Lambesis Agency

Overview

Lambesis is a brand development agency specializing in the creation of iconic brands by establishing a deeper emotional and cultural connection with consumers. The full-service advertising agency is located in San Diego, California where it employs approximately 45 people. Nicholas Lambesis, Chairman Emeritus, began the boutique agency in 1987. He is partners with Chad Farmer, President and Executive Creative Director.

History

For the past two decades Lambesis has applied a style-based approach to branding across prestige and mass prestige products ranging from fashion and spirits, to electronics and travel, to fitness and music, gaining the company international recognition. The agency has a reputation for building iconic style and design based brands, having extensive knowledge of cultural and consumer insights, and a mission to “raise the general aesthetic.” Malcolm Gladwell wrote an article entitled “The Coolhunt”, published in The New Yorker, which focused on Lambesis’ L Report and its ability to predict fashion, music, and other cultural trends. Inspired by the tremendous response to his article, Gladwell made it the foundation for his best selling book, The Tipping Point. In the book, he dedicates an entire chapter to Lambesis’ work on the Airwalk Footwear campaign, which he examines the “epidemic spread of trends” among youth culture and the power of word-of-mouth influence. The research methods and techniques the agency used to brand clients pioneered the development of less traditional marketing methods, including the creation of buzz, viral marketing, and the use of short films online (for Airwalk and SKYY Vodka).

Clients

Past and current clients include: SKYY Vodka (SKYY Spirits/Gruppo Campari), SKYY Blue, Cutty Sark, Dasani (bottled water, The Coca-Cola Company), FUZE (Tea, The Coca-Cola Company) Gold Peak (Tea & Coffee, The Coca-Cola Company), Honest Tea (Tea, The Coca-Cola Company), Gaggenau, Physicians Formula, Charming Charlie, Pink Taco, Grand Marnier, bebe, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas), Airwalk Footwear, Guess (clothing), Hitachi Ltd., Tacori, Seagate Technology, Campari (Gruppo Campari), Kinerase (Valeant Pharmaceuticals International), World Gym, Charles David, BCBG, Midori, and Levi Strauss & Co.

Awards and achievements

The Lambesis Agency has been a Kelly Award Finalist twice for creating one of the top 25 magazine campaigns in America and in 1995 Lambesis was one of two agencies honored in San Francisco as “Best Agency in the West” by the American Advertising Federation. In 1995, the agency was a Clio Awards Finalist for :30 TV (2x) and for print. Also, in 1995, Lambesis was a finalist in The One Club of New York/ The One Show in the consumer magazine category and two time finalist at the Advertising Club of Los Angeles/Belding Awards.

However, since 1996, Lambesis has discontinued submitting work for awards because Lambesis is “…not so much about winning awards and creating ads. It’s more about the strategic thinking [Lambesis does].”

Lambesis’ work has been featured in multiple marketing and advertising textbooks. Some of the books include: Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Perspective, Communication Arts, Design Impact: History of Art Center, Consumer Behavior and Marketing Strategy, and 21st Century Communication: A Reference Handbook. The agency has been extensively publicized in trade publications, and work was even featured in the Mel Gibson movie, “What Women Want” and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days". The agency’s work created for a SKYY Vodka campaign served as the inspiration behind the movie Zoolander.