BUILDING COOL STUFF

The Cayton Children’s Museum in Santa Monica, California, features 21,000 square feet of creative exhibits, immersive play and hands-on learning. With robust public programs, workshops, classes, camps, and arts and cultural activities, the museum is designed around core universal values that give children, youth and families a unique space to learn.

Novemeber 7 | Jeff Nowak | Blog Posts

Once the marshalling yards of the industrial revolution, Coal Drops Yard used to be a place where trains were loaded with coal. The area’s transit history runs deep – and though for years following it’s been home to counter-culture artistic movements, rave parties, and more – its retail inhabitants have continued to recall much of the area’s original culture and history.

October 16 | Thomas Bulzacchelli | Blog Posts

Culture Under Attack, the Imperial War Museum’s newest season of exhibitions, live music, performances and interventions, explores how war threatens not only lives – but culture, too. To engage visitors with the past in a contemporary way, the design team needed something to bring a unique sense of the past to life while prompting modern conversation in the present…

August 7 | Oat Foundry | Blog Posts

A visual look into how and why we build every Split Flap Display.

July 30 | Oat Foundry | Blog Posts

In Condé Nast’s Architectural Digest video series, Amateur to Real Estate Agent, contestants are challenged to guess the cost of real estate based upon details like location, interior features, and more. To enhance the moment of anticipation for viewers watching the reveal of the final cost, Architectural Digest wanted to use something unique…

July 17 | Jaelynn Plante | Blog Posts

With a 8’x 20′ wall to tell the Confyrm story at the 2019 Identiverse conference, Capital One needed to make a major impact in a small space. Successfully, they attracted, engaged, and amazed guests at their booth with one eye-catching centerpiece…

July 15 | Jaelynn Plante | Blog Posts

When building the new 24,500-square foot Pass & Stow bar at the Philadelphia Phillies’ Citizen Bank Park, the designers wanted to create a local experience that celebrates the city’s rich history and innovative present. The goal was to immerse their guests in an environment that piques their interest and keeps them coming back, game after game…

May 31 | Sean Rossiter| Blog Posts

12 Bones Smokehouse began as an unassuming cinder block shack in Asheville, North Carolina. But with savory, mouth-watering barbeque and witty signage reading ‘Tender Butts and Sweet Racks,’ it quickly evolved into a national treasure that attracted the likes of the Obamas as well as hundreds of customers a day.

Following the success of their Smokehouse, 12 Bones decided to expand into beer using the same recipe for success: good offerings and creative signage. At their new brewery positioned next to a railroad, they wanted to incorporate dynamic signage that connects customers to both their brand and the area– as they had done in their smokehouse years before.

May 13 | Jeff Nowak| Blog Posts

The Starbucks Reserve aims to achieve the highest level of coffee quality. Their luxury experience offers customers a selection of uniquely roasted coffees that are brewed, blended, aged, and infused on-site to create surprising tastes.

In shopping malls around the world, Starbucks Reserve Bars are opening alongside luxury retailers like Gucci, Coach, Kate Spade, and more, thereby associating their experience with high-end fashion brands.

April 8 | Jeff Nowak| Blog Posts

When designing the Los Angeles office, they wanted to create a unique experience that aligns with their brand reputation, and begins, quite literally, as soon as guests walk through the door. First and foremost, they wanted to evoke the look and feel of travel, as they do in every corporate office, and make a big statement that provides guests with the ultimate travel inspiration.

April 2 | Jeff Nowak| Blog Posts

Known for providing innovative drinking water solutions for the plumbing industry, German-Swiss company NEOPERL offers products that shape the water stream, regulate the flow rate and protect drinking water. Since the company was founded in 1959, NEOPERL has expanded the business to over fifteen countries worldwide and is still growing to this day.

March 22 | Sean Rossiter| Blog Posts

From Historic Bus Station to Hilton Garden Inn  – a Homage to Memphis Transit History

From 1950 to 2011, the site of the new downtown Hilton Garden Inn Memphis was home to the city’s Greyhound Bus Station. A gateway to Downtown Memphis, the station was a hub for local travelers and visitors. In an effort to keep the element of travel alive in downtown after the Greyhound station moved to the Memphis Area Transit Authority and to improve the area in the heart of the city, a Hilton Garden Inn was erected in its place.

March 7 | Jeff Nowak| Blog Posts

Oat Foundry helps Weckerly’s scoop shop meet ice cream sandwich demand

Weckerly’s Ice Cream was cutting every sandwich by hand, and quickly realized that their current system for ice cream sandwich production couldn’t keep up with their increasing demand. Recognizing their need for a more economic mechanism that would allow them to cut sandwiches faster and more accurately, the team reached out to Oat Foundry to get their engineering expertise on the best machine for the job.

February 22 | Jeff Nowak| Blog Posts

Moxy Chattanooga Hotel Revives Local History & Engages its Guests with an Old School Split Flap Display

Moxy Hotels prides itself on being different. To start, guests at the millennial-focused hospitality brand check-in at the bar instead of a standard counter, and receive a complimentary cocktail while doing so.

Featuring larger-than-average common spaces, the hotel encourages guests to spend more time in the lobby, and less time in their individual rooms. Referring to their common space as “a living room with a bartender,” patrons enjoy eating, drinking, socializing, napping, and posting on social media – together.

January 16 | Sean Rossiter| Blog Posts

David Chang’s New Momofuku Noodle Bar Excites the Senses with a Throwback Split Flap Display

After the wild success of the Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City’s East Village, celebrity chef David Chang recently launched his second location to rave reviews in the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle, a bustling skyscraper and premier shopping destination. Continuing to evoke the hip ambiance of his first restaurant, the new uptown location is a souped-up sophomore effort that excites every sense with sights, smells, sounds, textures and flavors.

January 4 | Jeff Nowak| Blog Posts

Shakespeare & Co. Creates a Stimulating In-store Experience

In the age of online retail, brick-and-mortar stores can no longer conduct business as usual and expect to thrive. New multi-sensory experiences are more important than ever to bring customers back into physical stores and leave a lasting impression that keeps them coming back for more.

December 7 | Sean Rossiter| Blog Posts

Oat Foundry Split Flap Adds a Sweet Touch to Milk Bar’s LA Flagship

When expanding the cult-favorite bakery and lifestyle brand, Milk Bar to the West Coast, Master Chef Judge and Founder, Christina Tosi, wanted the design of their newest and biggest location to “color outside the lines” of any other Milk Bar that they’ve opened before.

November 27 | Jeff Nowak| Blog Posts

Six Ways a Vintage Split Flap can Benefit Your Hospitality Design Project

In this post, we take a look at six hospitality design projects that incorporated a vintage Split Flap display. From connecting nostalgia and a brand’s identity to finding a new way to tastefully share promotional messages – each project has uniquely adapted their Split Flap usage.

November 20 | Sean Rossiter | Blog Posts

Elmhurst Split Flap Rental Makes a Splash at the Natural Products Expo

Striving to Stand Out – The Natural Products Expo, the world’s premier trade show for the organic and healthy products industry, brings together thousands of brands, buyers, entrepreneurs, investors and experts from around the world. But with over 1,500 brands on display, it’s a challenge for companies like Elmhurst 1925 to stand out against their competition on the show floor.

October 21 | Sean Rossiter | Blog Posts

Weston Urban Seeks a Solution to Their Wayfinding Problem

Weston Urban had one major problem – their source of wayfinding wasn’t very elegant, but they had no other solution. Guests were becoming confused and found it difficult to navigate the Rand Building. Oat Foundry stepped in to provide them with a wayfinding method that paired perfectly with the old-world charm of the building.

September 13 | Jeff Nowak | Blog Posts

How Lucky Dorr Uses a Split Flap to Engage with Guests’ Social Media

Over the past year, Lucky Dorr has grown into a “must-visit” for Chicago tourists and a local go-to spot for Cubs fans after the game. Due to their recent one year anniversary, we checked in on the progress of the bar.

August 29 | Kristian Monsanto | Blog Posts

Kevin Barry Fine Art Wins Most Grammable Booth at HD Expo 2018

In a throng of thousands, the Kevin Barry Fine Art agency knew they needed something extra to stand out from the crowd. A Split Flap rental allowed them to do that, elevating their brand and attracting customers at the 2018 Hospitality Design Expo.

August 28 | Sean Rossiter | Blog Posts

A Nostalgic Upgrade to North America’s Original Ski Resort

August 20 | Jeff Nowak | Blog Posts

Together with experiential exhibit fabricator 3DS, Oat Foundry helped Sun Valley, America’s oldest ski destination, tap into the train stations of yesteryear in their latest addition to the property – Village Station.

Hong Kong’s Best Burger with a Side of Split Flap

August 9 | Jeff Nowak | Blog Posts

After nearly 10 years at Hong Kong Island’s oldest five-star hotel, Uwe Opocensky wanted to have some fun – and came up with the ultimate burger spot. Beef & Liberty’s newest location was destined to become a “must-visit” at the Hong Kong International airport. Their designers sought to remove guests from the stressful airport environment and transport them into the ultimate airport dining experience. The design team imagined ways to bring guests back to the relaxed feel of airport lounges common in the 1960’s and 70’s. The whirring of a Split Flap (old school airport departure board) helped create that nostalgic sense!

Fostering the Human-to-Human Connection through Coffee

August 3 | admin | Blog Posts

Starbucks is a brand synonymous with great coffee and unique experiences. When the designers for the Starbucks Reserve Mexico location reached out to Oat Foundry, the collaboration helped to create an environment that fostered the culture the Starbucks brand is famous for.

The Office Group – Connecting an Ambitious Community

July 26 | admin | Blog Posts

The Office Group sought to create a productive environment people wanted to be in instead of one they wanted to get away from. All it took was a landmark location, a bit of retro inspiration, and of course, a Split Flap.

Discovery, Curiosity, and Amusement. At the Mount Vernon Hotel in Baltimore.

July 16 | Sean Rossiter | Blog Posts

The grand opening of the Hotel Revival had to achieve one thing – create a balance between modern hotel amenities and embrace the rich history the town of Mount Vernon has to offer. With the right team and the help of a Split Flap called Vernon, they were able to go above and beyond expectations.

Jameson Spreads Love to Your Neighborhood

July 9 | Jeff Nowak | Blog Posts

The first of their kind, these mock-block parties were centered around a beer garden experience in neighborhoods from San Diego to Nashville and Austin. Guests were invited to enjoy street food, unique Jameson Barrel Aged craft beers from their Drinking Buddies program, and live music by Jameson Music artists.

Historic Franklin Hotel Rebrands

July 3 | Jeff Nowak | Blog Posts

From five-star dining options (or restaurants) to luxury hotels, the city of Philadelphia has become a destination where you can celebrate history in modern and exciting ways. Discover how Marriott’s Renaissance hotel became a modern destination without sacrificing it’s Old City charm.

Capital One Restores Faith in Banking at SXSW

June 22 | admin | Blog Posts

In today’s economy, it’s hard to describe banking institutions and the internet as “trustworthy.” Capital One sought to change that at their interactive experience at SXSW. Find out how a Split Flap display rental helped their activation educate thousands on new banking practices.

Elevating Brand Activations With Split Flap

June 12 | admin | Blog Posts

When you think about airline food, you probably imagine bland, pre-made snacks and meals. That’s not the case with Air France. They’re notorious for their expertise in the culinary arts and ability to create a relaxing, comfortable, and memorable gastronomic journey. That’s what inspired Gradient, an experiential marketing agency, to partner with the airline and create an immersive dining experience unlike any other – Paris for Dessert.

Split Flap’s Rich History

May 11 | admin | Blog Posts

Picture this…

You’re a child sitting on a wooden bench in the center of 30^th Street Station. Every now and again, you hear the familiar whirr of clicking behind you as the times, tracks, and destinations change on one of the most revolutionary displays known to man – the split flap board. Once considered a relic, Oat Foundry is now bringing back the nostalgic sound of a clicking Split Flap board for use in a variety of industries and settings.

Split Flap Display at Starbucks Costa Rica

Apr 3 | Mark Kuhn | Blog Posts

We have a Split Flap display in Costa Rica! Starbucks has a new visitor center that immerses guests in the entire life cycle of sustainably grown, high-quality arabica coffee from seedling to picking, milling, roasting and the craft of brewing in a café, which features our custom Split Flap display. For more on Starbucks follow them on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter.

Split Flap at Reading Terminal Market

Nov 30 | admin | Blog Posts

Be on the lookout Philly goers! We’ve got one of our Split Flap displays in Philadelphia’s famous “Reading Terminal Market”.  Read more below to learn how our updated Split Flap tech has helped Reading Terminal Market reconnect with its storied past.  Check it out next time you’re there at 12th & Market and let us know how it looks. For more pictures and videos of this custom Split Flap follow RTM on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter.

Split Flap at Wrigley Field

Aug 07 | Sean Rossiter | Blog Posts

We recently installed one of our split flap displays in a craft brew house called “Lucky Dorr” at Wrigley Field, home of the World Series Champion Chicago Cubs.  We built out their split flap to allow them to display drink and menu pricing along with some well known quotes and unique custom coloring/patterns to match their interior design and branding.  Check it out next time you’re at the ballpark and let us know how it looks – in the meantime you can catch more picture and videos of this custom split flap on Lucky Dorr’s Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter.

Mark Talks Split Flap with NextFab

Jul 28  | admin | Blog Posts

Mark talks about how NextFab, a network of makerspaces in Philly & Wilmington, helped in the intermediary stages of scaling up production for Split Flap and how it was an integral part of the initial stages of Oat Foundry.

Split Flap – Air France – Paris for Dessert

Jul 13 | admin | Blog Posts

With the help of Gradient experiential marketing agency – Oat Foundry delivered a unique Split Flap experience for Air France for their “Paris for Dessert” event where each night, one lucky couple was selected at random to instantly fly to Paris and enjoy an unforgettable experience.  The Split Flap was used to showcase the winning names in a nostalgic, suspenseful manner.  Check out the video above to see this unique application.  If you’re interested in Split Flap for your own unique experience, click the Order Now button below.

Split Flap at Mural Arts Wall Ball 2017

Jun 19 | admin | Blog Posts

The great folks at Mural Arts rented a Split Flap for their annual Wall Ball, hosted this year at The Fillmore in Philadelphia.  Read on to see how Mural Arts used this nostalgic & artful messaging system to greet guests as they entered the venue and recognize the donors and honorees throughout the night.

Split Flap at SXSW 2017

Apr 23 | admin | Blog Posts

We recently showed off our Split Flap Display in Austin, Texas at the SXSW trade show and at the TwitchxReddit event.  Below is a bit more about our experience at the trade show and some of the cool stuff that went on down at the Twitch x Reddit live stream.

High Altitude Brand Activation

Feb 03 | admin | Blog Posts

Shrinking a Distillery

Dec 14 | admin | Blog Posts

How do you make a scale model of a still that can help you test out recipes on smaller batches?  Read more here about how we shrunk a distillery to help out our friends over at Philadelphia Distilling.

Shapes and Styles of a Brand

Oct 21 | admin | Blog Posts

Which materials best convey your brand and its message?  Which lines help your signage take shape?

We’ve done a number of custom signs for a number of different brands – each at varying levels of complexity, cost, and scope.

Prototype – Product Design

Aug 9 | admin | Blog Posts

Our product development process is a well-defined path to get from concept to finished product.  Sometimes that process gets cut short for one reason or another – in this case startup Biome was looking for a proof of concept design that helped prove out a larger scale model.

Cutting Waste – Improving a Process

Jun 15 | admin | Blog Posts

How do you cut waste in a process?  What makes it run more efficiently?  Find out here with some examples of where we’ve helped customers cut costs by leaning out a process with the aid of machine design.

Elements of Architectural Fab

Apr