Member of the Month: Russ Napolitano
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My career in advertising and branding began on Madison Avenue in New York City. Having lived in Philadelphia for 33 years, I am currently a partner at the Philly-based brand and design agency, Xhilarate. That means I have the best of both worlds because it’s a great city for businesses of all shapes and sizes while also being manageable, affordable, cultural, and a great foodie destination. We also boast some of the best colleges and universities, making recruiting top talent a lot easier and Philly ranks as one of the most active regions for venture capital funding and an attractive environment for start-ups.
Xhilarate is an independently owned agency so we can be extremely flexible in how we work with our clients; building teams, deploying processes, and finding the best solutions. We do not have a “one size fits all approach” mentality because we want to take the path that will best help our client’s brands. Clients look to us first because of our creativity which is manifest on our website, www.xhilarate.com, Then after they get to know us, it is our responsiveness, collaborative approach, and flexibility that keeps them coming back.
We’re also at the forefront of helping our clients navigate the biggest changes in the branding world. There are a multitude of digital and social media outlets where brands can be seen these days and media has become so fragmented that brand owners have to take this into consideration. Today, it’s also AI that is sparking revolutionary changes for brands and has the potential to be the most disruptive tool since the advent of the internet.
To illustrate the depth of our creative talent, here are 3 of my favorite recent projects:
Three 3’s Craft Beer - partnering with this small, independently owned craft brewery in southern New Jersey. This category is quite competitive and our team was committed to helping them define their brand persona and create an “ownable” look and feel that would increase awareness and recognition both on- and off-premise. While the new design achieved cohesiveness across all beer varieties, the challenge was creating illustrations within a very tight budget. Our solution was to explore the use of AI and our design team jumped headfirst and trained themselves on the AI tool, Midjourney, and produced illustrations that are perfect for the brand, the category and our client’s budget.
Meadowood - When vetting branding firms, Meadowood was looking for an agency that did not have previous “senior living” experience and would enable them to break out of the traditional mold and sea of sameness. The end-result has met, even exceeded our client’s expectations. We opened their eyes to think differently about their business. What began as a “project” has resulted in a long-term relationship where Xhilarate is applying the new brand to all touchpoints.
Oddschecker - We bested 4 other agencies to win this, our first international project - 3 from NYC and 1 from Philly. As the #1 sports betting company in the U.K. they were looking to launch in the U.S. with an entirely new brand logo, look and feel. Working in the sports category was something our entire team was able to rally behind. We created a logo, tagline and look and feel that was perfect for the U.S. market, but unfortunately, Covid hit right at the time of launch and the project never came to fruition.
More about More about Russ:
What are you reading right now (or what is a go-to book you would recommend to others)?
For fun, Unscripted about the Redstone Family Legacy and for self-development I am re-reading Living the 7 Habits by Stephen Covey
What is your guilty pleasure TV show?
America’s Got Talent – See related question below
What is a non-profit that you support? Other than CCBA?
There is not just one - I support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the American Cancer Society, Sons of Italy, Wounded Warrior and the Eagles Autism Foundation.
What is your favorite place you have traveled?
I would have to say Italy due to my heritage and the fact that the culture, history, people, food and wine are all amazing.
What was your first concert?
David Bowie, March 1976, at Madison Square Garden
What was your first job?
Newspaper carrier at 12 years old for the Bergen Record in Northern NJ
What’s your favorite or go to meal?
Anything and everything Italian, with a special fondness for Chicken Napolitano, one of my wife’s specialties
If you “played hooky” how would you spend your day?
Walking the beach in Sea Isle City
If you had to leave your home and could only take 1 item with you, what would it be?
My cell phone (and its charger) so I can keep in touch with people, be entertained and stay plugged into what’s happening in the world.
What is something you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t done yet?
Zipline in Costa Rica or zipline anywhere for that matter
What is your best networking tip?
Don’t be intimidated. Anyone attending a networking event is there to network and should expect to be approached. Introduce yourself, your company and an interesting fact about you and your company that would be relevant to the person you are speaking with. You will invariably find that you have something in common with the person you are speaking with.
What is the first place you’d recommend to someone that’s never been to our city?
Walk, jog, run, or bike along Kelly Drive.
If you decided to start a different career, what would t you do instead of what you are doing now?
A judge on America’s Got Talent
Where did you spend December 31, 1999?
With four other couples at a friend’s mountain home in Montrose, PA waiting for the world to come to an end. We were very grateful that we felt exactly the same at 12:01AM and that our computers didn’t skip a beat.
What is your “go to” app?
Other than Google Maps (for obvious reasons), I would have to say the Audacy app. This app keeps me connected to WIP Sports Radio and it is my link to many podcasts.
Russ Napolitano
Partner, Xhilarate Branding & Design
215-983-9990
russ@xhilarate.com
LinkedIn
www.xhilarate.com