3dB Creative didn’t want to be an ad agency. We had to be.
Flash back to 2006. The last thing the Seattle area (or the world) needed was another advertising and web development agency. But lifelong creatives Erik Hanson and Justin Marx were underwhelmed by the work from the Northwest's supposed best and brightest. Too much of it seemed like the agencies had "phoned it in" - with little concern for originality, clean execution, or effectiveness. Realizing that the game needed us, 3dB Creative* was born.
*3dB is short for "3 decibels," the smallest hearable difference in audio or music level. Generally, for every "little" 3dB boost in volume, a given amplifier has to work twice as hard. At 3dB Creative, we like to think that we, too, work twice as hard to deliver that little extra boost - even if it's just getting those last, subtle details exactly right. Are you even still reading this? Welcome, fellow nerds.
Why We're Different Consumers are bombarded by advertising every day, making them marketing experts in their own right. They can smell a rat from a mile away. Yet they love something authentic and memorable. Make it original, and you've got a winner.
At 3dB Creative, we know that consumers won't care about your product unless you give them a compelling reason. So we start by understanding your business, walking in your customers' shoes, and boiling it down to your core needs. Once those needs are clearly defined, we work to deliver clear, creative, and memorable work... in your advertising, photography, packaging, and of course, on the web.
Speaking of the web, at 3dB, we believe websites shouldn't just be online brochures. Or showcases for slick but pointless motion graphics. Instead, they should engage customers, gather information, build community, and serve as a cornerstone of your brand. With 3dB's experienced development teams, our websites do just that - optimized for search engines and with enough "stickiness" to keep your customers coming back.
At 3dB, we don't just settle for good. It must be exceptional. Check out our work to see for yourself.
Our Services
- Branding & Identity Strategy
- Print Advertising & Collateral
- Product & Lifestyle Photography
- Motion Graphics
- Website Design & Development
- Email / Direct Marketing
- Packaging Design
- Point-of-Purchase
Our Clients
Stanton DJ Native Instruments Trickwood N-Tune Roland US Mackie AMS Neve Ampeg LOUD Technologies
Dave Christenson
PRINCIPAL
Dave is "El Presidente," "The Tyrant," or "The Benevolent Benefactor," depending on who you ask. His past experience includes senior positions at audio and technology companies including Sony, Euphonix, SSL and LOUD Technologies. He brings years of executive chops and a calm, even diplomacy to 3dB's rabid, unwashed creative mongrels. Better still, Dave once played on American Bandstand in the late 1980s. No, seriously.
Erik Hanson
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Erik has been working in advertising and marketing since he was a fetus. Actually, our accomplished creative / managing director spent his formative years in marketing management positions at Mitsubishi Electronics, Roland Corporation, Pure Advertising, and LOUD Technologies (parent company of the Mackie, Ampeg, and Alvarez brands.) On the side, Erik has also played / co-produced dozens of independent and major-label recordings and remixes. (Hence, all of 3dB's beloved music clients and our heavily music-influenced work.)
Justin Marx
ART DIRECTOR
Justin has held art director and designer positions with Guidance Solutions, Barrington Communications, and LOUD Technologies. Equally at home on the web, in print, or deep into motion graphics scripting, Justin is a proponent of strong, clean design. (Actually he's more of a "fanatic" than a "proponent," truth be told.) He's also a seriously good jazz bass player and is almost certainly taller than you are.
Stephanie Swanson
ACCOUNT MANAGER
Stephanie joined 3dB after a 10-year tenure in high-technology marketing, including positions at Microsoft, Secure Computing, and Microscan. As our Account Manager, Stephanie keeps everything at 3dB running smoothly - with projects that are in line, on time, and under-budget. Steph's also a Dave Matthews fan, but we forgive her. Kinda.
Jonathan Speir
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
At age nine, Jonathan was already a musician and artist. Now, 20 years later he's, um... a musician and artist. In that time, Jonathan has held interactive and graphic designer gigs at a variety of agencies including Gelia Chicago, Fiorelli Graphics, and Roadside Multimedia. Jonathan probably has the coolest musical tastes in the known universe. He basically listens to bands that don't even exist yet.
Ben Peters
INTERACTIVE MANAGER
Ben has been at the leading edge of web development for 13 years. As senior account manager for Apollo Interactive in the late 1990s, Ben supervised online projects for numerous Fortune 500, entertainment and media companies. Ben's love for music then led him to Roland Corporation, where he headed up interactive; and later to URB Magazine, where he developed urb.com. His other interactive clients have included Dame magazine and West Coast Choppers.
