We Thought This Was Basic. Turns Out, It’s Rare.

Apr 24

I recently took a beloved client out to lunch. It started like most of my favorite conversations do—with shrimp cocktail and golf carts. Then we got into the real reason I wanted to meet: I wanted to pick his brain.

This client has worked with a couple of our direct competitors before finding Treebird. And I was genuinely curious—why make the switch? What went wrong over there? What made us stand out? Why are they still with us, years later?

The answers? They shocked me.

Turns out, it wasn’t about bad work or clashing personalities. It was something much simpler… and honestly, kind of unbelievable.

They left those agencies because—get this—they couldn’t meet deadlines.

What?!

At Treebird, we didn’t even know that was an option. Not meeting an agreed-upon deadline? That’s not in our DNA. It's not even in the realm of possibility. And that was the starting point for their agency search.

From there, they interviewed a handful of others. And this part had me glowing. They said Treebird stood out—not just because of our talent, past work, and shiny client roster—but because of our professionalism. Our follow-through. Our energy. The fact that we made them feel taken care of and creatively seen.

But the real kicker came when I asked why they stay.

They talked about the communication, our commitment to timelines, our attention to detail. But the part that made my jaw drop?

They said: “For the first time in over 20 years, we actually received a full brand guide. A full logo and asset file. Everything.”

Again: WHAT?!

I had no idea that wasn’t standard practice. Because to us, that’s table stakes. Otherwise, what are you paying for?

And guess what—another client, who recently went through a mini-brand process with us, said the same thing. In all her years in business, no one had ever handed her a full brand guide and logo file set. I was floored.

But then… came the part that hit me straight in the heart.

This client said the reason they’ll never go back to those other agencies is because, when they look at their brand now—the one we built together—they don’t see a "Treebird brand." They see their brand. Not something that was pulled off a shelf or made to fit into a trend. It’s what they had dreamed of… turned up to 1000%.

That right there? That’s everything I’ve been building at Treebird for the last 12 years.

We don’t have an agency “style,” because that’s not what branding is. We don’t recycle fonts, reuse colors, or chase trends. Each brand is its own universe. And that universe should only belong to you.

To our clients—thank you for trusting us. Thank you for choosing creativity with backbone and soul. We always knew we were different. But now I know: we’re not just different. We’re exceptional.

Jaci Lund

Jaci Lund partner, creative director, designer Jaci’s quick wit and native intelligence comes across as soon as you meet her—and carries over to her design, where she fuses fun and sophistication in just the right doses. With a dual focus on creating original branding for new concepts and revitalizing the look and feel of even the most-established brands, Jaci approaches each project with a fresh and thoughtful perspective. While she recognizes the relevance of current trends, she’s hyper-conscious of the fine line that separates “trend” from “fad,” and tends toward more timeless and classic looks for her clients. Before founding Treebird, Jaci was instrumental in growing the design department at Atlanta’s The Reynolds Group, Inc. Through a five-year tenure that saw her quickly ascend to senior designer and then become the company’s first creative director, Jaci worked on design and branding projects with visionaries, entrepreneurs, and business leaders whom she admires greatly and whose own passion elevates her sense of what’s possible through new design, branding, and communication. Jaci has won nine ADDY Awards (and counting) for her design and branding work and has twice been featured in the national design blog “Art of the Menu.” She holds a B.A. in communications from Michigan State University and completed the graphic design program at The Creative Circus, where she also teaches a quarterly course called “Introduction to Creative Thinking.” To see Jaci's previous work please visit jacilund.com.

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