53. ADDISON
“Our greatest challenge was finding the right metaphors without using clichés,” says Addison design director Christina Antonopoulos of the iStar annual report. iStar Financial is a publicly traded company providing tailored financing to high-end private and corporate owners of real estate around the country. The project objective was to create an annual report conveying the company’s message, goals, and achievements of the year, while positioning iStar as the premier player in its market space.

“Our task for the 2003 annual report started with the challenge of creating and managing the company’s advertising campaign,” Antonopoulos says. “We created a series of powerful, arresting, and memorable images to highlight five brand attributes: strategy, tailored solutions, expertise, service, and protection.”

Because the annual had to work for an investor audience as well as general advertising, the concept had to be as simple and communicative as it was creative and unique. “We used elements of surprise and suspense to engage the reader on a personal level,” she says. “In order to convey sophistication and luxury, we wanted the annual report to look more like a fine art catalog. Stunningly simple typography, sleek layouts, a variety of paper stocks, and super gloss varnishes allowed the photography to take center stage.” Dana Rouse