A magnet is stuck to the washing machine you’re using at the Laundromat. It reads, “You could be doing this at home,” a guerilla marketing program for a local homebuilder. A postcard with long-haired, smiley-faced green onions shoots through the mail slot at your restaurant proclaiming, “Free [produce] seminars for your whole bunch.” On your way home from work, you pass a bank billboard on the side of a building; it’s a pair of high heels standing on top of a pedestal: “We put you in your place.”

Fun. Clever. Direct. This is the work of marketing firm Sevell + Sevell, Inc. Steve (who goes by Sevell) and Beverly are the husband and wife namesakes of the company. Assisting them are designers Amanda Badgley and Steve Kropp. The crew strongly believes in the five second rule. No, not the rule about being able to eat food off of the floor within the given time constraint – though Steve Kropp says they do believe in that rule as well. Sevell + Sevell believes that if you don’t get your audience’s attention in the first five seconds, you probably won’t get it at all. They believe in creating humorous, memorable ads, and their trusting clients give them the leeway to do so.

Sevell + Sevell has been in the Short North for over 25 years. Sevell got into the business very young. He says, “I left college because I was able to work for my father as well as other ad agencies in New York. I eventually decided to move to Ohio because it was the farthest place from home where I knew someone.”

The company logo states “Sevell + Sevell: “print & web design, brain surgery, hula lessons.” The team has done a lot of adapting over the years and is now versed in print, web, and video. The firm partners with specialists in other areas as well. They can bring public relations gurus, database developers, or media strategists to the table to address whatever needs their clients may have.

They’re good at what they do too. They’ve got scads of awards including Best Multi Media Campaign, Best Website, Best Billboard, Best Black and White Ad, Best Color Ad, Best Community Brochure, and Best Direct Mail Series. But Sevell + Sevell measures true success by its clients’ successes. Amanda says, “We don’t want our clients' marketing to match their competition's, we want it to be better than their competition's.” Recent Sevell + Sevell ad work includes the Short North [s]Hop Outside the Box holiday campaign and the ComFest website redesign.

In addition to its main website, Sevell + Sevell also has two specialty sites. Lime Marketing focuses on environmentally-sensitive, cost-effective sales strategies, and Menu Guru features menu templates and custom menu designs based on dining category.

Sevell + Sevell likes standing out in a crowd. They say that in this down economy, some companies are cutting back on expenditures like advertising. But, in reality, this is the most important time to differentiate yourself by marketing. If you’d like to consult with the creative minds at Sevell + Sevell, visit their website or call the office at 614.341.9700.

by Morgan Baughman