention of this hard-to-reach audience, Unisys sent an impressive black shoebox mailer that tapped into a major concern for these executives — the race to enable digital workers and avoid being surpassed by competing companies.

In return for taking a meeting with Unisys, campaign responders received a custom pair of Unisys-branded Nike running shoes, hand delivered by a sales rep. An astounding 34% of people who received the mailing scheduled meetings with Unisys. The contracts associated with these meetings total over $100 million (to date). And the ROI on the direct mail campaign is currently over 3,500%.

Global Marketing Director for Unisys, Lisa McClaine says, “Back in 2015 we began working with BlackWing Creative because of their focus on bold B2B marketing. Not only have they helped us achieve outstanding results, their continued partnership has helped us break away from traditional, reserved communications, shake off old attitudes and make a major cultural shift.

“Working with BlackWing as an integral member of our team we’ve built a spirit of camaraderie among internal groups that has everyone on fire with enthusiasm for future campaigns. That’s no small feat for a global enterprise organization.”

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New Awareness Campaign Commands Attention.

05.12.2016
Jonathan Butts
President and Executive Creative Director

Centrify, the leader in digital identity protection, asked us to create a bold awareness advertising campaign that would stand far apart from typical security advertising.

We answered with a visually arresting campaign that urged companies to not settle for the half solutions being provided by Centrify’s key competitors. And we drove home the point that only Centrify provides full protection for both end users and IT administrators.

The campaign has been turning heads and delivering strong results, generating over 70 million new impressions in just three months, increasing site traffic by 15%, boosting site visitor session time by 17%, and catapulting Centrify ahead of its competitors in social media followers.

Jonathan’s Posts

06.19.2017 BlackWing Represented Among Top Creatives Judging International Competition.

05.10.2017 How Modern Is Your Content?

04.12.2017 When Is A Single Video Worth Millions?

More Centrify

Work: No half measures.

Watch the campaign case study video now.

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Alaska Air Cargo selects BlackWing Creative as its advertising agency.

04.25.2016
Gary Meyers
CEO and Chief Creative Strategist

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines has awarded its 2016 Air Cargo marketing and creative account to BlackWing Creative.

BlackWing is tasked with adapting Alaska Airlines’ new brand refresh to its cargo marketing and to help the company expand its cargo markets in North America. Alaska Air Cargo is converting three Boeing 737-700 passenger aircraft into all-cargo freighters starting in 2016 and part of BlackWing’s mission is to help Alaska market freighter routes and services as well as the airline’s growing network.

Rick Bendix, Manager, Marketing & Business Development of Alaska Air Cargo, said, “We were really impressed by BlackWing’s creative portfolio, their experience in business-to-business marketing, and especially their innovative thinking around targeted marketing to specific audiences.”

BlackWing Creative President Gary Meyers said, “Our agency is thrilled to work with Alaska Air Cargo. We have the utmost respect for Alaska’s Northwest legacy and expanding reputation across North America. I personally love Alaska Airlines and their customer-first philosophy. We are really excited to get to work and communicate that philosophy through their air cargo business.”

BlackWing Creative has offices in Seattle and San Francisco and has been recognized as one of America’s top business-to-business creative agencies.

Seattle based Alaska Airlines operates the most extensive air cargo operation on the U.S. West Coast of any passenger airline and serves more than 100 cities in North and Central America.

Gary’s Posts

01.16.2020 BlackWing Wins Creative Business For McGee Air Services.

08.28.2019 4 Big New Client Wins.

07.18.2018 BlackWing Wins Back-To-Back Marketing Magazine Creative Awards.

More Alaska Air Cargo

Blog: BlackWing Joins Alaska Airlines on 737-900ER Inaugural Flight.

Work: Amazing feats.