JULY 1997 The collective dreams of three designers and one bean counter come to fruition as BBR Creative Inc. opens its doors for business. Their first office is located in front of a cemetery. OCT 1997 Expansion! BBR hires its first full-time employee. OCT 1998 BBR hosts the first of what would become an annual celebration of drinks, laughter, friendship and more drinks. They would call it BBR Beer Bash. The first theme, Go with the Flow, seems to have become the agency mantra. SEPT 1999 BBR is awarded its first million-dollar project for Procrit, a pharmaceutical product of Johnson & Johnson. The task: Design and produce consumer-care kits for chemotherapy patients. APRIL 2000 BBR packs up and moves to an old bank located in Downtown Lafayette. The new office comes with a vault, a teller window and legroom. OCT 2001 Accolades! BBR makes its first appearance in How Magazine and Print. MAY 2002 Cherie Hebert, the agency's resident eponymous brunette, defies nature by styling her hair in what witnesses refer to as "a perm." DEC 2003 BBR is equipped with a media buyer, Web site project manager, two art directors and one designer plus two brand managers, solidifying BBR's evolution from a small design shop to a full-service advertising and marketing agency. APRIL 2004 The partners of BBR are recognized for their hard work and proudly receive The Independent's Women Who Mean Business Award. JUNE 2004 Art Director Denise Gallagher travels to Dallas, Texas, to receive BBR's first National ADDY award for the design of Jay Culotta's "Made You Look Book." OCT 2004 Significant Number Crunch: BBR's staff is upped to 14 with its client roster totaling more than 200 local, regional and national clients. AUG 2005 Two days following the landfall of Hurricane Katrina, BBR transforms its office into a makeshift recovery center for New Orleans evacuees who were transported to Michael's Ballroom in Downtown Lafayette. For three days, BBR employees offer their assistance and help the displaced citizens literally get back on their feet by handing out Converse tennis shoes. OCT 2005 The partnership of four is amicably reduced to three as the original bean counter, Karla Meche, announces her retirement. The remaining three partners, schooled creatives, are now savvy businesswomen who realize counting beans isn't all that difficult. DEC 2006 To celebrate the holidays, BBR team members are surprised with a trolley ride to the Acadiana Mall where each is given $200. Employees are told they must spend all the money on themselves — in one hour. Yuletide hijinks ensue. APRIL 2007 BBR's 10th annual Beer Bash has become a highly popular event. Calls for ticket purchases are received for this by-invitation-only event. Hmm. They're on to something. JULY 23, 2007 BBR celebrates its 10th birthday, but doesn't feel a day over 9. The birthday party is celebrated at Cypremort Point with boiled seafood, beverages and boating — that is until the boat is sunk during a surprise thunderstorm. But lo and behold — the brave men of BBR jump into the angry waters, saving the boat and Jimmy Hebert's pride. DEC 2007 BBR participates in an AdFed-sponsored Bowl-O-Rama and fails miserably. Nobody speaks of this ever again. Shhh! OCT 2008 BBR bids adieu to Downtown Lafayette, designs, builds and moves into a spacious new location at 300 Rue Beauregard, Bldg. I. Creative energy has more room to flow than ever before. The third office location is ironically located in front of a cemetery!

BBR FUN FACTS

Longest standing client:
11 years

Longest standing employee:
11 years

Most challenging:
Keeping plants alive

Favorite diet drink:
Diet Dr. Pepper

Partners meeting:
Every Thursday

Favorite lunch run:
Subway

Office Superhero:
Eddie

#1 Office Policy:
Talk, don’t e-mail

Favorite holiday gift:
Boudin

Always around:
Chocolate