🪄 Bringing Our Brand to Life with Freshly Cooked Creative 🪄 When we set out to celebrate our 36-year journey - and communicate who we are today - we partnered with Freshly Cooked Creative to help us tell that story visually and memorably. The result is a stunning animated piece that begins with our sapling logo and grows into a vibrant, flourishing tree. It’s more than a beautiful metaphor. The animation reflects our evolution: deep roots in the industry, decades-long relationships, and a future full of growth and possibility. Every frame is intentional, designed to reflect our expanding capabilities and continued relevance in the creative space. But Freshly Cooked didn’t stop at animation. They delivered a complete brand package built to meet today’s marketing demands. We now have: Four optimized formats of the animation for use across digital platforms Custom-designed web icons, Zoom backgrounds, and event signage Branded social media assets and sticker graphics for both digital and in-person impact Thanks to Freshly Cooked Creative , we now have a dynamic, versatile visual system that honors our past while positioning us for what’s next. Curious how Freshly Cooked can help bring your next campaign, pitch, or brand refresh to life? Check out their latest work and reach out to us if you want to see more!

✨ Why Custom Illustration Matter ✨ Why icons deserve a second look! Icons are often treated like a checkbox - something to grab from a stock library or pull from an existing UI kit. But when they’re built intentionally, they become one of the most quietly powerful tools in your creative arsenal. Custom icons do more than reinforce a brand. They clarify communication. They guide users. They bring visual consistency to even the most complex projects - across digital, print, packaging, environments, and campaigns. Illustrator James Nelson approaches icon work with that kind of purpose. His sets are clean, strategic, and built to flex—whether they’re solving for user experience, packaging hierarchies, internal comms, or large-scale marketing systems.

✨ Lincoln Durham - 3D Character Design + Animation - Rolling Loud Music Festival ✨ Lincoln Durham created this dynamic sizzle reel showcasing some of the 2D and 3D animations he developed for the Rolling Loud Music Festival across various cities, in collaboration with Zellus. These animations were primarily used for social media promotions and as NFTs to further engage festival fans. The original artwork, provided by an undisclosed artist, served as still illustrations that Lincoln brought to life by adding motion and sound. For the 3D scenes, he sculpted and rigged characters inspired by the 2D illustrations, using them as a foundation to build out a story line based on direction from Zellus. Lincoln’s ability to seamlessly blend 2D and 3D animation, along with his expertise in motion and sound design, brings energy and depth to every project. His work for Rolling Loud is just one example of how he transforms static illustrations into immersive, high-impact visuals. Looking to elevate your next project with dynamic animation? Consider Lincoln for your upcoming creative needs!

Capturing Life’s Best Moments with Amy Mikler For lifestyle photographer Amy Mikler , people will always be her favorite subjects. Among them, children and seniors hold a special place in her heart. “People will always be my favorite subjects, and kids and seniors are perhaps my two favorite people groups to work with. Possibly because they share some similar characteristics,” she shares. “I never know what they will say, they know how to enjoy life's simple pleasures, and often have a quirky fashion sense. They are also unapologetically honest and learn how to laugh at themselves, which keeps the set fresh and endlessly interesting.” Having grown up surrounded by vibrant, full-of-life relatives, Amy understands that aging doesn’t mean slowing down. A few years ago, she put this belief into action with a “golden years” test shoot, built around the idea that laughter is a lifelong necessity. The result? A high-energy, joy-filled session where seniors enthusiastically took on cannonballs, dancing, and even water fights. “I’m not sure who laughed more—me or them,” Amy recalls.

Weaving History and Storytelling into Every Brushstroke Eric Cash’s work is defined by meticulous attention to detail, a deep understanding of history and culture, and an ability to weave personal narratives into each piece. His art invites viewers to explore rich stories and unique visual experiences, blending technical expertise with a genuine passion for storytelling. With this approach, Eric brings a distinctive and thoughtful style to every project, making him a fantastic resource for original commercial work. The painting Sunday Night (60” x 48 1/2”) captures a typical American family watching the Beatles' first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964. The scene includes a mother, father, two girls (one visiting), and a younger brother, each with distinct characteristics that hint at their roles and reactions to the historic event. The visiting girl is holding a Meet the Beatles album and a Life magazine spread, while the brother is trying to filter out the girls' excitement with his hand over his ear. The father, uninterested, waits for "real talent" to appear, and the mother seems unsure, reflecting the general adult sentiment at the time. The artist draws from personal experience and memories, incorporating items like his mother's sewing basket and grandmother's tension lamp as personal Easter eggs within the painting. The TV guide and props, like Anacin and Kent cigarettes, help tell the dad’s story, with subtle nods to the 1964 cultural context. A Mercury mission headline is included in the background to tie in real-world events from that day.

🏈 Bringing the NFL Logo to Life in 3D: Lincoln Durham’s Creative Process 🏈 When TracyLocke, Frito-Lay, and the NFL needed a 3D logo that was both highly textured and fully editable, they knew exactly who to call - Lincoln Durham . His challenge? Take a designed logo and turn it into a dynamic 3D masterpiece that could be easily customized and animated. Lincoln used Cinema 4D and Illustrator to create the logo, building every shape with live extruded vector elements. This meant that adjusting depth, bevels, or even switching to a Spanish version was a breeze. To make the logo pop, Lincoln tapped into Redshift inside Cinema 4D, adding realistic camera bokeh and lens streaks. But the real showstopper? The lightning. Created from vector shapes and textured to act as independent light sources, it gave the logo an electrifying presence. Originally, all the elements were locked within the logo, but Lincoln later split them up for easier positing. This made edits and modifications smoother, ensuring the final product met every creative demand without a hitch. Lincoln’s ability to merge technical precision with creative flair turned this NFL logo into a standout piece. At Those 3 Reps, we’re all about celebrating talent that takes branding to the next level. Need a show-stopping 3D design? Let’s make it happen!

Taking Spottie to New Heights (or Depths!): Freshly Cooked Creative’s Latest YouTube Ad for Super.com From the first concept sketch to the final frame, Freshly Cooked Creative brought the Underwater Spottie YouTube ad for Super.com to life with energy, precision, and a whole lot of fun. This project was all about pushing animation to new heights (or depths!) to make Spottie shine—literally and figuratively. The Creative Process As with any great animation, the journey began with strong illustration and storytelling . The team at Freshly Cooked Creative worked through multiple concept sketches, refining each frame to ensure Spottie's underwater world felt vibrant and full of life. Bringing those illustrations into motion required expert animation and motion design , balancing fluid movement with engaging visual storytelling. The result? A dynamic, eye-catching ad that captures attention and delivers an unforgettable brand experience. Why Motion Matters In today’s fast-moving digital landscape, motion design plays a crucial role in brand storytelling. A well-executed animated spot doesn’t just entertain—it connects, informs, and engages. With Underwater Spottie , Freshly Cooked Creative crafted an ad that not only highlights the brand but also leaves a lasting impression. Whether it’s a high-energy commercial, a sleek brand animation, or a whimsical character-driven spot, Freshly Cooked Creative thrives on bringing ideas to life through motion . Want to see more? Check out their latest work and let’s bring your next project to life.

Some images don’t just capture food—they capture an experience. For Carl’s Jr.’s El Diablo Burger , the goal wasn’t just to showcase layers of jalapeños, habanero sauce, and melted pepper jack cheese. It was about conveying heat—the kind you can feel before you even take a bite. That’s where Photographer/Director Rusty Hill (some may say, burger master) stepped in, taking the challenge beyond the plate and into the realm of storytelling. Rather than relying on post-production effects to create the burger’s fiery persona, the shoot took a more authentic approach: lighting the jalapeños on fire, capturing the drama in real time. The flames weren’t just an afterthought—they were an extension of the burger’s intensity. The result is a photograph that feels as bold as the flavors themselves. The flicker of flames, the deep shadows, and the natural glow of the embers don’t just highlight the food—they evoke the slow burn of a spice that lingers long after the first bite.

📸 George Kamper Captures the Vibrant Spirit of AVA Resort Cancun George Kamper was commissioned to create a stunning library of stills and videos for the international and U.S. advertising and marketing campaign of the newly opened AVA Resort in Cancun, Mexico. The goal? To showcase a lively and diverse group enjoying the resort, moving beyond the traditional, posed luxury aesthetic. Before the shoot, George and his team explored every corner of the resort—despite ongoing construction—to fully capture its essence. While the polished tile floors, vast hallways, and architectural details were striking, it was the gracious staff and their attention to detail that truly brought warmth to the space. Guided by a detailed creative brief, reference images, and scout photos, George mapped out the visual narrative that would bring AVA Resort’s unique energy to life.