Work

• Naming, identity, visual system
• Business-to-business marketing literature
• Direct-to-consumer marketing literature
• Web site
• Point-of-Sale System
• Posters
• Trade advertising
• Direct mail campaign
• Trade show design and informational panels
• On-hold recordings
• Media kit
• Media asset catalog
• Sub-brand marketing materials

When Starkey Laboratories was preparing to launch the most advanced product in the hearing industry, management decided to change everything about their brand at once: from the corporate logo to individual consumer brochures to their web site.

They needed a creative services firm with breadth, flexibility, and experience. And they wanted to do roughly a year's worth of work in about a quarter the time.

Science so smart. . .

For a hearing aid company, Starkey had historically been quiet about its achievements. For years, it had been the nation's single largest manufacturer of hearing instruments, as well as an international leader in philanthropy. But very few people knew this; in fact, the company had been doing good, solid work for so long they were seen as slightly old-fashioned and often overlooked.

Then researchers at Starkey developed a breakthrough application of nanoscience that allowed them to build products with nearly biologic adaptability and intuition, and it became clear it was time for this humble company to don an evening gown and go to the ball. Thus, Starkey stepped into the role of Cinderella. We at Larsen were delighted to dust off their ashes, turn a few mice into horsemen, and dress them up for the ball.

Our job was to give the Starkey story weight and elegance, letting the world know this company was about to improve the lives of millions of people with hearing impairments. We started by coming up with a new color palette using warm, contemporary tones; a radiant gold band that is used throughout all collateral materials to symbolize the evolution of Starkey's technological achievements; and a tagline that describes, in our minds, the simple truth about this company's newest innovation. Science so smart, it's nearly human.

Name it, we did it

We began with the task of naming Starkey's brand-new technology. It was a collaborative effort from the beginning. Working in partnership with Starkey's director of marketing and communications and vice president of sales and marketing, we came up with the name nFusion, using a subscript n to signify nanoscience and the word "fusion" to indicate that the actual product derives its true power from the combination of a hearing device and fitting software. At the same time, we updated the Starkey logo, making its signature star larger and more striking, and provided the company with stationery, business cards, envelopes, innovative folders and mailers, and packaging ideas for its new devices.

Tight timetables, countless deliverables

By the time Starkey came to us, they were already on a fast track. We had just under 12 weeks to provide a comprehensive corporate ID system, a 26-page "hero" brochure, mailers, trade show visuals and informational panels, individual marketing materials for several discrete product lines, posters, a point-of-sale system, and brand identities for several Starkey innovations including Destiny (a hearing instrument), Inspire OS (fitting software), and Surround Town (a virtual sound simulation program used to troubleshoot problem hearing situations).

A sleek new look

In an industry where information really matters, it can be a challenge to wrap all the stats, charts, and copy in an attractive and meaningful design. But working with the new color palette and technological theme, our designers developed a sophisticated signature look for Starkey. Throughout the marketing materials, we used blocks of text set off by white space and full-page photos of people in real-life situations, and we chronicled the patient journey with smaller, captioned images and even created a fold-out graphic "architecture" to explain nFusion Technology.

In other pieces, we got downright edgy. A pre-trade show invitation we designed had to be read with an enclosed magnifying glass because the print was nano-sized. And a direct mailer sent out after AAA — inviting professionals to attend the nFusion Technology Summit — included custom postcards, a DVD, a personal letter from the vice president of sales and marketing, and a brochure describing the summit inside a file folder and bound with a bright red Starkey "belly band." Apparently, audiologists like to have fun — despite the historic conservatism of the industry. Because they responded in droves.

Resounding Success

The nFusion launch was more than a resounding success. It represented a milestone for Starkey, and a revolution in the hearing aid industry. After the AAA show had concluded, orders for Destiny went through the roof, and our client's reputation skyrocketed just as high. Starkey's research team began collecting feedback reports from new users of the brand-new device proving the product offers perfect synergy: Destiny's best-in-class features work in concert to produce better-quality sound and more positive patient outcomes than any hearing product ever developed before.