Welcome to the Future.

The PDF Group (Present Day Future) started in Southern California in 2020. Born in chaos, built on clarity. Brands don’t just need a personality—they need a soul.

We’re a brand and product strategy firm. We create systems, identities, and products that evolve. Marketing, product development, creative direction, content—end to end. At the core is Shade Tactics, our framework built on archetypes and psychology. It gives brands a psyche. It makes them human.

Most agencies build brands that tell a story. We build brands that are alive. Brands that adapt, shift, and grow. Our philosophy: evolution is the only constant. A brand is not a campaign, a logo, or a tagline. It’s a psyche—capable of change, contradiction, and growth.

We create brands that think. Brands that act. Brands that feel like people. Because brands are people. Massive shifts are coming. What worked ten years ago won’t survive what’s next. Are you ready? The future will not wait.

Meet the Team

  • Jona Grey

    FOUNDER | HEAD OF PRODUCT

    jona@thepdfgroup.com

    Harlequin | Artist | Dreamer | Warrior | Wallflower

  • Raina (Birdie) Dayne

    PARTNER | HEAD OF BRANDING

    birdie@thepdfgroup.com

    Alchemist | Philosopher | Dreamer | Warrior | Artist

  • Josh Patterson

    WEB DEVELOPMENT | UX/UI

    josh@thepdfgroup.com

    Alchemist | Philosopher | Mother | Sovereign | Artist

  • Michelle Mathews

    PROJECT MANAGER | OPS LEAD

    info@thepdfgroup.com

    Philosopher | Mother | Seeker | Dreamer | Muse

  • Lvlian (Louie) Dahlberg

    THE INTERN

    louie@thepdfgroup.com

    Philosopher | Mother | Warrior | Muse | Dreamer

  • Willow Dayne

    THE CAT

    The cat is unable to respond through email correspondence at this time.

Projects that might interest you.

DrifterVans | Present Day. Future.

DrifterVans is a $4.2M brand. Strong in-house creative. Loyal customers. Social presence growing every day. Momentum is here, the machine is running.

But the next leap isn’t more posts, more content, or even just new packaging. It’s identity. A brand with weight. One that raises perceived value, creates lifestyle status, and keeps people coming back—not just for the product, but for what it represents. DrifterVans needs repositioning.

Proposal

  • The full Shade system applied to DrifterVans. A complete rebrand built on archetypes, psychology, and strategy. This isn’t just a new look—it’s an identity system designed for evolution.

  • Defining the role of GWP as part of brand status. Strategy, design, and sourcing to create items people want to show off and keep—more than an add-on, a cultural signal.

  • Hands-on product development and vendor management. From technical specs to factory sourcing, domestic and overseas—ensuring quality and scalability.

  • Once the Shade system is complete, your internal team is trained in how to use it. Bi-monthly sessions to equip them with the tools to keep the brand consistent, adaptive, and alive.

  • A visual playbook that sets the standard for campaigns, lifestyle imagery, and social content. Designed to elevate DrifterVans into a lifestyle brand with cultural weight.

  • Concept to creation. Product and packaging as experience. Built to be collectible, shareable, and status-driven—so the unboxing is as strong as the product itself.

What’s Included in Shade Tactics 24-bit

Artifact 001 | Shade Discovery Report

Competitive Mapping (market and competitor analysis)
Founder Shade Analysis
Shade Profile: Brand’s Archetypal Structure

Artifact 002 | Archetype ID Codex

Foundational Shade Strategy
Detailed archetype traits for each placement
Psychological translation into positioning & identity

Artifact 003 | Visual ID Index

Logo | Color Palette | Type Hierarchy | Visual ID
Subconscious cues & design psychology (color theory, shape psychology, propaganda techniques, art history influence)

Artifact 004 | The Brand Cautionary

Behaviors, visuals, and messaging styles to avoid
Marketing methods that break brand integrity
Darkling boundaries (Brand’s Shadow traits)
Positioning “redlines” (where not to play in market)

Artifact 007 | The Experience Manual

Love Languages + Attachment Theory
(what will keep them)
Attraction rules (what will get them)
CX Guidelines

Artifact 010 | Identity Archive

Logo files (various formats)
Typography (files & licensing and/or custom type)
Color palettes (with codes)
Iconography sets | Any custom design assets

Artifact 005 | Verbal ID Index

Brand story structure | Narrative arcs | Messaging pillars
Tone guidance (formal, playful, serious, etc.)
Colloquial Language | Brand psyche connection points

Artifact 008 | The Lexicon

Brand Voice Definition | Tone variations by platform
(social, website, email, packaging, etc.)
Taglines, slogans, key phrases
Do / Don’t lists for language

Artifact 011 | The Brand Canon

Volume I: Visual & Verbal (logos, typography, tone, language)
Volume II: Marketing (channels, creative guidelines)
Volume III: Foundation (philosophy, values, positioning)
Volume IV: The Cautionary (don’ts, marketing methods to avoid)
Volume V: Customer (personas, CX, loyalty principles)

Artifact 006 | The Brand Doctrine

Core foundation & belief system
Brand philosophy |Mission & Reason for being
Value statements | Positioning statement

Artifact 009 | The Customer Directory

Customer archetype profiles
Personas (demographics, psychographics, habits)
Spending habits, decision drivers
Echo profile (The Brand Mirror)

Next Steps.

Discuss Services
Sign MNDA, MSA & SOW
Live long and prosper!