Skybox Ink made our way to the PIAexpo 2010 at the San Diego Convention Center on February 25. The event boasted a wide variety of printing and related industries. It was a great place to check out the best new paper stocks, coating options and everything innovative happening in the printing industry. A huge theme echoed throughout the event was eco-friendly printing, and we were happy to spread the word about Skybox Ink’s use of green materials such as recycled stocks and soy/vegetable based inks.

Skybox had the chance to meet with Adam Hale of Blend, a well-branded printing company who prides themselves on exceptional digital printing. As we got to chatting about coating options and elaborate branded materials, Hale pointed us in the direction of Creative Coatings, a company in San Diego that specializes in unique coating treatments.

We also stopped by the Mohawk Fine Papers booth and picked up some of their latest samples, as well as In To Ink Letterpress, which had some truly beautiful invitations and envelopes. They describe their letterpress work as:

“having a look and a mystique that is not able to be replicated on an offset press. There is texture and dimensional feel to many letterpress projects. There is also the opportunity for the project to be more of a hands-on crafted piece. We strongly encourage any of our clients utilizing our letterpress department to be press side during the creation of their project. This allows a fine tuning to your desired look.” Courtesy of intoink.com

We’re a month into 2010, and it has been a busy and fulfilling year already!

Skybox Creative’s eco-friendly printing business, Skybox Ink is doing increasingly well, and we are consistently expanding product options and paper stocks. New this year is 100# Linen and rounded corners for business cards and postcards – definitely check out the site – 250 business cards start as low as $14!

Skybox Creative has also been working with some wonderful clients, both new additions to our business family and some long-standing relationships. SKIN1 by Dr. Gram recently changed its name to GRAM Skincare, and we are the branding firm revamping their new look (updated packaging and logo to be presented Spring 2010!)

We are also very excited to be working with new client Iaomai Medical Ministries, a medical outreach non-profit here in San Diego. We are currently in the final stages of their website redesign, and it has been a wonderful experience working with people who are so giving of their time, expertise and spirit to make this world a healthier, happier place. Last year, they provided medical care to almost 1400 people in Guatemala during a 10-day outreach trip – incredible!

Mark it on your calendar – Thursday, March 18, 2010 – the next installment of “Green is the New Black.” Skybox Ink, in association with Skybox Creative, welcomes everyone to our Green Networking Quarterly Series at Se San Diego Hotel in the Gaslamp. More details to come soon, but there will be raffle prizes, great conversation and eco-friendly business brainstorming shared by all!

We’ll do our best to keep you current on everything Skybox here on our blog, but please drop us a line at 619.381.3825 or email info@skyboxcreative.com to inquire about our services!

Check out how large and small companies are reinventing their brand image at http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/

This site is a great resource for learning about what some of the corporate mega companies are doing to modernize, elevate and sustain branding supremacy.

To find out more about building a brand for your company, contact info@skyboxcreative.com or call 619.381.3825

Skybox Creative is an award-winning web design and branding firm in San Diego. Specializing in all things graphic design, Skybox works hand-in-hand with companies to create lasting, clean and distinctive imagery for your company in the medium of web, print, email, trade show + more.

iStock Design Spotlight is a designer showcase on the stock photography and design community website http://www.istockphoto.com/. They include a variety of categories including print design, promotional materials, web design, graphic design and more. Designs are hand picked to be showcased as inspiration for other artists. Multiple designs from Skybox Creative have been selected for the Spotlight, below are a few of the most recent.

View the Design Spotlight selections here:

LifeSource BioMedical Trade Show Booth Design
http://www.istockphoto.com/design_spotlight_details.php?ID=26945

SKIN1 Web Design and Development
http://www.istockphoto.com/design_spotlight_details.php?ID=26946

Miracle Recovery Tri-Fold Brochure Design
http://www.istockphoto.com/design_spotlight_details.php?ID=26947

So you have 3 kids, a lively variety of ages, and the toys are piling up faster than you keep track, not to mention the bills. Guess what, it’s time to move to a new house! You cringe as you peer into the garage where dozens of barely-used toys are tossed in a heap covered in a thick layer of dust. If dust was the only problem, you might be able to sell them, but the sun has gotten to them, so there is really no good option. Sadly most of them end up in the trash…you think to yourself, there’s got to be a better way!

This is exactly what happened to Carlos Algarin, founder of rentAtoy, Inc. (http://www.rentatoy.com).

With a genius idea on his hands, he started his research and found out that a few successful toy rental companies already existed, most of them outside of the U.S. It was confirmed, he had a valid business idea on his hands, the brainstorming process began. How would rentAtoy create a superior brand in an industry that is still unfamiliar to the average consumer?

Enter Skybox Creative (http://www.skyboxcreative.com). With extensive B2C experience and local landmark clients, such as Pangaea Outpost (Pacific Beach), Flower Hill Promenade (Del Mar) and the San Diego Film Festival, rentAtoy sought out their award-winning branding + web design expertise. Skybox Creative pulled up their sleeves and got to work on the promising new brand.

Everything from the candy color palette to the shinny, playful logo scream ‘kid-friendly’. Skybox Creative wanted to create a memorable tagline that would drive the message home for parents: Happiness Delivered. Short and sweet. The tagline curves under the logo to form a smile, reinforcing the message non-verbally. The meerkat mascots were modeled after Carlos’s 3 munchkins, personalities, favorite toys and all.

Brand Identity + Character Development

The biggest challenge of all was that often the first thing that came to mind was germs! With a ‘clean feeling’ baby blue in the background and an impressive flash video reinforcing that the toys are GUARANTEED Safe and Clean, the web site was an instant hit! Skybox Creative also encouraged a safety tab in the main navigation for those concerned, where they could read about rentAtoy’s strict safety standards. As a father of three, Carlos would never allow anything to be shipped that he would not give to his own children.

On the Back of their business cards, it says it all: fresh toys delivered to your door every month. save time. save money. be green. This concise statement became the staple of their advertising and branding campaign for one good reason, people get it.

San Diego is excited about rentAtoy! They have already received tons of press from Channel 8 News to Channel 6 News (Select Rent-A-Toy video on the left to view), Fox News and more. Their stellar brand image and messaging give rentAtoy a competitive advantage over their single U.S. competitor who clearly did not invest much into their brand identity.

Filled with ambition and armed with the right tools, rentAtoy is on their way to the top. Thanks to Skybox Creative, their dream is now a reality. Watch as they grow.