Ad Victorem

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Life in Tune. It’s an education-based company that uses a combination of musical performance, music case studies, and music history to teach leadership, team building, and time management to businesses from small organizations to Fortune 100 companies around the world.

What challenge were you trying to address with Ad Victorem?

Our website needed to be redeveloped because it was too broad.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ad Victorem did full-stack development for our website. They included elements of color, high-quality photos, graphics, and much more. Their team also designed our logo. The design has a bit of science, Fibonacci sequence, and mathematics. It looks like it could be from ancient times but simultaneously looks modern and contemporary. The logo design has a lot to be discovered when it’s broken down.

What is the team composition?

Anthony (Creative Director) was my main point of contact. He led the local team, and there was an offshore coder also working on the project.

How did you come to work with Ad Victorem?

I saw the web page they did for a colleague of mine and loved it. When I needed this project done, I reached out to them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from July 2019–February 2020.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The feedback we get from everyone is that the website is amazing. Not only did they design and revamp the website, but they also did an amazing job helping us convey that we take music, the oldest language in the world, and turn it into a tool that can benefit our current world. The website just received The MUSE award from MUSE Creative.

How did Ad Victorem perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via phone and met in person several times.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They pay great attention to detail. Their team listened to my desires and they brought their creative input to deliver a website that was above and beyond my expectations. I’m thrilled with their ability to turn my ideas into such a visually appealing product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their administration overload could be managed better. They’re boutique so we received more personalized service but certain tasks took longer.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Meet with Anthony in person or via Zoom. He’s the creative face of the team.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Design Director for a Digital Marketing Agency in D.C. specializing in digital ad campaigns placement strategy and creative services ranging from web design to branding.

For what projects/services did your company hire Ad Victorem?

Ad Victorem helped us design a logo and develop branding for a client in the financial industry.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to find a partner that would help us develop a clear and consistent brand for our client.

How did you select this vendor?

People on our team have worked with Ad Victorem before, after getting on a call and discussing the project and doing some quick brainstorming of ideas and discussing the project plan, we knew they would be great to work with. Ad Victorem seemed prepared and seemed very excited to get started.

Describe the project in detail.

After our kick-off meeting we decided to be hands-off on the first stage of the project and see what Ad Victorem can do.

They came back within our planned timeline and presented to us what they were thinking for the brand. The ideas were very thought out and we were impressed by their presentation.

After taking in our feedback they worked closely with us on revisions and were happy to collaborate with our internal team. At the end we were confident to present the final options to our client, who ended up being very satisfied with the work.

What was the team composition?

Ad Victorem had a creative director, a senior designer and a marketing expert from their side. We had our client manager and design director collaborating on the project as well.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The brand is yet to launch to the public, but our client was pleased with the work and they said the final design and branding was easy to implement throughout their initial offerings and greatly improved their image, which makes them feel more confident about their product.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Ad Victorem was very responsive and we were able to always easily communicate. They helped make and stuck to the outlined project plan.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were impressed by their branding strategy, the way they paid attention to design as well as brand value. Right away we felt that we could trust them and be hands-off. Best part was, when we needed to collaborate on ideas or production, they were very easy to work with and open.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We had some scheduling and workflow issues at first, but being that it was our first time working together, that is to be expected. We ended up working them out rather quickly.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Aaron Advantage Agency, Inc. We’re a life insurance wholesaler brokerage firm that has been in business for just over 20 years.

What challenge were you trying to address with Ad Victorem?

We needed to update our website, as it hadn’t had a refresh in about 15 years, and were looking for support in rebranding efforts.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Since we were headquartered across the country from each other, our initial meetings—where I introduced the business, what we do, and our project goals—were over the phone. After those first few discussions, they took over creating a completely new website for us. It was a full frontend design and backend development effort based solely on our company and our needs. There was nothing cookie cutter about it.

For the rebranding aspects of the project, they designed and created a new logo, new business cards, and new marketing material.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with Anthony (Principal and Creative Director, Ad Victorem). He works with a team from Ad Victorem but I didn’t interact with them.

How did you come to work with Ad Victorem?

I was referred to them by a similar firm I had previously worked with in California.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in April 2017 and was completed in July 2017.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

I don’t have the solid metrics, but our website does have more traffic, and our clients—financial advisers—are getting much more use out of the tools our new site offers.

How did Ad Victorem perform from a project management standpoint?

They were professional and responded to any of my questions in a timely manner. I would reach out to them through email, and despite the time difference, they would respond almost immediately. Their project management made the project very easy.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their work is very impressive. Our website stands apart from that of similar firms. Anthony has worked for much larger companies and firms on much larger projects, and it translates in the way that he takes large ideas and scales them to meet the needs of his clients, whether that be an individual or family-owned business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They exceeded all of our expectations, so I can’t think of any area where they need improvement.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm COO of a real estate tech firm. We build custom gamified VR and AR apps for buildings.

For what projects/services did your company hire Ad Victorem?

We needed to refresh the look of our base app, so we had Ad Victorem do the UI design for us.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to have a fresh look that was modern yet appealing.

How did you select this vendor?

I saw the quality of their work on the internet.

Describe the project in detail.

They did a kick-off call with us to review our ideas and needs. After they delivered the initial design, we did two more rounds of revisions.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We will launch the new version of the app in three weeks, so there are no outcomes to give yet.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was extremely effective. We had no disagreements. They were quite patient with our changes and gave lots of ideas.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed that they hit every deadline, so I was able to deliver to my other teams as promised.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m chairman and CEO of a niche media agency. We work with large enterprise companies and venture capital firms.

What challenge were you trying to address with Ad Victorem?

We struggled to communicate complicated high-tech and businesses processes in a straightforward manner. We needed to implement an intuitive and quality result quickly.

For one project, we needed a presentation for a venture capital firm’s sales webinar. The presentation targeted a range of sales stakeholders – from C-suite to junior level – and needed to appeal to the entire audience.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We leveraged multiple partners’ expertise, including Ad Victorem. We collaborated with the creative director and principal on the final webinar designs. He also designed a graphic for an article and project management and product marketing. We’ve worked under various arrangements, often on a project-by-project basis.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with the creative director.

How did you come to work with Ad Victorem?

One of their past colleagues referred them. Her praise persuaded me.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work started in July 2016 and is ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The webinar designs were very successful; we’ve used them for other presentations. Likewise, the graphic was elegant and communicated several concepts in a small space. The design exceeded our expectations for an inspirational and compelling visual.

Throughout the partnership, the creative director has gone out of his way to realize our goals in a seamless process. Often, they execute designs more elegantly than we could’ve envisioned. His team is not only creative, but also highly communicative.

How did Ad Victorem perform from a project management standpoint?

I couldn’t be happier with their proactive communication and regular updates. The creative director is very organized; he consistently asks if they’re meeting our expectations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Importantly, the designs convey complex messages while being visually appealing. They easily execute both objectives.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything because they’ve done as well as we could’ve imagined.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Provide detailed specifications; examples also help them better understand the vision.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Dirango, which is a small web development agency. We work with creative agencies and branding agencies in making their designs a reality by developing websites and offering technical marketing.

What challenge were you trying to address with Ad Victorem?

We’re mostly engineers and don’t have any designers or creatives in-house. We were looking for a company that we could partner with for creatives.
We do a lot of work directly for creative agencies, but we get a lot of requests from clients for websites. When we are in that situation, we need a creative partner.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve been providing us with creatives from branding, logos, messaging, color palettes, and themes, all the way down to granular web design and responsive design. They do things such as infographics, video editing, and some photography as well.

We’ve built over 200 websites together. My team builds the frontend and Ad Victorem takes care of the design. They use Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and recently they have been using Adobe XD. We use InVision for mock-ups and prototyping.

In one of our biggest projects, they provided branding, design, and interactivity for the website. It was a new product so we had to really explain what it does and its benefits. Them team came up with a design for the website that showed the user the product, all without seeing it in person.

What is the team composition?

From their side, we would have at least two or three people including a project manager, creative director, and a production artist.

How did you come to work with Ad Victorem?

Anthony (Creative Director, Ad Victorem) and I worked at a previous agency together. We started this collaboration with him as a freelancer, then as projects grew, we encouraged him to grow his own team. He’s hired more people and trained them over the past few years, then that grew into his agency. We have been working with them ever since.

How much have you invested in them?

The fees are on a project by project basis.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2014 and the relationship is ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

I stick with them because they always provide high-quality design work and creatives that really wow the client. Besides the deliverables, they are also part of our pitches and client management. In addition to being creative director, Anthony is a great storyteller. He’s able to paint the company’s picture through his designs.

How did Ad Victorem perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve never had an issue with communication. They’re always available, no matter how busy they are, and the team is still growing. They have a dedicated project manager who we’re in contact with all day. A lot of the time, they go above and beyond, working late nights if we need to meet a deadline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s great to put Anthony in front of a client and have him show them what he’s created. He creates a lot of energy in a room when he tells the story of a company’s brand. Once he goes through his slide decks, the owner’s eyes light up, which is amazing to see.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. We have a system where after each project, we have a post-mortem report where we evaluate how we could improve our process for the next project. After working together for about 10 years, we have everything streamlined. We always look for room for improvement internally.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t try to micromanage creative people. Let them free and they will come back with an amazing design. I like to give them creative freedom and they usually provide two options—a conservative design and a more out of the box option. Most of the time, we go with the out of the box option, which is one of the things we like about them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner, creative director, and head of strategy of A Very Good Agency. We’re an agency involved in both creative strategy and web production. We're specifically geared to work with in nonprofit, political organizations, healthcare, and education space.

What challenge were you trying to address with Ad Victorem?

We needed strategy and visual identity work for one of our clients.

What was the scope of their involvement?

For every project we do, we bring together specific experts and partners. For the specific project we are working on now, our client is a large educational institute that has never done any proper marketing. Because it is a large bureaucratic organization, it is light years behind where it should be in terms of understanding strategy messaging, but particularly it’s digital project. We needed Ad Victorem’s experience in that area.

We tend to work in a very collaborative way with our teams. We create the kickoff, our strategy, and organize the projects. Ad Victorem helped us define the strategy, the digital roadmap, and the visual elements of the brand, then executed the creatives.

What is the team composition?

Anthony (Creative Director, Ad Victorem) is my main point of contact, and he has a project manager who coordinates everything. He also partners with a developer.

How did you come to work with Ad Victorem?

I had worked with Anthony before when I was creative director of an agency. I was really impressed by him. He’s a pleasure to have around and is really responsive. I often find partners don’t have a strategic mindset, but Anthony and his team most definitely do.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent slightly over $10,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them on this project in January 2018 and the work is ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The client has been impressed and excited about what they’ve seen so far.
Ad Victorem is very responsive to feedback. They can form a relationship with the client, which we appreciate in our partners. They’ve developed a trusting relationship, both with us and our client. It’s been mutually beneficial and satisfactory.

How did Ad Victorem perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager is incredibly responsive, to the point where I can email them late in the evening, which isn’t something I usually like to do.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very responsive and organized. We’re running multiple projects and they understand that. Anthony is just fantastic.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re not based in same office so they sometimes require further explanations about visual work. Generally, however, we’re quite attuned to each other and have a similar approach to creatives.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

A very collaborative approach is helpful. They’re incredibly professional and intelligent, and can explain what they do in simple terms without blinding you with science. They want to help you succeed, so treat them as a real partner.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Cavalier Associates provides products and services for individuals selling insurance, but we’re more of an insurance wholesaler. I’m head of marketing.

What challenge were you trying to address with Ad Victorem?

The company brought me in to revamp their entire marketing department—infrastructure, marketing automation, email marketing, strategy, and content marketing. One of their major issues was that their marketing platform had a weak online presence. Their website was at least 5–10 years old and they weren’t utilizing it as a source for leads or business.

I wanted to make sure that we were leaving a good footprint on the web because that was our online storefront. We needed a fresh look.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We didn’t do a full rebrand, but we did add some style and elements to the existing logo. We basically rebuilt the website from the ground up and then used the platform to enhance our content marketing strategy. We also created an accompanying blog as a major driver for site traffic and conversion. They used WordPress and PHP to build the website.

They also helped us understand our target market, which includes individuals between 55–65 years old. I wanted to make the site look better, but also wanted to make sure that it was accessible from both a functionality and UX standpoint. We’ve accomplished our goal of making the website intuitive for that specific age group.

What is the team composition?

I dealt with Anthony (Creative Director & Principal, Ad Victorem) directly. I also had a hands-on experience with his main developer who helped deal with all the logistical aspects around coding. They really guided me through the whole process, which is one of the reasons I always go back to them.

How did you come to work with Ad Victorem?

I’d worked with Anthony at many companies in the past, so there was no question about who I was going to call.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from September 2016 until February 2017.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Anthony played a huge role in terms of freshening up our look, updating our brand, and increasing our conversion rates and profitability by 25%. Engagement with our content has increased by at least 25% as well. It’s relatively new and I’m still trying to come up with more ways to leverage our updated branding. The fact that I still have a job proves how happy the company is with Ad Victorem’s involvement. I’ve used the website as inspiration for every single strategy.

How did Ad Victorem perform from a project management standpoint?

Being tasked with rebuilding an entire marketing department consumed a lot of my time. I didn’t have the capacity to deal with an agency who needed me to guide them and manage the whole project.

There was almost a clairvoyance between Anthony and I. He was really easy to communicate with and his team had their own project manager. They hit all the deadlines. I only asked them to provide proofs, but they took it a step further by asking for approval before moving forward. I won’t go with any other website company because of how seamless Ad Victorem is to deal with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Anthony really takes the time to understand your objectives and goals. He creates something that’s eye-catching but functional. The end product has become intrinsic to our marketing process. He takes the extra time to build a strategy around the principal and customers. He makes sure that the journey is congruent with what the company wants to attain.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

There are tons of web companies out there who focus on design and who will fulfill a task you ask of them. Ad Victorem’s core competencies are in design and UX. Anthony comes from a traditional marketing background. If you’re looking for someone to make your brand and company look pretty, their company may not be the best match.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and co-founder of Press Brothers Juicery. It’s a juice company and customers can order juice cleanses online.

What challenge were you trying to address with Ad Victorem?

I needed to update my current website and create marketing material for the company. The original website was built internally, but as the company grew, we needed a professional company that knows what they’re doing.

What was the scope of their involvement?

He helped a create a flyer that I needed and updated and designed the landing webpage. They made the marketing material match the website and updated how the website worked. They would have liked to build the website from the ground up and not have to deal with how I built it, but I didn’t have the money to start from scratch, so it was great that they were able to work with what I had.

They helped me set up the website, so customers can select the quantity and day and time they want their delivery and that is integrated into Shopify, which notifies us that we received an order. They also helped me set up a drip email that goes out once a customer purchases something.

I also had a new project for a company I started called Press Pops, which is the juice made into popsicles. They helped me come up with the packaging and the look of that brand as well. They’re in control from the ground up with the website for this company.

Every time something comes up, I go back to them with my new idea and my new marketing plan. I just opened a new flagship store, which opened up some other ideas that I want to bring to life. It’s an ongoing relationship now.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with Anthony (Founder, Ad Victorem). He talks to the web designer who does all the backend work. Anthony is usually my main contact, but if it’s a website tweak, I can go directly to the web designer and he gets right onto it.

How did you come to work with Ad Victorem?

I looked at a couple of companies, and Anthony was a referral through a mutual friend. We matched up well and I decided to go with Anthony.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2015 and the work is ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

I’m very happy with their work. He elevated the design and made the website look professional, despite dealing with our previous site.

The Press Pops look and brand he came up with is really cool. They came up with two looks and both of them were awesome, but one was closer to what the Press Brothers brand is. We were able to easily choose one, which was great.

It’s easier working with them now because they’ve been doing it this whole time. They know what we want, the look we like, and what we’re going for.

How did Ad Victorem perform from a project management standpoint?

There were never any surprises because they came up with the proposal, cost, and timeline ahead of time. I knew what I was getting into.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re really professional and very responsive when I have a question. They’re honest and get back to me right away.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Everything has been great.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the principal and founder of Mutant Unicorn, a digital and creative agency.

What challenge were you trying to address with Ad Victorem?

My client was looking to establish the digital presence for their product, the Motiv Ring, which is a fitness tracker you wear on your finger. The wearables space is really crowded. They were looking to stand out in a bold way and to be considered a premium product.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped me create all of the branding. We worked on the mark and all of the digital presence including web design and social media collateral.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, a creative director, a lead designer, and a couple of junior designers.

How did you come to work with Ad Victorem?

I’ve worked with one of the principals at Ad Victorem for almost a decade so I know their skill set and capabilities. I talked to 6–8 other agencies while scoping out the project but realized I should go with a firm I knew and trusted. I also thought they would be a perfect fit for the client’s aesthetic.

How much have you invested with them?

Including everything they worked on, a ballpark estimate is $100,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The majority of the work took place from February 2016–January 2017. I still have them on retainer for ongoing social media content and maintenance for Motiv.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The main feedback I hear about the Motiv brand is "sexy.” People really love how they stepped outside of the norm in terms of the color palette and use of textures. Our approach is not what they're used to seeing in the wearable space, which is exactly the differentiation that the client wanted. I'm very happy with the overall package and continue to work with Ad Victorem because of their excellent work.

How did Ad Victorem perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is very responsive. We work together seamlessly because they're so similar to my crew. We're always working and they’re always available, which is super important. That's one of the main reasons we continue to work with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Ad Victorem team is willing to grind until they get it right, which is something I value tremendously.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They've been great so I’d have a hard time being critical.