01 AboutAlways Thinking
We’re Always Thinking. It’s What We Do.
WORK Labs is a creative branding agency located in Richmond, Virginia. Whether we’re creating an advertising campaign that breaks through the clutter or bringing our own products to market, we know we are ultimately in the idea business. We publish books. We brew our own beer. We’re designers, writers, strategists, professors, and students. We are brought together by one common belief: nothing is more compelling than a smart idea, executed well.
02 Cabell Harris
Cabell Harris
Ad Man. Designer. Professor. Entrepreneur. Futurist.
Cabell Harris is always thinking, it is what he does.
Andy Spade, emeritus CEO of Kate Spade, may have said it best: “Cabell has one of those minds that combines a military strategist with a sense of humor, A.D.D. child with business acumen, and a mad professor with taste and a sense of composition. He’s a wonderful, bright creative problem solver with more going on in his own head than most of the entire advertising industry today.”
Cabell has been recognized multiple times in every major industry award show: Cannes Lions, The Clio Awards, The One Show, Art Directors Club, New York ADDYs, Graphis, Athena, Andys, Design & Art Direction, Effies, Communication Arts, and over 10 Best of Show awards from the local Richmond ADDYs. Adweek and Winners magazine have both declared him one of the top creatives in the country. He is in the Richmond Ad Club Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame in March 2020.
03 What Others SayOutside Perspective
Quote 01
“In the business of advertising and big thinking, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone as seasoned and high concept as Mr. Cabell Harris. A master of the craft and an inspiration to all channels of marketing.”
David Angelo
Founder & Chairman / David&Goliath LA
Quote 02
“Cabell Harris, one of the world's most legendary Art Directors, a man of unstoppable thinking, wonderful ideas, and yes, brilliant art direction.”
Rob Schwartz
Global Creative President / TBWA
Quote 03
“I've known Cabell for over ten years and have worked with him on many projects. While he's a rare talent with a child-like enthusiasm for innovation and product development, he brings an exacting craftsman's eye to his design and production that is hard-earned and often lacking in our business today. Cabell is special and a pleasure to work and to know – one of the best in our industry.”
Jeff Steinhour
Managing Partner, Vice Chairman / CP+B
04 Beliefs
Beliefs
What We Believe
Every company should have strong beliefs about their brand. These are not just words. These are the essence of the organization and those individuals who work within it. These should be practiced and lived each day.
Belief 01
I believe candor saves a lot of time.
Belief 02
I believe a great strategy predictably executed is a waste of money.
Belief 03
I believe everyone seems to be an expert on branding until they are the ones who have to do it.
Belief 04
I believe a brand needs to know what to say before it figures out how to say it.
Belief 05
I believe being told you think completely differently than everyone else may actually be a compliment.
Belief 06
I believe working with your client gets better results than working for your client.
Belief 07
I believe when you are having fun, you do your best work.
Belief 08
I believe creative that does not solve a business problem is a business problem.
Belief 09
I believe out-of-the-box thinking should not be confused with gimmicks.
Belief 10
I believe consumers respond best to brands that speak to them as a friend.
Belief 11
I believe the person saying experience is overrated is the person with no experience.
Belief 12
I believe that sometimes, the worst thing you can do is surround yourself with like-minded people.
Belief 13
I believe the only thing that comes out of your head is what you put into it.
Belief 14
I believe if you have an h-bomb, you do not need to be right on target.
Belief 15
I believe if you cannot outspend the competition, you need to outthink them.
05 How We Work And ThinkProcess
Question 01
What problem are we actually solving?
Question 02
What does this brand need to stand for?
Question 03
Who needs to care first and why?
Question 04
What can we simplify without losing meaning?
Question 05
What has to be true for this to work in market?
Question 06
What is the most compelling next move?
06 The Way We ThinkMethod
Convergent Thinking
Mode 01
Convergent Thinking
Narrowing toward the strongest strategic decision.
Mode 02
Divergent Thinking
Opening wide to uncover better options and ideas.
Mode 03
Phase Thinking
Sequencing choices by what matters now, next, and later.
Mode 04
Trivergent Thinking
Balancing strategy, creativity, and execution at the same time.
07 ExperienceClients + Agencies
Our Experience
Brands We’ve Worked On
Absolut Vodka • Advanced Orthopedic • Alaska Airlines • American Express • Ameritech • AT&T • Best Buy • Blue Cross Blue Shield • BMW • BP • Budweiser • California Tourism • Cartoon Network • Luck Stone • Chronicle Books • CNBC • Coca-Cola • Continental Airlines • Crunch Fitness • Dupont • E*TRADE • Energizer • Ford • Gerber • Gettysburg Foundation • HBO • Hershey’s • JBL • Kellogg’s • KitchenAid • LC King • Magnavox • Michelin • National Radio Bureau • NYNEX • PepsiOne • Playhouse Disney • PN Bank • Pond’s Institute • Princeton Review • Riggs Bank • Saab • Sears • Seldane • SnagAJob.com • Sprint • Super 8 • Time, Inc. • VCU Brandcenter • Virginia Tourism • Etc.
Our Experience
Agencies
Angotti Thomas Hedge • Altschiller • Barney • Bates Advertising • Berenter Greenhouse & Webster • Bernhart Advertising • Brand Federation • Carmichael Lynch • Crispin Porter + Bogusky • DeVito/Vedi • Fahlgren • FMC • Grey Worldwide • Hal Riney Atlanta • Hill Holliday • Just Partners • Leo Burnett • Livingston and Keye • Madelbaum Mooney • McKinney & Silver • Merkley Newman Harty • Meyocks & Priebe • Needham New York • NW Ayer • Peter Wong • Publicis USA • Radical Media • Rubin Postaer • Saatchi and Saatchi • Scaros Castleman • The Mom Complex • The Pearlstein Group • Valentine Radford • Widmeyer Communications • Young & Rubicam • Etc.
