News

Ani Djaferian has joined Solve as Senior Art Director, the agency’s latest hire to its fast-growing creative department. A graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Ani’s had stints at agencies across the country while also working overseas as an art director, photographer and filmmaker. “We’re so excited to welcome Ani to our team,” says Solve Executive Creative Director/Partner Sean Smith. “Her unique perspective and versatile skillset will allow her to make a huge impact as we continue to expand our creative output at the agency.”

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“Red Carpet Rally” Brings Brand Enthusiasts Together

In the Porsche world, everyone’s united by one characteristic: incredible passion for the aspirational sports car brand. The typical get-togethers, events and rallies that occur in any given year have been curbed the past seven months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To help fill that void and provide an outlet for Porsche drivers, Minneapolis-based Solve created the “Red Carpet Rally” – a COVID-safe rally and drive-in movie experience.

Nestled in the Northwoods of Wisconsin in the tiny town of Chetek, Porsche drivers from the brand’s Nord Stern enthusiast club gathered at the Stardust Drive-In this past weekend for an exclusive, red carpet-style event – where one’s Porsche badge on the hood of their car was the only ticket needed to gain entry. After enjoying a scenic drive, Porsche owners entered the theatre grounds on a red carpet, where each badge was scanned prior to admission. Completing the experience was a Hollywood-style step & repeat photo opportunity.

For the evening’s film, drivers enjoyed a showing of the classic Le Mans starring Steve McQueen – regarded by Porsche lovers as one of the greatest movies to showcase the brand during the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race. 

“When thinking about how we could get Porsche enthusiasts together in a safe way, we knew it had to be a once-in-a-lifetime type of experience that lives up to the high standards of the Porsche brand,” says Solve Associate Creative Director Joe Stefanson, who led the creative charge. “The Red Carpet Rally had it all – a gorgeous drive, an exclusive event, and most importantly – Porsche drivers sharing their collective passion.”

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Solve employees gathered yesterday at the Lyndale Park Gardens in South Minneapolis for an afternoon of volunteer gardening work. A popular destination for local community members to walk and enjoy nature, the gardens rely on volunteer assistance to ensure their upkeep. Wearing masks and socially distanced, Solve’s team pulled weeds, scraped turf and mulched in various areas of the gardens. “In addition to getting a chance to see each other in-person for the first time in six months, the outing provided a wonderful opportunity to give back to our community,” says Solve Senior Connection Strategist Rebecca Underwood, who organized the event.

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W+K, TBWA Vet To Head Brand Strategy Discipline

Minneapolis-based Solve has hired Danny Schotthoefer as Director of Brand Planning, which is a new position at the agency. Schotthoefer will be responsible for driving consumer understanding and cultural insights to inspire powerful thinking across the agency.

Prior to Solve, Schotthoefer worked at Wieden+Kennedy in Portland, Oregon and TBWA\Media Arts Lab in Los Angeles. He’s been involved with high-profile campaigns on brands including Old Spice, Apple, Oreo, Taco Bell and TikTok.

Currently living in Portland, Schotthoefer will relocate to Minneapolis as soon as appropriate and safe. A native of Oregon, he graduated from the University Of Nevada. Schotthoefer spent four years in the Navy prior to college.

“Danny’s perspective has been shaped by unique life experiences and working in some of the industry’s most modern and fertile creative environments. His passion for providing context and focus to ignite and inspire his teammates is obvious,” said John Colasanti, Solve Founder and CEO.

“Solve’s never rested on its laurels or let success slow it down. I’m excited to join a talented and established agency that’s always looking to up its output and effectiveness. Ultimately, the company’s perpetual start-up mentality is what attracted me the most,” said Danny Schotthoefer, Solve Director of Brand Planning.

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Europe’s Leading Cheese Expert Ships Trip Replacement Kits To Help Turn Bon Voyage Into Bon Appétit

With summer’s final travel soirée approaching, many foodies who love to experience local fare are finding themselves with canceled flights and unstamped passports due to the pandemic. Spearheaded by its creative agency Solve, Président® cheese – a brand steeped in European heritage – observed on social media just how many bummed out foodie travelers had their European trips voided. Enter the Président Cheese Flight, a cheese-centric kit meant to take your tastebuds on a European trip of their own.

Instead of reaching for standard recipe influencers to help get the word out, Président cheese partnered with international flight attendants who know a thing or two about canceled flights and dining on the road. With these high-flying influencers’ help, the brand is surprising over 20 foodies who mentioned their summer Euro trips had been put on indefinite hold.

The kits include a variety of Président cheeses, local European accoutrements for pairing, cheese knives and a subscription to a language learning app for recipients to polish up on the native tongue of their choice. There’s even a stamped “passport” which includes various European-inspired recipes from the brand. And for those not lucky enough to book their flight, there’s a digital version of the kit on the brand’s website – which of course includes downloadable European Zoom backdrops for their next happy hour.

“With the pandemic grounding many travel plans, food has really become a passport of sorts this summer. We’ve all seen brands reaching out with gift boxes, but channeling our European expertise into a foodie trip replacement kit felt like an uplifting way to surprise consumers in an upside-down time,” said Ryan Murray, Solve Director of Account Management/Partner.

The idea originated from Solve’s WFH summer intern team during a part of the program where interns attack a real live client brief. The social media-centric campaign kicks off this week and runs through Labor Day, and Président has plans to surprise and delight consumers across the country from California to Florida.

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