ARTICHOKES & ADVERTISING — WITH HEART.

A Vegetable and A Vision.

When people first learn about Elisco’s Creative Café, they ask a lot of questions – like what is our specialty and who are our clients. Occasionally, someone will ask — what’s the deal with the artichoke. 

The artichoke is important to us because it’s at the core of who we really are. We selected the artichoke for several reasons. First, it represents the Italian heritage of our firm and my father, who founded the agency. The second reason is that it’s a very unique vegetable, and we like to believe we’re different — there are thousands of agencies and design firms, but there’s only one Creative Café. Another reason we selected the artichoke is because it has multiple layers, and we always bring deep thinking to all of the projects and programs we work on. And the last reason we selected it — and probably the most important is that at the center of the artichoke is a really good heart. 

For us, having a good heart guides what we’re doing — in business and in life. 

While we make award-winning wine and to-die-for fried zucchini flowers, we’re most known for our house specialty —branding new products, services, and companies. Over the last 41 years, we’ve developed brands in nearly every industry from healthcare, financial, and food & beverage to business-to-business, education, and real estate development.

At Elisco, we’re always cooking up new ways to help marketing-driven companies shorten their sales cycle, enter new markets and reach new audiences. We’ve eliminated the idea of a business famine and replaced it with a perpetual feast that’s the result of a proactive planning methodology and an expertise in branding new products, services and companies.

In addition to launching new products and services, we also host special dinners, art shows, wine tastings and poetry readings that feed the mind and foster the best kind of thinking for our clients.

“Wherever you go, the Creative Café stays with you. It’s a moveable feast.”

Ready to Serve.

Over the last 42 years, we’ve served fresh ideas to thousands of clients and hundreds of companies, some of which are listed here. From healthcare and financial, to CPG and B2B, we have the brand experience you need.

The right ingredients — people and passion.

At Elisco, we’ve developed the perfect blend of smart, compassionate, and hardworking people. People that you can trust to deliver because they have the experience, education, and character necessary. So when your back is against a deadline — and isn’t it always? You can count on us.

John Elisco
Proprietor & Creative Director

With more than 20 years of ad industry experience, John has worked on both the client and agency side of the business in strategic planning, account management, and creative. He has helped launch over 300 new products, services, and companies in various industries, including healthcare, financial services, consumer products, and education.

John is an award-winning writer and video editor and has won multiple Telly Awards and Achievement in Radio awards. He is a graduate of Penn State with a BA in English and earned his MFA in writing at Point Park University.

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