STANANDLOU MARKETING/ADVERTISING

PHOTOS
Note from Reggie:
“Thought things couldn’t get any better. I found out yesterday things can always get better, Even though you are happy with the way things are going for you now. I Meet a lot of nice people in Austin. Our Austin friends are learning about neurofibromatosis and showing compassion about all who are affected by NF. Shouldn’t surprise me. I always walk away feeling great, as I know the new friends I met feel the same. A big thank you to all who took time to take photos with me! You are all very special to me!”

Just met one of the most interesting, fascinating, inspirational people I have ever encountered, Derek Steele. His book is the story of his life…how he overcame addiction, poverty and homelessness to become a millionaire by 35.

Here’s a trailer from the book that pretty much tells his story. Very powerful.

Derek Steele is a dynamic speaker and author whose story offers a powerful lesson in overcoming addiction and finding fulfillment. A highly successful entrepreneur and family man, he came to the American dream the hard way — by surviving a nightmarish youth. When most people his age were looking forward to college and careers, Derek was spiraling through a violent underworld of drugs, alcohol and homelessness. “A million guys who were like me are now dead or in prison,” he says. Recovering from his addictions and building a life that many aspire to, he found true purpose in faith and service.

“Addict at 10 is an amazing story of one man’s miraculous journey of transformation. It is a gripping account of how Derek overcame pain, hopelessness and substance abuse to find faith, purpose and fulfillment in life. Derek’s book is a wonderful example of how God leads us to His grace and how, with the right tools, guidance, and dedication, anyone who is willing and open to His will can overcome adversity.”
- Steven K. Scott, New York Times best selling author of The Richest Man Who Ever Lived.

LINK TO CHAPELWOOD SERMON WITH DEREK STEELE

About Stryker

Stryker is a broadly based, global leader in medical technology that delivers exceptional results. We are one of the largest players in the $35.6 billion worldwide orthopaedic market and our products help medical professionals improve their patients’ lives in over 120 countries.

We are a company that sets high standards. Our growth has come from offering an unparalleled variety of innovative, high-quality products and services resulting from the dedication of our employees. Through better products, simplified surgical techniques and improved hospital efficiencies, we are creating cost-effective solutions in systems throughout the world.

Factory Builder Stores is a Houston-based distributor of kitchen appliances and bath products serving the contractor, remodeling and residential markets throughout Texas. STANANDLOU was asked to reposition the brand to reflect FBS’s years of experience, technical expertise and deep product knowledge. This website is Phase 2 of our rebranding process. Phase 1 was a total redo of their print and collateral. (SEE BELOW)

The following is a little blurb from their website detailing who Factory Builder Stores is and what they do:

Since 1988, builders, remodelers, contractors and the public have relied on Factory Builder Stores to provide top-of-the-line, kitchen appliance packages, cabinetry and Jacuzzi Whirlpool tubs. We offer more than 40 different brands of top-name appliances including Viking, Sub-Zero, Thermador, Bosch, Whirlpool and more.

Family owned and operated, we pride ourselves on providing unsurpassed customer service and support – in the showroom and in the field. Our sales representatives are experienced professionals who know their products thoroughly and can help guide you through the entire building or remodeling process – from product selection through installation.

Our aim is to make this aspect of the project fun, easy and stress-free. Stop by one of our showrooms in Austin, College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston or San Antonio, and see for yourself. Come see why over 5,000 of the most demanding builders, designers and remodeling customers depend on Factory Builder Stores.

Just had lunch yesterday at the restaurant next to Hotel Derek and I had a wonderful meal and experience. The restaurant is called Valentino Vin Bar but the area I ate lunch in was the bar area which is a pretty cool environment. Great food, reasonable prices and good service. It looks like a great place to go after work as the bar area is setup for serving food at the bar or at tables throughout the place. Didn’t have a chance to check out the fine restaurant part of the place but from the website it looks like the perfect place to bring a hot date and enjoy some Tony’s or Cafe Annie quality dining.I did peek at the wine list which was quite impressive. In any event, my next Happy Hour event is going to be at Valentino Vinbar. The front bar area kind of reminds me of a tapas bar but with more interesting plates but then, I am Italian!

This is from their website talking about the bar area:
“Vinbar a new and exciting concept for the group specializes in creating a social atmosphere.The dinner menu was to invite people to share. Small plates and Crudo (raw fish) combined with an outstanding cured meat and international cheese menu allows even the finickiest guest to find something they love.” BAR MENU BELOW (more…)

World News with Charles Gibson / Buc-ee’s Key to Success? Clean Bathrooms When Beaver Aplin asked us to create a series of billboards for Buc-ee’s, I thought, “Great, we can do some really cool stuff!” When he told me he wanted to focus on promoting the “cleanest bathrooms in the world,” I sniffed a great campaign! Four years later, Buc-ee’s billboards and “restrooms fit for a king” are synonynous with the brand. So much so that here’s what ABC News had to say… VIDEO They didn’t show this particular billboard in the newscast but I think this one pretty much sums it all up.
VISIT THE BUC-EE’S PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE

We couldn’t have said it any better…

Thrillist New York
Emailed on: Tuesday September 22, 2009
Kolache Mama
45 E 45th St, at Vanderbilt; Midtown East

Enjoying America’s best ethnic cuisine often requires leaving NY — Minnesota’s Norwegians dish out the lutefisk, while Taylor Ham’s relegated to New Jersey, where the indigenous population bravely resists real ham. Taste Czech America without the road trip, at Kolache Mama, opening September 30th.

From a Houston native inspired by the eponymous delicacies found in Czech enclaves around the country, Kolache’s whipping up an awesome array of said stuffed pastries, whose role in Eastern Europe as a sweet dessert was expanded to include proteins & veggies by immigrants excited to try new things, as long as they were entombed in a flaky crust. The slightly sweet dough’s stuffed prior to baking with unique fillings from breakfast steez (egg & cheese w/ bacon or sausage, etc) to cased meats (Ruffino Brother’s garlic sausage, jalapeno-cheddar links, Hebrew National franks w/ optional mustard & ‘kraut); more elaborate creations include the Pizza Works (sausage/ ‘roni/ shrooms/ peppers/ onions/ tomato sauce), the Reuben (stuff that’s in a Reuben), and the roast beef/ grilled onions/ peppers/ provolone Italian Beef, whose vehement hand gesticulations make it nearly impossible to eat. On the vegetable tip, there’s baby spinach accompanied by garlic, dill, feta and olives; a hummus/tabbouleh/tzatziki piece topped with sriracha; mashed potatoes with butter, cheddar, sour cream, & chives; and tomatoes and mozz w/ garlic, olive oil, and basil chiffonade — a flavor that narrowly lost out to Meatball ‘Splosion during rigorous Hot Pocket focus grouping.

In keeping with Euro-kolache tradition, sweeter varieties include honey cream cheese topped with streusel, chocolate ganache, cherry compote crumble, and even a lemon-butter curd attributed to Britain — if they keep going this direction, soon you may not have to cross the ocean to choke down spotted dick.

Stuff your doughy brain with the menu at KolacheMama.com

Lantern Awards of Texas

The BMA-Houston Lantern Awards of Texas competition was created more than two decades ago to bring recognition to top-quality creative work and the rising standards of marketing thinking in the business-to-business ‘space’ – long before most had even heard the term “B2B”.

Since that time, the Lantern Awards Gala has become an annual celebration of B2B marketing excellence in Houston and throughout the state of Texas. Hundreds of business marketing professionals gather to view the field of finalists in an elegant gallery-like atmosphere, to network with their peers over dinner, and then applaud the winners as they are announced.

The Cirneco dell Etna Club of America is having their annual U.S. meeting and show in Houston this year. Our client, Nancy Bolduc DVM, asked us to prepare an ad to run in their program. Not knowing anything about Cirnecos, I went to their website to find that a Cirneco is a beautiful dog native to the island of Siciliy, in Italy. I fell in love with the dog at first sight! Here’s a description of the breed from the Cirneco website.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: primitive dog type of elegant and slender build, medium size, not cumbersome, but strong and hardy. The morphological conformation is a long/limbed dog of light construction, square outline; the coat is fine.

They kind of look like a downsized greyhound and they look to hunt rabbits. After reviewing the Italian heritage of the breed and the exceptional quality of the breed, we tried to incorporate that feeling into the ad. Thus, the stylish font and sleek, stylized look of the ad.