About Us
Maximizing brand impact at point of sale.
LW never thinks of your brand as “just another pretty package.” Our passion is to dig deeper. Our passion is to communicate more effectively to drive brand preference and purchase.
We’ve been doing this especially well in active consumer categories for more than 20 years. Why? Because we enjoy active lifestyles that match our work. Each of us usually has several indoor and outdoor projects in progress. The challenge of learning new ways to improve things always intrigues us. It’s stuff they can’t teach at MBA school.
Our team’s personal passion is a secret ingredient that helps us win at the retail shelf. From the first moment we meet, you’ll know we have a genuine interest in your products, consumers, and retail partners. Our staff blends in easily with your team.
Our Clients
While our clients crisscross many different categories, we have a strong understanding of how consumers shop and make purchase decisions. Whether targeting the DIYer, Pro users, or consumers in general, understanding the driving forces behind active men and women lets us develop clever ways help your brand meet today’s consumers’ needs. Long relationships with many of our clients attest to our formula for success.
Our Team
Leadership Team
George Wargo
Principal
George is a founding Principal of LW and Creative Director with over 30 years of experience in strategic branding at the consumer touch point creating integrated programs and winning both client’s trust; from startups to Fortune 500 Companies. He’s passionate about every aspect of the business, digging deep into consumer behavior, removing impediments to a brand’s success, and finding the best solutions to help clients grow their brands with measured results.
George blends in with your team and quickly becomes a valuable resource. His clear analysis provides solutions with a strategic road map for success. Clients have sought his help repeatedly to bring product lines and services to market in the durable goods, housewares, consumer goods and fast food sectors among others.
A sampling of client successes include programs for Behr, Burger King, Denny’s, Dow, Duracell, Ferrero, Glidden, Heinz, Henry, Honeywell CPG, Kimberly-Clark, L’eggs, Motorola, Mr. Coffee, Nabisco, Scotts, True Temper, and many others.
Mike Blumenstock
VP Marketing
Mike has over 30 years of experience crafting strategies to delight consumers, satisfy channel partners, and deliver increases in brand sales and profits. After a decade of client-side experience in Fortune 100 companies, he has successfully applied their best practices to brands owned by smaller firms. He’s focused on tightly analyzing and defining the brand’s consumer and channel challenges to ensure programs are on-target to maximize impact of marketing and sales investments.
Mike integrates with your team to challenge the status quo, consistently looking for better alternatives. His broad experience in consumer packaged goods, consumer durables, sporting goods, and B2B brands enables him to provide a 360° “stress test” of programs before execution to ensure in-market success.
A sampling of the brands he’s improved include; Monroe shock absorbers, Thule car racks, Yuasa powersport batteries, Superwinch, SodaStream, The Right Stuff, Aunt Jemima, Ken-L Ration dog food, Terex, Dacor scuba gear, Pilla performance eyewear, Hinckley Springs bottled water, and many others.
He has created plans to grow existing brands, launch over $150 million in new products, and enter new channels of distribution. His teams’ branding programs have earned awards for; in-store displays, public relations, packaging design, catalogs, and customer service.
Pete Novello
Creative Director | Brand Strategist
Pete Novello is an accomplished Creative Director with a diverse, multi-disciplinary background in design and a deep passion for creating strategic branding solutions—particularly within the retail sector. Pete combines his technical design skills with a creative vision to deliver powerful branding experiences. His expertise lies in brand strategy, package design, concept ideation, and project management.
Pete thrives on leading creative teams through every stage of the design process, from initial strategy to final production. His ability to forge strong, collaborative relationships with both internal teams and external clients ensures seamless execution and on-brand solutions that resonate with target audiences.
Before joining LW, Pete honed his craft in New York City, where he led creative initiatives for some of the world’s most iconic consumer product brands, including Coca-Cola, Nabisco, Kraft, Gillette, Heineken, Lipton, Bacardi, and many others. He started the foundation of his career at respected design firms such as Spring Design Partners, Interbrand Gerstman & Meyers, and Ceradini Design, where he refined his approach to impactful design and branding. Pete holds a BFA degree in Illustration & Design from Syracuse University.
Robert Tiedemann
Structural Design Director
Robert has over 30 years of industry experience. He is passionate about finding the best possible solution to your project. His responsibilities include managing the total innovation process to include the design and development of new products, structures, unique delivery systems and retail merchandising concepts.
Prior to LW Robert gained extensive expertise in the area of exhibit design, showrooms and in-store retail product demonstration display design, with clients as Tyco Toys, Mattel, FAO Schwartz, Toys R Us and Fisher Price.
Robert got his start at Raymond Lowey where he began the process of perfecting his design concept development craft with clients that included NASA and the US Department of Transportation. He has received over 25 patents for his professional design work and has lectured at several universities.