CHICAGO—SamataMason recently renamed itself Smbolic, exactly 15 years to the day Greg and Pat Samata and Dave Mason began the company, whose clients include Whirlpool, Telus and Petro-Canada. 



Mason says the new name stems from the fact that the agency, which has offices in Vancouver, Atlanta and is headquartered in Chicago, has changed considerably since it launched in 1995. “Over time the company has become more involved in many ‘design’ things that were of the non-graphic variety — events, web, video, film, naming, processes, experiences,” says Mason. For example, SamataMason launched the annual Chicago-based design event Cusp Conference in 2008. This year's conference will be held September 22 to 23.

Smbolic is a jumping-off point from the company’s mainly graphic design-based past, says Mason. The name is a nod to the founding partners and a hint to one of the company’s core beliefs. “We believe everything stands for something, whether it’s created intentionally or not." Contact: Smbolic.com