All in a good day's work
I'm often jealous of my friends who work for non-profits. Not so much for their often tireless and unrecognized efforts, but because when they leave work I imagine they do it with a satisfaction that the hours they spent during the day went towards making life better. We are lucky to have clients like Whole Foods Market and Swanson's Nursery who allow us to share in these efforts often, and I am very grateful for those "non-profit-like" spurts throughout my year. They tend to be my favorite days in this business.
We recently were lucky enough to help out on the Ballard Boys & Girls Club art garden project with Swanson's Nursery. When we set out to develop the brand campaign for Swanson's Nursery in 2014, they insisted that community projects be a crucial part of whatever we planned. I imagine being a 90 year-old company makes community roots run deep.
The Swanson's team decided on partnering with the Boys & Girls club given how much that organization gives back to the community. The front of the building contained an overgrown rain bed and some sad little trees, a stark contrast to the vibrant facilities that lie within. Swanson's resident landscape design guru, Dan Gilchrist, drew up some incredible plans for an inviting art garden -- a space that would provide kids with an opportunity to co-create the look of what was to come.
The Swanson's team and B&G Club staff and kids dug, sawed, planted and built an incredible transformation of the space. An outside that now reflects all the amazing things that go on inside its walls. The days I spent helping were good days. I'd say some of my favorite days.
