Visual Marketing: 99 Proven Ways for Small Businesses to Market with Images and Design

67. Face-to-Face Illustrations: Establishing an Identity That Allows Your Team Members to Express Themselves

Who are Gerald and Cullen Rapp, and why do they make their illustrators draw pictures of them in face-to-face profile? The personal touch is alive and well in the hands of this prestigious agency that represents the world's most respected and innovative conceptual artists. Gerald & Cullen Rapp is considered by many in the industry to be the premier source for editorial and advertising art. The visual gimmick that has become their brand has been done over and over again for many years and keeps looking fresh and unexpected. As the artwork gets more abstract, the concept becomes even more endearing. Could this be the concept that inspired the Absolut Vodka iconic campaign?

In 1944 Cullen Rapp formed an art studio in New York City, and he used a portrait of himself as the logo for his company. In 1974, when his son Gerald joined him, he added his name to the company and illustrator Gerry Gersten drew a new illustration showing the profiles of the two owners. For many years this was the logo for the agency. But a funny thing happened, and it began gradually and in an organic way.

Why It Works

Illustrators are creative people who are not used to doing the same thing over and over ...