Shutter Up and Shoot.

Creating a brand for a photographer named Speed? The name was already doing half the heavy lifting of brand building. And the fact that his studio was in sleepy little Ozark, Missouri, made it even better. Here’s the backstory.

Paul and April Speed met in Chicago, where they worked as art and creative directors at agencies including BBDO, DDB Needham, and Leo Burnett. After starting a family, they traded big-city agency life for a slower pace in April’s hometown of Ozark, where they opened a concept-driven photography studio. April joined Marlin as a creative director, where we teamed up on some of the agency’s more interesting conceptual work. Meanwhile, Paul became one of our favorite go-to photographers, shooting for clients like Bush’s Best Beans and Blue Bunny Ice Cream.

So when the Speeds needed a brand of their own, they knew a guy. I explored a handful of identity concepts, with the appropriately named “Speedy” logo winning out. A few of the ideas that didn't make the cut were too good to toss, so they found new life as supporting graphics and brand utilities. I also illustrated the studio’s barn, developed a collection of Speedy patterns, and pulled together a color palette and library of visual assets that reflected Paul’s personality and the studio’s creative energy. The result? A playful, flexible identity designed to keep up with a decidedly not-so-slow photo studio in sleepy Ozark, Missouri.

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