About us
EightySeven is an independent branding studio that works with visionary founders and leaders to transform brands through the fusion of strategy and storytelling to spark opportunities.
What we do
Proudly sparking connections since 2019.
EightySeven is an independent, award-winning branding studio that works with visionary leaders and teams – from entrepreneurs to enterprises – to find the spark to drive lasting impact for their brands.
When businesses experience transformation from market changes, strategy shifting, or bold innovations, brand becomes a value-driving asset. We design branding solutions to navigate those changes and set you up for success.
Global talent,
remote-first culture.
Modern approach to building brands.
Make No Small Brands™
Creative equity to spark value.
Our Spaces
We are remote first with spaces in Chicago and New York City.
Our Awards
We don’t do this for the awards, but we love it when the brands we create with our clients get the recognition they deserve.
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2018 Davey Awards, Gold Branding
2018 Davey Awards, Gold Print Advertising
2020 Best Brand Awards, Award of Excellence
2020 Best Brand Awards, Best in Asia Runner Up
2020 Best Brand Awards, Best in Americas Runner Up
2020 Best Brand Awards, Best in Americas Runner Up
2020 Davey Awards, Best In Show Branding
2020 Davey Awards, Silver Branding
2020 Davey Awards, Gold Branding
2021 Muse Creative Awards, Platinum Branding
2021 Muse Creative Awards, Gold Branding
2021 Davey Awards, Best In Show Branding
2021 Davey Awards, Best In Show Branding
2021 Davey Awards, Gold Packaging Design
2021 NYX Awards, Grand Award Corporate Identity
2021 Marcom Awards, Gold Branding & Identity
2021 Marcom Awards, Platinum Branding & Identity
2021 Marcom Awards, Gold Pro Bono
2021 Marcom Awards, Platinum Packaging
2021 International Visual Identity Awards, Gold
2021 International Visual Identity Awards, Best-In-Category
2021 Creativity International Awards, Silver Packaging
2021 Creativity International Awards, Silver Branding
2022 Davey Awards, Gold Branding
2022 Davey Awards, Silver Branding
2022 Davey Awards, Silver Brand Voice
2022 World Brand Society, Silver Brand Voice
2023 DesignRush Branding Agency of The Month (February)
2023 DesignRush Branding Agency of The Month (June)
Founded ↘︎
2019, we’re in year 5.
Located ↘︎
Chicago & NYC.
Experience ↘︎
30+ collective years.
Mission ↘︎
Make no small bands.
Our Values
One of the ways brands can consistently spark meaningful experiences and connections with their audiences is through shared values. Here are some of our own.
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Thinking small is no way to motivate people or create meaningful connections. To create big outcomes, we need big ideas, bold actions, and brave leaps.
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Successful branding speaks to the human experience. Whether it’s in brand design, business, or day-to-day interactions, we prioritize relationships and putting ourselves in the shoes of others.
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As a group of relentlessly curious creative thinkers with unique skill sets and experiences, we value learning, exploration, experimentation, and asking smart questions to spark big ideas.
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Everything in a the experiences we create is intentional and in service of the brand’s greater purpose. Consistently thoughtful. Nothing haphazard.
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We’re a team of optimists. We want our work to create a better future for people and the planet, and we pride ourselves on working with brands that feel the same.
Our Team
Former ad executives.
Forever creatives.
Our studio was born out of the frustrations of working in multi-million dollar agencies. We share a passion for creating outstanding brands and an entrepreneurial spirit to forge our future. We build on each other’s talents, forming a modern, dynamic collective delivering lasting value for our clients.
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Maxwell Billings
Brand Director, Founder
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Laura Santi
Brand Director, Visual Design
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Rick Hickey
Brand Director, Verbal Design
Ready to start?
Let’s find your spark.
EightySeven is a creative collective focused on sparking connections between businesses and the people they serve. From our everyday meetings with clients to the lasting brand equity we deliver, we strive to leave an impact.
We would love to hear from you if you’re interested in working together on your brand or want to join a future project as a freelancer.
FAQs
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We work directly with founders, entrepreneurs, and C-Suite teams to first understand their current and future goals. Then, we apply our creative expertise and strategic insight to design brands and experiences that deliver on your vision while connecting with your customers.
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This depends on which of our brand engagements are best for your business. We offer workshops that are completed within a week, or our full brand projects with (87)BrandFusion typically take 3-6 months.
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While we offer different scales of engagements depending on your need, they all break down into 4 phases:
00 Onboarding & Learning
01 Brand Focus & Strategy
02 Brand Design & Voice
03 Brand Activation -
If your business has now placed an emphasis on branding, and are ready to initiate your project in the next 1-2 months, you can send a message to our new business director at hello@madeby87.com.
Our minimum investment for full service branding starts at $50k, and can adjust depending on your specific engagement. We do not do spec work, trial engagements, or white labeling services.
However, we ❤️ paid pitches.
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Depending on our availability, we are typically able to schedule and start our engagements within 2-3 weeks of signing our scope of work and project contract.