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2023 Spotlight Speaker: Nihilo

Chelsea Carney

As part of the 2023-2024 Spotlight Speaker series, AAF Buffalo was glad to welcome the creators of branding agency Nihilo, Emunah Winer and Margaret Kerr-Jarrett.

At Nihilo, Emunah and Margaret work with first-to-market and founder-led companies to build a unique and creative identity using their expertise across brand strategy and visual and verbal brand identities. 

Some of the key takeaways:

  • The principle of “creatio ex-nihilo” – creating something from nothing – is a challenging standard to live up to in today’s world. Giving yourself space to imagine bigger, to allow an idea that challenges preconceived standards to enter the picture, is worth pursuing. And they have found a great niche with Nihilo serving many first-to-market and founder-led companies seeking a unique brand identity to grow from.
  • Emunah and Margaret showcased several projects where they told stories through the lens of the hero’s journey. Not just advertising a product or service, but putting their target customer front and center, telling their story – and how the product or service makes an impact for them.
  • Respect your customers enough to know that they’ll “get it.” You don’t always have to spell out exactly everything you do. Honor the people who you’re for. They’ll understand the stories and the messaging you’re communicating and the value within that advertising.
  • Taking your work seriously doesn’t always mean making serious work – like the illustration for Giggly tonics pictured below, featuring a wonderful unicorn named Goldy.

Thanks to Emunah and Margaret for making the trek to Buffalo to join us, and thank you to our sponsor Crowley Webb as well as all in attendance who joined for this inspiring conversation.