Profile: Marc Friedland

Over the last 2 weeks, television has given the general public an opportunity to witness two milestone celebrity birthday parties. First came Oprah's 50th, which she televised on her daytime show. Then came Entertainment Tonight and Good Morning America with John Travolta's Surprise 50th birthday party bash in Mexico. Long before these parties took shape, one individual had the daunting challenge of creating the invitations that would monogram these events. I think it is fair to say that when Hollywood types want to make an impression, they will look high and low to seek out the most creative and innovative types to deliver whatever it is that they wish to convey. There seems to be a trend in Hollywood when it comes to selecting an individual to trademark and distinguish an event, and that trend is to select Marc Friedland, who has come to be known as the “stationer to the stars.” Marc has been responsible for creating some of the most distinctive invitations and collateral materials for events that frankly only Hollywood can produce. From his stationery collection featured in Bergdorf Goodman to his book, Invitations ' The Quintessential Guide for Creating Amazing Invitations for Every Occasion (Clarkson N. Potter, publisher) to his celebrity client list, Marc Friedland is a stand-out in the world of event planning and corporate communications. But Hollywood is not Marc's only beat. Through his corporate organization, Creative Intelligence Incorporated, Marc and his team develop everything from logos to business systems, including brochures and collateral materials to branding to press kits. The company's Customer Services Division provides a wide range of services, including addressing and hand calligraphy to custom packaging and gift-wrapping.