Excellence Never Gets Old: NorthPark turns 50!

NorthPark Center is an icon of excellence. Its exceptional collection of stores, award-winning architecture, world-class art collection and spectacular landscaping currently draw over 26 million visitors a year. And at a time when other shopping centers are struggling, NorthPark is more spectacular than ever, celebrating its 50th anniversary this week. Excellence has been at the center of everything that NorthPark has done for five decades, and this week’s celebration of this historic milestone is no exception.

On Wednesday, August 19, in recognition of its 50th anniversary and its continuing support of the community, NorthPark Center kicked off “NorthPark50: Fifty Years of Giving,” an initiative benefiting 50 non-profit organizations over 50 days. 

Then on Saturday, August 22, the public is invited to join the festivities at the Fifty Years of Excellence birthday bash — a one-day celebration featuring shopping, fashion, art, music, and throw-back surprises. This will be followed by other special anniversary events continuing well into 2016.

Banowetz + Company has been busy over the past several months working on branding, in-center graphics, promotional items and collateral for the anniversary celebration, some of which are shown below.

Visit NorthParkCenter.com for a full list of anniversary events and activities.

— Team Banowetz

Akrìveia: Another great identity project wrapped up

It’s amazing the vast range of industries we come into contact with at Banowetz + Company, largely due to the exceptional number of logo projects we produce. When we’re working on a branding piece — whether it’s for a restaurant, a product or an industrial service — we try to immerse ourselves in as much information as we can get our hands on. We then try to encapsulate that into one succinct message in the form of a logo and tagline. This particular project gave us the chance to learn all about the ins and outs of railcar cleaning. And not just any type of cleaning for any type of railcar. We’re talking just a fraction of all the cars out there, the ones that have been used to transport the most hazardous of materials. 

Akrìveia, taken from the Greek word for “precision,” is a new company specializing in the very precise (and very dangerous) process of removing hazardous chemicals from the inside of railcars. This not only requires a unique set of skills and chemical expertise, but it’s also a service that many other companies shy away from due to its risky nature. After we presented several tagline options to our client, “precision is our passion” was chosen and we began exploring logo designs that would resonate with the audience within this industry, looking for the perfect balance of “technical” and “corporate.” Below is the final logo, inspired by hazardous materials placards which appear on railcars. We think it’s strong, masculine and, most importantly, precise. 

— Team Banowetz

Bridging Art and Fashion: NorthPark fall shoot at Crystal Bridges

It’s that wonderful time of year again – Banowetz + Company is busy working on the fall fashion shoot and photo editing for our long-time client, NorthPark Center. One of the things we love most about NorthPark is their involvement in, passion for and promotion of the arts. And as part of a continuing emphasis on their tagline “The Art of Shopping,” we took this shoot to our neighboring state of Arkansas to the spectacular Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. Not only does the museum house a fantastic collection of masterworks from the colonial era to modern day, but the exquisite architectural design of this landmark structure by world-renowned Moshe Safdie offers stunning interior and exterior spaces flooded with natural light and materials, set against a backdrop of the Ozarks. 

Once this ideal location was determined, our quest was to find the perfect faces for the fall campaign. We were delighted to bring New York talent Zhenya Katava and Daniel de Wolf into the mix, who were both exceptional on- and off-set. Our brilliant creative team collaborated with our client to pair new fall looks from top designers, such as Roberto Cavalli, Valentino, Burberry, Mulberry and Ferragamo, with artistic works from the collection at Crystal Bridges. The finished shots as fascinating as they are rich in color and texture.

This September, the new campaign will roll out nationally in Harper’s Bazaar, W, and WWD, as well as locally in PaperCity, FD, Modern Luxury and Patron. Last but certainly not least, the entire campaign will be showcased in a perfect-bound book and mailed to 70,000 homes. Just to whet your appetite, here are a few behind-the-scenes pics from the photoshoot. As summer starts coming to a close, be on the lookout for the unveiling of the incredible final images and see what wardrobe “must haves” to add to your shopping list for your next visit to NorthPark.

Location: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR
Client: NorthPark Center
Agency: Banowetz + Company, Inc.
Photographer: Maxine Helfman
Producer: Tamber Johnson, Tamco Productions
Female Model: Zhenya Katava
Male Model: Daniel de Wolf
Hair: Chuck Amos, Jump Management
Makeup: Francis Hathaway, Jump Management
Wardrobe: Rachel Roberts, NorthPark Center
Stylist: Tammy Theis, Wallflower Management
Executive Creative Director: Leon Banowetz, Banowetz + Company, Inc.
Creative Director: Adam Hallmark, Banowetz + Company, Inc.

— Team Banowetz