The Creative Marketing Tradition That Defines Our Culture
Every year, our team creates a movie-style poster that celebrates our culture, our partnerships, and our community presence. What began as a fun idea in 2012 has evolved into a signature Tenhulzen tradition. This year’s poster, Tenhulzens Out, marks one of our most creative themes yet.
A Decade of Creativity and a New Mystery Theme
Finding a movie poster with many characters gets harder each year. Yet this challenge fuels our creativity. In the past, our themes ranged from action films to westerns to sports classics.
For 2024, we embraced a new direction: a murder mystery theme inspired by Knives Out.
The timing also aligned with our murder mystery dinners at Hollywood Manor, creating a perfect crossover between our events and our marketing.
Why We Create These Posters Each Year
Our poster series began in 2012 to highlight performance, teamwork, and connection.
We reveal each poster at the annual A.V.A.T.A.R. event, where seven awards honor our trade partners and vendors. These partners support our work daily, and the posters help us celebrate them.
Before 2020, the themes were chosen by popular vote from options with large casts. COVID changed that. The 2020 poster reflected uncertainty during the early pandemic. Later posters reflected major moments for our team: scrutiny on our property in 2021, construction chaos in 2022, and the long-awaited completion of Hollywood Manor in 2023.
This year’s theme honors our growing visibility and involvement in the community.
The Meaning Behind “Tenhulzens Out”
“Tenhulzens Out 2024” represents more than a movie parody; it signals that after completing Hollywood Manor and settling into Woodinville, we are fully out in the community again. That message is strongly reinforced by our sponsors; Woodinville Rotary, Woodinville Wine Country, the Woodinville Chamber, and VMG Studios, who hosted our green-screen shoot. Each partnership reflects our growing presence and deepening ties within Woodinville and beyond.
Building the Poster: Characters, Costumes, and Collaboration
Every year, our team dresses as characters from the featured film.
Outfits come from secondhand stores or personal closets.
Each person picks or is assigned a character that matches the original poster.
Our staff fully commits. They channel expressions, gestures, and personalities to capture their character. The only challenge? Movie posters rarely show smiles. So once again, we look like the world’s most serious remodeling company.
We position our core team near the center, with support staff around the edges. Bright colors, bold textures, and dramatic poses help match the original artwork while keeping things fun.
Behind the Scenes: The Shoot at VMG Studios
VMG Studios offered their green room for our shoot this year. Their space allowed us to pose, coordinate lighting, and recreate the poster’s dramatic tone.
We searched for construction-themed props for the magnifying glass but found no good alternatives. We kept the original letter opener to stay true to the concept.
The background library image came from an open-source collection. It matched the film’s atmosphere without violating copyrights.
The “patriarch” seated in the center was chosen with humor in mind. Jeff, our oldest team member, had repeatedly joked about retiring when his wife retired. So we “killed him off” for the poster. He is still with us—very much alive and still part of the team.
A Year of Successes Worth Celebrating
The year behind this poster was strong.
We met our construction budget while handling fewer but larger projects.
Our top vendors continued to support us with unmatched reliability:
- Ferguson Enterprises for plumbing and lighting.
- Dunn Lumber for consistent reliability.
- Fredericks Appliance, a trusted partner we confidently send clients to.
These relationships helped shape a memorable year for our entire team.
Capturing Company Culture Through Creativity
Each poster includes credits that honor contributors and community ties.
This year’s credited organizations included Woodinville Football, PTSA, Minuteman Press in Redmond, catering from Costco, and even a fictional band named “Dead Pan Expression.”
The photo shoot itself often becomes a highlight of the year.
Snacks, light drinks, laughter, and teamwork create genuine memories—far beyond marketing value.
Celebrating Community, Creativity, and Collaboration
“Tenhulzens Out 2024” represents how far our company has come.
The poster honors our presence in Woodinville, our partnerships, and the vibrant culture we continue to build together.
This tradition is more than a marketing project.
It is a tribute to our journey, our people, and the trade partners who help us bring every remodel to life.
We look forward to unveiling the final poster at the upcoming A.V.A.T.A.R. event—and to creating the next chapter in this ongoing story.
0 Comments