Damen Jackson is the Chicago branding agency that has been providing 360° brand support to clients of all sizes since 1998. From consumer packaging to product design, this Chicago design firm creates meaningful brand stories through images and messaging.
Damen Jackson’s perfect balance of of business strategy and creative solutions has allowed them to drive results for the past 16 years and not skip a beat. Brands like Disney and Seattle’s Best partnered with Damen Jackson to tell their brand story. If you are looking for an agency tell your story, look no further than the agency located on Chicago’s west loop.
Inside Damen Jackson
In Chicago Since: 1998
Core Services: Branding / Marketing Design
# of Employees: 13
# of Four-Legged Employees: No dogs, no cats, no Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs. We do have a rather large Pink Panther stuffed animal.
1. Their origin story…
In 1998, three renegades disembarked from another agency with the goal of ‘doing things differently’ for our clients; focusing on forging great relationships, working on fun projects and helping our clients in whatever way they needed our help. As the years progressed, Ron Farnum has become the sole owner, but we continue to serve our clients however they need help.
2. What you’ll find inside:
Our office is in a converted wood-beamed manufacturing space where caskets were built up until the 1980s. The owners wisely retained some industrial touches, such as the original flooring, in several areas (they wisely refrained from retaining any of the caskets). We have an incredible heavy steel fire door in our break room space, which never fails to impress.
Also interesting is the fantastic, expansive view of Chicago from our 7th floor location, looking north over the Green Line El stop and Google’s regional HQ.
3. The meaning of #agencylife…
Pushing ourselves to deliver awesome creative work, having fun and loving it. I don’t think anyone in our office would thrive in an ordinary office job.
“Whatever you need, we’re here to help.”
Chicago Creative
4. Why Damen Jackson loves CHI Town:
Even though we have the lake, an incredible skyline, great architecture and amazing museums, without question the people of Chicago are the best thing about the city.
5. Chicago campaign Damen Jackson is proudest of:
JBSS / Fisher packaging refresh, because Fisher is a brand that is reinventing itself and its relevance in the market, and we are happy our work helps them to accomplish that vision.
6. National campaign Damen Jackson is proudest of:
IDEAL Audacy, because we helped an established manufacturing company develop and bring to market a cutting-edge technology brand.
7. Most admired Chicago brands:
Portillo’s restaurant chain–they have been able to recreate the “Chicago dog” brand experience consistently over many years and multiple locations.
Kenmore: A pioneering private brand that generated and has retained a consistent image of quality and value. Same with Craftsman; both are private brands people don’t simply buy on price, and aren’t embarrassed to own.
Chicago Professional Sports Teams:
Chicago Bulls: even in down years, they are active in unifying the city with hope and energy.
Chicago Hawks: it’s great to have a perennial contender for the Stanley Cup.
Chicago White Sox: the south side team never quits and refuses to change its tough image to become more lovable. The team is a perfect reflection of the south side.
Chicago Cubs: it’s so inspiring to have a team of energetic young players working together and winning it all, without letting some imaginary curse convince them they couldn’t be the World Series champions
Chicago Bears: well, people still attend games, so that’s something.
8. Most admired influencer in Chicago:
Aalap Shah and Madhavi Rao, founders of our digital partner agency SoMe Connect. They are the nicest, most knowledgeable people we’ve met in the digital world, and they have really helped us expand our visibility across the web. Google them; they’re #1.
Also, Kim Knoll, the head of the Chicago Chapter of the “Creative Mornings” program, which has become a valued source of inspiration and collaboration for the DJ creative team.
9. The best restaurant in Chicago:
That question could cause a fistfight here! But one of our local favorites is Au Chavel on Randolph Street. Just be prepared to wait for your chance to experience “Chicago’s Best” burger. (Or is it the “World’s Best”? We can never remember.)
“A great brand agency today is effective at one thing: delivering simplicity.”
– Ron Farnum, President/Founder
Partners in Crime
10. What they do for their clients:
We create insightful brand stories and compelling visual design.
11. Want to work with Damen Jackson? This is what they look for in potential partners…
- They have a willingness to establish a symbiotic partnership with their agency based on clear communication and mutual respect. Agency selection is not a purchasing-driven RFP process, and they will connect with us prior to any proposal development.
- Potential for a longer-term relationship, more than just a one-and- done project.
- A solid creative challenge in the work.
12. Clients love Damen Jackson because…
We are incredibly responsive and solve their strategic and creative challenges in a timely fashion.
13. Who they helped:
Disney, Daisy, Azteca Foods, KitchenAid, Fisher Nuts, ChapStick, Starbucks, Owens Corning
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