When Otis Gibson’s GERTRUDE global branding and marketing agency was relaunching client I.W. Harper’s bourbon, they brought in a 1928 Ford Model A truck used by bootleggers and parked it in the lobby of his building for four months.
A sign on the truck said, “Welcome Home, Mr. Harper.” The bourbon had been ignored for 20 years until GERTRUDE brought it back to market.
Such a display would have been impossible in a Michigan Avenue or even a West Loop building, but it was a natural for GERTRUDE’S new quarters in the Lacuna Creative Community building (formerly the Lacuna Artists Lofts) in Pilsen.
Planning how the space would be used and its eclectic décor took a year. Gibson designed the interior and Lacuna owner, Joey Cacciatore agreeably worked with Gibson on the construction.
“Our agency focuses on innovation and so we wanted a very unique, creative environment since we consider our space our portfolio,” he says.
GERTRUDE had occupied a spacious, non-traditional office in its former River North loft. “But it was boring,” Gibson says. “We were above a restaurant and below an architectural firm that designed libraries.”
Quite the opposite at Lacuna. The five story, block-long building, originally the world’s biggest macaroni factory, is presently home base for some 140 different artists, such as the 9 Mag Tattoo Shop next door to GERTRUDE.
“VH1 has a crew running around shooting a reality show about them,” says Gibson. “How creative is that? It’s not necessarily advertising, but creative things like this are always happening in the building.”
GERTRUDE occupies 7,500-sq. ft. on the first floor at 2150 S. Canalport, its splashy red logo rising four stories above the entrance, whose bright red front doors were fashioned out of old shipping containers.
The agency’s more subdued digital and design subsidiary, OZ, occupies 2,500-sq. ft. on the second floor.
Many of the architectural features were crafted from recycled materials. Shipping pallets and sawdust/wood chip composite boards cover the office walls. Gibson even repurposed hospital food carts. “We painted them orange and turned them into kitchen cabinets,” he says.
The cost was “a significant investment,” Gibson admits. “But we’re happy with our space. We love everything about it.”
An open house is being planned for September.
GERTRUDE has offices in New York and London and its clients include Lava Lite, Clearly Canadian, Hewlitt Packard P, L.A. Gear, Microsoft, Predicta Television, Sunkist, Singha Beer and Virgin.
