Lafayette American Launches Scorpion Rose Studio

Design has been at the core of Detroit-based creative agency Lafayette American since its inception in 2018. The upcoming launch of their in-house brand design practice, Scorpion Rose Studio is an elevation of the service they have always focused on. Operating within Lafayette American, the studio is able to tap into the extensive resources of the larger agency (which includes strategy, creative, media, and copywriting teams) while maintaining the intimacy, prowess, and collaborative spirit of a boutique studio.

Led by head of design and partner Meg Jannott, the design practice embodies the captivating elegance of a rose and the strategic precision of a scorpion, delivering design systems that flourish and leave a lasting impact. Scorpion Rose Studio officially launches on Valentine’s Day, a nod to their philosophy to help brands embrace the art of romance. This follows the recent debut of the studio’s first work, a rebrand for the Toledo Museum of Art.  

“We've been lucky, we've had bold, ambitious clients who have allowed us to develop a distinct and powerful body of work. Scorpion Rose Studio can now leverage that work to provide a full-service experience both to Lafayette American clients and to our own clients,” says Meg Jannott, partner and head of design, Scorpion Rose Studio and Lafayette American. “We're looking for brands who are ready to connect emotionally to their brands through the intersection of insightful strategy and some higher order notion of 'romance'. Because that is what great design does, it connects to both the head and heart.”

The launch of Scorpion Rose Studio is part of a broader effort by Lafayette American to offer individual solutions that best suit a brand’s needs. The design studio introduces a different type of creative process that redefines what a modern campaign can look like and represent. It allows the entire agency to all projects from a holistic, brand-first perspective focused on connection and authenticity.  

“It’s funny, some things just kind of take on a life and a culture of their own. Philosophies emerge from philosophies, dance moves fall out of dance moves, The Simpsons spun out of The Tracey Ullman show,” says Toby Barlow, founder and chief creative officer, Lafayette American. “Scorpion Rose Studio is like that, it blossomed within Lafayette American and now it’s time to see how it shines on its own.”