An Overview of Work

ABOUT US

Founded in the spring of 2005, Fifth Letter was created for a simple

reason: do good work for clients we care about. We feel nonprofits

contribute to our communities in important ways, and we’re passionate

about books, music, and film. We think that education provides the foundation for success, and

we applaud the initiative and creative spirit of the entrepreneur.

And we will certainly work with the civic-minded larger company looking to lend a helping

hand.

We see design as a strategic tool, an agent for change, and a way to better people’s lives

through helping our clients do what they do smarter and more efficiently. We’re not afraid of

a good idea simply because it hasn’t been done. In fact, we welcome it. Our goal is to create

solutions that delight the senses, increase understanding, provoke action, and just feel right.

Consistently.

So if you are an educator, publisher, artist, entrepreneur, or someone who works with nonprofits

and socially-responsible businesses and organizations, we’d love to hear from you. Let’s discover

what we’re capable of together.

We see your potential. Fifth Letter

isn’t a typical graphic design studio.

We want to do good work, but more

importantly, we want to do good

and have fun doing it.

PROJECTS

“Extreme Barbecue” is a book that highlights homemade barbecue cookers of all shapes and

sizes, the characters who created them, and some of the recipes, secret ingredients, tools, and

techniques they use. Organized by region of the country, the book weighs in at 300 pages.

Chronicle Books approached Fifth Letter to design the entire book from cover to cover. We

decided to use a rustic letterpress approach coupled with some more modern design elements.

The overall result is a book that educates, entertains, and makes stomachs rumble, all while

feeding the reader’s wanderlust to travel the country.

Chronicle Books

PROJECTS

“Extreme Barbecue” is a book that highlights homemade barbecue cookers of all shapes and

sizes, the characters who created them, and some of the recipes, secret ingredients, tools, and

techniques they use. Organized by region of the country, the book weighs in at 300 pages.

Chronicle Books approached Fifth Letter to design the entire book from cover to cover. We

decided to use a rustic letterpress approach coupled with some more modern design elements.

The overall result is a book that educates, entertains, and makes stomachs rumble, all while

feeding the reader’s wanderlust to travel the country.

This spread is one of the chapter openers.

Chronicle Books

PROJECTS

Associated Artists and DavidsonRoth approached Fifth Letter to craft a giving piece that would

appeal to philanthropic decision-makers in large area companies. We decided upon a format

that would have some artistic flourishes while still being clean and organized enough for a

quick read by an executive.

The format of the carrier is not only intended to provide protection when the piece is mailed,

but also a bit of a flourish when a more intimate exchange happens and a brochure simply

changes hands.

Associated Artists of Winston-Salem

PROJECTS

Associated Artists and DavidsonRoth approached Fifth Letter to craft a giving piece that would

appeal to philanthropic decision-makers in large area companies. We decided upon a format

that would have some artistic flourishes while still being clean and organized enough for a

quick read by an executive.

The dots on both the brochure and carrier reference pools of paint on a palette, while a wonderful

illustration by Leigh Wells depicts the “fire in the belly” spirit that drives people to create.

This piece was printed on Pegasus Super Smooth uncoated papers. The mill liked our design

so much that it is being used as a nationwide promotion for their company.

Associated Artists of Winston-Salem

PROJECTS

Melissa Reaves is a multi-faceted musician from Asheville, North Carolina, who has been

traveling across the country and around the world to share her rock, funk, and rhythm and

blues-based sound. Since Melissa is influenced by a number of different musical styles, we felt

a collage was the best visual approach.

We worked with Melissa to develop a leave-behind promotional piece for an audience of record

label scouts during a Nashville performance. We also created a poster for Melissa to use at

venues across the country to promote her shows. And, of course, Melissa also has souvenirs

in the form of custom guitar picks.

Melissa Reaves

PROJECTS

Renaissance Theatre Company was founded in 2005 by three graduates of Guilford College.

Based in High Point, North Carolina, their goal is to bring performance art into public spaces

and “revive interest in spontaneous and imaginative performances” by using theatre as a mirror

for society to examine itself. They hope that this self-examination will help to inspire social change.

The Company began with Shakespearian performances in their first season and have since

moved into new material. In addition, they are scheduling performances in high schools

to introduce students to Shakespeare in a dramatic and impactful way.

Renaissance Theatre Company

PROJECTS

Travel Mania is a trivia-based board game developed to provide an entertaining way for players

to learn about the world around them.

Ooga Booga!, Inc. came to Fifth Letter to turn their game concept into a true product. We

oversaw the design, photography, illustration, and manufacturing production of the game in

addition to helping with copywriting and developing custom packaging solutions for the trivia

card boxes as well and created an original insert to keep the game contents in place during

shipping and storage.

Travel Mania

PROJECTS

Habitat for Humanity homes are built using volunteer labor and are sold at no profit, with no

interest charged on the mortgage. Each year the Winston-Salem chapter has a fundraising

event called Birdfest. The goal of the project is to engage people of all ages to create artwork

inspired by nature that is donated and then auctioned off to event attendees.

We decided to create a birdhouse with a jazz theme. “Birdland” is a tangible celebration of the

spirit of jazz and the songs of nature. Named after the famous club in New York City, our bird-

house pays homage to the jazz joints of yesteryear and to Charlie Parker, also known as “Bird”.

Habitat for Humanity

PROJECTS

88.5 WFDD, based in Winston-Salem, is the oldest public radio station in North Carolina. The

staff works hard to bring a variety of news, entertainment, and music programs to its listening

audience of more than 90,000 in 32 counties covering the central portion of the state and

stretching from Virginia to South Carolina.

WFDD was looking to boost its image through a redesigned website, promotional materials,

printed and outdoor advertising, and premium item giveaways in addition to their first-ever

annual report. The theme of "Join the Conversation" was coined by the station manager in a

brainstorming session and has served as the cornerstone of all their outreach. The annual

report, which folds into a poster, echoes the interesting twists that public radio uses to deliver

information. This side of the report touches on financials.

88.5 WFDD

PROJECTS

88.5 WFDD, based in Winston-Salem, is the oldest public radio station in North Carolina. The

staff works hard to bring a variety of news, entertainment, and music programs to its listening

audience of more than 90,000 in 32 counties covering the central portion of the state and

stretching from Virginia to South Carolina.

WFDD was looking to boost its image through a redesigned website, promotional materials,

printed and outdoor advertising, and premium item giveaways in addition to their first-ever

annual report. The theme of "Join the Conversation" was coined by the station manager in a

brainstorming session and has served as the cornerstone of all their outreach. The annual

report, which folds into a poster, echoes the interesting twists that public radio uses to deliver

information. This side of the report touches on volunteers, business underwriters, and station-

related events.

88.5 WFDD

PROJECTS

88.5 WFDD, based in Winston-Salem, is the oldest public radio station in North Carolina. The

staff works hard to bring a variety of news, entertainment, and music programs to its listening

audience of more than 90,000 in 32 counties covering the central portion of the state and

stretching from Virginia to South Carolina.

WFDD asked for business underwriting materials based around our “Join the Conversation”

theme. We decided that testimonials would be the best way for business people to be convinced

that public radio is an attractive medium for promotional efforts.

88.5 WFDD

PROJECTS

At Fifth Letter, we have started a grant program that offers design services to deserving nonprofits

in our community. One of our first year recipients was Smart Start of Forsyth County.

Smart Start asked us to overhaul their website by making it more user-friendly for both their

staff and the parents and professionals in the community who turn to them for support. The

revised site is entirely searchable, has a content management system providing an easy

mechanism for website updates, and allows teachers and parents to upload photos of their

children to make this a site with true community participation.

Smart Start

PROJECTS

Wake Forest University, a well-regarded private, coeducational university in Winston-Salem,

North Carolina, approached Fifth Letter to create a commemorative logo and materials for the

50th anniversary of their move from the town of Wake Forest (hence the name) to Winston-Salem.

A commemorative poster was created to be hung on campus and around town, as well as being

handed out as a keepsake during events. The images focus on four areas of interest: the move

of the campus to Winston-Salem, scholarly events and presidential visits, athletics, and

community service, all surrounding an image of campus with the city skyline in the background.

Wake Forest University

PROJECTS

Wake Forest University, a well-regarded private, coeducational university in Winston-Salem,

North Carolina, approached Fifth Letter to create a commemorative logo and materials for the

50th anniversary of their move from the town of Wake Forest (hence the name) to Winston-Salem.

A handful of materials were created for the event, including an invitation sent to special alumni

and guests, a program for the first evening’s keynote speeches, and buttons for attendees to

wear throughout the weekend and hold onto as a keepsake.

Wake Forest University

PROJECTS

“Seasoned in the South” is a book of recipes from Bill Smith, the chef at Crook’s Corner, a well-

known restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Arranged by season, uncomplicated, easy-to-

create dishes are combined with interesting narratives told by Smith in the first person.

Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill approached Fifth Letter to create a dust jacket exemplifying the

approachable and down-home (with a pinch of sophistication) nature of the book. The pig that appears

on the cover is perched above the restaurant and serves as a landmark to guide hungry patrons.

Algonquin Books

PROJECTS

Whirlpool Corporation approached Fifth Letter with the task of designing a promotional poster

for their “Spirit of Cooking” contest. The recipe competition is a partnership with African-

American churches across the United States. The winning entrant received a complete suite

of kitchen appliances from Whirlpool, and her church was able to have CeCe Winans, a well-

known gospel singer, perform for its members.

Whirlpool Corporation

PROJECTS

These are examples of some logos we have created for our clients. They include marks for a

technical consulting company, a real estate developer, and a toy company; a university,

a baby products company, and a neighborhood association; plus a middle school, a podcast

focusing on politics and entertainment, and a design industry conference.

Logos

OUR SERVICES

Brand Development and Strategy

• Logo, Icon, and Wordmark Development

• Letterhead and Identity Systems

• Graphics Standards and Guidelines

• Communications Plans (including

advertising, outreach, and public

relations strategies)

Print

• Book Covers, Book Interiors, and

Editorial Design

• Viewbooks and Annual Reports

• Posters and Point-of-Sale Materials

• Direct Mail and Advertising

• Product Packaging

Interactive

• Websites and Web-Based Advertising

• Media-Rich Emails

Environment (Interior and Exterior)

• Signage Systems

• Murals and Large-Format Artwork

Nonprofits

• Internal and External Initiative Creation

• Capital Campaigns

We specialize in one thing:

creativity. Sure, we provide

graphic design services,

develop ads, and take the

time to sit down with a

client to simply discuss marketing strategies.

While our solutions manifest themselves in many

different ways, they are always appropriate when

it comes to meeting a client’s creative challenges.

NEXT STEPS

It’s never possible to show an entire collection of work

or answer questions with a one-way conversation. Let’s

discuss your creative challenges, strategic goals, and

the tools we can use to take your business or organization

to a new and better place.

For more information, please contact Elliot Strunk by calling 336.723.5655 or drop a message

to info@fifth-letter.com.

Let’s talk.