el pollo loco
The Objective — Reintroduce the brand, stopping it from becoming obsolete while peers forge ahead in product offering, innovation, and marketing.
The Issue — The reputation of being an old-school brand with no relevance to today's younger QSR-consuming generation.
The Audience — Acculturated and assimilated US Hispanics and non-Hispanic Millennials who crave fast, Mexican-inspired food that's not terrible for you.
The Cultural Anomaly — Fast, fresh, and fun food is a consumer demand, and LA has a cultural aspiration you can't quite put your finger on.
The Strategic Insight — Angelenos crave something authentic to represent them, while the rest of the country considers the city "a mile wide and an inch deep."
microsoft
The Objective — Launch a new Windows 10 software platform to reassure users that Microsoft is still the leader in efficient productivity.
The Issue — The performance failure of past platforms Vista–8, along with ridicule from peers and users that the interface was too rigid and stagnant.
The Audience — The individual home user, the everyday office worker, and key IT decision-makers for organizations with 100+ employees at desktop.
The Cultural Anomaly — Technology and people are growing further and further apart, fanning the flames of fear that we will become obsolete.
The Strategic Insight — Technology is made to make humans efficient, not reliant.
toyo tires
The Objective — Communicate that quality matters and is worth paying a premium.
The Issue — Drivers often purchase tires based on pricing, not performance value.
The Audience — The daily driver, not the auto enthusiast who's already convinced.
The Cultural Anomaly — Brand badge value comes from everywhere, from the logo on your shirt to the tires on your car, but without upkeep, your investment in appeal means squat.
The Strategic Insight — You never want to ruin a good thing.
adidas golf
The Objective — Push adidas Golf to the front of the consideration set as an expert partner across all sports, past the traditional brands that focus on golf alone.
The Issue — adidas is known for football prowess and little else, despite being a basketball-to-badminton brand with a presence in golf for decades.
The Audience — The casual to avid golfer who's inspired by the best professional talent on tour.
The Cultural Anomaly — Golf has exploded worldwide, embraced by younger and female demographics, opening the door for more brands to enter via sponsorship.
The Strategic Insight — Preparation is just as important as performance.
UCSD
The Objective — Competition to enroll students is fierce, but UCSD wanted to ensure its unique approach to research and education is recognized, and that San Diego is more than surf and sun.
The Issue — San Diego carries a reputation as a party town for students, leaving its campuses without real credibility or weight for non-locals.
The Audience — Prospective students and the key decision-makers influencing their choices, including parents and counselors, weighing alternatives within the UC system.
The Cultural Anomaly — Colleges are often chosen based on the fun factor, not their educational merit, which is what actually matters long-term.
The Strategic Insight — Kintsugi. Sometimes you have to break stuff to have the opportunity to reshape what's possible.
