One Trick Pony

on Dec 10, 2009

Apparently, there are two questions that people always ask Keith Pizer and Rob Reed, the co-founders of the growing design firm One Trick Pony, based in Hammonton, New Jersey. Question 1: Why Hammonton New Jersey? Question 2: Why One Trick Pony?

Let’s start with that name. Pizer and Reed cut their teeth working primarily on web design at a New York based firm called The Chopping Block. But they weren’t content doing just one thing. So they decided to start fresh with a full-service design shop that does websites, ads, packaging, collateral, identity, and branding in every shape and form. They also decided to give themselves a name that serves as a constant reminder of what they don’t want to become.

And when it came time to choose where to set up shop, Pizer says, the two of them pulled out a map and picked a spot that was halfway between where Keith lived (Philadelphia area) and Rob hailed from (Atlantic City area). That spot happened to be a sleepy little town called Hammonton. “Once we were committed to not being in New York, then we figured the weirder the location the better,” says Pizer. “It actually works in our favor because it’s kind of fascinating to people.”

What’s really of interest, though, is the work One Trick Pony has been producing, for a roster of clients that includes Virgin Mobile, Turner Classic Movies, Sony Picture Classics, ACES Train, and Seminole Gaming Casinos. Pizer and Reed have maintained their strength in website design, but have complemented that with striking work that crosses disciplines. A great example of this can be seen in One Trick Pony’s diversified work for the entrepreneurial client Gorilla Coffee, a Brooklyn-based coffeemaker that has developed a cult-like following, thanks in part to the distinctive logo, packaging, and website designed by OTP.

One of the shop’s best clients is itself—Pizer and Reed have created a lively brand identity for the firm that really stands out. “So many agencies say, ‘We don’t really have our own look,’ but we definitely do,” says Reed. And it’s a look that’s getting noticed—even if this pony is a little off the beaten path.





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