Adaptable.
Sociable.
Approachable.
Believable.

Red River Mutual’s goal is to define itself as the ‘Modern Mutual’. The two main functions of a modern mutual are community involvement and loss prevention. With this new website, community involvement is in the forefront. Consumers can navigate the Red River Mutual site with ease and take a virtual house tour with hot spots that identify how one can keep both their family and their property safe.

Butterfly Winter, Kinsella’s first novel in 13 years, is the story of Julio and Esteban Pimental, twins whose divine destiny for baseball begins with games of catch in the womb. They mature quickly and by the age of ten they leave their home in the fictional Caribbean country of Courteguay for the American major leagues. Julio is a winning pitcher who will only throw to his catcher brother, much to the chagrin of the team that employs him, which must keep mediocre Esteban on the roster. Events in the brothers’ homeland, including regular coups and the outlawing of baseball, continue to shape their lives. They are monitored by the wizard, a mysterious figure who travels by hot air balloon and controls events behind the scenes. In his last years he tells the story of the twins and their family to a skeptical ‘gringo’ journalist. Butterfly Winter is entertaining, funny and magical, and includes a diabolical chiropractor, a great love blessed by butterflies and a deep political undercurrent that unites the wealthy north with the baseball-loving and oppressed south.

The Manitoba Museum (TMM) stands poised at a new beginning as it examines the changes occurring within its walls, the community it serves, the museum field of which it is a part and the rest of the world.

Highlights of TMM’s Capital Renewal Plan include a  family centre that will provide families with a world-class early childhood education experience and a state-of-the-art collections facility, which will ensure that the treasures and contributions of past generations will be properly preserved for future generations. Also planned is the renewal of it’s expansive galleries and science centre.

Nothing we love more than Festival! More than 200 shows in 10 days – the diverse programming offers numerous activities that will please the whole family; concerts, sleigh rides, snow shoeing, historic Fort Gibraltar, great food and magnificent snow sculptures. There is truly something for everyone.

Relish created a fun, interactive tool for the Festival du Voyageur website that allowed visitors to choose a character and watch him or her morph from uptight paper pusher to seasoned voyageur with a zest for life.

In February, embrace your inner voyageur and experience the joie de vivre by visiting Voyageur Park and the Trading Posts around the province.

Thousands in our province depend on the Manitoba Lung Association for support, education, research and prevention programming. As a respected anchoring organization, for lung health programs and services in our community, many look to the Lung Association first when faced with a breathing problem.

Together we launched a capital campaign to educate and inform of the many ways the Manitoba Lung Association contributes to the community and challenge funders to support the Association’s ambitions in capacity building.

Because when you can’t breathe, nothing else matters…

In May 1951, the first members of the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board were  appointed. Their mandate was “to provide for the continuance of a supply of power adequate for the needs of the province, and to promote economy and efficiency in the generation, distribution, and supply of power.” Many things have changed in the ensuing six decades, but Manitoba Hydro continues to carry out that mandate for the people of Manitoba.

This book chronicles the history of Manitoba Hydro and pays tribute to the foresight and hard work of generations of Manitobans.

An album to make you dance, an album to make you think… Daniel ROA’s Hyperbole moves us to take a fresh look at the world with all its wretchedness and beauty, and it is in this search for lightness that he invites us to join him. With this fall’s release of his newest album, Daniel ROA promises to take us away with his groove, his energy, his ubiquitous joy, and, as always, a wink and a gun.

Jake McDonald’s award-winning novel published by Great Plains Publications, tells the poignant story of a teen coming to terms with her parents’ divorce. The book was selected as the 2010 feature book for On the Same Page, a province-wide reading initiative presented by the Winnipeg Public Library and supported by The Winnipeg Foundation.

For quality-driven Manitobans seeking a custom-built home or renovation, Rick Weibe creates innovative, modern and traditional design that reflects the lifestyle and unique vision of his clients. Through a methodical and down-to-earth approach, Rick helps those embarking on the design process uncover the features they need to maximize the functional and aesthetic aspects of their living environment. There’s nothing “affected” or “put-on” about Rick which is why we love him. He’s got a designer’s eye but understands that colour swatches and drawer pulls are not the focus of the average person’s everyday life. He makes design elements understandable and helps put them in context.

When Red River Mutual signed on as a sponsor of the Winnipeg Jets inaugural season, we were very excited. VERY, VERY EXCITED. It meant developing ads for the season program and concourse. Marrying hockey and business insurance proved to be no easy task – but a trip to the sports store, coupled with a little reflection, provided us with some interesting parallels.

Montreal-based Kaie Kellough is known for his percussive, spoken word poetry. His performances often mix poetry with soundscapes and music. He manages to capture that same sense of rhythm in his printed works.

In his second book of poetry entitled, Maple Leaf Rag, Kellough touches on the themes of Canadian history intertwined with current events that are often not told in the mainstream media. It’s a jazz-infused riff on Canadian culture that explores themes such as belonging, dislocation and relocation, and national identity from a black Canadian perspective. The poems contain numerous references to black Canadian Caribbean and African American culture: from hairstyles to slave cemeteries, athletics to immigration,  musicians to rainbow coalitions.

The challenge in the design of the book was to take a silent medium and give it a sense of movement, sound and rhythm. The aim was for the book design to reflect both written word and musical score. It achieves this with a unique arrangement of text and form as well as through the use of mixed media.

No need to run away from home to join this circus. With over 20 interactive stations, “Circus: Science Under the Big Top” is a hands-on journey of the science of the big top. From the biology of a real high-wire walk to the physics of the human cannonball and a contortionist box, visitors to this exhibit experienced the science behind the most amazing circus acts. This interactive exhibit was presented for a limited time by the Manitoba Museum.

More than anyone else in their lives, parents have the greatest influence on their children. When you talk about the electoral process with your kids and bring them with you when you vote, you’re teaching them that voting is important.

Our favourite Juno Award winners launched an exciting new album in 2010 and got a fabulous new website to match. Fans could listen to the quintet’s vibes while reading the group’s blog or checking out the list of upcoming gigs. Supported by fantastic photographs and one-of-a-kind illustrations – this band brand was truly Chic.

Cardinal Capital Management Inc. launched in 1992, demonstrating a deep commitment to its clients’ long-term investment success. Their approach has been rewarded by a proven track record, and by the growing assets of an increasing number of private and institutional clients. Common sense investing, in a field where common sense isn’t all that common. Because it works.

It’s easy to see why many consider Altona the best place to live in Manitoba. Surrounded by lush farmland and the sweet smell of country air, this beautiful oasis on the prairies offers a quality of life that is altogether hard to beat.

The new Altona wordmark projects the town as modern and forward thinking, while giving a nod to Altona’s rich history of cultural expression. The customized typeface is loosely based on the distinct handwriting style of Vincent van Gogh, who’s work is prominently featured on the town’s world-record-sized easel. It is designed using contrasting thick and thin strokes to mimic the look created by a painter’s brush, a further hint at Altona’s love for the arts. The capital ‘A’ has been stylized to look like a star, which is a subtle tie-in to Altona’s geological position in the sunny Pembina Valley.

Here is a fun little app for your iPhone. Bounce the fish into the fishbowl while collecting all the chips in each of the 3 worlds and 60 levels. Create bumpers to bounce the fish, tilt to lean the fish, and tap the fish to make him jump. We have found that most 6 year olds are better at this than adults.

This online exhibition was designed in conjunction with the first, and largest, retrospective of the art of William Kurelek (1927–1977) in over 25 years and gives visitors access to more than 80 pieces of art.

The exhibition opened at the Winnipeg Art Gallery in fall 2011, the Art Gallery of Hamilton in winter 2012, and will be open at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria in summer 2012. The exhibition was developed by these three partnering institutions.

Theatre Projects Manitoba has been playing on the plains since 1990. Committed to the cultivation of Manitoba plays and artists – in the past 21 years, TPM has staged more than 50 new Manitoba works. They have developed the voices of our region, choosing stories that have a connection to our community, our history and culture, and grow these new creations with passionate support. In 2011, TPM kicked off the season with a NEW adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters.

110 years after its Moscow premiere, Bruce McManus weaves a prairie story from the threads of the original and remains faithful to the tragic comedy of Chekhov’s characters in an environment often hostile to dreams. He gives us a play about the Canadian prairie experience at a time when the nation and our place in the world were on the brink of great change.

Three Sisters features Ardith Boxall, Andrew Cecon, Carolyn Gray, Patricia Hunter, Krista Jackson, Tom Keenan, Omar Khan, Erin McGrath, Rob McLaughlin, Harry Nelken, and Gordon Tannereg.

Gelato shops on Winnipeg’s Corydon Avenue aren’t exactly a novelty—summer’s socialites come in droves to sample tasty treats from the numerous restaurants and specialty shops that make Corydon Winnipeg’s sweet spot. When Eva’s Gelato & Coffee Shop opened their shop near this crowded boutique area, they turned to Relish to help set them apart.

The approach was to create quirky ads that drew inspiration from the gelato’s homemade goodness and natural ingredients—Eva’s ads serve to tantalize taste buds and stimulate one’s sweet tooth.

In fall 2011, Eva’s introduced Morden’s chocolates to its store and looked to Relish for a creative way to announce this super sweet union. It was a chocolate invasion. Hundreds of hand-decaled chocolates were placed throughout the store, like marching ants, coming out of nooks and crannies. It was hard to miss!

The Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety has a new learning initiative that gives healthcare educators the tools to simulate patient safety situations that occur in health care settings.

Learn to be Safe – A Simulation Learning Experience is in a kit format. With the tool kit, students and practitioners can rehearse for safety.

The Children’s Museum brings together the latest innovations in education with creative environments to provide powerful learning experiences that entertain as they educate. Relish helped the museum to build a brand that reflects the energy and exuberance of this brand new hands-on learning facility.

Alliance Seed Corporation recently launched a promotion targeted at Western Canadian farmers. CDC Verona, a durum variety, is the Alliiance’s latest offering. Durum wheat is used almost exclusively for making pasta…its seemed only fitting to invite farmers to eat what they sow.

“CDC Verona is the first wheat variety I developed as a durum breeder at the CDC and I’m proud of the result. High yield, strong straw, excellent threshability, combined with good disease resistance and excellent end-use quality: indeed a strong package for Canadian durum growers. The journey from a small research plot in Saskatoon to seeing CDC Verona in commercial fields across the prairies has been one of my most rewarding experiences.” –Crop Development Center, University of Saskatchewan

Red River Mutual has a history dating back to the 1800s and today is one of Canada’s largest policyholder-owned casualty insurance companies. With longevity like that, updating this organization’s brand required a thoughtful approach. Re-branding involves more than a logo change and a shiny new tagline. It encompasses a company’s culture, approach and what shareholders and the community have come to expect from the organization.

In close collaboration with senior management, Relish embarked on a complete re-branding that saw “Red River Valley Mutual Insurance” re-born as Red River Mutual. Vital to any re-branding project, an early step involved an internal campaign that involved staff teams and brokers in shaping the organization’s future direction.

The process continued with development of a brand position statement that fit with today’s Red River Mutual, its shareholders and community. This guided the development of every item associated with the brand—including logo, tagline, stationary, website design and even building signage.

In 2011, Prairie Theatre Exchange launched its Big Production Capital Campaign – with the largest contribution by the Federal Government in the theatre’s history. The capital improvements envisioned are extensive and are to be rolled out in two phases.

With this impressive support from the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, the first phase of the improvements began in spring 2011. Theatre patrons, PTE Theatre School students and the vast array of rental clients will benefit from these improvements.

Martha Becker is a daydreaming pickle-grower with an artistic bent. While Martha’s life coaching father lures her into his business schemes in their church-turned-home, Mom takes an aspirin and does the books. Boyfriend John has plans up his sexy sleeve too, and Martha’s destiny seems set. But when a zealous sign painter lands in Martha’s agriculturally-inclined world, the sixteen-year-old finds a dream, a mentor, and a whole lot of trouble. Once spiky-haired Velvet accepts Martha as an apprentice, she sees a future well outside the cucumber patch—one that includes painting signs that will win her a place in art college. But do Martha’s in-your-face roadside messages go too far?

THE AUTHOR: Sarah Raymond is a country/city mouse with her head in Toronto and her tail in Perth County, Ontario where she grew up, harvested cucumbers for Bick’s pickles, drew pictures and wrote stories. Sarah lives in Toronto with her husband and two children and teaches English and art.

Relish was honoured to create the home of The Winnipeg Review, a new online literary magazine. The site reviews literary books, mostly Canadian fiction, and showcases  interviews, excerpts of fiction and non-fiction, poems, articles, and columns by writers with something to say. With a new issue each quarter along with weekly updates, the website needed to have great form and function to keep readers engaged and coming back.

French Chef Jess Young delivers a book choc-full of trouble-free recipes for treats, meals and even desserts for dogs. Most of the ingredients are already in your pantry and the recipes are easy, nutritious and inexpensive.

Winner: Manuela Dias Book Design of the Year Award Manitoba Book Awards

From fittings to fixtures, Greenslade Bath features hot product design that’s often hard to find – this authentic “mom and pop” shop is every cool contractor’s dream. The branding goal here was to project the innovative and friendly approach of the owners.

When people trust you with their home, they trust you with a huge part of their lives. Ethos Realty treats their clients with unparalleled respect, going above and beyond to make sure everyone who works with their agency is as happy with the experience as they are with the results.

Reviving the oldest of values and combining them with the newest of trends and information, Ethos creates the very best relationship with their clients. Ethical, professional and tireless representation – that’s what you can expect.

Art Class by the students of Strathcona School, Winnipeg is choc-full of fantastic artwork produced by its students over several years. This treasury of illustration was designed with a blank cover – allowing everyone that purchased the book – to add there own illustrative touch and become part of the project.

Claus Zindel’s beautiful photographic report, Refuge for the Soul: Colour and Light in the Canadian Shield, about Sand Lake is a testament to his love of its geography and people. Although he was born and raised in Germany, Zindel has vacationed at Sand Lake for more than 30 years. In his heart, this beautiful wilderness lake became “home” for him many years ago and he hopes it will remain so for many years to come.

The Manitoba Museum is the province’s largest not-for-profit heritage and science centre. It is renowned for its vivid portrayal of Manitoba’s rich and colourful history, planetarium shows and science gallery exhibits. Realizing that it was not maximizing the opportunities on the Web, the museum engaged Relish in an ambitious overhaul of its website.

Angstrom Projects Ltd. is a design-build company offering services in design and project management. With a commitment to sustainability, Angstrom believes that good design and construction should focus not only on the performance of the building (e.g., energy use, comfort) but also on the placement and function of that building in its environment, be it urban or rural. Operating in both the residential and commercial sectors, Angstrom’s staff are experienced in designing and building a range of structures, including houses, apartment buildings, warehouses, and office or retail spaces.

To celebrate the 2010 International Polar Year, the WSO presented a concert featuring new works by it’s Composer-In-Residence Vincent Ho and Canadian distinguished guest composer Derek Charke inspired by their Arctic journeys. This evening brought together many of the top climate change scientists from all over the world and will include a special presentation by Dr. David Barber, launching his book “Two Ways of Knowing.”

This incredible compilation was a monumental achievement by David and Doug Barber and will provided inspiration and financial support for the further study of climate change, with all proceeds going to the creation of bursaries at the University of Manitoba in support of exploration in the field of Arctic System Science.

Parents are constantly struggling to help their children work through the decisions that will shape their future. But one area that has typically been overlooked from the parents’ point of view is career guidance—a gap that has been filled by the Alliance of Manitoba Council Sectors and its Opening Doors Parents Expo.

Combatting mediocre attendance at past Expos, Relish created an ad campaign that reached parents through familiarity and humour to draw them to Opening Doors, where they could discover the tools they need to illuminate their dubious offspring. With social media playing an immeasurable role in the everyday lives of today’s youth, the campaign transformed some of the arena’s most notable icons to express some of the most common parental anxieties and position Opening Doors as a light-hearted solution.

The result was an astounding 700+ participants in the annual Parents Expo and, more importantly, hundreds of parents who became better equipped to help their children achieve their brightest of futures.

Managing and maintaining the integrity of a brand can be an incredibly daunting task for even the smallest organizations. Manitoba Blue Cross is the antithesis of small so it wasn’t surprising to learn that their well-recognized brand and corresponding messaging, The Colour of Caring, was in need of a shot in the arm after years in the marketplace. But rather than simply tightening the reigns and attempting to travel back in time to the brand’s launch, Relish suggested this would be a perfect opportunity to inject some new life.

A brand isn’t simply a logo and tagline—a brand is the essence of an organization, reflected by its emotional connection with the marketplace and within the organization itself. With that in mind, Manitoba Blue Cross not only wanted to bring visual consistency back into focus, but also wanted to ensure that their brand continued to reflect the personal touch they pride themselves on and their ability to stay current with the needs of their customers. Relish met these directives by standardizing their logo and tagline treatment across all platforms and literally bringing The Colour of Caring to life through iconic yet vibrant illustrations.

Countless organizations are moving to the web as their primary marketing tool. Beyond Borders, a not-for-profit working to eradicate child sexual exploitation, needed a site with undeniable impact that immediately demonstrated to each and every visitor the horror of sexual crimes against children.

To do so, they partnered with Relish to develop a website for the organization that stopped people in their tracks through startling imagery of bar-coded children, who are too often treated as commodities across the globe. The site serves as a complete hub for all of Beyond Borders’ critical information in the fight against child sexual  exploitation and provides those interested with several  ways to keep our children safe.

By taking every opportunity to promote the site as the go-to destination for Beyond Borders information, including news, celebrity testimonials and video content, site traffic continues to increase, as does the number of people who are willing to sign on as advocates for the organization and the children they protect. It’s an incredible example of what can happen when great ideas are partnered with great people fighting for the greatest of causes.

Enfield & Wizenty is a literary imprint publishing original novels and short story collections by Canadian writers at all career stages. Beautifully bound, these limited edition hardcover books are sure to fill the shelves of book collectors.

Spanning 50 years, the story of Fort Whyte was unwittingly penned by a countless cast of dedicated characters, whose colourful and pivotal roles have been superbly captured in this book by award-winning author, Jake MacDonald. Human. Nature. is a beautifully portrayed keepsake for all who have been inspired by FortWhyte’s dynamic evolution, and who hold their own indelible memories of its natural serenity and engaging programs.

Little Boog is heartbroken when his parents separate, and he worries that it’s his fault. Through his parents’ love, however, he understands that while they have to live apart they each love him more than ever. This enchanting story, with its wonderfully imaginative illustrations by Diane Lucas, was created to help young children deal with divorce.

Defined as “expressing or characterized by warmth of feeling; passionate,” describes the spirit of Ardent Financial and Retirement Services to a tee. The Ardent Group is a dynamic, client-focused team that offers a full range of independent services to organizations diverse in size and complexity.