BS LLC is a nimble team of research-focused creatives driven to build more effective brands, plans, and tools with strategy and intention. Whether its an identity, a website, or a digital campaign, we specialize in working with brands experiencing transition or evolution—adept at helping brands rediscover their essence and build corresponding systems to stimulate growth, attract talent, and improve culture. Founded in Cincinnati, OH in 2014 by partners, Ben Greenberg and Sebastien Hue, BS has grown into a full-service agency, with competencies across market research and brand strategy, visual design, communications, and production management.
Our approach to client work is hands-on and organizationally focused. We have seen firsthand the damage that disorganized projects, lagging timelines, and unfocused strategy can have on businesses and institutions. As such, we set out to create systems, processes, and tools to ensure projects are as effective and creative as possible, leaving little to chance while simultaneously creating space for creation. The clients with whom we’ve worked continue to do business with us again and again because of our diligent adherence to timelines and budgets as well as our constant pursuit of strategic excellence and creativity. We love big challenges, complicated stakeholder groups, and multi-stage projects. We’re not afraid to take on what you think might be impossible.
As co-founder, strategist, and lead copywriter at BS LLC, Ben helps turn insights into deliverables. Ben is both a student and practitioner of human-centered design. For close to a decade, he has helped nonprofits, businesses, and institutions create strategies for growth based on internal reflection, external research, and creative problem-solving. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ben holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Northern Kentucky University’s Salmon P. Chase College of Law. He is a member of the board of directors at the Mercantile Library, Breakthrough Cincinnati, and MORTAR.
As lead strategist & creative director of BS LLC, Sebastien Hue translates client goals into achievements. Born in Kentucky, he went on to study Linguistics & International Relations before earning an MBA from ESCP Business School. He is certified in Disruptive Theory by Harvard Business School. During his studies, he spent nights and weekends working in some of the world’s best kitchens in Chicago & Paris, including Taillevant, Lasserre, Charlie Trotters, Blackbird Restaurant, Le Francais, and L’Escargot Montorgueil.
With international experience in technology & business consulting, he went on to serve as the creative director at Boca Restaurant Group advancing with them from 50 to 650 employees and a multi-city footprint before joining paths with Ben and opening BS LLC where he oversees creative direction and strategy. He is a board member at the Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Memorial Hall Society.
Graphic designer, copywriter, adjunct professor, photographer, executive creative director, adult continuing education instructor, strategist —
Sam has contributed to numerous agencies serving a diverse range of roles for at least two lifetimes worth of national and global B2B and consumer clients.
Simplifying complex, multi-stakeholder environments are his specialty, providing clarity and human behavioral insight to creative and business-building endeavors.
Liam is a Designer with BS LLC. Liam graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a BFA in Visual Communication Design. He has spent the last 8 years as a visual creative with competencies in photography, communication design, typographic design, and user interface/experience design. Born and raised in Louisville, KY, Liam now lives in Covington with his wife, Chelsey. Liam enjoys traveling, visiting art museums, and live music.
Hannah graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor’s in Interior Design and a minor in Fashion Design Studies. During her studies, she lived in Seattle, New York, and Detroit creating branded experiences and events. At BS, Hannah works between design and execution for both digital and spatial experiences. She currently lives in Miami, Florida with her husband and their dog, Pancake.
Maddy is a Digital Analyst at BS LLC with specialties in data analysis and management, SEO, and HubSpot implementation. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a B.S. in Business Analytics and a minor in Media Production. Using her experience with CRMs, websites, and data mining, she takes data and transforms it into valuable insights. Maddy enjoys David Lynch movies and fantasy football.
Marielle graduated from the University of Cincinnati, and after obtaining her bachelor’s in Communication, she went on to Aveda Fredric’s Institute to become a licensed Esthetician. At BS, Marielle is using her Communication degree to focus on internal team communication (as well as distracting everyone at the office by talking… A LOT), and on the weekends, she works as a bridal makeup artist. If she’s not doing makeup, you could most likely find her at her yoga studio, at the thrift store, or watching Ratatouille with her cat.
BS LLC is an integrated strategy, marketing, and design agency located in Downtown Cincinnati’s Historic West Fourth district—a location we’re proud to have helped brand. Drop us a line if you’d like to visit us at the office, meet our team, or grab coffee.
151 West 4th Street,
Cincinnati, Ohio
45202
info
@bsllc.biz
+1 513 708 3334
At BS LLC, we are driven by a desire to never stop learning, questioning, and discovering. For each new project we take on, we design a specific research approach that allows us to look deeply at the subject through four lenses: the client’s current authority (their product, service, values, identity), the client’s competitive set, the client’s audience or customers, and the cultural context in which the client finds themself. This 4-way method of researching new projects underpins all other creative and strategic endeavors. We believe art can be anything, but design has to be something, and technology is a mirror and a tool to be harnessed.
Always be learning. We are committed to the idea that we don’t know everything, not even close. Mean what you say. We are committed to communicating with clarity and honesty, with regularity and transparency. Increase beauty. We are committed to creating new work for our clients and ourselves with spirit and intention. A stone unturned is a promise unfulfilled. We are committed to observing deeply, wading through the minutiae, and digging into the depths of the unknown to discover insights that lead to breakthroughs. Helping is itself a goal. The urge to succeed and prove it drives us, but we are forever grateful for the fact that our job is essentially to help people solve problems. Technology is a mirror. Zeros and ones are only as useful as the human placing them in order—we use technology to solve problems, we don’t let technology use us to become problems. Leave it better. We are trying to tread lightly, plant more trees, be nicer to one another and strangers—we’ll let you know how that goes. Assume positive intent. Trust first and ask questions later.
Who’d have thought that BS could be so rigorous and thoughtful? But it’s true; we have a mindful method for getting to know each client and the relevant aspects of their branding, marketing, design, and strategy challenges. If you’re curious about what it’s like to have us as your business-building, design-enhancing, or strategy-defining team, step through these 6 sequential articles. You’ll learn how we start virtually every client engagement, and why we do it.
