FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
EVERYTHING YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW
ABOUT PROPELLER, BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK.
Q: Are these FAQ's worth reading?
A: We think so.
Q: And, are the questions really "Frequently Asked"?
A: Yes, but it should be noted that "frequently" is a relative term.
Q: So, who started Propeller?
A: Rick Rabe. Way back in 1999.
Q. But now, there are more partners, right?
A: You are leading the witness, but… Yes. Now, there are three guys: Rick Rabe, Lincoln Stalmaster and Tim Nett.
Q. Tell me about them?
A: Rick is an ad guy who makes films. Lincoln is a film guy who makes ads. And Tim is a guy who makes ads about films.
Q: So, why is the company called "Propeller"?
A: Well, we think it is an obvious metaphor. We are a company that helps build and service premium brands. We are the premium propeller behind them.
Q: Premium brands? You mean the big guys?
A: Premium just means premium. It doesn't have anything to do with size.
Q: Hollywood Boulevard and Madison Avenue don't actually intersect, do they?
A: They don't. That's also a metaphor. Propeller has the creative muscle of a Madison Avenue advertising agency and the power of a Hollywood film production company. It is one of the things that makes us such a unique creative company.
Q: But then, where is Propeller actually located?
A: Our creative headquarters are in Santa Monica. We also have a post-production facility and an accounting office in LA. But, the Propeller team members are scattered all across the country. We live and work in satellite offices everywhere from Chicago to New York and Boston to Salt Lake City. We are virtually everywhere.
Q: Really? Tell me more about the Propeller team?
A: The common thread is that all of our people are senior and each has a distinguished reputation of excellence. Propeller is not staffed with young talent that is still in training. We only hire professionals who have attained top honors in their particular field of expertise. Then, we assemble the perfect combination of team members to meet each client’s specific needs. Propeller stands apart from other companies because of our ability to deliver the highest quality national talent in a more cost-effective manner.
Q: Wait, shouldn't top talent cost top dollar?
A: Not really. Most ad agencies and production companies of our caliber are behemoths with high overhead. We keep overhead to an absolute minimum, because we believe a client's creative fee should go toward actually developing the creative work. Yeah, we know… radical thought. But it is one of the things our clients like best about Propeller.
Q: What else do they like about Propeller?
A: Well, the most popular answer is "that our work works". Clients are not patrons who sponsor our self-indulgent art projects. Instead, the job of our artwork is to create commerce.
Q: And what exactly do you do?
A: We are a creative company. In simple terms, Propeller is 50% advertising agency and 50% film production company.
Q: Could you be more specific about your services?
A: Well, we provide services such as:
- Market Research
- Strategic Positioning
- Identity
- Print Advertising
- Commercials
- Feature Films
- Short Films
- Documentaries
- Graphic Design
- Mobile App Design
- Social Media
- Original Music
- Licensing
- Copywriting
- Should I keep going?
- Focus Groups
- Non-profit Consulting
- Communication Blueprints
- 3-D Animation
- Environmental Design
- Film Titles
- Website Design
- etc...
Q: Is that an all inclusive list?
A: No. That's why it ends with "etc".
Q: Your portfolio is impressive. You must have won a lot of gold awards and stuff.
A: We never actually set out to win awards. Nevertheless, those little gold statues still seem to come our way. Truthfully, we are more proud of the complement given to us by a client who said, "Thanks. The work really works".
Q: So, can any client become a Propeller client?
A: In all honesty, we are rather selective about our client relationships. We are a premium agency and we build premium brands. But we also love to take an "underdog" and lift them into something incredible.
Q: I saw the film trailer for "Pirates of the Caribbean" on your website. Can you introduce me to Johnny Depp?
A. Are you being serious?
Q: No. But if I were, could you?
A: Yes, of course we could.
