(87) About
A branding studio made for founders building their next big idea or concept.
We’re a Chicago-based branding studio for founders funding their next big idea, concept, or opening. You bring the idea and the date, we build the brand and guide you to launch.
You’re probably a fit if…
You’ve built something before, and you're funding the next one yourself.
The concept is real, not a maybe.
There’s a date on the calendar: an opening, a buyer meeting, a launch.
You'd rather decide today than sit through another round of indecision
We’re probably not a fit if…
You're still testing whether the idea works
You want forty logo options to pick from, and you’ll “Know it when you see it…”
You’re looking for “just a logo” because we build full systems to achieve business goals
That's okay. We’ll point you somewhere better.
Your brand isn’t the last step. It’s how you make the first ones.
Most founders treat branding as something to add once the big decisions are made. But your brand helps you make those decisions. Who it’s for. What to call it. What to charge. And once it's clear, everyone you bring in can see the vision without you explaining it every time.
The strongest brands are not built one piece at a time.
We bring strategy, storytelling, and design together from the beginning, giving every decision a shared direction.
Fellow Founder Led
Our founder, Maxwell Billings, directs every engagement with a support team. The strategy, the creative, the calls that matter. You’re never handed off to someone you met once or a junior team.
The right team, right time.
Writers, illustrators, photographers, and developers come in when the work demands it. You’re not paying for a roster that sits idle or work you won’t use. We operate as a fractional brand director to guide your transformation.
Built for speed.
We use a process that runs the same way every time. That’s what makes our brand sprints possible. We develop and deploy with a deep knowledge of your brand. Especially during a launch, we handle production and direction.
5x
retail footprint expansion after our rebrand & packaging updates.
13+
Restaurant locations refreshed based on one brand system.
100+
Brands built, with experience across every industry.
You’ve got options, so our the honest opinion.
A freelancer will get you a logo. A big agency will get you a brand in nine months and a PDF in a folder. AI will get you something that looks like six other brands in your category.
You don’t just need design, you need creative decisions.
We build two complete directions and show exactly how they would apply to your business. Not logos on a page… Storytelling, mockups, and visuals that bring your vision to life from screens to the street.
You pick the one your business can live in. Everything else gets built to match. Don’t like the first duo? We’ll make two more to nail it. Five weeks. Two directions. One decision.
Why we’re built this way
I spent years inside agencies watching good work get slowed down by process, layers, and people who weren't in the room when the decision was made.
So in 2019, I built EightySeven the other way. Built around one primary person accountable from the first call to launch. Specialists for what they're great at. No account layer between you and the work.
What that means for you is that the person you meet on the first call is the person in the room when your brand gets decided. You’re working with someone who cares and wants you to succeed. Talk soon.
- Max
