“So why Milwaukee and Portland?”
For those of us who pass through the doors of Manifesto each day, the question is all too familiar. “Why Milwaukee and Portland?” For those of you on the outside, it may seem strange to have two office headquarters located 1,000 miles apart. We like to think of it as just one of those things that makes us unique.
When Tim and Dave Dyer started this agency eight years ago, they faced a problem. Though they grew up in Missouri and considered it home, college and careers delivered them to different parts of the country: Dave to Portland and Tim to Milwaukee. Both cities with enviable coffee culture and thriving craft brew scenes, neither willing to relinquish its grip on each respective twin.
Dave wanted Tim to move to Portland, Tim wanted Dave to move to Milwaukee. Both of them stood pat. (Siblings, amiright?) Net net, we’re one agency with two office headquarters—1,000 miles apart. The precedent was set long ago with a thin line of tape that ran the length of the floor in their shared teenage bedroom, separating it into two equal halves.
But besides the Dyer boys and our office headquarters, what do the two cities have in common?
It was with this question in mind that we are happy to provide an answer, through the launch of our 2019 Gift Guide.
Every year around the holidays, we publish a Gift Guide, or as it’s become known, our “Guide to Intentional Gifting,” which is a collection of cool products from cool brands we believe in. And every year, we put out one of these guides into the world during the holiday season thinking you might deem something worthy of your loved ones. Or maybe even yourself.
This year, we are featuring 12 products by amazing individuals who embody the spirit of Portland and Milwaukee. These are people who get their hands dirty and avoid shortcuts—because they believe doing it right takes time and effort and sweat and calluses. They embody craftsmanship, always going the extra step to make their handmade, hand lettered and hand shaped projects for us. They create not just because they can, but because deep down creating is what makes them feel complete. They capture the grit, courage and creative spirit that makes these two cities are special in their own right.
These 12 brands featured this year, like Manifesto, espouse an experiential ethos and a shared sense of passion, ambition and purpose. And, they happen to share our zip codes.
Comments