FUEL Earns Judge’s Choice and Nine ADDYs

FUEL carried home seven Gold and three Silver ADDYs and one of three coveted Judge’s Choice Awards from the Advertising Federation of Cedar Rapids’ 38th Annual award ceremony.

Created to honor exemplary design within the community, the ADDY is an award of distinction for its recipients. From logos and packaging campaigns to direct marketing pieces and posters, FUEL’s winning submissions illustrated the range of its graphic capabilities and showcased its ground-breaking style. Having 10 pieces recognized places FUEL in select company and solidifies its reputation for high-caliber, client-driven design. Event Judge David Maloney of Red Circle Agency/Minneapolis selected the business identity system created by FUEL for Cedar Ridge Vineyards as his personal favorite of the entire show. “The time spent designing a business card that creates maximum impact is worth it. I could tell FUEL focused on every aspect of Cedar Ridge’s business cards: the paper choice, the font, the colors, etc…,” shares Maloney. “The embossed logo sealed the deal for me, giving the card a hand-made touch.”

“The fact that even the label wins awards says a lot about the product we’re putting on the shelf.”

— Jeff Quint

That extra attention to detail was evident to Cedar Ridge owner Jeff Quint from the beginning. “When I first approached FUEL I wanted their help designing our wine labels,” Quint explains. “FUEL helped me understand that I needed to establish a strong business identity first in order for those labels to be effective.”

FUEL’s lead designer Bill Bollman expounds on the studio’s process. “When we work with a client, we look at every aspect of their identity to ensure that each component of the business sends a consistent message,” he states. “It goes against our principles to churn out a cleverly designed logo or business card without truly understanding who a client is. To receive such widespread recognition at the ADDYs confirms that the time spent honing each detail of our client’s image sets us apart.”

Quint agrees, noting that these awards underscore the impact of his branding campaign. “Our objective has been to create a high-quality wine for serious wine enthusiasts,” Quint says. “The fact that even the label wins awards says a lot about the product we’re putting on the shelf.”

Bill Bollman
Creative Director

Bill Bollman is FUEL’s Creative Director. Before co-founding FUEL in 2001, he worked for Horizon Communications, JW Morton and Basler Design Group. Bill studied Illustration at Hawkeye Tech in Waterloo, Iowa. An expert in the “old ways” of hands-on print production, these skills influence his work in the digital world to this day. His work throughout his career has been featured in international publications including Graphis, How International Design, Communication Arts, and The One Book as well as numerous design annuals and reference books.

Hometown: West Union, Iowa
Involved in Design and Marketing since 1988
Interests: Fitness, Travel, Movies