For Immediate Release 07.22.10
For more information, contact:
Matt Hutton : 217.351.6700
Champaign, Illinois, July 22, 2010 — While they didn't know it when they joined thousands of others on a midnight bike run through the streets of Chicago last summer, Matt Hutton, Chris Phillips and John Turner were also beginning a journey that would take their lives on a whole new path. At the time, they were just three guys from the office enjoying a 25-mile ride that benefits Chicago's Friends of the Parks. But today, the three are partners. And their fun ride has become a fitting metaphor for three entrepreneurs who are always up for the next adventure that lies waiting around the bend.
"It wasn't too long after that trip that I really started thinking seriously about the three of us becoming partners, and the idea just kind of grew from there," says Hutton, Spinlight's founder and creative director. The idea was welcome news for Phillips, who joined Spinlight in 2003 and quickly rose through the ranks to become the company's senior graphic designer; and Turner, who signed on as senior copywriter in 2008, bringing nearly 20 years of writing experience to the company's considerable creative arsenal.
Since then, there's been no stopping the trio, as they've worked to expand the company's marketing dominance beyond central Illinois. Since 2004, Spinlight's work has been a regular staple in the American Graphic Design Awards, earning countless national awards. And last year, their profile was raised even higher, when the company website took home a gold ADDY in the world's largest advertising competition, placing their work on par with some of the industry's biggest shops, including Deutsch LA, Leo Burnett Chicago and Publicis Worldwide.
For Hutton, all that success boils down to working with the right team. "There's something about the way we work that's a good fit. We have the same perspective on advertising and the same creative drive, which is why it just made sense to bring them fully on board." The final step took place last week, when Phillips and Turner officially signed on, becoming fully invested partners.
"It's really exciting," says Phillips. "I can't think of any two people I'd rather be doing this with." According to Phillips, the move seems like a natural fit for the three men, who all grew up within a few miles of each other. Hutton hails from Oakwood, while Phillips and Turner are both Saint Joe graduates. "I think we've just kind of grown into this idea of being partners," says Turner. "Especially over the last year. It's just become the way that we do things."
Even during this past January, when a large snowstorm closed down the office — and most of central Illinois, the three still managed to get in their usual morning chat. "We realized part way through the conversation that we weren't just having the typical ‘we're closed, don't come in' phone call," adds Turner. "We were talking about all the things that excite us as creatives."
And that's what makes Spinlight unique. "No matter what we're working on, it's all hands on deck," say Hutton. "There's not even really a distinctive copy or design stage on most projects. The ideas just evolve in an organic process that makes each idea stronger and more unified. Our clients get the benefit of that. And I think that's only going to get better with time," says Hutton, who now has his eyes firmly on the path that lies ahead. "We've done a lot of great stuff already, and I can't wait to see where it goes from here."
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About Spinlight Studio
Since its founding in 2000, Spinlight Studio has won over 150 local, regional and national awards, including 46 American Graphic Design Awards and 48 ADDYs. Located on South Staley Road in Champaign, the company offers a full range of print, broadcast and digital marketing services for a range of local and regional clients.