INNER CITY EMPIRE

keep on keepin on!

2010-11-15T15:28:00.000-08:00

slammed over here. frosty is 30 days on, w/ OT and no days off.
we do are best to make this happen.

when in doubt, walk it out

2010-11-08T21:30:00.000-08:00

So busy at the shop right now. Swing + weekends. Schedule your Spring production orders soon before our calender fills up.

Busy Bees Make The Most Honey

2010-11-03T14:22:00.000-07:00

The shop is cranking on all cylinders.

Hope everyone had a fun Halloween.

Turkey Day is coming.

Gobble Gobble.

Color Mixing

2010-11-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

1 part science 1 part art form.

Need help matching colors?

Do you want your graphic to match the color of your Dad's hat?

We can do that blindfolded.

* That last sentence was lie, everything else though we can guarantee

Happy Halloween From ICE

2010-10-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

Have a fun and safe Halloween.

Your friends,

Inner City Empire

Chris Young In Winner's Circle Henley & Pizza Wheels

2010-10-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

Printed by the one and only Inner City Empire.

Does you company or brand need help sourcing cool blanks to print on like 2 button henleys?

We got you covered.

Watch the full video on the link below:

CHRISYOUNGTHEARTIST.COM

Busy Yet Stylish

2010-10-28T12:57:00.001-07:00

We may have 3 bagillion (real number look it up) boxes on the floor right now for orders, but that doesn't mean we are going to look fazed by it.

Real masters of their craft make it look easy.

We make it look easy.

Sort of.

The Making Of A Mackelmore Shirt

2010-10-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

We do not toot our own horn, but we do feel confident in saying we are a one stop shop for musicians and bands.

Mackelmore even has a great video about the tee we did for him.

Support your city folks.

town biz

2010-09-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

You Know Them Stakes Is High

2010-09-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

Actual Pain x King Dude x Mishka

2010-09-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

King Dude Gets Interviewed and Performs "No One Is Here" from Nick Gazin on Vimeo.

One of our favorite clients just did an in-store performance at Mishka in NY celebrating the release of his line Actual Pain Fall and also his new music project King Dude.

Check it out!

*bonus video

DO THE HUSTLE!

2010-09-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

Its Labor Day and we are here hustling these presses. Here are some pics from the last weeks production.

Inner City Empire is always looking to expand our client base. Please feel free to call 206-382-2335 or email sales@innercityempire for any of your private label needs.

New Actual Pain

2010-08-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

Actual Pain keeps getting bigger with every season and we like it that way.

AP is the local favorite that we have seen grow from day one. So when it comes to printing for them we always do our best to push the quality level for each design.

This new season had us using a lot of discharge, soft hand inks, and 4 color process. If you are not savvy with the printing terms we just threw at you in plain english: the designs are super soft, no thick ink build up, and we replicate photos on to the body of the blank.

We love the easy printing jobs, but excelling at difficult jobs are what separate us from our competitors.

If you feel inclined to purchase any of these head over to Actual Pain's online shop and check them out yourself.

Frank's Chop Shop

2010-08-16T15:29:00.000-07:00

Inner City Empire is very excited to welcome the renowned Frank's Chop Shop line to our long list of brands we screen print for.

We can't show you everything, but we can show you a little something.

For those of you that are not familiar with Frank and the multi-headed media hydra that they are head on over to their website Frank151

2010-06-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

We had a customer walk in with this 20 year-old t-shirt looking to get it reproduced. The catch was that they didn't have a graphic file for us to print from. Hey, no problem! Our art department did a stellar re-creation. Check it out...

Original Front:

Original Back:

Inner City Empire's Re-creation - Front:

Inner City Empire's Re-creation - Back:

Now for some production highlights!

Hoodies for Backside Bow Yoga Studio of Ballard:

Big Time Mafia T's:

Patches for Studs and Spikes and Noel "The Freak" Austin

Seattle Reverie T's:

New Zlog T's We're Working On:

Shop Pics!

Chow Time!

Inner City Empire Cut & Sew Department!

Winner's Circle Sale!

2010-06-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

From our retail store Winner's Circle!

1353 East Olive Way,
Seattle, WA 98122

Real simple folks.

40% off everything.

We have loads of new Winner's Circle, Actual Pain, Fuct, Mishka, 10 Deep, Rebel 8 and more for you to choose from.

We got tees, button ups, hats, fitted hats, jackets, beenies, shoes, cheetahs, fireworks, chicken wings, Cactus Coolers, and that little 2 year old fat kid that smokes cigs.

All 40% off.

3M Reflective Ink

2010-06-04T09:38:00.001-07:00

Check out a cool add on service for your next screen printing project: 3M Reflective ink. There are two different styles that we use - a "black" reflective and a silver reflective. Our neighbors over at Columbia Fire had us print some t's for them and we ended up using the 3M Reflective Ink for their back graphic. The results were amazing!

3M Black Reflective

3M Silver Reflective

Rager Goes to Paris

2010-05-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

I left Seattle (actual view of my desk) and went to Paris for vacation.

I got bumped to first class (Iceland Air) and made sure to have some complimentary beers.

The Icelandic language is similar to what the Vikings spoke. If the Vikings were around now, I bet they'd fly Iceland Air.

Riding on the Metro from the airport...

...To the place were I am staying. I called these items "snacks" but was informed that they are apéritif. Cool!

Space Invader by street artist Invader.

French friends on a scooter... drinking...

Strange ad on the Metro.
Yep.

If only the space needle were surrounded by buildings like this...

Friends again. Dig that wall paper.

No clue what this is... I liked the symetry I suppose...

More to come! I will be back at ICE next week. Can't wait to rejoin the crew!

open House @ ICE tomorrow!

2010-05-14T15:52:00.001-07:00

Art walk and SODO business Open House tomorrow night. Come see us at our printshop Inner City Empire, we will be displaying sample work and you can hob nob and mingle with our friendly staff.

We will be open noon-4ish

Winner's Circle Presents: How To Make A T-Shirt!

2010-05-11T16:27:00.000-07:00

Inner City Empire has been making t shirts for many of your favorite brands since 2004. So after 6 years and thousands of t shirts later we finally got around to making a video that shows you the whole process from start to finish.

Help support us and share the video link via your website or blog. If you like the video please let us know in the comment's section.

busy week

2010-04-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

ICE clipboard by KRUKS circa 2008

Amy setting up a Glass Bangers design. If you haven't checked out the online store and you like hockey you are slipping.

Wailers shirt hot off the press.

Frosty printing some Winner's Circle Spring 2.

A Constant Lovers strike off. The band is opening for Murder City Devils this weekend in LA and we were lucky enough to print the guy's merch.

Lots getting done around here.

coming soon!

2010-04-30T18:37:00.000-07:00

We recently added cut-n-sew to our in house services. First on the list of products we offer: Denim. Sample pieces being sewn as we speak. This is gonna be a good year.

making of a macklemore t-shirt

2010-04-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

Up There Documentary

2010-04-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

UP THERE from Jon on Vimeo.

This is an amazing short documentary on sign/advertising painters in New York City.

ICE continues to employ local sign painting companies as much as possible and you should too.

Sign painters like our good friend and comrade:

Sean Barton Signs

Vinyl adhesives are so lifeless in comparison.

Check it out if you have 12 minutes to spare.

More SSUR

2010-04-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

Tons of SSUR stuff coming off the press today.

As usual SSUR always lets you know how they feel.

ICE Spring Update

2010-04-21T16:58:00.000-07:00

Take a look at a sampling of what Inner City Empire has been printing lately!

Rat City Roller Girls - Team Grave Danger

Some new Actual Pain' designs:

(discharge ink)

(CMYK print)

(Discharge Ink)

Some new designs from SSUR NYC:

Props To Our Recent Customer: Roughneck Scarves / Glass Bangers T's

2010-03-25T16:04:00.000-07:00

Hey this exciting! One of our wonderful clients, Jeff at Glass Bangers T's & Roughneck Scarves, recently had a nice TV spot highlighting their endeavors. Check it out!

Pacific Northwest Take Over!

2010-02-16T15:32:00.000-08:00

Fresh Espresso!

Some days go by where we don't stop to smell the roses too much; we just keep printing and printing until our hands hurt. Other days, we stop and realize that we have our hands in some pretty amazing shit. For instance, take Fresh Espresso, a rising Seattle hip-hop group that is playing a huge role Seattle's booming hip-hop scene. This design is made for a t-shirt and is as simple as it is eye catching. By the way, these boys KILLED IT last night at the Crocodile. Well done. Inner City Empire is proud to be their printer!

Inner City Empire Update - February 2010

2010-02-11T16:16:00.000-08:00

Sitting amongst the sounds of the power washer back in the screen department and KEXP blasting from the radio, we are all happy to be here, printing like crazy people. Lot's of cool stuff in the shop right now that is sure to drop your jaws - and maybe even your drawers, who knows. Fresh Espresso has a killer new design in our queue, and Actual Pain is working with us on their spring line.

Today we had a really cool design come off the press. It's for Cues and Tattoos 2010 and it's printed on the American Apparel #6322 two-sided top. A great reminder that there's plenty of apparel options out there to use for your projects. Check it out...

It's Raining Prints!

2010-01-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

Hey all, it's been a minute since our last entry, so let's get caught up. First, we want to give a shout out to all of our clients both new and old for 2010. We are happy to be your trusty screen printer. Second, here's some of what has been coming off the press lately. It's merely a slice of the whole proverbial pie!

Winners Circle Screaming Hand - Spot color, classic design.

Winners Circle Screaming Hand - Back Print.

Shirts for Noel Austin - Check out www.NoelAustin.com - not for the faint of heart!

Fences - Colorway #1. Love the pistachio shirts!

Fences - Colorway #2. You should check out Fences' MYSPACE to see what its all about! A truly talented musician in our opinion.

Champagne Champagne - a classic one color logo! Check out C.C.'s MYSPACE. Also amazing! We're excited that we get to print for such talented folks. Okay, until next time, peace-out from Inner City Empire!

What We've Been Printing!

2009-12-29T13:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all the people out there in internet land! As we turn the corner into 2010, the excitement keeps building and ink keeps flowing.

This week we had a special order come off our presses: Winners Circle's exclusive Murder City Devils crew neck sweatshirts. The print features bold, colorful type plus subtle black-on-black skull logos. These are on sale at the Winners Circle on Capitol Hill and from their online store!

Moving forward, we are always looking for new folks to print for. Bands, companies, clothing lines, whatever you have! Let us know what you need and we'll make it happen. See you in the New Year!

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SPECIALS

2009-12-16T12:17:00.000-08:00

Looking to maximize the profits on your merch sales? Looking for an economic promotional item? Well, this is the perfect special for you! Feel free to contact us more information or to request a custom quote.

REASON WINTER 2009

2009-12-16T12:10:00.000-08:00

Our friends over at REASON have put together an amazing winter line. We are honored to have printed their t's and fleece. Take a look at what they've put together! CLICK HERE

VACATION RECORD STORE

2009-12-08T11:24:00.000-08:00

THOUGHT I WOULD INCLUDE A COUPLE PHOTOS FROM VACATION RECORD STORE IN LOS FELIZ. http://www.vacationvinyl.com/ YOU KNOW RIGHT THERE ON HOLLYWOOD AND VERMONT. I BUSTED THESE JOBS OUT ON THE FLY AND MADE SOME EXTRA PAPER. THESE GUYS ARE THE SHIT AND HAVE A GREAT SELECTION. THEY ALSO OWN SECRET HEADQUARTERS ON SUNSET. A COMIC STORE(WITH A GREAT SELECTION AS WELL http://www.thesecretheadquarters.com/

UNDEFEATED ON SILVERLAKE

2009-12-08T11:21:00.000-08:00

SANTA MONICA UNDEFEATED

2009-12-05T19:30:00.000-08:00

LA XMAS

2009-12-05T19:25:00.001-08:00

HERES SOME MORE

WINTER WONDERLAND

2009-12-05T19:08:00.000-08:00

HEY WHATS UP MY NAME IS SEAN BARTON. I AM A SIGNPAINTER AND ARTIST FROM THE WEST COAST. I CURRENTLY RESIDE IN SEATTLE WASHINGTON. WHICH IS WHERE I TEAMED UP WITH MY BUDDY JR AND STARTED POSTING ON THIS BLOG. IVE TRAVELED THESE GREAT STATES PAINTING SIGNS AND DOING ART. I WANTED TO SHARE SOME OF MY CURRENT LOS ANGELES TRAVELS. SNAZZY HOLIDAY WINDOWS FOR SUPREME ON FAIRFAX. STUSSY ,UNION, AND UNDEFEATED ON LEBREA. AS WELL AS UNDEFEATED ON MAIN ST. IN SANTA MONICA. HOPE EVERYONE LIKES!!! GOT UNDEFEATED IN SILVERLAKE COMING UP TOMORROW!!! www.seanbartonsigns.com

TODAY'S PRINTS: REASON

2009-11-30T17:12:00.000-08:00

We hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving holiday! As we round out November the Inner City Empire crew has been busier than ever. We've had a the pleasure to print some really great designs lately. Some are so rad that we can't unveil them until they hit the stores! Here are just a few prints we completed today:

This graphic was pretty straightforward to print. Because of the nature of the graphic's shape, it was difficult to snap a good pic.

This is a really nice graphic. Lots of pop! The gradient in the light bulb was achieved with halftones.

Another cool design with smart design choices for the screen-print process. The slight gradient in the text was half-toned. All three of these prints came from Reason NYC. For more information about Reason, you can visit their website.

TODAY'S SPECIAL! All SEASON!

2009-11-30T17:10:00.000-08:00

ICE FINISHING SCHOOL!

2009-11-25T10:41:00.000-08:00

Aside from custom labels, there are many more things that ICE can do to make your brand stand out. Here are a couple of easy ones that can add a higher perceived value to your custom goods:

Polybagging, Poly Bagging, Poly-Bagging, PLYBG, et cetera.

This is stack of shirts (a SSURPLUS NYC design) that has been folded neatly and inserted into polybags. The poly bag serves a dual purpose. First, it makes your gear look way pro and second, it protects your gear from dust, rain, coffee spills, cheeto-fingers and many other nasty elements. If you are thinking about using a fulfillment warehouse to mail-order your goods, we highly recommend getting your garments poly bagged. While many fulfillment warehouses are clean, top notch facilities, the polybag simply removes the risk of getting your goods jacked up by some cheeto-fingers - it takes another unwanted variable out of the equation.

Appliqué

Pictured above is a 1" appliqué applied to the left sleeve of a Winners Circle design. Appliqué are a great way to add that extra touch of personality to any project. From clothing lines to company swag, an applique can really tie the "identity" of the piece together! Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in or have questions regarding appliqué.

IN THE SHOP

2009-11-20T09:57:00.000-08:00

Inner City Empire is located in SODO, right near downtown Seattle. Our shop has grown from a small operation to a screen printing empire. We named the company Inner City Empire because we are taking over and taking names - and taking orders from our amazing customers! Our crew is rockin' and our shop is tight. Take a look...

These are squeegees. If you think about, they make all the magic happen. There are different colored squeegees for different scenarios. Some squeegees are harder and some are softer, and by choosing wisely, the right squeegee allows us to accurately control the ink pressure.

This is Eric, he is preparing a screen. Essentially, Erik "reclaims" the screens after we use them for a print run. Reclamation entails removing all emulsion and residue left in the screen from the previous print run so we can use the screen for the next run. This is an integral part of any print shop's operation!

This is Frosty working on color-separations for a Reason NYC job. Using magic, we take the graphic apart and separate it out by color. It's magic. Each print color will (usually) get its own screen.

Ah, okay so after Frosty does the 'seps, he prints the films, which are then used to burn the screens.

This is a "manual" screen printing press. Danny here is doing a very small detail print on a SSUR-PLUS job. We use the manual press a lot for these smaller sized, less complex print locations.

This is our automatic press. You can't see the whole thing in this picture, but it is a very large press. This week, we began to clean the auto from top to bottom as well as perform some mechanical maintenance. Cleaning and maintenance are necessary to make this thing run at top speed.

Eric again, cleaning a component of our automatic press.

This is Ryan, our shop manager. Ryan is on the phone ordering parts for our press amidst the auto press' big clean.

Ah, the dryer. The dryer cures the ink!

Last but not least! This is Faye working on some cut and sew crew neck fleece. If you shop around, you might notice that cut and sew is NOT offered by the average screen printing joint. This is one of the things that makes ICE so special! We are enthusiastically involved with this facet of the industry because we felt the need to offer cut and sew on a more approachable level. No import/export hassles, just quality custom goods from right here is Seattle!

More SSUR Prints + a ZLOG preview + New Winners Circle Hoodie

2009-11-16T17:01:00.000-08:00

SSUR's amazing prints keep flying off the presses! Here are the latest prints we had the pleasure of completing for SSUR NYC!

SSUR Triple Logo

SSUR - The King of Hearts - 10 color!

SSUR - King of Hearts - Upper Right Chest Print

SSUR Cat!

--------------------------------------------------------

ZLOG Preview! Great Designs! Amazing Printing!

ZLOG Inside Tag Print

ZLOG Ride or Die

ZLOG Custom ALL OVER PRINT!

ZLOG Discharge print. This came out super clean!

Close up!

Here's a new Winners Circle Hoodie Design. Just in time for this foul weather!

100 QTY, 1-Color Special!

2009-11-16T10:32:00.000-08:00

Heya people, here is a great special that we are running RIGHT NOW! One color print on white t's. To get you inspired to take advantage of this special, we found some very cool one color prints on white t's.

Do you see how tight these one-color prints on white t's are? It's both economical and iconic!

New Designs From SSUR NYC and Winners Circle

2009-11-12T12:04:00.000-08:00

Oversized, Discharge Red Print

This one turned out awesome! The print is nice and soft and the discharge handled the seams nicely.

SSUR Juan Valdez
Amazing use of a one-color graphic. The iconic Juan Valdez really pops on these t's! Look out for an amazing one-color print special deal from Inner City Empire this winter!

SSUR Ungrateful Living
It was hard to get a nice close up of the print, so we went with this hot model shot. The gradient in the text came out super tight.

SSUR Paradise City
This is a modified CMYK print. We spotted in some colors to get more pop, and POW! Amazing-ness. Can't wear this one to school, kids!

Winers Circle - Oversized!
This print is a result of painstaking attention to detail and a boat-load of patience. It almost looks like cut-and sew, but we actually pulled this one off using our over-sized screens.

Merch for Jesse Edwards @ Gallery 2308

2009-10-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

^Flier for the show. If you havent been you should go. Running until the end of November. The painting in the flier is what we re-created on the t-shirts.

^Group shot of the merch

^4 color process on black t. *no white plate

^4 color process on white t.

*black looks a lil washed out due to lack of white plate. all in all still came out good. always keep in mind the sooner we have your completed art the more time we have to ensure creating the best product possible for you and your customer.

5th Column: The War Of The Flea

2009-10-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

It's great to see the products we help create for our customers hit the streets. It always adds extra excitement to the everyday process of printing and manufacturing. More often than not we get the bonus of printing for great brands our staff follows and admires, 5th Column is one of those brands. The following are some great pics taken from 5th Column: War Of The Flea line for Fall 09.

^basic spot color, plastisol inks used for these pieces.

^basic spot color, plastisol inks used for these pieces.

^*all over print using plastisol ink

^*all over print using plastisol ink

^*all over print using 3m inks

^*all over print using 3m inks

^11 color plastisol ink for the white t

^12 color plastisol ink including white plate for black t

^1 color plastisol ink

^1 color plastisol ink

^1 color plastisol

---------------------------------------------------------------------
ADDED BONUS: Limited Edition 5th Column Project Mayhem

^2 color Purple plastisol ink including white plate

^2 color Purple plastisol ink including white plate for the detail on back

If you like the designs you see please check out 5th Column on the web.

*for all over prints always keep in mind the difficulty in keeping the print consistent. note the design used by 5th column has lots of room for the printing technique to work with the art.

From SSUR with love - Hitman

2009-10-06T11:06:00.000-07:00

Here is another one of the Caviar Cartel designs. We just printed this 8 color design on the Automatic Press.

From SSUR with love

2009-10-05T13:30:00.001-07:00

Here is a peek at one of the Caviar Cartel designs we have been working on.

^Frosty working the auto (wearing unreleased WC You Lose T)

^screen for white plate

^gold w/o white plate on white t's.

^white and gold on black t's

^buttery blue and gold inks on white t

^finished product on black.

This Saturday ZLOG x Winner's Circle Present:

2009-09-29T18:38:00.000-07:00

After party will be held at Inner City Empire. Secret Show Special Guest To Be Announced!

Long Live The Hive!

2009-09-29T11:52:00.001-07:00

Flatcolor Gallery has extended their design contest for a Bhiver T-Shirt until Oct 2nd. great cause and winner gets $300 clams. Check out more here at Flatcolor.

Come out tomorrow night for our Open House!!!

2009-09-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

ACTUAL PAIN FALL 2009

2009-09-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

We have been busy finishing up the 2009 Fall Line for Actual Pain and I am happy to say we are finally wrapping up. One style left to go and almost everything else is poly bagged, separated and ready for shipping to a shop near you (if you are from Seattle check the Winners Circle for purchase).

To create the look TJ wanted for his collection this season we used a couple different techniques as explained below:

^Plastisol black Ink on the white T and ^*Discharge for the effect of white print on the black t's.

^Plastisol black on white t's (art=black and white halftone) ^Discharge on black t's.

^Discharge on black t's

^Plastisol red to black fade(fade=split fountain)^Discharge on black t's.(we didnt make the dog but hes pretty cute even next to the scary Actual Pain graphics)

^Here we have a beautiful very detailed plastisol 4 color process print of a goat. It looks so real you feel like you could almost sacrifice the graphic on the shirt. I think Satan prefers live animals though and not street wear.

^A hybrid technique of plastisol red and black with a discharge for the white. Can you say buttery? Charming isn't it?

^Here is the line, bagged and ready to be boxed for shipment. We offer a variety of poly bags your brand can choose from when packaging. We also offer fulfillment of orders, meaning we can drop ship for your company to save you time and labor.

^Just look how happy our young friend TJ is with the services ICE provides! He didnt mean to flip us the bird it was supposed to be a peace sign but i took the picture too quick :(

For more information on techniques and services we provide please look in the "services" section of our website.

*Definition of Discharge:(textiles) Using bleaching chemicals on a previously dyed fabric to remove the dye and thus imprint a pattern.

And we are LIVE!!!!!!

2009-09-21T16:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new and improved Inner City Empire Blog!!!! We will be updating this mamma-jamma VERY frequently, keeping you up to date with all the rad new projects we have rolling over here!

What better way to get this started than with a quick update of some gift bags we recently printed for our pal Logan Neitzel.

Logan is on this seasons Project Runway and recently had his line for Spring/Summer 2010 debut the runway at NY fashion week.

ICE was lucky enough to print the bags. I was lucky enough to get to attend the show and the rest is history........

When trying to promote your business or event think of these affordable canvas totes printed with your company's logo.

::)

Slumdog Millionaire Wrap Up Report

2009-01-19T15:11:00.000-08:00

The Slumdog Millionaire campaign has come to an end here in Seattle and has gone extremely well. I feel that the promotions throughout the last month were well recepted and caused a very energetic buzz and interest in the Soundtrack and movie itself. I truly enjoyed working on this promotion and was able to hit up many related Venues & Lifestyle locations throughout the greater Seattle area. Most people were very interested in the flyers and posters that I had during this campaign but the CD’s & T-Shirts on the other hand, seemed to help out quite a bit with talking about the product and it was great to be able to send people off with a sample of the actual soundtrack. It seems that most people that I approached had already seen the Slumdog Millionaire movie, so it made for an easy time promoting the product.

All retail stores were receptive and very accommodating to my promotional needs. I visited all of the suggested locations for this campaign as well as seeking out some other ideas like new hip coffee shops, local art galleries and smaller record stores. I received a much greater interest and response from people with the CD/T-Shirt handouts...probably because people always love something free to check out !!
I stacked up and dropped off many posters and flyers through out downtown and Capitol Hill areas, making sure whenever possible to place them in very visible and “high traffic” areas. I’ve always felt like Seattle is highly open to flyering and postering and I noticed people expressed a lot of interest in the product even when just putting the posters up and dropping off the handbills. People asked me many questions about the Soundtrack & I was glad that I had the seen the movie and done the research for myself so that I could give more effective answers to the people I came across.

When postering inside stores and venues, I made it a point to tape them up in high traffic and very visible areas. On 2 occasions I was able to ask the Manager/Employee of the cd store to play the CD "instore" while I was there, which was a great tool in promoting the product to people inside. I was pleased with how that turned out.

I was able to talk "DJ Shannon", the host of the weekly radio show called Variety Mix, which airs Tuesdays 1-6AM on KEXP 90.3. Dj Shannon let me give her some product and promised to play the CD several times on her broadcast in the coming weeks. She told me that she had already heard the album and "Loved It". She was happy to get a copy for herself and seemed to be excited to play the soundtrack ! I was pleased with how that turned out. Below is a link to her KEXP profile. http://kexp.org/programming/djpage.aspx?djid=905

So far, I have had the opportunity to meet and speak with many different types of people, including music store employees/managers and night club owners/staff. Everyone truly seemed interested in the CD's, T-Shirts & handbills & Most of the CD stores let me hang a poster or two. Quite a few people had already heard of the movie and were eager to listen to the Soundtrack (if they hadn't already!). I had no problems reaching the target demographic and establishing a good rapport with these people ! I had a good but challenging time with this campaign and I appreciate the opportunity.

Below is a recap of the retail and hand-to-hand coverage for the end of the Slumdog Millionaire Campaign in Seattle:

COMPLETED CLUB/CONCERT PROMOTIONS:
12/19/08 - Dinking it up @ Cha Cha Lounge
12/18/08 - LeSexy w/ Jackie Hell @ King Cobra
12/21/08 - Faith & Adam @ Tost
12/23/08 - Flamenco Guitar @ Capitol Club
12/27/08 - Bollywood @ The Baltic Room
12/29/08 - Jam Jam Reggae @ The Baltic Room
12/31/08 - Bollygrooves New Years Eve Bash @ Chop Suey

RETAIL/LIFESTYLE PROMOTIONS:

Gyros Place 1501 4th Ave # 109
Gyro's Place 701 5th Ave
Gyro House 212 5th Ave S
Gyro World 401 Broadway E # 127
Niko's Gyros 2231 32nd Ave W, Seattle, WA - (206) 285-4778
Chutneys Indian Restaurant 519 1st Ave N
Tandoor 5024 University Way NE
Cedars Restaurant 4759 Brooklyn Ave NE
Cafe Flora 2901 E Madison St
Pabla Indian Cuisine 1516 2nd Ave # 101
Jewel of India - Food Delivery 4735 University Way NE
Georgetown Yoga 5519 Airport Way Suite 2
Whole Life Yoga 8551 Greenwood Ave N #2,
Sweat Box Yoga‎ 1417 10th Ave # B,
Yoga Tree The‎ 4250 Fremont Ave N
Samadhi-yoga 1205 E Pike, Seattle, WA‎ -
8 Limbs Yoga Boutique‎ 500 E Pike St
Dahn Yoga‎ 1300 Post Alley
Al's Music Video & Games 4547 University Way
Cellophane Square 4538 University Way NE
Easy Street CD's & Tapes 20 Mercer St
Easy Street Records & Café 4559 California Ave SW
Everyday Music 112 Broadway E
Jive Time Records 411 E Pine St.
Platinum Records 915 E Pike St
Silver Platters 9560 1st Ave. NE
Silver Platters 701 5th Ave N
Wall of Sound Records 315 E Pine St
Zion's Gate 1100 E Pike St
Bauhaus Coffee 301 E Pine St
B & O Espresso 204 Belmont Ave E
Café Vita 1005 E. Pike Street
Café Vita 813 5th Avenue North
Espresso Vivace 321 Broadway E
Espresso Vivace 901 East Denny Way
Five Doors Up 4309 University Way NE
Red Light Clothing Exchange 312 Broadway
Red Light Clothing Exchange 4560 University Way NE
Rudy's Barber Shop 614 E. Pine
Rudy's Barber Shop 89 Wall St,
Top Pot Doughnuts 609 Summit Ave E
Zeitgeist Coffee171 S. Jackson St.
Victrola Coffee 310 E Pike St
Victrola Coffee 413 15th Ave E
Seattle Reflexology & Massage 419 Queen Anne Ave N # 107
Brenneke School of Massage 425 Pontius Avenue North
Green Lake Massage Health Center 6823 Oswego Pl NE # 1
Waking Life Massage & Supply 1118 NE 47th St
Massage Sanctuary 705 Broadway E

-Devin

Slumdog Millionaire - wrap up report - Lifestyle/Events

2009-01-19T09:51:00.000-08:00

Slumdog Millionaire - wrap up report - Hand to Hand

2009-01-19T09:25:00.000-08:00

DARK STREETS CAMPAIGN WRAP UP REPORT : Retail/Venue Pics

2008-12-19T06:11:00.000-08:00

-Devin

DARK STREETS CAMPAIGN WRAP UP REPORT : Hand to Hand Pics

2008-12-19T06:03:00.000-08:00

-Devin

Dark Streets Wrap Up Report

2008-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

DARK STREETS CAMPAIGN WRAP UP:

The Darks Streets campaign has come to an end here in Seattle and has gone very well. I feel that the promotions throughout the month caused a moderate buzz and interest in the area. I definitely enjoyed working on this promotion and was able to hit up many Jazz and Blues venues throughout the greater city. Most people were not too interested in the flyers and posters that I had during the first part of this campaign. The CD’s & DVD’s on the other hand, seemed to bring help a lot with talking about the product, and it was great to be able to send people off with a sample of the actual product. All-in-all, I received positive feedback and genuine interest in all areas of the promotion.

All retail stores were receptive and very accommodating to my promotional needs. I visited almost all of the locations suggested for this campaign as well as seeking out some new hip coffee shops, local art galleries and smaller record stores. As noted before I got much greater interest and response from people with the CD/DVD handouts….people always love something free to check out !!

I stacked up and dropped off many posters and flyers through out downtown and Capitol Hill areas, making sure whenever possible to place them in very visible and “high traffic” areas. I’ve always felt like Seattle is highly open to flyering and postering and I received a lot of interest in the product even when just putting the posters up. People asked me many questions about what I was doing and I was glad this time around, that I had the CD’s and DVD for myself to research the product, so I could give more effective answers to the people I came across. I attempted to go into some of these venues and promote while the show was going on….but was asked to leave a few times, so I decided it was best to hand out the products before or after the show. When postering inside stores and venuesn, I made it a point to tape them up in high traffic and very visible areas. At a few of the CD stores I went to I was able to ask the Manager or employee working to play the CD while I was there, which was a great tool in promoting the product to people inside. I was able to talk the employee at the Queen Anne Silver Platters to let me set up a Dark Streets promo section on the shelves at the end of the Blues and Jazz section in their store. I was pleased with how that turned out.

So far, I have had the opportunity to meet and speak with many different types of people, music store managers and night club staff. Everyone truly seemed interested in the CD & DVD handouts. Most CD stores let me hang a poster or two. Quite a few people had already heard of the movie and were eager to watch the DVD handouts and listen to the CD handouts. I had no problems the target demographic establishing a good rapport with these people ! I had a good but challenging time with this campaign and I appreciate the opportunity.

Below is a recap of the retail and hand-to-hand coverage for the end of the Dark Street s Campaign in Seattle:

COMPLETED HAND TO HAND PROMOTIONS:

12/05/08 - Walt Weiskopf Quartet with Steve Korn @ Tula's
12/06/08 - Greta Matassa Quartet @ Tula's
12/06/08 – Brian Nova Quartet @ El Gaucho
12/08/08 - JAZZ JAM with the Darin Clendenin Trio @ Tula's
12/08/08 – Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks @ Triple Door
12/09/08 - Charlie Hunter Trio @ Jazz Alley
12/10/08 - JOHN KELLY - The songs of Joni Mitchell @ Triple Door
12/11/08 – Amanda Palmer @ Showbox
12/12/08 - Tower Of Power @ Jazz Alley
12/12/08 - George Grissom @ Paragon
12/13/08 - Brian Nova Quartet @ El Gaucho
12/13/08 - 103.7 The Mountain's Winter Warmth with The Pretenders & Ingrid Michaelson @ Paramount Theatre

RETAIL/LIFESTYLE PROMOTIONS:
Al's Music Video & Games 4547 University Way
Cellophane Square 4538 University Way NE
Easy Street CD's & Tapes 20 Mercer St
Easy Street Records & Café 4559 California Ave SW
Everyday Music 112 Broadway E
Jive Time Records 411 E Pine St.
Platinum Records 915 E Pike St
Silver Platters 9560 1st Ave. NE
Silver Platters 701 5th Ave N
Wall of Sound Records 315 E Pine St
Zion's Gate 1100 E Pike St
Bauhaus Coffee 301 E Pine St
B & O Espresso 204 Belmont Ave E
Café Vita 1005 E. Pike Street
Café Vita 813 5th Avenue North
Espresso Vivace 321 Broadway E
Espresso Vivace 901 East Denny Way
Five Doors Up 4309 University Way NE
Red Light Clothing Exchange 312 Broadway
Red Light Clothing Exchange 4560 University Way NE
Rudy's Barber Shop 614 E. Pine
Rudy's Barber Shop 89 Wall St,
Top Pot Doughnuts 609 Summit Ave E
Zeitgeist Coffee171 S. Jackson St.
Victrola Coffee 310 E Pike St
Victrola Coffee 413 15th Ave E

-Devin

Dark Streets Campaign - Mid report / Hand to Hand pics

2008-12-01T16:17:00.000-08:00

-Devin

Dark Streets Campaign - Mid Report/Retail Pics

2008-12-01T15:46:00.000-08:00

So far, the Darks Streets campaign in the Seattle market has gone moderately well. I believe that the promotions through out the month caused a buzz, which in turn will create an high volume of sales towards the end of the campaign. I have enjoyed working on this campaign because I went to many Jazz and Blues venues throughout the greater Seattle area which normally I wouldn't have known about. Most people were interested in the flyers and posters but they seemed to not have a huge impact on them because (I think) there were no sample CD's to go along with them. All-in-all, I received positive feedback and genuine interest in all areas of promotion.

All retail stores were receptive and very accommodating to my promotional needs. I visited almost all of the locations suggested for this campaign as well as seeking out some new hot spots that cater more to the Dark Streets genre of music (Blues/Jazz). Such as local hip coffee shops, galleries and smaller record stores that I did not know about in the past.

Placement of posters through out downtown and Capitol Hill outdoor areas where permitted is a great way of getting the Dark Streets name buzzing throughout the public. This city is very receptive to flyering and poster advertised in this way, with a high volume of foot traffic going by the areas where I placed these posters. When postering inside stores, I made it a point to tape them up in high traffic and very visible areas. At 2 of the Easystreet Records locations and 2 of the Silver Platters locations in the area, I was able to talk the managers into letting me set up a small promo table at the end of each isle in the Blues and Jazz sections in their stores, I have 4 stores so far that are willing to do so once we get some sample Cd's to give away. As far as the post cards for hand-to-hand promotions, it was a bit more difficult tham expected to promote. I believe that once I get the Cd's in hand I will have much better responses and interest in the product. CD's and T-Shirts in the past seemed to have gotten the best response and I noticed that consumers were very interested and excited to receive them.

So far, I have had the opportunity to speak with several music store managers and night club operators. They seemed very interested in having the CD Sampler to give away at their upcoming events along with the other promotional material. I had no problems establishing a good rapport with these people and were more than happy to have me back again !
below is a recap a of the retail and hand-to-hand coverage in Seattle:

Thursday | 11/20/08
-Tuck and Patti @ Dimitriou's Jazz Alley

-Latin Jazz Night @ Tula's

Friday 11/21/08

-Randy Halberstadt Quartet w/ Mark Taylor @ Tula's

-David Vest w/ Big Rockin Daddies @ Hwy 99 Blues Club

Saturday | 11/22/08

-Milo Petersen and the Jazz Disciples @ Tula's

-The Brian Nova Quartet @ El Gaucho

Wednesday | 11/26/08

-Taj Mahal Trio @ Dimitriou's Jazz Alley

-Greta Matassa @ Tula's

Friday | 11/28/08

-Hadley Caliman Quartet @ Tula's

-Taj Mahal Trio @ Dimitriou's Jazz Alley

Saturday | 11/29/08

-The Brian Nova Quartet @ El Gaucho

-Taj Mahal Trio @ Dimitriou's Jazz Alley

-Over The Rhine Holiday Show with Jim Bianco @ Triple Door

-Greta Matassa @ Tula's

-The Red Hotz @ Paragon

Sunday | 11/30/08

-Over The Rhine Holiday Show with Jim Bianco @ Triple Door

-Jim Cutler All Stars @ Tula's

LIVE MUSIC AND RETAIL VENUE'S COVERED SO FAR :

Dimitriou's Jazz Alley 2033 6th Ave

El Gaucho 2505 1st Ave

The Triple Door 216 Union St

Tula's 2214 2nd Ave

Mona's Bistro & Lounge 6421 Latona Ave NE

Paragon Bar and Grill 2125 Queen Anne Ave N

Seamonster Lounge 2202 N 45th Street

Babalu 1723 N. 45th Street

Paramount Theatre 1707 NW Market Street

Al's Music Video & Games 4547 University Way
Cellophane Square 4538 University Way NE

Easy Street CD's & Tapes 20 Mercer St

Easy Street Records & Café 4559 California Ave SW

Everyday Music 112 Broadway E

Jive Time Records 411 E Pine St.

Platinum Records 915 E Pike St

Silver Platters 9560 1st Ave. NE

Silver Platters 701 5th Ave N

Silver Platters 16935 Southcenter Parkway, Tukwila Wa

Silver Platters Crossroads Shopping Center, Bellevue,Wa

Wall of Sound Records 315 E Pine St

Zion's Gate 1100 E Pike St

Bauhaus Coffee 301 E Pine St

B & O Espresso 204 Belmont Ave E

Café Vita 1005 E. Pike Street

Café Vita 813 5th Avenue North

Espresso Vivace 321 Broadway E

Espresso Vivace 901 East Denny Way

Five Doors Up 4309 University Way NE

Red Light Clothing Exchange 312 Broadway

Red Light Clothing Exchange 4560 University Way NE

Rudy's Barber Shop 614 E. Pine

Rudy's Barber Shop 89 Wall St,

Top Pot Doughnuts 609 Summit Ave E

Zeitgeist Coffee171 S. Jackson St.

Victrola Coffee 310 E Pike St

Victrola Coffee 413 15th Ave E

-Devin

Lady GAGA camapign wrap up

2008-12-01T09:52:00.000-08:00

The Lady Gaga campaign here in the Seattle market was an enthusiastic and positive promotion to work on. Creating quite a buzz throughout our area, between hand-to-hand, retail and lifestyle awareness, and my guerrilla tactics for posters and flier placement throughout the “hot spot” areas of town, including Capitol Hill, downtown, University District, Ballard/Freemont, and Georgetown(a new and upcoming area of excitement). I enjoyed working on this campaign, since Lady Gaga was a new artist to me. I had heard a few of her tracks before, but really got into this artist and her sound/fashion sense once on the campaign. The anticipation of her new album was really apparent when visiting the women’s boutiques that cater to her demographic, as well as eagerness from those who were new to her style of sound.

Once Again, all retail/lifestyle and Record retail were extremely receptive and accommodating to my promotional needs. During my journey to these locations, i sought out some new retail boutiques that cater to Lady Gaga's consumer, including Sway & Cake, Shaula, La Rousse, Foxmaid, The Powder Room, Wax-On Spa, Babes in Toyland, and Aprie to name a few. I also found some new hip coffee and pizza joints that are where these fashionistas are found hanging out,having their morning coffee or mid-day slice of pie. Most of the employees at these locations,especially the boutiques were more than happy to listen to what I had to say about Lady Gaga's music, keen fashion sense, and background. Some of the employees that knew of this artist were so excited to receive a CD for their stores listening pleasure, they stopped what they were doing, took out the CD they were currently listening to, and replaced it with Lady Gaga's album. The two main songs the majority of these consumers favored were "Just Dance" and "Poker Face". These two songs also happen to be blowing up on the dance radio stations out here, as well as remixes of her songs. When returning to stores to replenish stock, I asked the employees what they thought of Lady Gaga's album and if there had been any interest by customers with the CD playing in the background and/or from flier and poster placement throughout the establishments. The answers I received were all positive ones. More of the "upscale" women's boutiques thought it was great music to have on in the background while women shop. It kept them upbeat and in a great shopping mood while they danced around their dressing rooms.

As far as the promotional tools given, I have some positive and negatives that I had to work with. The posters and fliers worked extremely well as far as placing them around town with the certain stores where they allow them( most being record stores). The CDs were a huge hit for retail locations. I do however think if there would of been a single release CD to give out for hand-to-hand promotions, or stickers, etc. , the hype would of been that much better when out talking with people in the nightlife scene. This makes them feel that they get to really take something from the conversation I had with them, as well as being able to go home and listen to the artist that I spoke about. This is extremely helpful for those who have never heard of an artist's music before. In general, I believe that giving out some sort of shwag to these club-goers makes them feel important and again, they get to leave with something very cool to go home with. I did have some of the local house DJ's including, DJ Kippy and Wesley Holmes stoked on the full-length album since Serrato (a new CD mixing program for computers) is such a popular way to go these days. They both couldn't wait to play new tracks from Lady Gaga at there next gig.

Hand-to-Hand promotions on this campaign were fun. I got a chance to check out some stores and club nights that I normally wouldn't have, and had a blast doing so. I believe the two most responsive nightlife experiences throughout the duration of the promotion was DJ BassNectar at Nuemos and Lady Miss Kier (from Dee-lite) at The Warroom. At BassNectar there were an array of consumers here to get hyped. Everyone in the building was in a great mood and ready to dance to some great music. This made it fairly easy for me to talk to these patrons because they were so open to learn about new music that was in the genre of music they already listen to. At Lady Miss Kier, the whole club was primarily a female fan base, which worked out great, since they all seemed to know about Lady Gaga and thought she couldn't be any cuter. But, don't get me wrong, there were still a few men out (as well as other nights) that were very intrigued by this new artist due to her fabulous look and sound. I definitely did not get turned down by the male consumer. DJ Shorkut was also in town during the campaign, and even though this might not be the norm. for him and his taste of music he plays, he still wanted to learn more about her and what she is about, respecting her as an artist and what she has made for herself.

The Lady Gaga show at The Last Supper Club was kind of a bust. First off, I saw a great amount of the patrons I had spoke to throughout the month. and they had to come see her with their own eyes. This was exciting to see them again and talk about the new album. The packed crowded club was chanting "LADY GAGA" over and over, and the energy in the club was amazing. The upsetting part of the night was when she showed up late, played two songs, passed out to the side of the stage having to get carried out of the club then taken to a hospital by med car. Her fans were very disappointed, and were saying she "pulled an Amy Winehouse". Unfortunately, it was a lackluster performance that may have swayed some of her new found fans in the other direction. I spoke with a few that had gone to the Concert she played with NKOTB earlier that evening and said she put on an amazing performance. Maybe the poor girl was just overworked for one day and needed some rest. I don't however, feel that her die-hard fans will view her in the negative from this show. Everyone has a bad night every once in awhile, right?

-Boogs

All American Rejects Slap Campaign Part. 2

2008-11-17T09:20:00.000-08:00

Seems as though this un-named promotions company is back at it with the slap campaign, this time making a real impact on the following areas:

Space Needle
Back Side of Capitol Hill
& Belltown

From the looks of it these guys have been really busy. I swear anywhere I have been the last few weeks I can count on seeing an All American Rejects sticker somewhere in the vicinity. Whoever is holding this campaign down has done nothing short of a great job!

-JR Ewing of Seattle

shipping from the shoppy shop 11/12/08

2008-11-12T16:57:00.000-08:00

Been working on shipping the last of the Kid America Club Fall line out today, we already shipped the just of the order but had a few box's of mis-labels as well as some 2XL tags we had to print. Here is a quick look at what we were shipping today:

Make sure and check out the Kid America Club website for some funny ass videos and check their online shop for quality products such as the ones pictured above.

-JR Ewing of Seattle

All American Rejects Slap Campaign Part. 1

2008-11-12T13:26:00.000-08:00

A lil bird told me that some un-named promotions company is currently doing a slap campaign for the band All American Rejects. From the looks of it they have been busy. It seems as though they have been focusing on the following areas:

Capitol Hill
Belltown
Downtown
Queen Anne
& Pioneer Square

Im sure if you are around the town you have seen at least 1 or 2 of these stickers floating on a can or box while making your way thru the city. I saw a bunch more spots but didn't have time to take flicks. Ill try and update in the next few days, so be on the lookout for a Part.2 ! Whoever is holding down this campaign is doing a great job!

-JR Ewing of Seattle

INNER CITY EMPIRE

keep on keepin on!

when in doubt, walk it out

Busy Bees Make The Most Honey

Color Mixing

Happy Halloween From ICE

Chris Young In Winner's Circle Henley & Pizza Wheels

Busy Yet Stylish

The Making Of A Mackelmore Shirt

town biz

You Know Them Stakes Is High

Actual Pain x King Dude x Mishka

DO THE HUSTLE!

New Actual Pain

Frank's Chop Shop

Winner's Circle Sale!

1353 East Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98122

3M Reflective Ink

Rager Goes to Paris

open House @ ICE tomorrow!

Winner's Circle Presents: How To Make A T-Shirt!

busy week

coming soon!

making of a macklemore t-shirt

Up There Documentary

More SSUR

ICE Spring Update

Props To Our Recent Customer: Roughneck Scarves / Glass Bangers T's

Pacific Northwest Take Over!

Inner City Empire Update - February 2010

It's Raining Prints!

What We've Been Printing!

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SPECIALS

REASON WINTER 2009

VACATION RECORD STORE

UNDEFEATED ON SILVERLAKE

SANTA MONICA UNDEFEATED

LA XMAS

WINTER WONDERLAND

TODAY'S PRINTS: REASON

TODAY'S SPECIAL! All SEASON!

ICE FINISHING SCHOOL!

IN THE SHOP

More SSUR Prints + a ZLOG preview + New Winners Circle Hoodie

100 QTY, 1-Color Special!

New Designs From SSUR NYC and Winners Circle

Merch for Jesse Edwards @ Gallery 2308

5th Column: The War Of The Flea

From SSUR with love - Hitman

From SSUR with love

This Saturday ZLOG x Winner's Circle Present:

Long Live The Hive!

Come out tomorrow night for our Open House!!!

ACTUAL PAIN FALL 2009

And we are LIVE!!!!!!

Slumdog Millionaire Wrap Up Report

Slumdog Millionaire - wrap up report - Lifestyle/Events

Slumdog Millionaire - wrap up report - Hand to Hand

DARK STREETS CAMPAIGN WRAP UP REPORT : Retail/Venue Pics

DARK STREETS CAMPAIGN WRAP UP REPORT : Hand to Hand Pics

Dark Streets Wrap Up Report

Dark Streets Campaign - Mid report / Hand to Hand pics

Dark Streets Campaign - Mid Report/Retail Pics

Lady GAGA camapign wrap up

All American Rejects Slap Campaign Part. 2

shipping from the shoppy shop 11/12/08

All American Rejects Slap Campaign Part. 1

1353 East Olive Way,
Seattle, WA 98122