Our writers
can tie a line.
10+ years of concepting and short-form specialization
Creative blocks were our building blocks.
Creative blocks were our building blocks.
With roots in marketing and advertising, Grayword™ draws on 10+ years of agency and in-house experience in print, digital, strategy, and multi-channel campaigns. We grew our creative chops as the concept engines of clients and agency teams. When they would hit a wall, we brought the ladder.
Over the years, we recognized ideas fall flat unless they are placed within healthy internal cultures, so we shifted our focus away from external expression, centering on internal strength instead. Grayword quickly followed.
The short-form content areas of name, tagline, mission, vision, values, etc., have tangible impact on the health and longevity of a company. They are also the most constrictive and complex—and that's why we love them. They are a worthy challenge for a worthy cause.
Grayword's founder:
My name is Chris Murphy—a husband, a father, a deep friend, an author, a lover of ideas, and a man of integrity.
I believe the mark of matured creative ability is found in simple, clear solutions for complex ideas, solutions which explore a variety of different angles without losing the anchor point.
A career in the marketing industry has taught me many lessons, some of them quite humbling; yet, the greatest lesson came while seeing companies fail without direction and purpose to hold them together.
In today's digitally-driven landscape, the meteoric rise of start-ups and rebrands is celebrated. Who is looking into the future for them, testing the strength of their foundation against the pressures of growth?
As I tell my clients: "There are hundreds of ways to gain a platform. My objective is to give you clarity in what you'll say for years to come."
The reason for nautical symbolism:
Just a short little anecdote here: Any exploration in deep waters—scuba diving, deep sea fishing, research trips—requires a long journey to get there and back.
The deep strategy of brand name, mission, values, etc., takes significant hours and singular focus to effectively explore. Getting there is a slow process. Emails pile up. Text messages, too. Sometimes the wife gets annoyed at your inability to multitask. But you cannot dive into these complex ideas and find clarity without taking the time to navigate through the rough seas.
As in a river, so in a writing, clearness is the best quality, and a little that is pure is worth more than much that is mixed. —Henry Van Dyke