TRAFFIC
BEAUTY BOOK
We Breathe Beauty...
Branding Strategy Naming Copywriting Content Curation Illustration Photography Animation/Film/Motion Sound Design
Illustration by Alicia Malesani, 2019.
TRAFFIC believes that BEAUTY is all about YOU. We are a collaborative collective of creative individuals – an evolving group of people – with a spectrum of perspectives on this ever-expanding space. We know the rules. We also know how to break them, We’re here to help you refine, define and express your point of view on beauty and branding. We’re the voice who can help you communicate your vision – through stories, words, faces, and illustrations – that make you unique.
Illustrations by Penelope Rolland Photography by Michael Mundy
OUR STORY Imagine the creative hotbed of Soho, NY in 1995. Artists, writers, photographers, fashion designers, gallery owners, and entrepreneurs roamed the cobblestoned streets, dressed in outrageous fashion and sharing ideas. In the iconoclastic spirit of the times, that’s where our doors opened, on Spring Street, with a vision of a new type of creative agency. Representing independent art directors, copywriters, and all the components of a traditional advertising agency was an innovative idea. It quickly proved itself to be the zeitgeist, as more amorphous relationships between talent, agencies, and clients became the optimal matchmaking plan for the best creative talent with the most compelling corporate campaigns and identities. And, all this without the overhead costs of a large agency. Izak Zenou was the first illustrator to join Traffic and brought an unexpected addition to what is today, a roster of talented illustrators and photographers. We represent the top echelon of brand name talent while always unearthing artists, illustrators, photographers, and writers you’ve never heard of who are tapped by some of the world’s leading creative directors. As the artists’ careers blossom, we parlay our relationships and facilitate lucrative licensing deals for our artists. For fashion illustrator Izak Zenou, it meant creating a signature brand and licensing program with products sold in over 15,000 retail doors in over 30 countries on 4 continents with over $20 million in retail sales within the first 4 years. Key partners include Lippault, Bloomingdales, Macy’s, Sephora, and Henri Bendel. After 20 years we remain true to our original mission — to bring exceptional talent and creative solutions to brands, and to work in a dynamic and flexible way, constantly evolving with the industry and culture as a whole. We as an agency and as creative individuals are continuously growing and engaging with the world around us. Our tenacity and curiosity are what makes our work and collaborations exciting.
Collage by Wendy Plovmand for Weleda USA
Illustration by Mia Marie Overgaard
OUR CLIENTS
run the gamut from fresh-faced start-ups to established international brands and Fortune 500 companies. With a 360 degree view and a multicultural perspective, we offer expertise, seasoned and groundbreaking guidance in branding and strategy, creative direction and design. We also work with multimedia and multichannel advertising, and influencer and idea-oriented, content development, licensing, publishing, along with invaluable referrals for public relations. Given our wide array of clients across diverse sectors of the market we can facilitate co-branding and multi-level collaborations.
Clients we have collaborated with include Allure Magazine, Aramis, Aveda, Avon, Awake Cosmetics, Balenciaga Floredanica, Bath & Body Works, Bigelow, Bloomingdales, Calvin Klein Beauty, Chanel, Clinique, Club Monaco, Coty, Clinique, Diesel, Elle, Essence, Estee Lauder, Guess, Lancome, Laura Mercier, L’oreal, MAC Cosmetics, Marc Jacobs, Matrix, Maybelline, Neutrogena, Nordstrom, Noxzema, Nylon, Redken, Revlon, Saks Fifth Avenue, Select Communications, Sephora, Shiseido, Smashbox Cosmetics, Stephen Knoll, Sundari, Tiffany & Co., Vera Wang Victoria’s Secret, Vogue, and Weleda.
IMAGE ARCHIVE We manage and make available to our clients our immense archive of illustration and photography.
MICHELLE EDELMAN, CEO and Founder An expert in the field of branding, Michelle has had a colorful and diverse journey leading up to Traffic. She designed ads at the Village Voice, worked as a fashion stylist and a photographer’s agent (Hannes Schick, Klaus Laubmayer, John Stember & Michel Comte). Scouted into the agency world by CDB Gobé, and later Lister Butler, she was mentored by Marc Gobé in branding, working on brand launches for Victoria Secret and Banana Republic. Her career has been dedicated to a deeper understanding of branding and design, rooted in an socio-anthropologic mindset. Enamored with fashion and publishing, Michelle was hired by Grace Mirabella as the photography editor for Mirabella magazine. Later, she joined the newly launched Allure magazine as a photo editor, where a new perspective of beauty was born. After working hand in hand with design director, Lucy Sisman, she partnered with Lucy to build Sisman Design into a successful branding agency. In the fall of 1995, she envisioned an agency model that gave birth to Traffic—the first agency of its kind to represent independent talent that comprised the individual components of a traditional advertising agency.
In addition to her role as CEO of Traffic, she also works alongside Edelman Arts, Art Assure LLC, and Artemus LLC, all family-run art businesses. She holds a BA in Social Psychology & Communications from University of California Santa Cruz. Michelle was born in Olso, Norway and spent her youth in Norway, France, England, Germany, and Egypt. michelleve@traffic-nyc.com IG michelle_edelman
An industry insider with over 15 years at Traffic, Shereka oversees business operations, marketing, artist relations, and account management. She plays an invaluable role in bridging the relationships between clients and artists. She is strategically minded, solutions-oriented and results driven. Culturally attuned and new media savvy, she has a keen understanding of the shifts in marketing, media, and culture as a whole. On a personal note, she is a keen writer, poet, and taste-maker. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Forensic Psychology from John Jay University. Shereka is Jamaican/American, embodying the best of both cultures.
shereka@traffic-nyc.com IG xaymacabird
Photography by Michael Mundy
SHEREKA EVANS, Executive Vice President
CREATIVE DIRECTION MICHELLE EDELMAN DEANNE CHEUK MICHELLE ROQUE
NHI MUNDY SILKE VISHAB ERIKA PERRY
CREATIVE/COPY AMEENA MEER AMY SWIFT BRENDA CULLERTON DIMITRI EHRLICH FAYETTE HICKOX MICHAEL GROSS
ILLUSTRATION
PHOTOGRAPHY
IZAK ZENOU SOPHIE GRIOTTO PENELOPE ROLLAND MIA MARIE OVERGAARD WENDY PLOVMAND MONSIEUR Z ALICIA MALESANI RIKKE JØRGENSEN LUCILE PRACHE MAREN ESDAR MARGARETE GOCKEL CECILIA LUNDGREN
MICHAEL MUNDY DAVIES AND STARR LISA SALTZMAN
FINE ART/ GRAFFITI ERIC INKALA OUIZI
SOUND DESIGN JEREMIAH BORNFELD CHRISTOPHER EDELMAN/PRODBYGEKKO DIMITRI EHRLICH
MOTION ANIMATION FILM STEFANO DE BELLIS MICHAEL MUNDY LIONEL DJAOWE DAVIES AND STAR
AMY SWIFT The Story is in the Telling. Amy is a writer, strategist and content creator. Her focus is in beauty, fashion, fitness, spirituality and design, but she also has experience in non-profit, finance and general consumer products. She loves connecting with people through compelling stories and words that disarm how an audience typically thinks of a product or service. By finding or creating a brands voice, she’s able to craft editorial and blog content, as well as photography assets and video content, to more effectively amplify presence, visibility and message. As a copywriter, she develops the positioning/strategy, brand guidelines, as well as crafts or edits external messaging like websites, taglines/naming, social media posts, advertisements and other marketing collateral. She also works as a ghostwriter for CEO’s, personalities and celebrities when they’re tasked with publishing a column or in need of talking points for TV/digital. Amy is a the lead writer for Guess magazine, generating relevant stories and content from start to finish. She has also worked extensively with natural beauty brand “Bodhi Tree,” which is one of the more exciting brands online today.
Photography by Michael Mundy
AMEENA MEER, Creative Director and Copywriter Ameena has launched and revitalized high-impact brands and products with lasting influence. Her strength is expressing emotion that inspires action. As a writer, Meer knows intuitively that a good story changes minds. She believes the most effective communication is based on love for the consumer, respect for the brand and change for the good. After a misspent youth as a fashion victim, club kid, journalist, dancer, editor, Asian American activist and waitress, Ameena came back to writing with her first novel, Bombay Talkie. Three daughters later, she authored How to Shoot Your Kids for Arthur Elgort. After she survived cancer she wrote Fearless Healing, an inspiring guide to take charge of your own healing . A mother of re-invention, Meer’s been a copywriter, thinker, conceptor and/or creative director for Avon, Calvin Klein, Coty, The Gap, Estee Lauder, Donna Karan, Federated Stores, Pzifer, L’Oreal, The Navajo Nation, Homes for the Homeless and Proctor & Gamble. Today, Ameena bridges her commercial branding work with her passion for natural health and healing. She trained and became a certified Holistic Nutritionist, Energy Healer and Meditation Guide. As her focus in this area has grown, so have the clients and brands with whom she works—providing them with a deep knowledge she has to offer. She has worked with Jurlique, Under the Canopy, Kama Ayurveda, and 5S for Shiseido (based on 5 senses). She has spent the past three years working closely with Weleda as a consulting creative director to help brand and guide them for the US market.
IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS THE WORD IT’S THE IDEA THE IDEA UNDERNEATH THE EMOTION THE IDEA THAT DRIVES THE STORY THAT PAINTS THE PICTURES THAT MAKES US BELIEVE BRING BELOW-THE-LINE TO ABOVE-THE-LINE VIRTUAL TO REALITY THE IDEA THAT MOVES THE PRODUCT INTO OUR MINDSPACE THE IDEA THAT CLOSES THE SALE AND OPENS UP A WHOLE NEW WAY OF BEING Ameena Meer
COPYWRITING. For us copywriters are conceptual artists—each with
their own unique style. Not only are they seasoned wordsmiths and communicators, but they have the unique gift to fully encapsulate an entire brand vision and experience. Our skill is the keen understanding to pair you with the right copywriter that meets your specific need and vision. WORDS ARE IMPORTANT. Today, when audiences are inundated by media, the right words can make an image unforgettable. Without copy, even beautiful images become interchangeable. The copywriters we work with know how to speak a brand’s language, how to give the brand story depth and resonance. They are the conceptor who can see the big picture and bring it all together. COPY GIVES A BRAND A VOICE AND A SOUL. Our copywriters develop brand voices, clarify brand missions, create brand and product stories, and reawaken brand histories and mythologies, as well as brand positionings. Words, ideas, and concepts bring advertising, promotional campaigns and websites to life. A great copywriter understands the importance of the perfect brand or product name, along with the exact words to describe its benefits. The right words matter in ads, out of home, brochures, web banners, POS materials, commercial scripts for video, TV and radio spots. NAMING. We have great success with name development. We offer the unique possibility of working with one of our seasoned copywriters to mastermind your naming strategy and development. We also run a naming group with a writer and creative leading the sessions. This “round table” of individuals are curated based on the clients’ industry sector, and overall experience. Extensive lists of names are generated, then distilled, and returning to the creative process multiple time until we arrive to a short list of names that can be trademarked. We can provide legal support, if needed.
Balenciaga / Florabotanica Calvin Klein / CK One CK Shock CK In 2U Calvin Klein /Euphoria Calvin Klein / Beauty Calvin Klein / Encounter Christian Lacroix / Absynth Marc Jacobs / Blush Tommy Hilfiger / Dreaming Tommy Hilfiger / True Star Coty / Sara Jessica Parker / Lovely Coty / J. Lo / Glow Coty / J. Lo / Still Donna Karan / Cashmere Eve / Fetish
Shiseido / 5S (5 Senses- Retail Concept) Kama Aruveda Artemus LLC (Art Finance) Café D’Nile (Hospitality) Greendog (Children Apparel)
Illustration by Alicia Malesani
BRANDING. HOW WE WORK. Our unique Visual Research methodology, honed through years of experience and successful branding development, will help you define who you are, where you need to go, how to get there. We literally create the roadmap to success. Our job is to break down your brand DNA so that we can provide intelligent and creative solutions to help you maximize your brand’s true potential. We dive deeply to find the answer to key questions like—Who are you? What’s your brand story? What makes you unique? how do you stand out from the crowd, what are your stumbling blocks? Who is your audience? What is your brand voice? Is it consistent across all media? How are you speaking to and engaging your market? Are you reaching them? We weave your complete story into a tapestry that we then compare against your goals. We do tons of research and analyze every aspect of your communications—both visual and voice. We identify and study your competition, the overall market, as well as over-riding trends.
AMEENA MEER
X WELEDA
With our creative guru and Brandwallah, Ameena Meer, in the lead, over the past 3 years, we have delved deeply into the branding of WELEDA for the U.S. Ameena provides her deep knowledge and expertise in the beauty industry. The brand vision and seasonal campaign concepts, provide the guidelines for agency partners, with a totally collaborative process. Traffic supports her in all facets, from photo research, concepting, and project management. The goal was to build brand awareness for Weleda and create an emotional connection between the U.S. consumer with one of the oldest wellness brands in Europe. And, to push Weleda into a dominant position in the natural skincare sector, leveraging it’s long European history with deep roots in natural products with biodynamic and anthroposophic practices. Over the last three years, Weleda’s sales at Whole Foods increased 68 - 77% a year, the sales in other natural lifestyle stores increased 65% a year and the sales in mainstream stores like Target, Walgreens, Wegmans, and Walmart increased 100%.
Manifesto Celebrate your beauty. Feed your body, mind and soul with products that do us good, that do good on the earth, Immerse yourself in words, actions, objects That have beautiful meaning. Let the trees, plants and flowers Connect your body To it’s healing powers. Let the sea and sky soothe your soul And the ground quiet your mind. Because when you are in balance with nature, you shine brighter. Live your inner nature.
be
the change Brand Development, Creative Direction and Copywriting by Ameena Meer
e e
Shift your thoughts, shift your experience. See things differently. Be a vision of fabulous. Say it til you feel it. Say it like you mean it. Look how different the world feels when you’re wearing red lipstick. Or painting your nails in an electric rainbow of neon colors. Envision a planet where high heels take you to another level. Where lip gloss doesn’t just make you shine, you enlighten. Use your powers of persuasion. Open your doors of perception. Change it up. Start with great make-up. See things differently. Revlon.
If you know who you are. If you’ll try anything once. If you won’t take no for an answer. If you live your own life. If you choose love over stability. If you like to share. If you don’y try to be something you’re not. If you think conformity is boring. If you’re a man or a woman.
CK one
Ameena Meer began working with Calvin Klein at the inception of CK1. The
manifesto she wrote for them (see last page) became the spring board for their entire brand positioning. She has continued to work with the brand through the years working on many naming products, product launches and campaign.
Calvin Klein Fragrances, Branding, Name Development and Advertising Creative Direction and copywriting by Ameena Meer
Creative Direction, Name Development by Ameena Meer Illustration by Wendy Plovmand
Miu Miu Fragrance Branding, Naming, Advertising Creative Direction: Ameena Meer
FASHION ILLUSTRATORS & ARTISTS
Illustration by Sophie Griotto
SOPHIE GRIOTTO With a delicate approach to color, pattern, and movement, and an old-school appreciation for glamour, Sophie has long had the heart of international clients. She has created her signature breezy watercolors for some of the most elite names in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. She cites Japanese ink wash painting and African dance as inspirations.
Illustration by Sophie Griotto
Illustration by Sophie Griotto Personal work Right page O’Botanicario
Illustrations by Izak Zenou
IZAK ZENOU X PETITES MAINS
IZAK ZENOU X SEPHORA For years IZAK’s whimsical illustrations have taken BEAUTY to new places. His work, long associated with exclusive brands and high-end publications instantly conveys a breezy, fashionable style, and fresh enchanting view of life. IZAK partnered with Sephora to create a collection of Izak branded beauty products and accessories. His long list of clients also include Estee Lauder, Lancome, Chanel, Henri Bendel, Celine, Coty, Guerlain, Lily Pulitzer, Laura Mercier, Vera Wang, Vogue, Instyle, Travel & Leisure, Elle, Marie Claire, and more, including products sold underhis own brand name IZAK.
LUCILE PRACHE X DIOR Lucile’s vibrant illustrations have amassed a big following within the international illustration scene. She has worked with Dior, Et Vous, Cacharel, Longchamp, Laduree, Marie Claire, Biba, Depeche Mode, Avantages, Phosphore and Muze magazines. Her “Recipe” and botanical illustrations have are very successful, which has lead to extensive prints sales and many cookbooks. She created the fashion illustration book, “Your are So French.” Lucile lives and works in Paris.
Illustrations by Lucile Prache
PENELOPE ROLLAND X LANCOME
PENELOPE ROLLAND X AERIE Penelope is adored for her minimalistic hand-rendered artwork. It’s warmth and authenticity are what many beauty and skincare brands seek. Her artistic universe is built upon her signature light touch with her use of watercolor that wash across the stroke of her drawings. By blurring the lines between nature and beauty she plays off the duality between the two and distills complex themes in a playful, most simple, iconic form. Clients include Airie, Lancome, Ann Taylor, Le Bon Marche, Papyrus, Blanc d’lvoire and Victoria’s Secret, Vogue Italy, D-Magazine, Oprah and InStyle.
Illustrations by Penelope Roland
MONSIEUR Z X ESCADA Mr. Z’s colorful vector illustrations reflect his fascination with the retro sensibility of 1960’s Hollywood and the ‘50’s French Riviera. His stylish sensibility and the graphic nature of his work has led him to become one of the most successful Illustrators today. He has the technical skill of a draftsman, with the flare of a unique creativity that crosses over all media platforms including animation. Mr. Z’s vibrant, colorful and edgy imagery has been published globally by Redken (USA), Guess, Evian (USA), TGV (France) and Gin Bombay. His characters, architectural spaces and environments, as well as his sense of irony and pizazz have been translated into numerous animated television commercials. His first feature film, “French Riviera,” is produced by world-renowned French film director, Luc Besson, and has no release date yet.
Illustrations by Monsieur Z
Illustrations by Monsieur Z
Monsieur Z for Redken
MIA MARIE OVERGAARD Welcome to Mia’s secret garden— where everything is beautiful and all things are innocent. Nature, flowers and fantasy take over leaving the rest of the world behind. Mia works consistently with brands like H&M, Wall Street Journal, The Telegraph, Volkswagen Autostadt, Rode Bath, Soft Gallery, Molo Kids, Neiman Marcus, Marie Claire, Grabarz & Partner, RSCG Ad Agency, Sunrise Agency, Copen Hagen Agency, Air Canada, The Perfect Kiss Records, and more. Mia lives in Copenhagen.
Illustrations by Mia Marie Overgaard
WENDY PLOVMAND MIXED MEDIA In addition to having a busy commercial illustration career, Wendy is a prolific fine artist who has exhibited around the world. She has created largescale public murals and art installations. Her unique work is energetic and original using mixed media of painting, drawing, collaging, and digital manipulation. Wendy clients Selfridges, Topshop, Guess, Bkr, Taschen, Nylon Magazine, Dare Magazine, Self, The Cultural Ministry of Denmark. Wendy studied illustration at the Design School of Denmark. She currently splits her time between Copenhagen and London.
Illustrations and collage by Wendy Plovmand
WENDY PLOVMAND X LANIEGE
CECILIA LUNDGREN X VIA MARCADO Bursting with vitality and vibrance, her colorful work mainstains a simplicity and sophistication. She creates her art by layering elements along with an intricate hand-rendered line.
She has a wide range of international clients including Via Mercato, Third Love, Mary Kay, Apple, Bergdorf Goodman, Singapore Airlines, Viking Line, Sony Ericsson, Metro, Unilver, and Danske Bank. Cecilia lives and works in Helsingborg, Sweden.
Photo shows 8 available fragrances.
Via Mercato Displayer Program Our Via Mercato display unit is an essential merchandising tool and is included FREE of charge with the purchase of 9 cases of soap! This sturdy, reusable, black iron rack with 3 white wood shelves holds 9 fragrance, 6 pieces of each for a total of 54 soaps. Dimensions: 14.3”W x 24.35”H x 9.64”D Weight: 3.75 lbs (without Soap) CS/1 - $40.00 #DISP25100 Display Only (Display is FREE with purchase of 9 cases of soap)
56 www.europeansoaps.com
800.426.9260
MAREN ESDAR DIGITAL COLLAGE A surrealist, striking style, Maren is able to lead audiences into a dream-like dimension that finds its point of arrival and departure in reality. She works in digital collage and rendering. Her work captivates and inspire with images that transform objects and accessories into genuine narrations relating to nature, philosophy and literature. When simplicity and ornament are blended in Maren’s world, even the most apocalyptic illustrations transpose the world into a glamorous place. Maren’s work has been published in many of the world’s most influential fashion and style magazines and brands including, Vogue, New York Times Magazine, Neiman Marcus, Surface and Esquire. Her illustrations have also been featured within various book projects including, Fashion Unfolding, Illusive Fashion and Illustration Next which was published by Thames & Hudson. Maren was educated as a stylist and illustrator in London and later, Hamburg, where she currently lives.
Illustration by Maren Esdar
Illustration by Maren Esdar
ALICIA MALESANI Inspired by high fashion and eastern influences, Alicia’s watercolors capture the true spirit of her subjects whether a stylish woman or man, or a beautiful object or flower. Her dynamic compositions interweave color, ink and graphite, creating work that is elegant, seductive and timeless. Alicia works with many of the world’s most prestigious clients including, AMAZON, Chanel, Loewe, Max Mara, Escada, JUICY COUTURE, Toyota, Fiat, Vogue, Mercedes Benz, Neiman Marcus, Penguin, Harpers Bazaar, Achitectural Digest, Marie Claire, Tatler, Elle, Essence, INSTYLE, Vanity Fair, and Vogue.
OUIZI Louise “Ouizi” Jones (formerly Chen) was born and raised in Los Angeles to Shanghainese parents. She is a painter first and foremost, though she is best known for her large scale floral mural installations which can be seen in public spaces throughout the United States, from museums to public parks. Her mural techniques are uniquely informed by a background in drawing and printmaking. Her obsession with flowers continues to grow, stemming from an early introduction to Georgia O’Keeffe and fond memories of picking figs with her grandmother. She currently lives and works in Detroit.
TRAFFIC 111 East 70th Street New York, NY 10021 T. + 1 212 734 0041 E. info@traffic-nyc.com www.traffic-nyc.com @traffic_nyc
Contact: Shereka Evans shereka@traffic-nyc.com Michelle Edelman michelleve@traffic-nyc.com
Copyright Notice: This book and all of its contents/images is copyright of the individual artists and Traffic, Inc. Š 2020. All rights reserved. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited and punishable by law.
