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What we do
Why it matters
Our process
Our approach
Case studies
Why clients love us
Case studies
Get to know us
 
 
 
 
 
 

If you've a project you'd like to discuss with us, thanks in advance.
brandme@vertebrae.us

If you're looking for a job,
email us, it never hurts to ask.
idlovetowork@vertebrae.us

 
Come join us for a drink at our studio. Cheers! drinks@vertebrae.us

We left our heart in San Francisco but moved our studio over to the sunny side of the Golden Gate to a more eco-friendly space.

Vertebrae, Inc.
Schoonmaker Point Marina
85 Liberty Ship Way
Warehouse 101
Sausalito, California 94965

Call 415 331 7177
hellotoall@vertebrae.us

     
     
     
 
 
Don't worry we're not weird hippy types, it's just we like playing with animals, not eating them.
• Aimee's Caesar Salad
• Bucky's Gauc n Roll
• Matt's Sausage Rolls
 
Smokey, Studio Mascot

  Swing by for afternoon tea.
tea@vertebrae.us
 
 
 

Alison Kilmer/Partner
Brand Director
Alison is the human sponge.
She absorbs every little drop of information and delivers simple strategy that defines what makes you different, and how you can go about making consumers give a damn.

This combined with a natural
gut instinct for what target audiences connect with, guides us to our solutions.

Alison brings over 11 years of
extensive brand strategy and client-side experience from both Fortune 150 companies and startups here in Silicon Valley. It's this client side experience that makes Alison a invaluable Brand Director with her left and right brain thinking.

For someone who bends over backwards for clients it's fitting Alisons hobby is yoga.

Jim Allsopp/Partner
Creative Director
Less is more. This now applies to Jim's hairline as well as his work.

He cuts to the chase and his English wit lightens things up. He's the big idea guy here. His 13 year career began at Tor Pettersen & Partners in London, earning him a healthy collection of awards for his refreshing approach and message driven designs. His big brands include: Cable & Wireless, EMI Music, GlaxoSmithKline, Kingfisher, Tesco, The Royal Bank of Scotland and Waterford Wedgwood.

Back when Jim had a strange looking Elvis quiff he earned a BA (Hons) Degree in Graphic Design & Communication from Somerset College of Art in the U.K.

What does he do when he's not working? Don't ask.
Aimee Kilmer/Partner
Art Director
Our resident style guru, and rock & roller, Aimee brings our brands to life. She's the one who customizes her own clothes and is constantly perusing magazine for the latest thing.

Having studied fine art in London and Paris and with over 11 years experience in print and web design she keeps our brands current without being trendy.

Meticulous with details, she's often found kerning type late into the night to the sounds of some obscure Indie band. Big brand experience includes: North Face, Restoration Hardware, General Dynamics, NationsBanc, McKesson and Cisco. Big band experience: White Rabbits, Badly Drawn Boy & The Kinks.
 
         
Stuart Richings/Partner
Creative Copywriter
With 21 years experience under his belt and over 50 industry awards including a D&AD award (equivalent to an Advertising Oscar), Stuart is an invaluable asset to our line-up.

He's a versatile all-round creative thinker able to turn his hand to more than just crafting hard-working headlines and fine-tuning crystal clear copy. In addition to being a copywriter, he's a qualified designer and art director so his words work seamlessly with our designs and imagery. Big brand experience includes: Aventis Pasteur, British Gas, Bayer, Coleman, Nationwide, Norwich Union, Npower & Sainsbury's. Stuart holds a BA (Hons) in Advertising from Portsmouth University in the U.K.

When he's not pruning copy he's pruning his bonsai tree collection.
Tim Cox
Public Relations Associate
Traditional PR or conversational, Tim knows how to get people telling our clients’ stories. He approaches key influencers with ideas not press releases/articles. He allows us to offer full-service media and analyst relations programs, and over the last 10 years, has worked for big brands like Apple, Autodesk and Alias.

Tim’s has a BA (Hons) Degree in Business studies from Kingston University in the U.K.

Although a keen cyclist, Tim confesses the nearest he got to
the Tour de France was when he studied at ESCAE Business
School in Montpellier, France.
Matt Towers
Market Research Associate
Matt’s qualitative research techniques discover what works with a consumer brand and what doesn’t. These include focus groups, in-depth interviews, online research, usability testing and ethnographic research.

He brings over 10 years of experience with big brands like WalMart, Adobe, IBM, HP, KnightRidder, Verifone, and Casio. Matt has a BA in Political Science from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, and an MBA from Monterey Institute of International Studies.

When he’s not clinging on
every word of his subjects,
he’s clinging on the face of
Mount Rainier.