Spiral Design Studio Aids Historic Lake George Retreat

Wiawaka Holiday House receives marketing makeover

Since its inception in 1903, the celebrated Wiawaka Holiday House on Lake George has touted the benefits of renewal. Now, with the help of Albany creative firm Spiral Design Studio, the century-old 501c3 non-profit retreat center for women is enjoying a rejuvenation of its own.

From a corporate brochure reminiscent of a classic scrapbook, to professional print ads depicting the historic waterfront location, to jam jar labels reflective of the retreat’s Progressive Era heritage, Spiral Design created a suite of new marketing materials for Wiawaka, helping the organization to enhance its corporate image while respecting its traditional, modest legacy.

“Not-for-profit organizations often feel that marketing is a professional luxury they can’t afford to consider,” notes Jeanie Guity, art director for Spiral Design Studio. “But in order to attract ongoing support, these organizations need to be taken seriously in business. Professional marketing materials help to create a genuine image of influence and legitimize an organization’s efforts as those worthy of serious consideration and support.”

Equipped with new marketing materials for distribution, Wiawaka successfully applied for several restoration grants, resulting in awards totaling over $160,000 in 2006. To sustain its restoration and ongoing efforts in 2007, Wiawaka presented the Threads of Wiawaka Fashion Show, a luncheon benefit at Saratoga’s Hall of Springs in June. Once again, the organization turned to Spiral Design Studio for creative marketing assistance. Through the design of a custom event logo, invitations, programs, advertising, and even napkin rings, Spiral Design helped to establish the benefit’s unique textile-themed image.

“Marketing materials for any event should spark interest, distinguish the affair from others, and, ultimately, generate attendance. They can’t be designed for design’s sake. They need to be engaging yet directly reflective of the organization and event they promote,” says Guity. “With the Threads of Wiawaka marketing materials, we created a professional, elegant tone for the fundraiser that also honored Wiawaka’s historic, humble roots as an affordable retreat for female textile workers.”

Attended by over 500 supporters, including New York's first lady, Silda Wall Spitzer, the inaugural Threads of Wiawaka Fashion Show grossed an impressive $69,000. More important, the event increased community awareness about the historic retreat and prompted measurable interest in its ongoing, humanitarian efforts.

“Creative, sensitive, and dedicated are words that begin to describe the artists at Spiral Design who graphically captured the spirit, mission and vision of Wiawaka for the multiple pieces they produced for our Threads of Wiawaka Fashion Show,” notes Katie Haviland, vice president of the Wiawaka Holiday House board of directors. “They presented both a sense of serenity offered at Wiawaka on Lake George and the symbolism of the textile industry of our first guests from the factories of Troy and Cohoes. The exceptional quality of Spiral Design’s artistic work had a major impact on the response to and ultimate success of our Threads of Wiawaka fundraiser.”