Designkitchen is proud to announce the launch of MyChicago Trip – the new online trip advisor for the Chicago Convention of Tourism Bureau!

Bringing new user experience to the CCTB planner, DK developed the digital presence to enhance the Chicago stay on both a business and personal level. The visually engaging interactive planner gives visitors a glimpse into the endless possibilities that await them in Chicago – understanding users through a series of questions and producing an itinerary customized to their preferences.

The CCTB is dedicated to highlighting Chicago’s world-class features on a global scale to continue to underline the city as a top destination spot.

Designkitchen is thrilled about our spot in the CableFAX Best of the Web Awards finals in the Social Media Campaign category for our work on the Motorola – Share the Experience campaign!

The cable industry’s top honor in digital space, the CableFAX Best of the Web Awards are dedicated to recognizing exceptional web sites and digital innovation by cable programmers, operators, vendors and associations alike.

Awards will be presented in New York City on April 28, 2010. See here for the complete list of honorees.

Senior Information Architect, Cristin Siegel, teamed up with Target Marketing Magazine to pen a series of eCommerce inspired articles to be featured quarterly in the publication. In the first of four, Cristin gives direct marketers insight on improving lead and e-mail address capture processes– emphasizing marketers’ responsibility to make it easy for consumers to engage in a relationship with the brand.

Target Marketing Magazine is dedicated to bringing marketing professionals hands-on, how-to information on direct marketing strategies and solutions that deliver profitable results.

See here for more of Cristin’s tricks of the trade.

Communication Arts, a leading creative resource dedicated to delivering inspiration to the visual communications industry, has recognized DK’s work on the Wheaton College site with its Webpick of the Day award.

Featuring innovative examples of web design, Communication Arts Webpicks are selected based on exceptional functionality, aesthetic, technical expertise and overall user experience. Congratulations to Wheaton and the DK team!

DMNews invited our very own VP of Strategy, Matt Simpson, to give his two cents on three featured campaigns in “The Work” section of the site and publication. Detailing the marketing problem, solution and result, DMNews turned to Simpson for some insight – shedding light on the ins and outs of marketing strategy.

Here’s what he had to say.

Designkitchen is delighted to announce our place on the 2009 Lester Wunderman Award shortlist. Recognized in the Online Excellence category for our development of the Sears Back to School Arrive Lounge site, we find ourselves in good company as one of 18 creative offices acknowledged worldwide.

Championing innovative brilliance, the Lester Wunderman Awards serve to set a new standard in the industry – recognizing offices in the Wunderman network for Creative Leadership, Marketing Innovation and Online Excellence.

We’re keeping our fingers crossed as we enter the final round of judgment. Winners will be announced shortly!

In partnership with Young & Rubicam, Designkitchen is proud to announce that we’ve recently made the John Caples International Awards finals in the Integrated Campaign category for our work on the Sears Back to School 2009 Campaign!

Winners will be presented at the Caples Awards dinner on March 25, 2010 in NYC.

For more than 31 years the John Caples International Awards has been the premiere celebration of creative ideas that drive direct marketing campaigns.

Kentico Software, a vendor of web content management solutions on the Microsoft .NET platform, recently named the Chicago Zoological Society web site as the Global Winner of their Best Site of the Year 2009 award.

Receiving the most votes of all competing projects, the Chicago Zoological site also won first place in two other significant categories, including Best Nonprofit Organization Site and Best Graphic Design Site. Internationally held, the Kentico panel recognized the Chicago Zoological site for both its public preference and quality level of the overall site experience.

Designkitchen is proud to receive this recognition in partnership with the Chicago Zoological Society and extends gratitude to Kentico Software for the honor.

Designkitchen’s Cameron Friedlander, VP, Director of Creative Technology, has been invited to speak and share his knowledge about Digital Entertainment, the Smartphone Culture and what’s ahead for this groundbreaking device at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on January 7th.

The International CES is produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology industry. CEA represents more than 2,000 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of consumer electronics products. Consumer technology professionals from 140 countries come to the International CES to engage with its full lineup of expert speakers and panelists.

Alongside Friedlander, other panelists include speakers from Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola, Konami Digital Entertainment, Denuo, and Synaptics, and will be monitored by Deloitte LLP.

Designkitchen's Scott Yanzy, Creative Director, and Eric Ravenstein, Associate Creative Director, have been selected to help judge the 2009 Lester Wunderman Award alongside a panel which represents 19 countries in 23 offices. Rewarding creative leadership, marketing innovation and online excellence, the Lester Wunderman Award aims to recognize people, programs, campaigns and tools that set new standards within the Wunderman Network.

The Lester Wunderman Award also helps streamline the entry process for the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival that takes place mid-June 2010.

Shopping at Sears and Kmart just got better with the recent launch of Shop Your Way Rewards℠ — Sears new, next-generation loyalty program to be offered to customers of all Sears Holding Company brands.

In partnership with Wunderman Chicago, Designkitchen created a series of templated web site designs and online communications with which members can become familiar with and come to anticipate — eliciting direct response and resulting purchase.

Designkitchen also conceptualized and executed a series of trigger emails that recognize significant events in members’ lives and relationships with the Shop Your Way Rewards program, while encouraging ongoing spending activity at their favorite Sears Holding Company store and web sites.

Since the program launch in early November 2009, shopper metrics have been outstanding — with over 13,000 successful enrollments and high email click-through rates.

Designkitchen teamed up with DieHard to build the brand’s first ever DieHard web site, showcasing the full extension of the brand, from its wide range of products to its trusted expertise and impressive technological breakthroughs.

Conducting extensive consumer research, DK developed a series of articles that provide detailed information on how to maintain, recharge and install DieHard batteries, as well as step-by-step guidance for users in duress situations. The site also employs a robust DieHard Help Center and DieHard mobile application to further enable users to receive real time expert advice, leveraging DieHard.com as both a trusted resource and a one-stop-shop for all things battery.

The immersive online shopping experience offers a customized battery selector that identifies the best battery fit for consumer vehicles based on lifestyle and celebrates the DieHard legacy, 42 years and counting, highlighting the iconic American brand’s past and present innovations, milestones and recognitions.

The Web Marketing Association recently rewarded the Club BK® web site as the winner of their Outstanding Achievement in Web Development for Outstanding Web Site category.

Building upon Burger King®’s well-known offline Kids’ Club program, Club BK® is an entertaining experience that creates a new platform for activating Burger King®’s promotional partnerships. Featuring whimsical illustrations and engaging content for parents and kids to enjoy, the site is a richly visual world where kids can create avatars, go on fun virtual adventures and play games.

An exciting and safe online environment, DK worked closely with TRUSTe and CARU to ensure that the Club BK® experience complied with standards and recommendations set by the Children’s Online Privacy Act (COPPA) and adhered to governmental standards for advertising to children.

Designkitchen is proud to receive this recognition in partnership with Burger King® and extends gratitude to the Web Marketing Association for the honor.

The Web Marketing Association recently rewarded the Craftsman web site as the winner of their Outstanding Achievement in Web Development for Outstanding Web Site category.

Bringing the iconic American brand onto an e-commerce platform, the Craftsman site design is an immersive shopping experience that successfully engages consumers in a fresh way. Giving visitors a choice to either navigate directly to their desired content, or to explore a virtual, three-dimensional workspace filled with Craftsman garage essentials, the interactive experience transports America’s most trusted tool brand into the homes of tool professionals and loyal aficionados everywhere.

Designkitchen is proud to receive this recognition in partnership with Craftsman and extends gratitude to the Web Marketing Association for the honor.

The Web Marketing Association recently rewarded the AVIA Hotels web site as the winner of their Outstanding Achievement in Web Development for Hotel and Lodging Standard of Excellence category.

Designkitchen first teamed up with hotel management and development operator LodgeWorks in 2007 to create the AVIA identity, tagline and collateral pieces. This past year LodgeWorks turned to DK to activate and extend its identity online via a new AVIA Hotels web site.

A lush, immersive experience, the AVIA site design combines elements of surprise and discovery while featuring authentic and deeply engaging narratives that draw on the aesthetic of the destination’s surrounding culture.

Designkitchen is proud to receive this recognition in partnership with LodgeWorks and extends gratitude to the Web Marketing Association for the honor.