Spur

Established in 1955, The Calgary Foundation is dedicated to providing funding and support for initiatives that improve quality of life in Calgary and the surrounding area.

The Challenge

Firmly entrenched as an old-guard institution, The Calgary Foundation had an image that spoke of conservatism, old money and the past. But in fact, the Foundation is involved in a wide range of important, leading-edge projects that touch on just about every aspect of life in the city and area. The Foundation wanted to extend its brand reach, and awareness of its work, to a younger audience, including people newer to Calgary.

The Solution

Focusing on our core storytelling strengths, RedPoint conceived a magazine with high production values that would put a spotlight on the human face of The Calgary Foundation, an organization that’s sometimes seen as being all about big announcements and large grants and donations. Over a series of collaborative meetings with the client, we refined the project’s look, feel and content. We chose the name Spur for its dynamic feel of forward acceleration along with its resonance as an icon of Calgary’s history. Spur tells the human stories behind the Foundation’s work through strong photography, compelling writing and exciting design, all created and managed by RedPoint.

The Result

Spur is now being produced on a twice-yearly schedule, with spring and fall editions. Reaction to Spur has been overwhelmingly positive. In August 2014, the magazine was recognized internationally by the U.S.-based Content Marketing Awards, winning Silver in the “Best Design, New Publication” category. The competition pitted RedPoint against some of the world’s leading custom publishing and marketing agencies, and finishing in the top three underlined our success in connecting clients to their audiences through powerful storytelling. Some further comments from readers and stakeholders:

• “Spur is fantastic. Beautifully designed, wonderful economy of language and, most importantly, great stories around the Foundation’s wide impact.”
• “The best publication ever produced by The Calgary Foundation…. My jaw is still on the floor.”
• “I love Spur! I love the name, the layout, the look, the stories, it’s all F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!”
• “I look forward to receiving future copies…. A very impressive publication.”