Posted on Wed, May 13, 2009
CLARKSTON, GEORGIA - MAY 13, 2009 - On Saturday, May 23, landlocked Southerners can indulge their inner beach bum without even leaving the Atlanta area.
It's an event known as Surf Fest - a day-long outdoor affair featuring good food, good beer and set after set of live surf music. The festivities begin at noon at the Clarkston Community Center Field, 3701 College Ave., Clarkston.
The festival, now in its fourth year, is the brainchild of Wayne Foster of Foster Sound - a family-run company specializing in live concert sound for small to medium venues - and two of his friends.
It all started when Foster was introduced to the distinctive sound of surf rock.
"About five years ago," he said, "my friend Randy Duke asked me if I would go down to a show at Georgia Tech and see a surf band play."
That Atlanta-based band was The Penetrators, and Foster was hooked.
"My friends and I started talking about how cool it would be to get a bunch of surf bands together and put on a show," he said. "It's just been snowballing ever since - getting a little bigger each year, and a little better each year."
In addition to Foster Sound, some of this year's other sponsors include the nearby Brockett Pub House and Grill (purveyor of the aforementioned grub), Kona Beer (supplying the suds) and Clarkston-based ad agency MLT Creative, who designed and posted all the promotional materials, such as the surfboard-shaped street banners affixed to telephone poles all over Clarkston.
Billy Mitchell, a partner at MLT Creative and an avid attendee of the annual event, is stoked to see its return. "Surf's up once again in the little land-locked city of Clarkston," he said. "It doesn't make much sense, but it sure is fun."
It sure is green, too. This year, for the first time ever, all of the electricity for Surf Fest will run entirely on BioDiesel, thanks to sponsors Homeless Productions, NetPLUS Technologies and Oreo Ventures, LLC. There will also be recycling bins strategically placed around the festival grounds. It marks the first-ever "green" event the city of Clarkston has ever held.
Surf music, for those unfamiliar with the term, takes traditional rock, rockabilly, country and blues, and infuses it with the influence of Mexican and Middle Eastern melodies. It was pioneered in the 1950s by the now legendary Dick Dale, a surfer who sought to somehow translate the adrenaline-fueled sport to music.
"It's instrumental rock-and-roll with a lot of lead guitar and a lot of reverb," Foster said. "It's just happy music."
Commonly characterized by double-picked, staccato guitar notes distorted by the distinctive crunch of heavy reverb, the surf sound rose to popularity in the early 60s, and has even experienced a resurgence in recent decades. Maybe you remember the instrumental theme song of the popular sitcom "3rd Rock From the Sun," or have seen pretty much anything directed by Quentin Tarantino. A professed fanatic of the sunsoaked subgenre, the maverick auteur has often made use of it in his movies, perhaps most memorably when he set the opening credits of his blood-soaked crime opus "Pulp Fiction" to the tune of Dick Dale's hypnotically cool hit "Misirlou."
Though surf rock is often identified with coastal California, Surf Fest's fully-stocked line-up consists of a talented crop of Southern-based bands. In addition to the aforementioned Penetrators, there are groups like Daikaiju, who hail from Huntsville Ala., or the Norcross, Ga.-based StratoGeezer. Others on hand include the Necronomikids, The Broken Spokes, The Mystery Men?, The Surge! and more.
The festival always draws a loyal, enthusiastic crowd, and attendees are even allowed to bring their own coolers. Take it from Mitchell: "If, like us, you enjoy surf music, Kona beer and a ‘beach' full of bohemians, we will see you there."
For more about Clarkston Surf Fest, visit the website at www.clarkstonsurffest.com.
About MLT Creative
MLT Creative, based on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, was founded in 1984. Known as the idea launch padTM for B-to-B marketers, MLT Creative's services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions.
Contact:
Chase Mitchell, Public Relations
MLT Creative, 404-292-4502, chase.mitchell@mltcreative.com
Posted on Wed, Apr 15, 2009
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - April 15, 2009 - MLT Creative, a business-to-business marketing and advertising agency, announced today that it has earned a coveted position on BtoB Magazine's "Top Agencies of 2009" list. Appearing in the publication's April 6 issue, the annual list of 125 includes small, medium, large and technical B-to-B agencies from around the country.
The BtoB editors select agencies that have orchestrated the most outstanding, challenging, inventive and effective campaigns. The list includes agencies from across the country.
"This is a big deal for all of us at MLT Creative. Being named one of BtoB's Top Agencies by the top publication in the business is an honor," said Craig Lindberg, MLT Creative executive vice president. "We're proud that our ideas and work have been recognized and we're pleased to be in such great company."
The Atlanta-based agency specializes in business-to-business advertising and marketing. Founded in 1984 by Billy Mitchell along with partners Craig Lindberg and Glenn Taylor, it is known as the Idea Launch Pad for B-to-B marketers. Its services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions.
This latest accolade follows recent honors from the Atlanta chapter of the American Marketing Association, which bestowed upon MLT Creative the Atlanta Marketer of the Year Award in the category of B2B Visual Branding. The agency was also named a finalist in four other categories. Mere weeks before that, MLT Creative received a finalist nod in the MAX Awards -- honoring marketing's leading innovators in Georgia.
MLT Creative works on behalf of business-to-business leaders in various industries. Clients include companies like Sto Corp, the world's leading manufacturer of exterior wall claddings; Airgas, the country's largest distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases; and Manheim, the world's largest provider of vehicle remarketing services.
About MLT Creative
MLT Creative, based on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, was founded in 1984. Known as the idea launch padTM for B-to-B marketers, MLT Creative's services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions.
Contact:
Chase Mitchell, Public Relations
MLT Creative, 404-292-4502, chase.mitchell@mltcreative.com
Posted on Sun, Mar 01, 2009
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - March 1, 2009 - It's time once again for the Atlanta Marketer of the Year (AMY) Awards, and B-to-B agency MLT Creative has made a stellar showing among the nominees, emerging as finalists in no less than five categories.
It marks the second year in a row that MLT Creative has garnered the most nominations of any agency.
"I knew the success MLT Creative had at the AMY Awards last year would be a tough act to follow," said Billy Mitchell, the agency's president and creative director, "but it looks like we have a good chance to do even better.
This time around, the Clarkston-based company earned nods in the areas of Integrated Marketing Campaign, Direct Response Mailer: 3D, Event Marketing and, finally, Visual Branding and Identity, for which they were nominated twice.
"To be nominated in the most categories is great," Mitchell said, "but it is especially rewarding to win in the categories specific to B-to-B marketing, which we were able to do last year and are hoping to repeat."
The nominations recognized recent MLT Creative campaigns for clients like Airgas, the country's largest distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases and related equipment; and StoCorp., the world's leading manufacturer of exterior wall claddings.
These latest accolades come hot on the heels MLT Creative being named a finalist in the MAX Awards - honoring marketing's leading innovators in Georgia - once again for their work with Airgas.
Held by the Atlanta chapter of the American Marketing Association, the AMY Awards honor the best advertising the city has to offer.
According to the official website, www.amyawardsatl.com, "The AMYs celebrate more than just great creative - they reward companies that craft innovative strategies, unforgettable creative and produce outstanding results."
Past winners include Delta Airlines, weather.com and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as well as cable channels TNT and Cartoon Network.
The AMYs will be held on March 19 from 5:30 to 9:45 p.m. at the Fabulous Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St., Atlanta.
About MLT Creative
MLT Creative, based on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, was founded in 1984. Known as the idea launch padTM for B-to-B marketers, MLT Creative's services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions.
Contact:
Chase Mitchell, Public Relations
MLT Creative, 404-292-4502, chase.mitchell@mltcreative.com
Posted on Tue, Feb 10, 2009
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 10, 2009 - Atlanta-based B-to-B marketing firm MLT Creative has been named one of nine finalists for the 2009 MAX Awards, which honor innovation in the field of marketing. The company earned its latest nod thanks to its work with Airgas, the country's largest distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases and related equipment.
MLT Creative designed a campaign supporting Airgas's reclamation efforts, which were prompted by the mandated phase-down of the common refrigerant R-22 and other HCFCs. Targeting HVAC technicians and supply wholesalers, the Airgas refrigerant reclamation program includes incentives such as providing free gas reclamation tanks and paying wholesalers (and indirectly technicians) for returning their used refrigerant gas to Airgas.
"They came to us with this reclamation program, and wanted us to brand the program and promote it to the target audiences," says MLT Creative account executive Vann Morris, "we created the brand identity ReKlaim - to play off the fact that it was reclamation - and came up with the logo and graphic standard ."
To highlight the recycling and environmental benefits of the program while playing on the green in printed currency, MLT Creative modified it to read "Be Green and Turn Those Used Refrigerants Into Cash".
MLT Creative's creative strategy and messaging were directed at the HVAC technician, since they were at the forefront of the reclamation process. The marketing strategy was that, by simply promoting a key benefit/incentive to the technicians, they would collect more used refrigerant gases and actively seek out participating ReKlaim wholesale locations. This in turn would motivate wholesalers to become ReKlaim locations and grow the program network.
"They wanted an integrated marketing campaign," Morris says, "so we took ReKlaim and branded it over multiple platforms, including direct mail, print ads, banner ads, point-of-sale materials and collateral."
The ReKlaim marketing campaign MLT Creative designed for Airgas was unique in that no one had previously branded or marketed a refrigerant gas reclamation program.
"Initially, Morris says, "there were no ReKlaim locations. Now there are 230 ReKlaim collection center locations. And on top of all that, we're a finalist in the MAX Awards. That's so exciting."
The MAX Awards, now in its 17th year, are presented by the Department of Marketing at Georgia State University's J. Mack Robinson College of Business, in conjunction with the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Honors go to "outstanding new products, new services or new ways to market" showcased by Georgia-based companies each year, according to the GSU Web site. Entries are also judged on the level of success with which they met upon implementation. Past winners include UPS, Jameson Inns Inc. and BellSouth.
Winners of the 17th annual MAX Awards will be announced at a special breakfast event 7:30 a.m. Feb. 27 at the Georgia Aquarium. All proceeds from entry fees and the event will go to support an Outstanding Minority Marketing Student Scholarship Fund.
About MLT Creative
MLT Creative, based on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, was founded in 1984. Known as the idea launch padTM for B-to-B marketers, MLT Creative's services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions.
Contact:
Chase Mitchell, Public Relations
MLT Creative, 404-292-4502, chase.mitchell@mltcreative.com
Posted on Thu, Dec 04, 2008
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 4, 2008 - Visitors might notice something a little different about the new online headquarters of MLT Creative: Everything.
The Atlanta-based B-to-B marketing firm just unveiled its new Web site, which has been completely redesigned from the ground up. According to President and Creative Director Billy Mitchell, the decision for the online overhaul was part of a broader initiative to court new clients.
"When MLT began to ramp up our new business initiative," Mitchell says, "all of the partners agreed that we needed to make the Web site the center of our efforts."
Before they could embark on their quest to reach prospective clients, the agency had to ensure they'd be giving off the freshest first impression possible. A potential influx of Web traffic from first-time visitors called for a site that was at once engaging, interactive and regularly refreshed with new content..
"We knew that new people would be visiting the site immediately as soon as we started the new business outreach," says designer Ryan Duffy, "so we knew we had to pay special attention to the redesign and rebuild. The added challenge was accomplishing that without losing focus on the ongoing needs of our clients. So we're talking some serious overtime."
Though the original iteration of mltcreative.com served the company well for a long time, it had become dated in recent years, resulting in a laundry list of items upon which Duffy sought to improve.
"I think some of the obvious things were, just the technology that we used to develop it was old," he says. "We weren't using any CSS styling, we weren't using any modern technology, and the functionality was poor. I think the other aspect of it was that (the old site) really just didn't show any of our culture, or who we were as a company."
Duffy formed an internal team to focus on all aspects of the site, looked into how other agencies were injecting personality into theirs, and came away with more tips on what NOT to do than anything else.
"A lot of agencies now have slick Flash Web sites that have all kinds of bells and whistles with things flying in, and jumping off," he says. "Really my central idea was to strip everything down to its core."
Duffy started out with four aesthetic concepts - ranging from "a real simple, kind of Swiss design," to a more complex look that, in the end, would have been difficult to maintain. Eventually, he says, "we kind of found a middle ground that was stylistically appealing, but also one that we knew we could build a solid foundation on."
The color palette now consists of what Duffy describes as "coffeehouse earth tones" - "A lot of 'earth-based colors (greens, oranges, yellows, grays, etc)," he says. New sections include: a more in-depth introduction to the MLT campus in Clarkston, GA; a PR page listing all of the agency's recent press releases; not one, not two, but three separate blogs upon which MLT employees with their respective ears to the ground record their most recent musings on the ad industry; a flip-through Flash portfolio displaying all of their recent high-profile projects; a fun section showing off the company's impressive private collection of vintage ad characters; and, last but not least, a fun, semi-humorous bio section showcasing the plethora of personalities that populate their offices.
"The new site shines because of our culture," Duffy says.
Mitchell agrees. "I think it turned out great," he says. "I think we've got consistent branding ... It's not like we completely reinvented our branding, we just took it to another level." Most importantly of all, he adds, it accurately positions MLT as a leading B-to-B agency
"We've received great reviews from existing clients, and analytics confirm a huge increase in new traffic," Duffy says, "and we're all newly committed to keeping the site an ongoing, ever-improving part of our new business outreach."
As for Duffy's new status as one of MLT's bloggers-at-large, "It's fun," Duffy says. "I think the interesting thing about it is it makes you take notice of your environment around you."
"It's real interesting," says Mitchell of his own weekly-updated, advice-dispensing column, called Man On The Street Beat. "It's easier than I thought it would be, and we've seen evidence of it already helping to increase our search engine optimization. It's just become kind of a natural part of the workflow in our week."
You can find MLT on the Web at www.mltcreative.com.
About MLT Creative
MLT Creative, based on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, was founded in 1984. Known as the idea launch padTM for B-to-B marketers, MLT Creative's services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions.
Contact:
Chase Mitchell, Public Relations
MLT Creative, 404-292-4502, chase.mitchell@mltcreative.com
Posted on Tue, Nov 25, 2008
ATLANTA, GEORGIA (PRWEB) - November 25, 2008 - A big challenge was met with big ideas when Birmingham-based AutoTec asked MLT Creative to help enroll (or re-enroll) every licensed automotive dealer in North America with AuctionACCESS®, the venerable technology platform that connects them to more than 190 wholesale auto auctions across North America.
As AuctionACCESS®, AutoTec's flagship product, entered its tenth year of existence the database of registered dealers was due for an update, and the brand was in need of an overhaul.
Now, as a result of this immense integrated marketing effort, hundreds of thousands of dealer records have been updated, and they have a higher awareness of the immeasurable value that accompanies an AuctionACCESS® membership, which expands their buying and selling capabilities dramatically.
"Right from the start, I understood this was a historic undertaking for the automotive industry," says Billy Mitchell, creative director and president of MLT. "To reach every dealer, large and small, in North America was challenging enough, but we also needed to get them to respond. All 70,000 of them, plus more than 100,000 authorized reps. Well, they responded, and we helped AuctionACCESS® make history."
But making history is never easy, as MLT's strategy director, Patrick Maness, can attest.
"We had a small window of time to get the attention of every dealer coast-to-coast and get them to respond," Maness says, "so we took a multi-faceted approach. We enlisted the help of auctions and national dealer associations to channel our messaging, utilized print advertising and PR for air cover and targeted dealers with direct mail and email. The cornerstone of the campaign was an eye-catching point-of-sale program displayed at hundreds of wholesale auctions."
"There were plenty of long nights and weekends spent pulling everything together," Maness says, crediting the leadership and staff at AutoTec for their close involvement. "It was a totally collaborative effort between agency and client."
Not surprisingly, those at AutoTec are just as eager to sing the campaign's praises.
"The response we got -- from dealers, reps, and auctions -- was just incredible," says AutoTec President and CEO Chuck Redden. "To date we have had over 200,000 dealers and reps renew their AuctionACCESS memberships. MLT took our marketing machine from 0 - 60, and in the process has become an integral part of our team."
Aside from drastically simplifying the registration process for an unprecedented number of dealers, the newly up-to-date information also helps keep out unlicensed buyers and prevent fraudulent purchases. AuctionACCESS® makes wholesale auctions a more secure environment for buyers and sellers alike.
"I'm very fortunate to have been part of this campaign," Maness says, "because the model we helped create will no doubt have a lasting impression on the vehicle remarketing industry."
About MLT Creative
MLT Creative, based on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, was founded in 1984. Known as the idea launch padTM for B-to-B marketers, MLT Creative's services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions.
About AutoTec
AuctionACCESS® was developed ten years ago by AutoTec, LLC, a privately held company based in Birmingham, AL. AutoTec provides e-business solutions to the automotive remarketing industry. AuctionACCESS® is the industry standard for managing access to wholesale auto auctions. It is currently used by more than 190 wholesale auto auctions and online channels across North America, with further expansion into 70 countries around the world. Visit www.auctionaccess.com for details.
Contact:
Chase Mitchell, Public Relations
MLT Creative, 404-292-4502, chase.mitchell@mltcreative.com
Posted on Thu, Aug 21, 2008
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 21, 2008 - Vann Morris, an account coordinator with local B2B ad agency MLT Creative, recently traveled to Tuscon, Ariz., to present her master's thesis at the 11th International Conference on Language and Social Psychology (ICLASP).
Morris' presentation, "Perceptions of (Non) Patronizing Speech in Interability Communication," focused on a phenomena she observed while working with individuals with cognitive disabilities in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It was there she began to take note of just how often people tend to "talk down" to those with conditions like Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy.
"I noticed people talked to them like they were babies," Morris said.
This behavior ran counter to her work at Community Entry Services, where she strove to instill a sense of self reliance and determination in individuals with cognitive disabilities.
"It was a direct contradiction to everything we were trying to help them achieve," she said.
Discovering that no one had ever covered this subject in a thesis, Morris tackled the topic herself, and in doing so became the nation's foremost expert on it.
The results of her research may help employers, educators and peers of individuals with these kinds of disabilities learn ways to communicate more effectively with them.
ICLASP focuses on the effects language has on social behavior, and serves in the exchange of ideas, the facilitation of collaborative research projects, and the publication of articles and books.
About MLT Creative
MLT Creative, based on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, was founded in 1984. Known as the idea launch padTM for B-to-B marketers, MLT Creative's services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions.
Contact:
Chase Mitchell, Public Relations
MLT Creative, 404-292-4502, chase.mitchell@mltcreative.com
Posted on Thu, Jul 31, 2008
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 31, 2008 - He wears a white jumpsuit, wields a pair of drumsticks and wails on a yellow bucket like a New Orleans street performer. But Ben Leathers isn't on some boozy, bluesy corner in the French Quarter, playing for loose change. No, this is something different.
This is musical marketing.
A long-haired kid from Lilburn, GA, who's already made a name for himself in the famed indie rock scene of nearby Athens, Ben's latest gig is making a lot of noise at construction industry trade shows across the country. Literally.
Ben is the beatmaker behind a "guerilla marketing" campaign for StoCorp, a manufacturer of exterior wall coatings and claddings. And he's drumming up plenty of attention with YouTube videos of his incredible performances, as well as spearheading a contest that invites participants to submit footage of their own "Stomp"-like skills.
But just who is Ben the Bucket Drummer?
Introduced to drumming at a very young age, Ben's first foray into rhythmic expression didn't exactly last very long. In fact, his earliest set of snares met a messy, mangled fate.
"At the age of four," he said, "I got a little drum set that I loved, but ended up dropping down the stairs."
Whoops. When he reached middle school, however, he got a new kit - one he had to share with his older brother Chad. This one, luckily, remained intact.
"By my 8th grade year," Ben said, "... I started taking lessons from a drummer named John LaMattina ... I joined the jazz band at our middle school, and was playing in my church's youth band."
Entering high school, the burgeoning beatmaker had to make a big choice, one that would either have him pursuing gridiron glory, or another kind of stardom - on the sidelines.
"My 9th grade year came," he said, "and it was between football and drum line, so I went with drum line."
Off the field, he hooked up with some neighborhood buddies to form the rock band Verity. And instead of pursuing drum line in college, he opted instead to keep ties with them, "even though we were pretty much all going to different colleges," he said.
"That only lasted through freshman year," he added. "Then we broke up."
But the demise of Verity didn't sour Ben's interest in making music - not by a long shot. Over the next few years, the ambitious percussionist allied himself with several influential figures in the Athens music scene, and eventually began to become one himself.
Then, the ad men came calling. Ben recently received word that Billy Mitchell, founder of MLT Creative and the father of one of his high school pals, was seeking a talented drummer to take part in an innovative ad campaign for StoCorp, using that company's most iconic image - a signature yellow bucket, often seen at construction sites - as a musical instrument in a series of viral videos supporting the slogan "For the world's best walls, Sto beats all."
"It was just when I was getting back into playing a lot," Ben said, "so I was excited. I went to Atlanta for a couple of meetings, got some buckets, and made a couple of demo videos. They liked them, so I got the job."
Pretty soon, Ben's talent was taking him to cities like Las Vegas and San Francisco, where his mad musical skills are always the talk of the trade show.
For more information about Ben or the Sto 2008 Bucket Drumming Video Contest, visit www.bucketdrummingcontest.com.
About MLT Creative
MLT Creative, based on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, was founded in 1984. Known as the idea launch padTM for B-to-B marketers, MLT Creative's services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions.
Contact:
Chase Mitchell, Public Relations
MLT Creative, 404-292-4502, chase.mitchell@mltcreative.com