As Colgate University turned 300 years old, its new President defined a $1B vision for the most ambitious transformation in the history of the institution. Given the ambitions and scope of this effort, Love & War was hired to provide communications and creative support to help position this as something deeper and farther reaching than a typical institutional advancement campaign.

Under the banner of 

, we set out to rally the Colgate community around a holistic strategy to move Colgate from “top tier but hard to define” to a “category of one” in American higher education.

To make this ambition tangible, we tied it to a set of pillars ranging from academics, arts and athletics to a dramatic reimagining of the campus and residential life — showcasing evidence of great progress. Today, Colgate is well on its way to realizing its Third-Century vision, with new ground broken, historic application rates and more than half of the long-term fundraising goals met.

#fff

#000

A groundbreaking transformation

Colgate University

Founded in 1979, the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) was the nation’s oldest nonprofit of its kind. But the more the organization grew, the more limiting its brand became. As IFP entered its fifth decade under new leadership, Love & War was asked to lead a full rebrand effort in support of an ambitious new vision.

First, we identified a “north star” to unify the organization’s many activities and assert its vital role in the modern film ecosystem: to help both filmmakers and industry “connect to what’s next” by finding, developing and celebrating the people and projects that shape the future.

Next, we recommended a name change to The Gotham Film & Media Institute, allowing us to draft off the pre-existing momentum of the Gotham Awards and establish a much simpler system to identify pillar programs such as the Gotham Awards, Gotham Week, Gotham EDU, etc.

From there, we developed a new visual identity that reclaims the maverick spirit of the original indie movement within a modern design language and stands out among film festivals and nonprofits. The identity is rooted in a custom typeface and a system of textures and “markup” that create space for free expression and expansion of the organization’s activities.


What's next in indie film

The Gotham Film & Media Institute

Long respected but increasingly seen as insular and outdated, The Paris Review found itself at a crossroads. Once a daring, experimental force in literature and culture, it had come to be perceived as a beautiful artifact: admired, yes, but largely disconnected from today’s creative culture and the new generation of readers and writers. Love & War was brought in to reimagine the brand, reconnecting it to its avant-garde roots while making it relevant to a broader, culturally savvy audience.

Our work repositioned The Paris Review not just as a journal of writing, but as a vibrant literary brand with a lifestyle and mindset all its own. We also help shift the brand’s focus from quarterly output to year-round cultural engagement - events, workshops, curation, programming, and more, helping lay the groundwork for a more open, inclusive identity while reigniting the spirit that made The Paris Review iconic to begin with.

Revitalizing a literary powerhouse

The Paris Review

The Associated Press occupies a truly unique position in the media landscape: AP reporting reaches half the world’s population every single day, and there is no major news organization that is more trusted for being factual and free from political bias.

For over 5 years, Love & War has worked closely with the AP to unlock the purpose and commercial potential in its historic brand, beginning with a global brand strategy that has been adopted as the organization’s official mission: 

From there, we have supported AP through both marketing and advertising campaigns in support of AP Elections content as well as, most recently, the conceptualization and launch of AP Forward — a new thought leadership platform focused on the future of the news business.

The word’s common source of truth

The Associated Press

WJFF, an NPR affiliate serving New York’s Catskills region, came to us at a pivotal moment. The station needed to evolve: to retain its homespun, deeply local identity while better reflecting the journalistic stature of its NPR affiliation. It also needed a brand presence that would feel more relevant in today’s cluttered media landscape.

Our work modernized WJFF’s positioning and visual identity, balancing a clear regional character with a sharper, more design-forward sensibility. The result was a brand that feels rooted and familiar to longtime listeners, while signaling relevance and accessibility to a younger, broader audience.

Public radio as a community resource

NPR / WJFF

Before becoming a partner at Love & War, Kriston co-founded and continues to run the US Air Championships, the official governing body of competitive air guitar in the United States.

US Air Guitar produces the competition tour which reaches 20+ cities every year, the Twitch Online Contest and ultimately the National Finals — where one champ is crowned and goes on to represent Team USA at the Air Guitar World Championships in Finland.

The rise of the event was captured in Air Guitar Nation, an award-winning documentary created and EP’ed by US Air Guitar, and the event is frequently televised on ESPN’s The Ocho. Since the founding of US Air Guitar, USA has become the winningest nation in international competition, but our dominance is currently being threatened by both Japan and (sacré bleu!) France.

Culture & education