winning.work

Agency:

Client:

Description: A brief description of the work and creative idea:

Early-stage D2C startup, Tin Can, is a new-school landline for kids. Offering a few cradle phone options, Tin Can has all the usuals – like buttons, twirly cords + you can talk into it – with none of the smartphone screentime-sucks – like texting or games. And with customizable security settings on the parents-only companion app + a firewalled member network, Tin Can is a safe way for kids to build focused social independence via good old-fashioned voice-to-voice communication.

With only a name + product idea in hand, Tin Can came to us in need of a full brand build. Over the course of 3x months, we developed their logo, color palette, typography, iconography, brand mascot, website, app + packaging, in addition to consulting on the design of their custom handset, the Tin Can Flashforward. We also scripted, shot + produced Tin Can’s launch demo video. Geared toward millennial parents seeking an antidote to The Anxious Generation, the look, feel + story that we’ve just begun to craft for Tin Can explores the tension between “aesthetic nerd” + “nostalgic play” to ultimately project an identity that harkens back to the simpler times of pre-internet childhood.

The Brief: What was the brief? What were the challenges and objectives?:

THE ASK: Embrace millennial nostalgia + lean into perfectly imperfect throwback vibes of pre-internet 90s childhood to build the Tin Can brand from scratch.
ASPIRATIONS:
- Get Tin Can to be as ubiquitous as the landline once was.
- Push the average age of when kids get their 1st cell phone to 15-16.
- Be known as the analog tech company for telephony – the antidote to The Anxious Generation.
CHALLENGES:
- The brand identity needs to resonate with both millennial parents + their kiddos.
- We’re swimming upstream against the ubiquity of the internet, smartphones + smart watches.

Solution + Results: How did you solve the brief? What were some of the results?:

INSIGHT: Technology doesn’t have to be the enemy. When used the right way, it can foster focused social independence for kids + offer peace of mind for parents.
STRATEGY: If there’s one thing millennials love even more than skinny jeans + side part, it’s 90s nostalgia.
RESULTS: Coming soon – hard launch planned for Summer 2025.

Context (optional): Are there any specific cultural/regional/local references for judges to understand?:

N/A

AI Usage (optional): Did you use AI in any part of this work? If so, what was it?:

N/A

Where This Was Entered (optional): Which other shows did you enter this work and in which category/categories? It helps with context, and listing only:

FUTURE: Cascadia Creative Awards -- Brand Design

Tin Can Co-Founder:

Chet Kittleson

Tin Can Co-Founder:

Graeme Davies

Tin Can Co-Founder:

Max Blumen

Foul Mouth Creative Co-Founder + Creative Director:

Tessa Paneri

Foul Mouth Creative Co Founder + Creative Director:

Rachel Carlson

Foul Mouth Creative Co-Founder + Managing Director: