Here you'll find bite-size tips, tricks, rants, insights and updates from the team and a peek behind the scenes of life here at I//A.

Brian Kelly Brian Kelly

GAME OVER: Recreating Toys ‘R’ Us v2.0

Toys ‘R’ Us has not had a good 2018. From store closings and going-out-of-business sales to the death of founder Charles Lazarus just one week after the toy store announced it would start liquidating…

Read More
Rafal Zielinski Rafal Zielinski

Kill Your Babies: A Helpful Reminder for When Creativity Puts up a Brick

This was me, much of last weekend: “Is it good enough? Does it show us in the best light? Do we look like idiots? Where is it going and what is it going to do for our brand? What about the time we have into it already? What about our expenses? Ugh. It’s fine, we can fix it. No, it’s not fine. No, it’s not fixable.”…

Read More
Rafal Zielinski Rafal Zielinski

5 Lifesaving Tips for Writers Who Work with Designers

For the past decade, I’ve given words (or “copy” if you want to get all fancy) to designers who make them look beautiful. As of today, not one designer has killed me and only two have threatened my life. I know! I’m great!…

Read More
Rafal Zielinski Rafal Zielinski

We Wish You a Tilt-Shift Christmas

A remarkable thing happens when you use tilt-shift photography in your videos: Your scenes take on a miniature quality, which adds a tasty dash of whimsy and nostalgia. For this year’s Christmas video…

Read More
Rafal Zielinski Rafal Zielinski

The 5 Best (and 5 Worst) License Plates in the United States

Our creative director, is not a fan of the design of the new Illinois license plate. So that got us thinking: What states are the best, and is Illinois actually the worst? My colleagues and I each made lists, then we debated. Below is…

Read More
Rafal Zielinski Rafal Zielinski

Out Of Office: Daily Design Inspiration Boards!

Alex uses daily inspiration boards to keep his mind full of visual references. He looks for specific moods, textures, color palettes, personalities and themes that link his interests together. Where his own experience overlaps and connects these…

Read More
Rafal Zielinski Rafal Zielinski

Meet Our New Favorite Drink

Having a wonderful day? A woeful day? In either case, you could use a cocktail—and it just so happens we have a fresh and vibrant option for you. After filming at KOVAL Distillery, we stumbled into a drink they call Woke (we like to call it The Legacy)…

Read More
Rafal Zielinski Rafal Zielinski

A Bold Voice for World-Class Machines

We love working with Enshu. Not only do they manufacture high-end machine tools that stand the test of time, they aren't afraid to push the boundaries when it comes to their marketing…

Read More
Rafal Zielinski Rafal Zielinski

A Straight-Talking, Myth-Busting Painters Union

We helped PDC 30 smash union stereotypes and change their story. When you picture a union guy, what do you see? If it's burly man angrily swinging a sledgehammer and using scare tactics to…

Read More