Client: Fly HC
Sector: Entertainment
Category: Brand Identity
An exciting new project for Hand Drawn Creative. Working with our fantastic California client Fly HC to create a corporate identity, brand guidelines and more to help launch a charity foundation celebrating the legacy of Allee Willis, one of Hollywood’s most prolific songwriters.
Summer 2022 officially exploded for Hand Drawn Creative when Los Angeles based Artist Hillary Carlip got in touch, looking to create a brand identity for a Songwriters’ retreat/foundation in North Hollywood. The Foundation was to be based in the home of her recently deceased friend Allee Willis. Two things soon came to light; it turns out Allee wasn’t just anybody, and her Hollywood home was very far from ordinary!
Allee was a Grammy/Tony/Emmy/Webby winning songwriter, celebrated for co-writing hit songs September, Boogie Wonderland, the Friends theme song and more. She was also the co-composer and lyricist for the stage production of The Color Purple. Allee Willis’ compositions have sold over 60 million records, and in 2018, just a year before her untimely passing, she was inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame. Truly a renaissance woman, Allee’s work spanned many disciplines including multi-media art, performance, technology, and renowned party throwing/salon hosting. The Washington Post once dubbed Allee…
“The most interesting woman you’ve never heard of.”
Take a look at this CBS feature celebrating Allee's life.
Allee’s distinctive home was purchased with earnings from her first royalty check for Boogie Wonderland. Originally built In 1937, it was rumoured to be the party house for MGM Studios in North Hollywood. Filled with one of the largest collections of pop culture memorabilia in the world, it’s a space that glorifies and inspires creativity.
Working closely alongside Hillary, we worked together to bring her designs and ideas to life; creating the Willis Wonderland corporate identity and brand guidelines, then moving onto designing invitations and posters for Willis Wonderland's star-studded Launch Event on the 21st Night of September (yep, Allee wrote THAT song as well!).
The piece de resistance came with Hillary's diligent attention to detail with the Launch Event's gift bags. We worked together again to create a signature Allee-inspired Cut-out Doll Paper Book celebrating Allee's crazy wardrobe. It's ended up becoming a bit of a collector's item!
