Quiksilver is never a really very big brand in Canada (at lease since I came here to study). Perhaps it is because their cloths are mainly targeted to people who do wake boarding, surfing, and other water sport, which there aren’t many places in Canada can let people to do it. That should be the reason why their business only focuses on Vancouver within Canada. The thing I want to say is their logo of their women clothing line – Roxy. Roxy’s logo is from by two copies of the Quiksilver logo, which forms a heart. I think it is just brilliant because in this case it keeps the connecting of these two companies but in the same time it converses the totally boyish logo in to a totally girly logo. I think they did a job on the designing the logo.
Quiksilver and ROXY
Appropriate brand extensions?
Radio Energie is series of stations in Quebec which play Top 40. Over the last year they decided to release an energy drink product to correspond with the station. This type of brand extension fits the nature of the station, young and exciting, not to mention with over energy drink sales of about $2 Million a year in Quebec, Radio Energie had an opportunity to take a chunk out of that market. So far they have done it successfully, selling twice as many cases of drinks as compared to their objectives, and while all these energie drinks have provided students like me with the ability to stay up, it is also an excellent to promote the radio stations at the same time. I got about 60 cans of this stuff when I volunteered at the recent Cassies, and I'd like to thank them for helping me complete my rebrand project. I love you guys!
Personal branding
Anyone can do it! and should, according to an article from Elle Magazine. It discusses how branding yourself forces you to "emerge from your comfort zone and start exploring the real you." It worked for 32-year-old Meenu Chhabra from Toronto, a successful business women who has just landed a position at a pharmaceutical company based in Geneva. She says her secret is personal branding, it helps her choose jobs that "fulfill her interests and play to her skills". If you know what you're good at and what your needs are you can market yourself to clients and employers. I like the fact that an article like this was published in a magazine that targets young women, many of which are starting their careers. They also mention that it can benefit one's personal life, as the goal of personal branding is to attract your ideal- whether in business or in life.
So maybe the moral of the story is that even though we've done those "self-branding" projects one too many times the past couple of years, there's something there that we should take with us when we leave OCAD. There's an importance in knowing yourself as a designer in order to get jobs and to be able to grow as artists. ... So i guess, here's to branding!
REITMANS
We all the horrible ads on the subway but that print ads don't match up the t.v ads.
Ones tacky and the other is tastefully tacky ....
there is an inconsistency within their marketing team.
Anyone want to guess which office is the picture showing?
I still remember if we want to change a brand, we have to concern on the logo, the lighting and how people can see the logo strongly on top of the building.This is Dior head office in Japan. You can see there is a star on top of the building. This architecture is very attractive as people can see it far away, the whole thing is lighting up the street. However, i believe you don't see the words on the logo, right?
Not much people knows that dior's logo is a star, but people will just remember the wording. In this case, the wording can't show very successfully therefore even it is a nice architecture, but this is not a good branding solution.
Hair Straightener Packaging
Shown in the picture are 2 different Hair straighteners. The top ( bespoke labs T3 Narrow wet or dry) is a top of the line ceramic flat iron infused with tourmaline that retails from $249-299. The bottom is a flat iron by Torlen, with ceramic plate that retails for $119. Both are considered professional straighteners, but as a consumer who doesn't know anything about flat-irons, packaging is can really influence the decision. The t3 iron's packaging looks really high-end, with embossed lettering and image of the iron. the quality/finish of the box is smooth with low sheen. The Torlen on the other hand, package is really crap. The package is bland, the bankground colour uses a No-Frill's yellow (yet they call it Pure Gold), and if you look up closely, you can actually see the image of the iron is pixelated. Though the regular consumer may not realize these small things, I think its important for companies to realize that packaging tell a lot about the product.. and not just hire a 15 year old who knows how to use a little photoshop.Go Leafs Go!!
According to Leafs’ GM John Ferguson, the blue and white with the simple Maple Leaf logo represents the team’s rich heritage and tradition also it looks clean, classic and strong.
I believe Maple leafs are always one of the strongest symbols of Canada.
It’s been changed quit a lot in about 80 years, means people are still crazy about this hockey team and always pursuing changes and better development.
The current Maple Leafs logo is a modernized version of the original 1927 logo, which was designed after the logo of Canada's 1924 Winter Olympic hockey, team the Toronto Granites and Canada's national symbol.
Painted Turtle Wines
Painted Turtle Wines is a Canadian winery based in British Columbia. They offer a range of 4 wines, ranging from Merlot to Sauvignon Blanc at around $12 per bottle. Their slogan is "No worries, no hurries".
While they do have a pretty sweet logo/type design on their bottles, the real interesting thing about them is that they're donating proceeds from their sales to habitat protection in BC, in order to protect... you guessed it... painted turtles.
The wine's not bad either, check them out at www.paintedturtlewines.com
This is Not a Bomb
As most of you may know that this past Wednesday there was a bomb scare at the Royal Ontario Museum. What has come to light as of last night, however, is that it was an OCAD student that was in fact responsible for the incident that shut down the ROM, its surrounding area and streets, and an 600 dollar a plate AIDS gala.
The Integrated Media major and his final project for his advanced video class are the direct cause––intended or not––of a OCAD class project, a day later, he is now suspended from our school and is wanted for questioning by police. Although statements from OCAD have been released saying the project was in no way supported by the school, two instructors have also been suspended at this point.
Now I know not everyone is thrilled with the new ROM's architectural expansion, but really, just what was the point of this "art installation" gone bad ? The Student has told the press that he was inspired by Marcel Duchamp's "readymade" pieces and that he wanted to make a piece about recontextualization: the idea that the context changes the meaning of a piece of art; in this case, something that is "quite clearly not dangerous, but when you put it in a different context the viewer recontextualizes it": a fake pipe bomb, and fake YouTube videos showing its fake explosion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olYjeFFnKFY
I'm sorry buddy, but how stupid do you have to be? In a time when the world is "ripe with terrorists" and everyone is already on edge I feel there are a million better ways to pay homage to Duchamp then place a fake bomb in the a public place. Oh, and leaving a post-it note on your so-called art peice stating "this is not a bomb".... not a legal loop hole.
What ever happened to painting?
Female Bird
Sephora retail is doing extremely well since they launched their store in North America. With triple digit growth for the last five years, Sephora is one of the fastest growing retailers in the US. Their sleek black and white logo is very distinguished within the retail market, very modern and classy. I was wondering what the logo referred to: Sephora is rooted from the Greek word Tzipporah which means "bird" (female) in Hebrew. The name is from the Bible, the name for Moses's wife in the book of Exodus. i find this very interesting, the relation from Hebrew, bible to modern day cosmetic retailer.
You want what you want when you want it.
My recent project about making ad for Blackberry gave me a chance to research on this high-tech hybrid of gadgets. People's tendency toward go smaller and getting what they need whenever they want fuels the development of gadgets like Blackberry.
What I'm focusing on this log is how people's life style affects the brand and it's creation.
people racing around with high-tech gadgets, while juggling their many daily tasks. Life has only continued to speed up. In fact, we may often feel we're caught in a tornado. At times, our lives seem to be whirling out of control. When this happens, the competing demands of work, home, and family may seem more than we can handle. In purpose of helping reducing their stress by speeding up the process, high-tech gadgets like Blackberry has appeared and occupied the market. It's a creation of brand sorely satisfying people's needs.
This vodka is for you
The Brand Thing.
I'm realizing more and more that branding organizations, companies, people and the like is a very difficult task. When you're beginning the process, you have so much freedom, so many ideas and directions but the clock begins ticking. To make strong decisions at every step of the way does require alot of confidence in your work and your design solutions. Furthermore, to know beforehand how long this process will take you is almost impossible--and this is where I find this to be very complex. I get approached by people here and there and they ask me if I can brand them, or their company. (I'm not trying to sound established, I'm not at all) I've done it a few times and failed miserably, I believe. Of course it was a learning experience, but the time wasted was well over my head. What I found to be really annoying was the lack of understanding on behalf of the clients who thought things could easily come together and "oh, just make it look nice." It's insulting when you're trying to become a better designer and all your clients want is for you to entertain them. It reminds me of the other day when I went to the Dentist and asked her to dance for me. It's just plain pathetic and I think we all get this treatment from time to time. But luckily, I learned more about the process in this class and I'm beginning to understand exactly what our roles are as designers (and advertisers...maybe) I believe it's important to work hard at it and to keep in touch with other designers to see what they're and how it's working out for them. In the end, I think you've achieved your goal if you can clarify, simplify and communicate the message to the viewer. Oh, and let's not forget to have alot of fun doing it.
It's been fun, gang. It's been really fun.
Green' peace.
Talk to your Daughter before Unilever Does
A friend showed me this Adbusters ad spoof yesterday. I was really surprised to find out that Unilever owns both Dove and Axe. The companies both have such different perspectives on the way women are used in the commercial world. Dove has rebranded their whole image around the fact that all women are beautiful and should not be superficial, whereas Axe uses women as sexual objects. The whole tagline of the spoof is, 'Talk to your daughter before Unilever Does' as these images that are represented by one corporation can 'confuse' a young girl about what woman should be. I would also like to add that both companies have had huge success and both have really good commercials and effective marketing campaigns. I guess that’s just the advertising world, because most people would not even know that the two companies were related in any way.
Square Watermelons
It’s interesting how doing things differently can grow into popularity. A farm in
Besides their curiosity value, square watermelons have some genuine practical benefits. They are easier to stack and package than the round fruit and they are less likely to be damage in transit.
CN Logo
Most of my blogs from the start have had to do more with talking about what attributes designers should have to be considered "good designers" rather than talking about design itself. We are approaching the end of the semester and once again, i just want to leave you with another reminder of what good design should be. We all know about the "CN" logo and we've all heard that it was considered a ground breaking solution in the history of design. Now why is it exactly that? Well I could go on all day on what the reasons might be but that i think is unnecessary. The point is that it is what it is because it is just absolutely flawless. From the geometrical aspect to the visual aspect, it represents a work of art. Again fellow designers let us all thrive to design solutions that will be showcased in the wall of fame years from now. We can do it.
Japan
I don't know if this kind of thing is too rude but I am going to talk about Japan as a brand. This sort of concept came to me when I was browsing Engadget and noticed that Japan has now developed a ROBOT that can cook meals, greet people for breakfast, and have hands so soft that it may grip bread. The funny thing about this is that Japan's identity has been about being technologically superior to other countries and in popular North American media, robots are always seemingly the ones that will be the end all to humanity. Japan has branded themselves as pretty much the ONLY country in the world to produce robots to do tasks like this. ( There are MORE examples but I'll focus on this one )
The link to the article is here: Robot with soft hands
Now the fact that they are focusing a lot of attention on robots it is scary how back in the late 70's early 80's Japan had produced many animes with robots as friends, or robots that were so life like, people befriended robots rather than other humans.
You may be reading this and saying to yourself, "Japan isn't a brand... it's a country dumbass" or "you can say the same about Samurai's and Japan..."
If you look at any country and try to find something about them that distinguishes their identity from any other country I can say that everyone of you will agree that Japan's identity is about technology. If you ask me it's only going to be a few years before you start seeing large Gundams being the main military weapon of Japan...
thus the end of the world.
CiRCA
It seems like as soon as this club opened, it was all I heard about from friends, work colleagues and people at school. Circa has managed to unite the gay community and the very heterosexual Richmond entertainment district by offering events catering to both demographics, and themed rooms to suite every taste. It seems to already have a cult following as the next generation of nightclubs in Toronto, and it will be interesting to see how it fairs in the coming winter months.
If cover wasn't 20 dollars, I would have been already. I guess for now I'll have to be satisfied with everyone's crazy stories.
Fit for a Palace
Evian has been able to maintain a very posh reputation in terms of their water products, skin care line, etc...
The purest water from the French-est Alps or what have you, was in actual fact a very clever branding strategy.
Not only were they very clean and neat in their brand identity (logo too), but they separated themselves from your average water, seemingly becoming "the" water of water bottles. From there, celebrities helped the products status, much as how Starbucks rose to fame. Evian is the urban, chiq water to have, and will always be that way to some. Now, allow me to introduce a product on behalf of Evian. The new Palace Bottle is said to be the next best thing seen in trendy restaraunts and nightclubs across the world. A decade ago, package designs lasted an average of about seven years, according to some experts, but now that cycle is down to about two years. The rise of the internet and the decline of traditional television is another driver of this trend. Evian is continuing to raise the stakes. Is it safe to say that designers are going as far as to design products that fit as hoemm decor or pieces of furniture? That is definately the impression Evian's new Palace Bottle gives off, but no doubt it shall do well in all those fancy Toronto venues too expensive for us students to shmooze.
Google Rocks My Socks
I am a person who uses Google religiously, whenever I need to find something, or have a random question I turn to Google. So today, while I was using my favourite search engine I wondered to myself, how is Google viewed as a brand? I think they display a fun and friendly image that makes people want to use the site. Their themed logos for major holidays make the site seem inviting, but still simple and uncomplicated. It’s fast, direct and provides quality resources. The name and logo work well together, contributing to the humourous side of the brand, while maintaining a serious side that shows the company cares about what it does. I think it’s a great brand identity that really represents what the company stands for.
An awesome piece from Herb Lubalin
This is one of the amazing logo designs that have become to be one of my most favorite logos ever. Herb Lubalin, who is one of the best logo designers in the world, created this logo in 1965. This piece is awesome. It is the best logo because of its intelligence of finding the hidden meanings over and over. First when I saw this logo, I found the word “MOTHER” written in capitals and the exaggeration of the letter “O” inside the word. Second, I found a figure shaped as a fetus and realized that the “O” and the figure inside the circle of the letter reflect the figure of an expectant mother. It is the child inside the mother’s womb. When I found the hidden meaning and the over reflection of the blending of the words with the image, I was so impressed. The most amazing thing that overwhelmed me was when I found the image of a fetus was a modifier of a mark, “&” and the word “CHILD” in a small size inside the space of “&”. Finally, I realized this logo is named as “Mother and Child”. Overall, the logo includes all the aspects and values that are considered as the most key points while doing graphic design. I can see the hierarchy of each word, symbolic and iconic representation, a strong concept as each of the words themselves represent and the brand identity. For me, it is perfect and I don’t even think that I can find a fault with it.
AA - tagline/commercial
I found a American airline commercial which is broadcasted online on the new york times website.Its really funny, I find it interesting how they can use employee's (productivity) vs.trust component to promote an airline. At the end of the commerical the tag line is " More people to more destinations than any airline".My answers is, I don't think so. American Airline has received many complaints and other law suits, over past years. I just don't think that its necessarily true to their brand and service they provide, the tagline does not match. Compared to British Airways, the fly everywhere the have hundrends of destinations that they fly to. American Airline on the other hand, has its limitations and i think AA should be more specific on where they fly customers. There tagline could state that AA flies all over north america. Just a suggestion.
Funny commerical.Yeah they have fast flights but there tagline does not reflect their services.
Brands and their ability to hide.
If nobody has ever been to Cole Haan, you should go. If nobody know's that they are owned by Nike, you do now. You would never think that a sophisticated Brand, such as Cole Haan was owned by Nike: the store is very different, the people working are very different, the floor is carpeted, the employees are nice, the shoes and jackets are good and the overall class of the place is nice. Nike has done such a great job at developing sub Brand equities within their larger groups, so good that nobody would ever know except for the fact that some Cole haan shoes/boots are made using Nike technology. So when you surprisingly ask, "Wow, Nike technology?", the employee then let's you in on a secret, "We're owned by Nike". The ability to have such difference in brand character is great, oh, did you know that Far Coast (Bay and Bloor) is owned by coke?
2012 Olympic Games Are Going To Be ... Jagged?
This is the logo that was created over the course of a year for the upcoming 2012 Olympic games in London. This logo has to help raise £2bn of private money in order to pay for the games. I'm not positive of exactly how much £2bn is in Canadian dollars, but I know it's a lot, and to that I say good luck. They're going to need luck because apparently the masses HATE IT. People have gone as far as comparing it to the logo of a children's show from the 70's and 80's called Tiswas.
The concept was to create something young, edgy and hip, inspiring by the belief that London is. "anything but bland." Frankly, I don't see it. Nothing in this logo says cool, hip, trendy or more importantly, sports or competition. Personally, I see eighties dance party. If this logo was talking to me I'd be hearing, "Hey! Come on over to London, we're having a crazy party, we're going to listen to 1980's pop music and dance ... and oh yeah, something about the Olympics, ... I don't know ... we might be hosting a notorious sporting event." But of course this logo isn't talking; it's sitting here in all of its technicolour glory hoping that someone somewhere donates cash to the 2012 London Olympics.
Mercedes-Benz Acoustic Logo
Mercedes Benz is adding a new spin on their brand image by having introduced on Nov 1st, their first ever acoustic logo. The sound is supposed to put focus on the star as a Mercedes Benz trademark. “Our new sound logo is going to make the Mercedes-Benz brand not only visually, but also acoustically distinctive, and thus more quickly recognizable,” says Dr. Olaf Göttgens, Vice President Brand Communications Mercedes-Benz Cars. “This acoustic trademark is a perfect fit for Mercedes-Benz — it is emotional, elegant, and unmistakably associated with our brand.”
The acoustic logo is a neat idea but there is something quite eerie about the young child's voice. The original track is based off of young choir boys from the 1990s. In my opinion it is haunting and reminiscent of something found in a horror film, not quite in sync with the sophistication of Mercedes Benz.
Bell
I've been with Bell for many years for my cellphone plan and I have to say that the restrictions on what is allowed and not allowed has been a famous attribute of this company for years. Terribly expensive phones, and terribly expensive plans is also one of their attributes. What I can say though is that the customer service I experience is better than that of Rogers and Telus.
I also find the logo not as threatening as Rogers due to the fact that it shows human traits in the logo. The color blue isn't as aggressive as the Rogers red color plus I find the blue to be calming when I get angry with certain services.I can't seem to remember whether or not the logo changed, but this whole image Bell has has gotten me to stay with them.... even if there are better deals out there. I just like the customer service.
Free Rice
A website that tests your vocabulary, while helping the hungry? The connection is lost on me, but I'm all for any initiative that helps end world hunger. For each word you get right, 10 grains of rice are donated to the United Nations World Food Program. The companies that advertise on the site, pay for these donations.
As the staple diet for over half the world’s population, rice is a key component in WFP’s operations, and most is bought in developing countries, keeping the cost of reaching the hungry to a minimum and boosting farmers’ efforts to grow their own food.
Check it out: www.freerice.com
The importance of a name.
I spent the better part of an afternoon, a few days ago, thinking about the importance of a name... how my name (Catia) probably influences the way people think about me. Had I been called Jennifer or Olga, people would, instantaneusly, have a different impression of me. Sooo... the obvious conclusion is that the NAME of a product might also influence how people think of IT. Yada yada yada... this all brings me to a conversation I had with my boss (background: she works in a tv production company who primarily works on documentaries). The tvprod company she works for is doing a documentary on what goes into CAT and DOGFOOD... without getting into a long rant about some of the things I heard from her, here's the scoop: people are starting to care more and more about what goes into THEIR system and their beloved pets are being forgotten about because there is little to NO regulation in the pet food industry about what can be put into your pet's food.
Basically, for this project she made a concoction involving (among other things) an old leather boot, whey gluten, and saw dust... all pureed and made to look like pet food... AND IT'LL PASS TESTING. Ha.
And, what did she use as the name of her product?
"Old Boots" (but don't quote me because this isn't the part I was really paying attention to)
The logo?
A dog playing with a boot.
Alarming? Yes.
I can't wait to see this documentary when it comes out...
AND, also: wouldn't it be nice if things were labelled what they truly were?? Sigh.
Rayban
I think Ray Ban's original logo has been so very successful for creating a traditional, yet fun brand character. They have been very consistent with their look and identity which also gives them great equity as a brand. The application of the this identity is very unique, such as its placement, on the lense of the shades. It's a different approach and they are utilizing their products features cleverly. Their products last long and are very comfortable, I hope they never change their identity.
Apple one-day event
Once again, Apple did a great job in their advertisement. The design of the advertisement above looks absolutely beautiful, attractive and clever. This advertisement is about their one-day “price-dropping” event. Honestly, I have never seen Apple computers on sale before I came to Canada (there are no Apple stores in Hong Kong). They probably did it before as sneaky as this one, but I didn’t notice it. Even though, Apple computers do less price-dropping events than other computer retail stores. I actually think this is a good strategy of selling products because if they don’t drop the price often, people will not have to worry about fluctuating prices and price adjustments. This strategy especially works for Apple computers because they own their products. For other computer retail stores, if they have to compete with other stores, they have to drop the price. Therefore, I think this move of Apple is very clever.
Beyonce a total sell out?
So lately, i find myself singing songs by Beyonce all day everyday, and i've been wondering why? I dont own her CDs, download her music, or listen to her on the radio. Then it hit me, she has become a complete sell out. There is rarely an hour that goes by while watching prime time television without hearing a Beyonce song used to sell a product. From Rooms to Go, to new phones, she is using her name and voice to sell anything and everything. I think that a celebrity using being a spokesperson for a brand is a good way to reach your target market, however when a celebrity is selling things that she probably doesn't use, like Rooms to Go, then thats just a stupid for both the brand and the celebrity. Consumers will not relate your brand to the celebrity and fans of the celebrity will not feel the connection between such brand and celebrity. Heads up to all the future celebrities reading this, if your going to sell out, make sure it relates to you.
Sony Ericsson w580i
The Sony Ericsson w580i has been taken the cellular phone to the next level. This phone is capable of tracking down the number of steps you take everyday. It also analyse the data, and show the number of calories you lose that day. It can also given you a average, and can help you if you want to lost weight! Though the phone has a flaw, the 2.0 megapixel camera cannot zoom in. This is because Sony Ericsson also lauched a phone called s500, which essentially is the same phone with a different face housing. The s500 is target for regular use and can zoom in. the w580i is part of the Walkman line and is marketed for music. They basically just diabled the zoom in function which is retarded.
Brand Experience - Nissan
Nissan Sentra, which is their line of small family car comparable to the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla etc. She told me her car's not very reliable, and maintenence seemed to be an issue. Having never owned a Nissan, I would think Nissan makes pretty good cars since it is Japanese make. But when I asked her, she replied "yeah, it's a nissan" in a very un-enthusiastic tone of voice. She always told me a story of when she went for a check-up of the horrible customer service, and all the problems she had to dealt with from the car, and the people. After the short conversation, she got a bit aggravated and sworn to not ever buy a Nissan again.
No. 5 The Film
Chanel is an extremely well known brand, and has recently funded one of the most expensive commercials in history. It is called No. 5 The Film, and is a 180-second long spot starring Nicole Kidman. It had a budget of $42 million US dollars, which was funded by Chanel. It is a beautiful commercial directed by Baz Luhram, who also directed Romeo and Juliet as well as Moulin Rouge. I think that is an insane amount of money for one advertisement, however not only is the commercial amazing but it also makes the viewer want the product. I asked a few people for their opinions on the spot and they loved it, resulting in them wanting to purchase the perfume.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsdYPKGYxrI
Truck Art
some cool truck art ideas! i never seen any in Toronto yet.. but it would be cool to see this when we are stuck in traffic, but one problem is that some of this has to be seen in a certain perspective, for example if you were to be driving behind the truck, you wouldnt be able to see the whole thing. But other than that, very interesting and fun visuals.
what abt you?
CS3 has come up with new super simple looking icons.
Compare to the elegant and graceful CS2, these are more clean and recognizable
even though the colours are not as delightful as previous ones.
However there are no styles, doesn't really look they spent lots of time and had hard effort.
I read a lot of comments on the website about the new icons, most of people had negative opinions.
It's true that people want functional icons and they agree that the icons should have the name of the applications in it and Graphic icons grab the brains pattern recognition system easily.
Yet the fact they have the title "Adobe Design Premium CS3", they could have come out with better design , style and imege.
Superheroes: The Ultimate brands
What is one type of brand that has never changed has no need to change, and will forever remain timeless? Superheroes! Only recently have I begun to truly appreciate them with regards to branding solutions. First and foremost, the superhero’s identity must be addressed, as to how they are to appear to the general public. This includes their powers, their location, and even their personal philosophies. Two of the greatest examples are Superman and Batman, both appearing around 1938 -1939 respectively. How drastically have their logos changed? A few added bevels here and there, a solar flare, and the occasional gradient. The familiar black bat symbol and the encased S of Superman have remained the same. Why are they never re-addressed? Is it because of the audience and their need to see a familiar design for a timeless character, or is it the timeless character being associated with a time period? I personally feel it’s one of the few situations where the power of the brand prevents it from changing. It’s a weird instance where the brand itself is an expression of timelessness, as our children, grand children, and even great grandchildren will always be able to look at these characters and express the exact same opinions as us and our forefathers: They rock, even in their spandex.
Snickers Marathon: For Those Days You Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
While I am highly skeptical of Snickers putting out a legitimately non-disgusting "energy bar", I have to admit, I like these new ads. They depict people using muscles they didn't know they had, straining themselves doing ordinary, everyday activities, suggesting you need a Snickers Marathon Bar. It's cute, concise, and makes a half decent point, that sometimes you need a boost though the day because life may throw you half a dozen curve balls by lunch. I'm not sure I'm entirely convinced a candy bar is the way to go in such a situation, but it's a valid enough argument that I'm sure many will be stocking up on them soon enough.
McDonald logo
The McDonalds logo, like many of the other fast food brands logos, was developed in the 1970’s and although has had some refresh work done on it, still carries with it an old fashioned feel.
So what have they done then? Well they haven’t completely redeveloped their logo. They are holding on to the golden arches, which I think is a good thing because it is what they are famous for. They are not revolutionising their brand but evolving it, building upon the strength of the old design features and moving it forwards. Well as refreshing a brand goes, I think they have done a great job. They have kept and maintained the shape of their logo but rethought the way that it can be used. They have kept brand recognition so less discerning individuals will not get confused, they have simply reworked layout and colours.
Honda Rules!!!
This is a honda ad that follows the progress of a real Rube Goldberg contraption. This commercial took more than 600 takes before everything was able to work together.
I think the idea & concept is exceptionally brilliant for a car commercial. It shows that everypart from the little nut to the tires all work together. This gives me the impression that honda makes car that are reliable and dependable.
Perfect Couple
In my opinion, the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder is hands-down, one of the best looking luxury cars around. I think the way the laptop's lid slants downward toward the front bezel makes it look just like the hood of a real sports car. The brushed aluminum exterior is also strongly reminiscent of the car. Of course, no supercar laptop would be complete without an emblem and in this case, the distinctive raging-bull Lamborghini logo is stamped right in the middle. I think this makes the laptop display characteristics of elegance and power.
Bad Global Warming Logos
With everyone and their grandmother jumping on the eco cause, Copyranter (an NYC copywriter blog) posted his favorite worst global warming logos. They are broken down here so I won't get into who's logo is who's in your unfamiliar with all of these. I think whats interesting here is how much of an improvement some of these need. The terry-fox-esque race against global warming is just hideous. I think companies can find more unique ways to show the nature of this problem.
Simply Organic
The logo of the Simply Organic Company has impressed me with a good choice of a colour and the arrangement of types and the logo image. The olive colour gives the impression that the food products are really natural and fresh organic goodness. The image of using herbs is a wonderful choice for associating the brand concept, which provides 100% pure and natural organic herbs and spices and other fresh food. As much as they are one of America’s favorite organic brands, the design, itself is very modern with serif typeface and elegant in comparison to other organic food company logos. The company is proud of their innovation for bringing customers fresh and aromatic hand-selected seasonings of unsurpassed quality. The logo blends really well and fits into what its name reflects. I like the shadow under the herb’s image; it shows the aliveness of the fresh organic food in “3D” impact rather than a flat simple logotype design. However, I am kind of struggling of finding the meaning of ringing the lowercase of the letter “S” and the “O”. I am not sure if it is trying to show a connection of our life and nature but it is still a clever idea of making the logo more professional. I love the design, plus their packaging design of their food products, which are really attractive and gorgeous!
Will it Blend?!
I know we aren't supposed to post random things on here but I promise it has some degree of relevance.
Blendtec is a brand of blender which is in fact, the superior blender available in today's market. Most of us wouldn't know about it because unfortunately unlike their Cuisinart counterpart, Blendtec does not have the ad and marketing dollars to purchase conventional advertising.
So what is a brand to do? YouTube it baby!
Blendtec spent all of their ad and marketing dollars on a series of YouTube videos featuring the golden question, "Will it blend?"
The videos have gained much attention, interacting with consumers and getting fan mail and requests for what to blend next.
The most recent blended attempt? The iPhone.
Enjoy.
GO GO GO FEDEX - new campaign
Fedex launched a new global advertising campaign in the UK, France, Germany, Italy , India and other subcontinents. The print campaign was created by BBDO London, which was to help them communicate the role that FedEx plays in helping their customers realise potential opportunities and those prospects that are in local community or around the globe.
The ads will be implemented in various strategic print and online media provided in nine languages on their websites. You can view the Online advertising at www.experience.fedex.com. The new website is awesome and well designed. It is user friendly,interactive, and cool effects, the content itsefts is very helpful and gives the client/business owner a good understanding about trandsportation details, etc.
ANOTHER Apple praise.
I plug in my laptop, leave the room, come back and notice thick dust in front of my face.
I think to myself, "Wait a minute... this can't be dust. I don't live in a decrepit shack or creepy attic."
This faux dust was in fact smoke.
My AC charger was smoking. Following the dancing puffs of smoke came a 4th of July display of sparks.
How lovely.
I pulled out the cord immediately and called AppleCare.
Now, most people would be ENRAGED. I was somewhat enraged but after having a motherboard and two hard drives replaced, this was no shock to me.
After being on hold for 20 minutes I was still calm. Why do you ask? Why, when most people would be like, "What the Fork?!"
Well let me tell you why...
Time and time again, Apple always pulls through.
They have IMPECCABLE customer service. With each new fiasco, they make me feel like my case is the only one they are working on and my problem is of utmost importance. In the end, a solution is always delivered which simply adds to the greatness that is the Apple Brand.
Thank You Apple. Eventhough it is clearly a matter of time before my mac blows up, I remain loyal. Thank You.
Solo Mobile
While on the train today, me and a friend of mine saw a promotional ad by Solo Mobile. The headlines read "Now talk to your friends and relatives as long as you want" and had a picture of a guy by a tree drowned in fallen leaves to his chest while he is on the phone. Without realizing, we started critiquing the ad and we both thought the solo mobile logo is a very well done and creative logo but that ad was very ineffective. We both thought that they could've done that ad over-night. It doesn't have a good concept and its been done before over and over.
