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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Everything in a the experiences we create is intentional and in service of the brand’s greater purpose. Consistently thoughtful. Nothing haphazard.

  • 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.

  • Maxwell Billings

    Brand Director, Founder

  • Laura Santi

    Brand Director, Visual Design

  • Rick Hickey

    Brand Director, Verbal Design

  • “Working with EightySeven was by far the best decision I've made as a new business owner.”

    Morgan Barber, Founder & CEO of Nue Parenting Company

  • “Hiring EightySeven was one of the best decisions I have made in my entire career.”

    Laura LeBlanc, Executive Director of Philanthropy and External Affairs, MiSide

  • “A dream to work with. 11/10 would recommended.”

    Chris Johnson, Director of Brand, Solo Stove

  • “What stood out the most was their ability to achieve what others couldn't.”

    Vince Lebon, Founder & Designer, Rollie Nation

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

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.