The Splinter Group

The Splinter Group The Splinter Group provides design, marketing and advertising services to clients who understand that big ideas don't need to come from big firms.

And that big results often follow big ideas. The Splinter Group began in 2000 after branching off (splintering, if you will) from Disney-owned Mammoth Records. After working together at the record label for twelve years as GM and Creative Director, respectively, Steve Balcom and Lane Wurster decided to get into a more honest line of work — advertising. Our idea was to take what we had learned abou

t branding and marketing music products and offer it to businesses and organizations that were interested in a more creative marketing approach. Sixteen years on, The Splinter Group has stayed true to its mission and has earned a reputation as one of the most agile, creative shops around. We tell compelling stories about things we believe in, whether it be a retailer, a restaurant, a brewery, a technology company or a band. We seek to capture the essence of our client’s work (both what they do and how they uniquely do it) and turn that into an easily-understood narrative. The story generally begins with a visual identity and is then conveyed via a variety of modes, generally dependent on budget. While we see ourselves as brand developers, The Splinter Group is a full service agency. Each and every day you will find us designing collateral, developing websites, planning media, devising PR campaigns, creating social media and loyalty platforms and doing just about anything else our clients need or want. We collaborate closely with our clients, creating custom work that is inspired by their personalities and unique approaches. We undertake this task with a tremendous sense of responsibility and respect. Over the years we’ve developed a few operating beliefs:

1) Marketing can’t be more important to us than it is to the client.

2) The worst type of client is one you don’t care about impressing.

3) The second worst is one who knows exactly what they want.

4) We’ve kept our shop small and we don’t have a B-game. If we can’t give a project our best attention, we’ll pass rather than disappoint.

5) With no disrespect to Keith Richards, Mick Taylor was the Stones’ best lead guitarist. If you’re still reading this, we should talk…

We just launched a new website for local architect Sophie Piesse, featuring an incredible portfolio of new and transform...
09/01/2026

We just launched a new website for local architect Sophie Piesse, featuring an incredible portfolio of new and transformed homes. If you want to lose yourself in beauty for a few minutes (or way longer), please take a look at the site and their work. We also spotlight their unique approach to working with clients and some of the features that weave through their homes. We loved working with Sophie and Luisa on the new brand and this website, check it out here: https://sophiepiesse.com/

This week we got to jet on over to Press Durham to get a look (and taste!) of their menu offerings with help from models...
08/28/2026

This week we got to jet on over to Press Durham to get a look (and taste!) of their menu offerings with help from models Isa and Malia. As always, Press knocked it out of the park, so make it over soon for a coffee, crepe, cocktail, or all three! And keep an eye out for their upcoming LTO program… more details to come👀

Our favorite fresh pasta restaurant turned five this weekend! Seems like just yesterday that we were working on logo dir...
08/26/2026

Our favorite fresh pasta restaurant turned five this weekend! Seems like just yesterday that we were working on logo directions and menu designs. Wow. Congrats to David and his entire crew for making Carrboro more and more delicious everyday. Here's to the next five!

The ArtsCenter is putting a Nashville spin on its annual Gala and we just completed save-the-date graphics for the event...
08/24/2026

The ArtsCenter is putting a Nashville spin on its annual Gala and we just completed save-the-date graphics for the event. We're giving you a big heads-up so you can plan your outfit and practice your line dancing. Should be a hoot!

We just finished a brand refresh and new website for the North Carolina Cider Association, who supports consumer educati...
08/16/2026

We just finished a brand refresh and new website for the North Carolina Cider Association, who supports consumer education, improved production, and strengthened marketing for cidermakers across the state. Of note is the Producers section, an interactive map with profiles on makers in NC. Check it all out at cidernc.org.

Honored to have launched our second website for pioneering Jamaican music label Studio One Records. The new site spotlig...
08/15/2026

Honored to have launched our second website for pioneering Jamaican music label Studio One Records. The new site spotlights their history and artists while promoting and selling their newest reissues. Check out the label and the essential music Studio One has released since the early 1960s.

We had a great shoot with our friends at Nerra in Durham the other week! We’re excited to spotlight delicious dishes lik...
08/14/2026

We had a great shoot with our friends at Nerra in Durham the other week! We’re excited to spotlight delicious dishes like their Curry Shore and the Sun-fire Jerk Chicken. Every dish was an absolute delight, so do yourself a favor and make a reservation for lunch or dinner ASAP!

We're excited to share our new logo for architect Sophie Piesse. The rebrand was the result of deep engagement with Soph...
08/13/2026

We're excited to share our new logo for architect Sophie Piesse. The rebrand was the result of deep engagement with Sophie and her designer Luisa in which we sought to distill and depict what sets them apart from other firms. The logo embodies the thoughtful and personalized approach they bring to every project, designing homes that are unique reflections of the personalities and aspirations of each client. Our creative process mirrored the way Sophie and Luisa work with their clients and it was a pleasure to collaborate with such a creative and focused team. We're currently working on a new website...we'll share that once it's live!

Things are heating up over at Rise this summer with limited-time-only offerings like the Bacon, Egg & Heat, featuring ha...
08/12/2026

Things are heating up over at Rise this summer with limited-time-only offerings like the Bacon, Egg & Heat, featuring habanero Cheddar and crispy, fried jalapenos and the glazed Peach Cobbler Biscuit. These tastes of summer won’t be around for long, so make sure to try them while they’re still available!

Address

605 W Main Street, Ste 201
Carrboro, NC
27510

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