Greenfield Belser
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Brand design, Marketing |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | Burkey Belser, Donna Greenfield |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Burkey Belser (President and Creative Director) |
| Products | Brand strategy, Identity systems, Digital platforms, Sales materials |
| Parent | Finn Partners (since August 2016) |
Greenfield/Belser Ltd. is a Washington, D.C.-based agency specializing in brand design, with a focus on marketing professional services within the legal, accounting, technology, consulting, and financial sectors.
History
Established in 1984, Greenfield/Belser Ltd. resulted from the combination of Burkey Belser, Inc., founded by Burkey Belser, and Greenfield/Belser, Inc., created by Donna Greenfield. The firm was recognized as a finalist among the fastest-growing companies in the Washington area by Inc magazine in 1997. Since its inception, Burkey Belser has held the roles of president and creative director. In August 2016, Greenfield/Belser became part of Finn Partners through acquisition.
Work
In 1992, the FDA enlisted Burkey Belser to revamp the Nutrition Facts label, building upon his earlier design work for the EnergyGuide label used on major appliances. This voluntary project earned him a Presidential Design Award from then-President Bill Clinton and was acclaimed by Massimo Vignelli as a “masterpiece.” Subsequently, the FDA tasked Belser with creating the Drug Facts label for over-the-counter medications.
Although information design remains a core strength—illustrated by the Nutrition Facts label—the company’s principal emphasis lies in brand strategy and its implementation across identity systems, digital platforms, and sales materials.
In 2011, Greenfield/Belser contributed to the American Beverage Association’s “Clear on Calories” campaign by designing nationwide calorie labeling for beverage products.
The firm has crafted branding and marketing programs for more than 300 law firms, ranging from international entities such as Jones Day, Clifford Chance, and Morgan Lewis to smaller firms like Marger Johnson. Their clientele also includes the Big Four accounting firms alongside rapidly expanding regional firms including Reznick Group, Dixon Hughes Goodman, and BKD. Most recently (as of May 2019), Greenfield/Belser redesigned the U.S. website for the World Wildlife Fund and undertook a rebranding effort for the Society for Human Resource Management, one of the world’s largest associations with 220,000 members.
Publications
- Burkey Belser and Donna Greenfield co-authored 25 Years of Legal Branding (Sunnyside Press, 2004), which highlights Greenfield/Belser’s professional services projects from 1979 through 2004.
- The firm’s work has been featured extensively in prominent industry publications including Absolutely the Newest Logos, Best of Corporate Identity Design, Big Book of Corporate Identity Designs (Watson-Guptill), Big Book of Design Ideas (Collins Design), as well as multiple Rockport Publishing titles such as Global Corporate Identity, Global Graphics: Symbols, HOW Colossal Design, and The Newest Logos, Promotions that Work.