100 Years of Zyloware
2023 · Zyloware Eyewear · Port Chester, NY
In 2023, Zyloware celebrated its 100th anniversary, a century of eyewear craftsmanship, family ownership, and industry leadership that very few companies ever reach. Marking that milestone required more than a single campaign piece, it required a complete creative program that could honor a hundred years of history while feeling genuinely forward-looking, and that could live across every channel the company touched, from a full-page ad to a trade show pavilion in the middle of New York City.
The Challenge
Develop a cohesive centennial identity and campaign suite that worked across a wide range of formats, audiences, and contexts simultaneously. The same visual language had to feel at home in a commemorative book, on a step-and-repeat backdrop at Vision Expo East, in a full-page 20/20 Magazine ad, across social media, and throughout a full suite of marketing and promotional materials, all while carrying the weight and warmth that a 100-year milestone deserves.
Responsibilities
As Creative Lead, I owned the full creative program from concept through final execution. I developed the centennial brand identity, including the Zyloware 100 mark, color extensions, and typographic system, and directed its application across every channel. Responsibilities included the design of the commemorative publication (concept, editorial layout, cover, and all interior spreads), full-page advertising for 20/20 Magazine, large-scale environmental graphics for Vision Expo East 2023, organization and branding for the Centennial Party, and all supporting marketing and promotional collateral produced throughout the anniversary year.
What Was Created
A complete centennial creative program including a commemorative hardcover publication, a full-page national trade press ad, a suite of large-scale environmental and trade show graphics, a year-long social media campaign, and a comprehensive suite of marketing collateral — all built around a unified centennial identity developed specifically for the milestone.
The History
One of the most significant and personal deliverables of the centennial program was the design of a commemorative historical book chronicling Zyloware's full 100-year journey. The book required extensive collaboration with company leadership and stakeholders to gather archival photography, historical records, and the personal stories that defined each era of the company's growth. As the designer, the responsibility extended beyond layout to include organizing and sequencing the narrative arc of the book itself, making editorial decisions about how the company's history was framed and told visually. The result was a publication featuring archival imagery, editorial spreads, and a visual system that balanced the warmth of a family company's history with the refined, premium aesthetic appropriate for a milestone of this magnitude. The book functions simultaneously as a keepsake for employees and leadership, a brand asset for trade and press, and a permanent record of a century of craftsmanship, a piece designed to outlast the campaign it was part of.
The Show
Zyloware's 2023 presence at Vision Expo East was built entirely around the centennial. The booth and graphics were the most visible public expression of the Zyloware 100 identity, bringing the centennial brand system to life at large scale. The work encompassed a full suite of large-format graphics including back-lit brand displays, a custom step-and-repeat backdrop for a photobooth and partner photography, conference room poster series, and all supporting booth signage. Each piece was designed to be impactful from across the show floor while holding up to close scrutiny at arm's length. The centennial visual system threaded consistently through every element of the booth, creating an immersive branded environment that positioned the 100-year milestone as the defining story of Zyloware's year and gave the anniversary the physical presence it deserved in front of the industry that had watched the company grow for a century.
The Party
The centennial celebration culminated in a milestone event held at Marquee, bringing together Zyloware's leadership, employees, industry partners, and key stakeholders for an evening marking a century of the company's history. The creative responsibilities for the event extended well beyond the night itself, encompassing the full suite of branded event materials that set the tone from the moment invitations arrived. Work included the design of event save-the-dates and invitations, branded signage and graphics throughout the venue, event programs, table collateral, and all promotional and commemorative materials distributed on the night. Every touchpoint was designed as an extension of the centennial visual identity, ensuring the evening felt cohesive, intentional, and worthy of the occasion. Managing the creative for a live event of this scale required the full range of project management and creative direction skills that define this practice.
Outcome
A creative program that gave Zyloware's 100th anniversary the presence and permanence it deserved across print, digital, environmental, and editorial channels simultaneously.
