{{Short description|Design agency in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. }}
{{Draft topics|visual-arts}}
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Design agency in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
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FUEL, Inc. is an American branding agency based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Its team leads with design as a key tool for solving challenges for its clients, while also leveraging web design, digital marketing and advertising to achieve the desired goals.
FUEL has worked with a wide range of clients in Agribusiness, Aerospace, Architecture, Aviation, Construction, Food & Beverage, Forestry, Health Services, Industrial Manufacturing, Technology and Transportation.
FUEL, Inc. was founded in 2001 by Rockwell Collins marketing veteran John Moes[1] and accomplished Cedar Rapids designer Bill Bollman[2].
Prior to founding FUEL, Moes gained extensive experience at Rockwell Collins – first in business development; then design, publishing and strategic business communication. He was with the company through two rebranding projects. The power of a highly aligned brand experience delivered in a collaborative manner by all suppliers and stakeholders appealed to his interests.
After studying illustration in college, Bollman worked for several years at advertising agencies in Waterloo and Cedar Rapids. A shift occurred with a move to Basler Design Group in Cedar Rapids. During that time, the idea of “branding” was beginning to emerge. He gained an appreciation of how all the elements of design – typography, color, and visual imagery came together.
In 1999, one of Bollman’s clients was Rockwell Collins. His client contact was John Moes. They shared a similar mindset about what design could do and became fast friends.
The two opened FUEL 24 months later.
The agency operated from its studio in Hiawatha, Iowa, from its founding until March 2025 when it relocated to a new space[3] in [Plaza 425] in Downtown Cedar Rapids.
Since its founding, numerous design publications and award shows have recognized FUEL’s work for its excellence. These include:
| YEAR | AWARD SHOW/PUBLICATION | RECOGNITION |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | American Advertising Federation (AAF) Quad Cities ADDYs | Best of Show for John Deere Construction & Forestry[4] |
| 2003 | HOW International Design Annual | Inclusion for John Deere Construction & Forestry[5] |
| 2006 | American Advertising Federation (AAF) Cedar Rapids ADDYs | Judges Choice for Tattoo Majik[6] |
| 2008 | Rockport The Best of Business Card Design 8 | Inclusion for FUEL and Cedar Ridge[7] |
| 2011 | Rockport Letterhead + Logo Design 12 | Inclusion for Whatsup, Cedar Ridge & Bachman[8] |
| 2012 | Mid-American Wine Competition | Gold Award in the Most Sophisticated category; Silver Award in the Typography category[9][10] |
| 2015, 2016 | PRINT Magazine Regional Design Annual | Inclusion for John Deere and John Deere Forestry[11][12][13][14] |
| 2016 | American Advertising Federation (AAF) CR/IC | Names John Moes to Ad Fed Hall of Fame (2016)[15] |
| 2017 | Corridor Business Journal | CBJ Coolest Places to Work[16][17] |
| 2017 | American Advertising Federation (AAF) CR/IC ADDYs | (2) Judges Choice and (2) Best of Category[18] |
| 2018 | American Advertising Federation (AAF) CR/IC ADDYs | Best of Show for Cedar Ridge Distillery Integrated Campaign; (2) Judge’s Choice and (5) Best of Category[19] |
| 2021 | Art Directors Association of Iowa (ADAI) – 63rd Design Exhibition | Best of Category award for John Deere Forestry; (13) Excellence Awards[20][21] |
| 2022 | Art Directors Association of Iowa (ADAI) – 64th Design Exhibition | (5) Best of Category awards for John Deere, Lifewell Coaching and Don Hummer Trucking; (17) Excellence Awards[22][23] |
| 2025 | AMA Iowa – Nova Awards | Best Website – 2nd Place for ALMACO[24][25] |
In addition to supporting several non-profits with pro-bono work, FUEL has made inroads into motorsports sponsorships, first with a driver, and more recently, a racetrack.
The agency sponsored NHRA drag racer Afton Swanson of Swanson Motorsports in 2022.[26][27]
Then in 2024, FUEL began an ongoing relationship with Tri-State Raceway[28][29], a historic 1/4-mile drag racing facility in Earlville, Iowa. The track hosted the Midwest host of the NHRA Summit Racing Series.
FUEL has provided the annual program cover art for the Metro Youth Football Association (MYFA) in Cedar Rapids since 2001.[30]
