Montauk - There must be something in the air in Montauk that inspires creative thinking judging by the work that Blumenfeld + Fleming, an award winning advertising firm based in Montauk has been turning out since they teamed up in 2001.

They are still going strong running a small business that seems to be recession proof. "We are doing all right," Jill Fleming said. "Our business is improving constantly," Lynn Blumenfeld added.

This dynamic duo met on the beach in Montauk in 2001 and never looked back once they decided to work together - combining their skills to offer clients a unique multi-faceted approach to advertising.

Blumfeld + Fleming do it all. They will design your logo and business cards. They will help you select your stationary and plan a mailing campaign. They can create a website or help you with your print advertising. These two Madison Avenue ex-patriots bring their combined skills as graphic designers, copy editors and all around former MAD-women to the table for a wide variety of clients.

They have built a better mousetrap that has brought the world to their unique office door located at the back of Fleming's Montauk home. The accounts, large and small, come from the city as well as from Southampton. International clients beat a path to their door stopping at the beach while they are here.

"Everyone envies us," Fleming said. "They have to go back to the city and we don't" Blumenfeld added. Fleming, an avid surfer, came to Montauk in 1993. She enjoys her quiet country life. Blumenfeld is equally enthusiastic about Montauk. Her heart still skips a beat every time she sees the ocean over the rise as the road heads into downtown Montauk.

"We work very well together," Blumenfeld said of the seamless partnership required to produce such cohesive adverting. The pair considers themselves marketers as well as advertising campaign managers. The team takes a comprehensive look at an account before taking the client on. "We want to help them build their business," Fleming said, "so we look at things short-term and long-term."

Their campaigns are striking, clever and very individual. A few years ago the pair landed The Islanders. Neither were hockey fans to speak of but their catchy phrase "We are all Islanders" hit the mark. A campaign for Schmidt's Market in Southampton was equally clever as it asked shoppers to overlook the dirt on the fresh tomatoes at the produce counter. Another ad noting the market's owners would never go too far to get fresh vegetables emphasized the need to buy the produce grown in our own backyards. The pair turned their talents to a local cause last summer when they designed a memorable poster for Ladles of Love. The simple graphic depicted a soup ladle doling out hearts. It was done in shades of pink and red reflecting the psychology of colors as well as their capabilities as graphic designers aware of the fact that a picture is worth a thousand words. Images are important in advertising and this pair has it down to a tee. A campaign done for a luxury hotel on the ocean located close to the city pokes fun at the Hamptons and the legendary traffic out East. A beautiful shot of a beautiful girl in a pink bikini skipping along the beach is accompanied by some very clever symbolism that substitutes for words. It says " #%*! The Hamptons."

"That's controversial," Blumenfeld said of the ad campaign dissing the Hamptons. But hey, business is business and everyone knows these ladies love the Hamptons and their home team players. The pair used a local fisherman named Charlie, "he's cute" they said, to drive an ad campaign for Gosman's Restaurant. The beefcake dressed in overalls is holding a big, freshly caught fish. He says, "Hi, I'm Charlie. I'll be catching your dinner tonight."

It is not easy to think this stuff up. The effortless end products are slick and professional and seem casual and airy while they are the result of hours of hard work and brainstorming as well as years of combined experience. The synergy between the creative team can never be underestimated in advertising.

Blumenfeld + Fleming bring their own business savvy to the table when advising clients on media buys. Their job is especially challenging in an economic climate where advertising dollars are often scarce and business owners are hard pressed to find the right venues for their products.

The South Fork is a unique retail and business market dominated by a number of high-end businesses that cater to a well heeled clientele. Media buys in local venues often serve their clients well. "When these high-end businesses advertise in larger venues they often buy more than they need," Blumenfeld said. "For example an ad in The New York Times can cost $100,000, a lot of people will see it but most of the readers are not your customers or your target market."

The pair developed their philosophy in response to the marketplace as they handled accounts both large and small on the South Fork where their satisfied clients sign their praises. "It's one thing if a client comes to us with unlimited resources and money is no object versus the client who has a limited budget," Blumenfeld said.

Flexibility is their strong suit. These ladies know how to give their clients bang for the buck. They have been known to run their own photo shoots, take their own pictures, use friends and family as models and even do their own voiceovers in commercials to save money.

They pride themselves on their skills as creative problem solvers vowing to take a look at your business from the inside out. "We will ask you questions you haven't thought of," they proclaim on their user friendly website.

Most of all they have boundless enthusiasm for their work. "We love what we do," the team said in unison proving they speak in one voice when it comes to clients. Now that's teamwork.