Here's the Dirt

Over the years, we have worked for some pretty glamorous clients. We created Hasbro Corporation’s first, Mr. Potato Head website. We have worked for world-class jewelry designers and high-end art galleries. We have even worked to promote some incredible photographers and marketed some bleeding edge high-tech companies. However, Selene and I owe a great deal of our success to the industrial sludge dewatering company, JD Meagher, our first (paying) client.

We first met Jim and Debbie Meagher, in the late 80’s, Selene and I had informally set up a business. She had recently left her senior designer position at Bose Corporation and I was working as design director at high-tech public relations startup, McGlinchey & Paul Associates.

Also a husband and wife business team, the Meaghers ran their operation for corporate headquarters, located in the finished basement of their pristine suburban colonial home.

While Jim was drying up lagoons of industrial waste, Debbie ran the business operations, including all the corporate marketing. Although they were involved in a business that dealt with the dirty remnants of industrial manufacturing, Debbie saw their marketing requirements through the same lens that she used at her previous job as marketing director of a high-end plumbing fixture manufacturer.

All marketing materials needed to be clean, concise and directed to an audience that was sophisticated, intelligent, and had to make some very important decisions.

Here we have posted, three small print ads that JD Meagher ran in various trade publications. Although the layouts are fairly simple, the “splat” graphics, tongue-in-cheek headlines and concise body copy provided just enough information to make the JD Meagher phone ring. And ring, it did!

The success of the company was capped in the mid-1990s when they were successfully sold to a Houston-based diversified industrial and environmental services company.

Jim and Debbie moved to the Maine seacoast where they enjoy their family and friends. At some point, I will discuss the used 1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer that we willingly bought from them, and how many mechanics’ children we have put through college with the associated repair bills.

For now, thank you Jim & Debbie – Doug (and Selene).