I love visiting my business partners around the world. Last month I called in to say hello to the team at Neil Enterprises, a promotional gift manufacturer based in Chicago. We have collaborated on hundreds of designs over the last six years, resulting in best selling merchandise for university and college campus stores across the nation as part of their Varsity Line as well as lots of products for iconic museums, beautiful resorts and fabulous tourist attractions.
We first met at a trade show in Hong Kong in 2018 where I was showcasing my brand and shortly after, I hot footed it over to Chicago to negotiate a license agreement. I was impressed by their excellent reputation and connections in the collegiate sector and knew that, in collaborating on a product range that offered students something more inspirational than the logo led merchandise, we would be on to a winner.
Since then, the team at Neil has sent me design briefs for around four hundred universities, colleges and high schools and other locations, and on this journey together I have learnt so much about the unique campus culture that exists within each educational establishment ... I love drawing the iconic buildings, the sports stadiums, mascots, local landmarks, slogans ... all things that create a design that helps students love up their school and alumni connect with their alma mater. My knowledge of American geography and history is pretty advanced for a European and as such, I make a good pub quiz team member :-)
I really enjoy going behind the scenes at my manufacturers around the world and none is more impressive than at Neil Enterprises. They have so many machines doing so many different print applications and lots of skilled people to operate them.
Emails go back and forth between me and Team Neil every day as we edit designs, create new ones and in doing so, together we have built a unique and everlasting creative archive of America's higher educational establishments, described with a playful and honest vision.
And every day people email me asking about products printed with their alma mater design or I see people on my travels carrying tote bags printed with my art, such as this lovely woman with her Emerson College tote, that I came across in Boston. Thank you Team Neil and thank you to all who support my brand and celebrate your college through my art.
