For international brands it can be a challenge to introduce themselves to new and unfamiliar markets. A new market often demands a new perspective on the brand – a new take on what is being offered or how it is being presented, based on what people respond to in that particular region.

Take Bticino – an extremely large Italian manufacturer of high-end light switches, wall plates and other electrical device peripherals – as an example. They contacted Iron in 2009, as they began the process of introducing their products to the US market. Given the brand’s prominence in Europe, the company had plenty of experience framing its message of sophistication in different languages – but where the company was struggling was translating their VISUAL language. While European countries can often share an aesthetic sensibility, the US is isolated from that cultural network. In short, to customers in the US, Bticino’s marketing materials seemed strange rather than sophisticated.

Over the course of a year, we set about translating Bticino’s message of sophistication both literally and visually, redesigning the company’s website, brochure, catalog, print ads and every other consumer touch point (see a small sample of our work below). With a cohesive marketing arsenal, the company has been able to expand target market saturation from San Francisco to Los Angeles and is in the planning stages of opening an office in New York. We’re excited about how the work turned out and are looking forward to our next international challenge!

NewSchools Venture Fund is a nonprofit venture philanthropy firm working to transform public education for low-income children. Our challenge was to build a digital presence that would stand tall among Silicon Valley audiences and reflect the innovation and transformative results for which they are known. The site needed to portray the true face of NewSchools and tell a narrative to potential entrepreneurs, funders and the thousands that will visit. The new site has an integrated array of features including a blog, picture galleries, videos and other key resources. You’ll also find case studies of the great work NewSchools ventures have done.

As part of our commitment to working with companies dedicated to social good, we recently launched a new brand identity for local start-up Genability. Genability is focused on making electricity usage more elastic, distributed, renewable and clean. They are currently building the world’s most complete and accurate database of energy prices, as well as the next generation of cloud services for managing, forecasting and optimizing energy.

The logo we developed explores the use of Fibonacci spirals and kinetic energy. We wanted the mark to create a sense of motion and energy to represent the give and take of the network Genability will build.

To learn more about Genability, visit www.genability.com

With over 350,000 apps in the Apple Store, we thought it was high time we joined the mobile revolution. As part of a complete naming, strategy and branding project, we are thrilled to announce the launch of Zipongo for iPhone.

Zipongo is a fun, interactive game with tools for tracking, sharing and exploring new foods, activities and even your sleep habits. The app, and asociated web site, use game theory to engage users and incentivize healthier lifestyle choices. Let the revolution continue!

This month we launched a new brand identity for Toolworks – a nonprofit organization that creates social and economic opportunities for people with disabilities. Our objective was to refresh the overall look and feel of the brand – from the group’s printed materials to its web presence.

In order to develop the new creative we helped reposition the organization, developing a fully-fledged strategic brief. The goal of the creative became to embody the new strategy, while capturing Toolworks’ unconventional spirit and uninhibited commitment to getting the job done. As such, the visual language we developed needed to reference the organization’s boldness and passion while presenting a unique, modern front.

Simple, elegant, san serif typography is treated with a progressive color palette and the interlocking double “O” motif suggest cooperation, strength and partnership. All key tenets of the brand strategy. The web site is under development and we’ll follow up with news of its launch in the coming months.

I know you thought the day would never come when a jean would focus on shape, not size! Too good to be true? Perhaps not anymore. Levi’s® listened to women from around the globe and studied more than 60,000 body scans, and as a result they have created a new line of custom fit jeans using a revolutionary fit system based on shape, not size!

The line launched in Levi’s® retail stores last fall and is now available at macys.com. We’ve refreshed the Levi’s® microsite on macys.com to include the Curve ID experience. The microsite includes education about the 3 new fits and a quiz that will help you determine which Curve ID fit is right for you. Check out macys.com to experience Curve ID for yourself.

When the The First Tee of San Francisco approached us, they had a unique challenge. They needed donations from individual donors and corporations to keep their program running, yet they had no official fundraising program, and no way to recognize the people who support them financially.

After launching into a brand strategy overhaul, we quickly designed event invites and new membership materials, as well a series of email newsletters. The result? The consistent, sophisticated branding led to increased First Tee Club membership and a staggering 2000% ROI following the first mailing of the membership brochure. They now have the tools they need to pursue funding and to recognize and maintain contact with those that provide invaluable financial support. Check out their program and help keep kids out of the rough.

After months of work, we’re thrilled to announce the launch of the new Levi’s microsite on macys.com. Until now, the Levi’s brand had been represented by a series of static banners that bore little relation to one another, or the brand as a whole. Our challenge was to leverage the Levi’s brand and develop a more engaging user experience.

After conducting a thorough audit of the Macy’s web site we identified several key opportunities and then:

• Designed a Levi’s-branded microsite, which incorporates Levi’s brand imagery and builds on current marketing and advertising campaigns
• Built an immersive interactive experience that brings the Levi’s brand to life, while presenting consumers with an array of attractive products
• Incorporated interactive fit details as well as video and voting functionality
• Integrated the Macy’s database into the microsite, creating a seamless, brand-based shopping experience (with a projected increase in online conversions of up to 30%)

The microsite is part of our ongoing work with Levi’s as we help them to deliver a consistent brand message across their major retail accounts.

Read more about our interactive projects.

I was lucky enough to attend the event and was thrilled to learn it raised a phenomenal $550,000! Click here to see pictures from the event. With this money, the Clubs will continue to run vital programs that help kids succeed in school, build strong character, develop healthy lifestyles and graduate from high school with a clear post-secondary plan.

We’re also putting the finishing touches to the organization’s web site, which is due to launch in the middle of the month.

Read more about our nonprofit work
Read more about our web design work

The exhibition is part of a larger initiative called the SoftSpot – which is a collaborative MFA Design Thesis Project, with the intention of inspiring positive social change through the use of design. Ultimately, the group wants more designers to become involved in creating a higher quality of life.

Check out the SoftSpot’s Facebook page. Check out their official site.