CPR FAQs

 

Is CPR + Partners an ad agency?

Yes.

Is CPR + Partners a design firm?

Yes.

Is CPR + Partners a branding firm?

Yes.

So CPR + Partners is all things to all people?

No.

What the heck does that mean?

We know we can’t work with everyone. But for those who are truly passionate about what they do (as we are), and really want to connect with consumers, our work can make a real difference.

Okay, so who (or what) is CPR + Partners?

Our three principles are David Caruso, Richard Page, and Rocky Russo. Between us, we have varying backgrounds and many years of experience—in advertising, design, branding, and production. And while we all come from the creative side, we think of ourselves as communications professionals first.

And who are the other partners?

Principally, our partners are the clients we work with. We are not vendors, and we know that great work can only be done in partnership with great clients. We have also forged strategic partnerships with many others—PR professionals, media professionals, account planners, programmers, photographers and illustrators, printers, production companies, and more. Depending on our client’s needs, we find and partner with the right people to meet those needs. The result is better, more focused work that truly engages the consumer.

 

 

Who have you done work for?

Since forming CPR + Partners in late 2008, we have created work for the New Orleans CVB, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, LC&I Fund, Tour de Lis (pro bono), and others. You can browse through work we’ve done for them here (link). There is also a selection of work done by our principles prior to forming CPR + Partners.

What about the consumer? What’s all this about the consumer being bigger than any brand?

It’s become a very fractured marketplace, and with the variety of media channels growing exponentially, truly connecting consumers with brands (or brands with consumers) has become far more difficult. Consumers now have the power to command and control their media environment. They can easily tune in, or tune out at will. So it’s crucial that communications are carefully crafted to truly resonate with who they are, and reach them where they actually live—online, on air, at events, in print—wherever. And it’s not enough just to find the right medium. The message has to be powerful (and often subversive) enough to fly under the radar in ways that are novel, unique, and most importantly, true to the real life of real people.

Yikes! That sounds hard!

It’s never easy, but it doesn’t have to be painful. We truly believe that if we’re not engaged and excited by what we do, it’s a sure thing consumers won’t be, either.

What about money? Is CPR + Partners expensive?

From the beginning, we have committed ourselves to out thinking our client’s competitors, rather than outspending them—especially now, when money is tight. We often work with clients, large and small, with limited budgets. Yes, we’re in business in business to make a fair profit, and we expect our clients to understand that. But we’re also determined to make sure our client’s money is spent wisely, and never frittered away with useless paperwork, interminable meetings, and marketing summits that yield nothing. And we don’t waste time going about it, either.

So to avoid wasting time and money, do you have any particular approach to doing great work?

Yes.

What is it?

Hire us, and we’ll show you. Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation (SB Bid Box Montage)
Working closely with the GNOSF, the New Orleans CVB, the New Orleans Saints, and others, we produced the elaborately-designed bid box that was sent to each NFL team owner to bring the Super Bowl to New Orleans in 2013. Thanks to the fine work of everyone involved, from budding young artists belonging to the YAYAs, to talented craftspeople unique to our city, the bid succeeded.

New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau (four ads)
This trade campaign was created expressly for meeting and convention planners who held their own convention in the city. The strategy was simple: reassure them that everything that makes New Orleans a great meeting destination is just as they remember it.

New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau (“taped guy” and “race” ads)
These ads playfully communicated the fact that, given a choice, New Orleans is where most employees want to go for large company meetings and retreats. Thus, for CEOs and company meeting planners responsible for the decision, New Orleans becomes a much easier choice to make.

New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau Brochure
As a meeting and convention destination, New Orleans is unsurpassed. the NOMCVB, together with the entire hospitality community, is committed to helping companies hold successful meetings in the city, while making meeting planner’s jobs easier. This brochure was created to detail this commitment in a compelling, no-nonsense way.

LC&I Fund Ads (4 Ads)
The LC&I Fund is a small workers’ comp insurer that underwrites policies exclusively in Louisiana. Since LC&I works directly with independent insurance brokers throughout the state, these ads were created to reinforce the company’s commitment to making worker’s comp easier for them to manage.

Tour de Lis (Poster & Jersey)
The Tour de Lis stages an annual bike ride to raise money for three cancer-fighting organizations, including CAGNO, the largest cancer relief agency in Greater New Orleans. The 2009 ride generated nearly $200,000 to help people fight cancer, setting a new record. CPR + Partners created new identity and all primary communications for the event—completely pro bono.

Big Easy Blends (Package and Web Site)
The Cordina Mar-GO-rita is a superior, authentic, and all natural  pre-mixed beverage for people on the go. Besides brand-new identity, we created a unique, foil-pouch package that makes it easy for people leading active lives to enjoy anywhere, without all the usual muss and fuss of having to mix margaritas themselves, or worry about glass bottles that can break.

 

Gootee Construction (Web Site & Ad)
Gootee Construction has become one of the largest contractors in South Louisiana, primarily focused on mechanical contracting. We created a new site that positions Gootee as a company committed to working closely with its partners to deliver superior work that’s on time and on budget, no matter the size of a project.

Global Staffing Solutions (Logo & Web Site)
A New Orleans based company, Global Staffing Solutions secures temporary contract labor, primarily for clients in the hospitality, janitorial, events and construction industries. As a company committed to treating both clients and workers fairly and ethically, we created a site that not only describes Global Staffing’s services, but also strongly communicates its values.

Green Fairy Pictures (Web Site)
This site was created to promote Green Fairy’s upcoming feature, “Cheri and Cobb.” The look of the site reflects the freewheeling spirit not only of the film, but of the film makers themselves.

Burkhardt (Logo & Direct Mail)
Burkhardt is a small company that installs, maintains, and services premium central air and heating systems throughout the metropolitan New Orleans area. They also install and maintain whole-house generators. We created new identity and branding designed to strongly reposition and increase the company’s visibility in a highly competitive marketplace.

Various Identity (Orphaned Logo Montage... CFI, Rampart Blues, Raza Speaks, etc.)
We’ve created a variety of logos for conservative firms, for wild and crazy events, and everything in between. In each case, we recognize that any new identity must be true to the brand’s personality, while resonating memorably with the brand’s particular audience.

Saint Thomas Heart Institute (four TV spots, plus news story)
We gave video cameras to people who had survived serious heart disease, and asked them to tell their own stories. Here are just a few of them.

Rubensteins
As New Orleans’ premier retailer of fashion for men and women, Rubensteins has set a standard for personalized customer service that’s been unsurpassed for decades. These ads were created to communicate that long-standing commitment, and to stylishly reinforce their reputation for offering the finest, most comprehensive line of designer clothing and accessories available anywhere.

Massey’s
Unlike big-box sporting goods stores, Massey’s only sells the very finest clothing and outdoor gear. And because they’re staffed by outdoor fanatics with extensive knowledge and experience, customers (whether beginning or advanced) can be assured of being expertly matched with the right gear. Using new identity and highly visual advertising, the message is that Massey's is really in the business of offering adventure.

Tulane Medical Center
After significant flooding following Hurricane Katrina, Tulane built a completely new, state-of-the-art ER. This spot coincided with Tulane’s reopening, and was created not only to dramatize Tulane’s renewed commitment to New Orleans’ future, but to help heal the heart and soul of the city’s people.