Trading Tech Values Posters 2017
Last year, Trading Technologies asked us to help rally their team around their company values with a series of four limited-edition, hand-illustrated posters. The posters were such a huge hit, we were recruited to create a second edition that shines a light on their values in a fresh way for 2017 and 2018.
Poster Concept
This time around, CMO Brian Mehta and his team wanted the posters to do more than reiterate TT’s values—they wanted them to celebrate the locations around the world that make up Trading Technologies. After a company-wide vote, the Trading Technologies team chose a stylish vintage travel concept to represent their values and their diverse global footprint.
We knew right away that as Trading Technologies’ headquarters, Chicago would have its own poster showcasing our iconic skyline and classic Chicago landmarks like Grant Park’s Buckingham Fountain and the famous Picasso sculpture in Daley Plaza. The next question was how we would highlight each of the other 11 locations across the three remaining posters.
Our solution: divide the rest of the cities geographically and adorn the posters with the buildings, landmarks and features that would be undeniably recognizable for each location, from the Empire State Building in NYC to Australia’s Sydney Opera House.
Poster Design
A series of hand-drawn sketches led to final compositions that gave each city the representation it deserves. The next step was to take these sketches to the screen and digitize the illustrations, building the landmarks shape by shape. With this series of posters, we wanted to grab ahold of that truly vintage feel while still maintaining some of the brand hallmarks employees and clients have come to know.
Each poster features one of the brand colors along with new tones and textures that emulate vintage printing techniques. This happy union of modern and retro also comes through in the paring of the clean Trading Technologies sans serif typeface with a vintage-inspired script and serif fonts. All the pieces come together in a playful blend of vintage travel poster meets global tech company.
Our finished versions have a cool throwback feel. Trading Technologies had the posters printed at a massive four feet tall and hung directly in their headquarters’ reception area. They also printed each poster in a variety of sizes to be sure all of their outposts around the world can proudly display TT’s values. These beautiful illustrations are a colorful reminder of Trading Technologies’ global team and the values that shape their innovative and collaborative culture.