Big Ideas, Bold Results: Moxie Creative’s 2024 Highlights
It’s hard to believe we’re wrapping up our first full year in business. Coming off the whirlwind that was 2023, we entered 2024 hungry and ready for our chance to shine. When the calendar flipped to January 1, we hit the ground running—and never looked back.
This year was packed with milestones, from earning seventeen American Advertising Awards (plus one at the District level) to taking home the Better Business Bureau Spark Award and throwing a kickass branded event like Camp Moxie. Even more exciting? We had the absolute honor of partnering with over 60 incredible clients to bring their brands to life. As we sit back and reflect on 2023, we wanted to take a moment to share six standout projects that pushed our creativity, challenged our team, and delivered results we’re truly proud of.
So, grab a seat and your favorite treat as we share the projects that made their mark on the Moxies in 2024.
Kelly’s Pick
Camp Moxie
Client: Moxie Creative
Challenge: Create a cohesive and engaging event that allows attendees to experience the client’s brand across multiple touchpoints.
The Details: In June 2024, our team had the exciting opportunity to host a monthly event called Chamber After Hours as part of our St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce membership. In true Moxie fashion, we had to bring our signature flair to the occasion and dreamed up a theme to transport event-goers back to their days at summer camp.
From her Pinterest boards to real-world applications, our Director of Marketing and Owner, Kelly Cane, has dubbed Camp Moxie her favorite project of 2024.
Not only did Camp Moxie showcase our brand, but the fun, camp-inspired theme allowed for endless creativity. Every event detail was carefully crafted, from invitations and decor to signage, stickers, and social media posts to reflect our team’s personality and passion. Camp Moxie wasn’t just an event—it was an experience that celebrated what we do best: bringing bold ideas to life.
Michael’s Pick
St. Cloud Downtown Alliance
Client: St. Cloud Downtown Alliance
Challenge: Create a logo that balances vibrancy and professionalism while representing what it means to be Downtown St. Cloud, giving the area its own brand identity. Oh, and all in a two-week timeframe.
The Details: After many hours of internal brainstorming, the St. Cloud Downtown Alliance set out to find the right marketing partner to bring its vision of connection and community to life. As a small business based in downtown St. Cloud, our team was thrilled to join the cause!
With a tight timeline and a quick turnaround, we were ready to dive in—sometimes, that’s when we work best. For our Creative Director, Michael Nelson, this project quickly rose to the top of his 2024 project list and didn’t disappoint.
As an affiliate of the Chamber of Commerce, the St. Cloud Downtown Alliance focuses on uniting culture and businesses in the downtown area and the branding needed to reflect that mission. The result? A vibrant, bold, and professional logo that captures the energy of the community it represents. Using an unexpected color palette and a sense of movement in the icon, the design incorporates a bird’s-eye view of a street map, symbolizing the intersection of culture and commerce. Through extensive brand application, we were able to take this new logo and embody the spirit of downtown St. Cloud through different mediums.
Taylor’s Pick
Sip N’ Pass
Client: Sip N’ Pass Shareable Shine
Challenge: Designing a logo while simultaneously considering how this would translate into a label for a product that needs to POP on the shelf.
The Details: We started 2024 off on a high note by partnering with the creators of Sip N’ Pass Shareable Shine. After the first meeting, we knew it was going to be a collaboration for the ages. The Sippers and the Moxies have become quite the dynamic duo!
For our Account Manager, Taylor Sellnow, the Sip N’ Pass branding project became not only her favorite of the year but also one of the highlights of her decade-long career.
When the Sippers first sat at our table, they were laser-focused on creating a label that would pop on the shelves. Through some kind and light-hearted conversation, we helped them realize that, before the label, we needed to establish their core brand. Together, we created a logo representing their Midwest value while remaining relatable to any consumer. Bold colors and striking contrasts create the neon-light vibrancy we’re confident will make their labels pop right off their shelf at your local liquor store.
Brittany’s Pick
Smilin’ D Arena & Events
Client: Smilin’ D Arena & Events
Challenge: Develop a brand that celebrates Western culture’s heritage while resonating with a Central Minnesota audience.
The Details: From time to time, projects cross our desks and take a few months to come to fruition. That’s exactly what happened with Smilin’ D. Instead of giving up, we made ourselves available to the client, offering our support when they were ready to move forward. That persistence paid off, and our team was thrilled to step into a project everyone was excited about.
When I say everyone, I mean everyone. Even our graphic designer, Brittany Abrego, who didn’t work on the initial branding piece, still ranks Smilin’ D as her favorite project of 2024.
As a true lover of design, Brittany was won over by the juxtaposition of the rugged and modern aesthetic we created for Smilin’ D. While the logo alone was a work of art, the brand really started to come together through the use of Western Equestrian imagery, culminating in a unique visual identity that’s never been done in Central Minnesota.
Mo's Pick
YMCA Promenade Boogie Wonderland
Client: St. Cloud Area YMCA
Challenge: Creating a cohesive and engaging brand experience for the YMCA Promenade to increase attendance and revenue for scholarships.
The Details: Each year, the Moxies collaborate with our area YMCA for its biggest fundraising event. This event is a true labor of love where our entire team comes together to create something remarkable.
For our senior designer and illustrator, Mo Philippi, Boogie Wonderland stole the top spot on the list of brands he created in 2024.
At Moxie, magic happens every day as we work tirelessly to bring our client’s visions to life, but in this case, we had the unique opportunity to bring our own vision to life. With the YMCA Promenade, everything from the theme to the event decor was our creative decision, and that’s what made this project so special. The standout creative piece was undoubtedly the 40-foot mural with the Y’s mission statement, which captured the essence of the event. From start to finish, the YMCA Promenade allowed us to bring a fresh, cohesive vision to life, making it one of the standout projects of the year.
Isabella's Pick
Hops Direct Social Media
Client: Hops Direct + Puterbaugh Farms
Challenge: Designing a logo while simultaneously considering how this would translate into a label for a product that needs to POP on the shelf.
The Details: Modernizing Hops Direct’s social media presence while staying true to its long-standing legacy.
At Moxie Creative, we value strong partnerships with our clients and love when a simple project becomes a years-long partnership. Hops Direct, a century-old old hop farm in Washington State, began working with members of our team in 2016, and we’ve continued to grow that relationship into much more.
As she continues to hone her expertise, our Social Media Specialist, Isabella Severson, is proud of what she accomplished on Hops Direct’s social media platforms this year.
With hours of research and a clear vision of what they needed to achieve, Isabella completely transformed their social media pages, gaining true momentum for the business. The content and design received a major facelift that helped to bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary trends.
Closing out the year with a bang!
While these six projects hold a special place in our hearts, as we look back on 2024, we’re incredibly proud of all the projects we’ve had the privilege to work on. Each one, big or small, has helped us grow, push our creative boundaries, and solidify our commitment to delivering exceptional work for our clients.
We’d like to give one final thank you to our supporters for trusting us with your visions and allowing our team to be a part of your story. Through your partnerships, we have had one unforgettable year and can’t wait to continue creating alongside you in the years to come.
Together, we can create bigger, better, bolder marketing.
See you in 2025!
