Twenty Thirteen was one for the ages. It was a year driven by growth, education and adventure. With the addition of new mechanics Jenna, Brian and Justin, we made ’13 our best yet.
Best Events + Continuing Education
Refining our process and learning new tricks is an important priority for Blue Collar. 2013 brought some of the best strides yet—for us and our partners.
January 2013 was a special time for our client, Sigma Photo. The night before the opening of CES, we attended the PMDA Award Dinner at XS Nightclub. Michihiro Yamaki, founder of Sigma, was posthumously presented with a lifetime achievement award for his contributions to photography. Mr. Yamaki’s son, Kazuto Yamaki, accepted the award on behalf of his father, and gave an inspirational speech that made us proud to be part of the Sigma team.
Other top events we attended were TypeCon and TechFestNW. TypeCon is an annual typography conference presented by the non-profit Society of Typography Aficionados (SOTA). We were excited to attend in Portland alongside our client partner, Extensis. Portland’s tech scene is taking center stage with a curiosity that’s alive and kicking. In September, we took part in TechFestNW, which Fortune Magazine likened to “the next SXSW”.
The Work
Our client partnerships expanded in 2013 and we launched some really great projects. A few highlights include launching new websites for Superfeet, Sseko Designs, Sigma Photo, and Pistil; designing a new brand identity for CRKT; and ad campaign work for Somersault Snack Co, Gorge.net, Visit Sun Valley, Dakine and Extensis.
Fun Times
All work and no play makes Marlin Brando a dull fish. 2013 saw a few impromptu late night dance parties in the garage, and a continuation of our Persuaders Society event. We added a splash of color to the BC garage and braved the ice cold water of the White Salmon River for some high-action team building.
Perspective from the Team
Take a look under the hood. Twenty thirteen brought some great experiences. See what our team had to say.
2013: Year of the __________
- Horse
- Jackalope
- Dragon
- Reading glasses
- Frequent I-5 Roadtrip
- Cute Little Blue House
- Rooftop Tent
- Cronut
Coolest places we went
- Bonaire
- Alvord Desert
- Sayulita, Mexico
- Trail Creek Cabin, Sun Valley
- Cabin in the Cascades
- Escalante, UT
- Maui, HI
- Opal Creek, OR
- NYC
- Philadelphia
- Knoebels Amusement Resort, PA
- Lava Canyon, Mount St Helens
- What the Festival
Best creative inspiration
- Nyquil Dreams
- Aaron Draplin, The Persuaders Society
- My children, they see the world through such a unique lens.
- The Mushroom
- The woods
Most memorable quote or phrase
- “Getting potted up on weed.” ~ Steve Doocy
- “How come when Kanye acts like an idiot he gets a gold record, but when I act like an idiot, I get a police record?” ~ Linsday Lohan
- “I drank 3/4 bottle of Nyquil and my dreams were AMAZING. Gonna do it again tonight.” ~ Tom Lehmann
- “Hoo-ah! I couldn’t have said it better myself.” ~ Sarah Palin
- “Special occasions call for a special wardrobe, which is why, inevitably, someone will don a sparkly tutu before heading into a stormy abyss” ~ Claire Smallwood
- “He’s more Instagram than Facebook.”
- “It was like surfin’ man, on a cloud.” ~ Snowboarder at Mount Hood Meadows
Our biggest accomplishments
- Learned to play the guitar
- Work life balance
- Becoming a Senior Partner at BC!
- Now I feel guilty, thanks.
- Bought a house
- My photo was featured in an art gallery by Rolling Rock
Predictions for 2014
- BC will be fueled by coffee and beer—going to be a busy one!
- Learning new tricks all year long
- More art, more adventure
Thanks to everyone who contributed to making Blue Collar a great place to be in 2013. Cheers to a great Twenty Fourteen!