Creative Storytelling

So what does the NER logo and Lenny, a straight-laced old-school working stiff accountant with a dream to become a famous stand-up comedian have in common?  Creative storytelling; more specifically the creative storytelling of Ned Crowley, a long time NER investor.  Ned is a writer, a director of film and stage, a children's book author/illustrator, and currently the Chief Creative Officer for mcgarrybowen Chicago.

When NER reorganized a few years back, NER tapped into this creative mind to help create a logo that tells a story.

The NER logo… powered by NER. The arrows represent our partner ecosystem; whether it is the end user, our resellers, or our strategic partners.  The logo incorporates a version of the globally recognized image for recycling; almost everything we do in our business has a green or sustainability element to it.  The reflection illustrates how we listen to our customers and to the market.

Now Lenny is a whole other brand of storytelling.  Lenny is the central character in the feature film Middle Man, directed by Ned Crowley. Lenny Freeman (played by Jim O’Heir of TV’s Parks and Recreation) is a straight-laced old-school working stiff accountant with a dream; to become a famous stand-up comedian.  The problem is, he’s not very funny.  Not even close.  Oh and this hapless comic gets tangled in a killing spree on a road trip to Vegas.

You can learn more about Ned, Lenny, Middle Man and the entire project at Kickstarter.

(WARNING: Middle Man will have its humorous side, but also its dark side.   And the teasers on the site are definitely in the latter camp.)