ColorJar

What ColorJar does

ColorJar is a Chicago-based boutique brand strategy and design consultancy founded in 2008 by David Gardner. The firm operates with a headcount in the 11-50 range and delivers human-led services across brand creation, brand redesign, and brand touchpoint development for institutional and enterprise clients. Its client base spans four primary verticals: Food & CPG, Hospitality & Cultural, Real Estate, and Corporate/Enterprise, with named engagements including Navy Pier, Second City, Lettuce Entertain You, Bank of America Tower, GoodBelly, Blue Plate, Siskel Film Center, and 3L Living. More recent work signals expansion into B2B technology verticals through Keeper Security and Stellium, plus geographic reach outside Chicago via the Broadway Chapter project in Fort Worth, Texas.

The firm's core offering is professional services rather than a software product or technology platform. Engagements are project-based, with revenue driven by retainer and project fees tied to scope of brand strategy, identity, and creative deliverables. Pricing is not publicly disclosed but the mix of large institutional and commercial real estate clients implies higher per-engagement values relative to SMB-focused agencies. Distribution is primarily referral-driven, anchored by 15 years of portfolio work in the Chicago market and the founder's external recognition (Under 35 Entrepreneur of the Year at the UN, 2014).

Recent strategic activity indicates diversification of both vertical and geographic exposure. A Spring 2025 brand launch for Local Style Chips, alongside DTC engagements such as Weekday Wines, Swish House, Transformation, and Glider, suggests a deepening product-side practice that may extend beyond fee-for-service consulting. The firm remains privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or leadership changes, and there are no indications of AI/ML technology integration into its service delivery.

Name

ColorJar

Legal name

ColorJar

Website

https://colorjar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ColorJar is a Chicago-based boutique brand strategy and design consultancy founded in 2008, serving institutional and enterprise clients across food and beverage, hospitality, real estate, and corporate sectors with brand creation, redesign, and touchpoint development services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Strategy and Design Consulting

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Graphic Design Services (54143)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Visual Identity & Brand Design Systems (BPAFAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Graphic Design & Visual Content Production (BPAFAIAC)

Keywords

• Brand strategy consulting
• Visual identity design
• Packaging design services
• Brand creation
• Creative direction

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Brand Strategy and Design Consulting: Professional services revenue from brand strategy, logo design, visual identity systems, messaging, packaging design, and creative direction engagements for enterprise and mid-market clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ColorJar is a boutique brand strategy and design consultancy that creates and reinvents brands designed to endure. The firm offers three core service lines: Brand Creation Services (foundational brand strategy, naming, messaging, logo design, visual identity systems), Brand Redesign Services (repositioning, messaging updates, logo refresh, creative direction), and Brand Touchpoints Services (packaging design, websites, presentations, collateral systems, branded environments). These services are delivered to enterprise and mid-market clients across Food & CPG, Hospitality & Cultural, Real Estate, and Corporate Branding verticals.

Product overview

ColorJar is a boutique branding consultancy that creates and reinvents brands designed to endure. The company offers three core service offerings: Brand Creation Services (foundational brand strategy, naming, messaging, logo design, visual identity systems), Brand Redesign Services (repositioning, messaging updates, logo refresh/rebrand, creative direction), and Brand Touchpoints Services (packaging, websites, presentations, collateral systems, branded environments). These services are delivered across multiple industry verticals including Food & CPG, Hospitality & Cultural, Real Estate, and Corporate Branding, as showcased through featured projects like Navy Pier, GoodBelly, Transformation Protein, Weekday Wines, Stellium, Swish House, Blue Plate, MINNA, Siskel Film Center, and Glider Chocolates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand Creation Services Foundational brand strategy, naming, messaging, logo design, and visual identity system development for new brands being launched or established in the market. Aimed at enterprise and mid-market clients across Food & CPG, Hospitality, Real Estate, and Corporate verticals.
• Brand Redesign Services Repositioning strategy, updated messaging, logo refresh or full rebrand, new look and feel, and creative direction for existing brands seeking transformation. Targeted at established enterprise clients modernizing heritage brands such as Navy Pier, Siskel Film Center, and Blue Plate.
• Brand Touchpoints Services Execution services including packaging design, websites, presentations, collateral systems, and branded environments implementation. Delivered to enterprise clients across Food & CPG, Real Estate, and Corporate verticals to operationalize brand strategy.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10x increase in monthly active member count within six months for Swish House rebrand
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Athletics: Independent branding and design studio known for identity and packaging work for consumer, hospitality, and real estate clients. Comparable to ColorJar in creative caliber and client profile, though younger and NYC-anchored.

Broad incumbents

• Prophet: Global consultancy combining brand, marketing, and digital experience work. Overlaps with ColorJar on brand strategy, identity systems, and customer experience design for enterprise clients but at significantly broader scope.
• Interbrand: Global brand consultancy offering brand strategy, naming, visual identity, and brand valuation. Comparable to ColorJar in core brand creation and redesign work, but operates as a scaled network across multiple regions.
• Landor & Fitch: Large global branding consultancy with a broader portfolio spanning brand strategy, naming, identity, packaging, and environmental design. Serves many of the same enterprise and CPG verticals as ColorJar but at much greater scale and geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Siegel+Gale: Global branding and design firm specializing in brand identity, verbal identity, and design simplification. Comparable to ColorJar across logo, visual identity, and brand systems work for mid-market and enterprise clients.
• MetaDesign: Brand identity and design consultancy with offices in multiple markets. Directly comparable in offering brand strategy, logo and visual identity, packaging, and brand touchpoint execution for enterprise clients.
• Pentagram: Largest independent design consultancy, organized as a partnership of principals. Comparable to ColorJar as a brand identity, logo, packaging, and visual system studio serving enterprise and cultural clients with a similar boutique-style, principal-led engagement model.
• Mother Design: Boutique creative studio within the Mother network offering brand identity, packaging, and design systems. Comparable to ColorJar in size, creative-led model, and emphasis on cultural and consumer brand work.
• Lippincott: Brand strategy and design consultancy known for corporate identity, naming, and brand expression work. Directly comparable to ColorJar in combining foundational brand strategy with design execution for enterprise clients.

Regional players

• Franke Design: Chicago-based brand strategy and design firm serving local and national clients. Closest geographic peer to ColorJar, competing for similar Chicago enterprise, hospitality, and CPG engagements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ColorJar
• Facebookfacebook.com/colorjar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/colorjar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ColorJar