Too Much Holiday

We all love Vampire Weekend, yes? But during the holidays it’s common to overindulge. Take Honda and Tommy Hilfiger for instance, who are both using the group’s seemingly upbeat single “Holiday” in current TV spots. And nearly the same cut as well.

Sure, it’s a happy-sounding song that’s just untraditional enough, but the lyrics aren’t actually as carefree as the spots make you think. Let’s hope this overexposure doesn’t, well, suck the life out of the Vampire’s musical credibility.

Run forest, run!

Check out Oregon's new basketball floor, courtesy of Nike founder and Duck alum Phil Knight.

Surely, Leslie Nielsen can't be dead

The senior statesmen of sophomoric comedies, Leslie Nielsen, died yesterday at 84.

So now's as good a time as ever to revisit Airplane!

We're all counting on you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

From your turnkey connoisseurs.

HRW clients are happy campers

S'more employee communication fun for VMS.

Last time, it was medals. This time, we had actual badges created that people could earn all summer long as they learned new skills on and off the job.

Palin's on fire, according to NBA Jam

Finding ways to make your brand topical is key to connecting with consumers, ensuring your product spikes throughout the year by sparking timely conversations.

Take for example, NBA Jam - a fun franchise that, while a bit long in the tooth by digital standards, still knows how to keep fans surprised by hitting consumer hot buttons.



Its latest secret reveals the code allowing you to pit Democrats vs. Republicans. It's perfectly political right down to the red, white and blue ball. But will Sarah be a team player? Only W knows for sure.

The clever code for those of you literally playing at home:
From the front end menu, press left 13 times, then press "+" for the Dems; or press right 13 times, then press "+" for the GOP.

At least his attitude's still cavalier.

Witness the new :90 Nike spot for LeBron James. If you're a fan of open-ended questions, you'll love this commercial.

VW AR OMG!

Jump to the 21s mark for the steak.

Fall in to the trap.

Gap recently unveiled their new logo on the company's website.

Bad news travels fast and let's just say the new identity has not been well received. Not just by the design community, but more importantly by loyal Gap shoppers.

Viral feedback is the straw that stirs the marketing drink these days. One negative comment can quickly become 700 and suddenly your facebook page turns in to one huge focus group room. Minus the bad deli-tray.

All the negative uproar has gotten the attention of Marka Hansen, President of Gap North America. Read her response here regarding her company's fashion faux pas.

"We’ve had the same logo for 20+ years, and this is just one of the things we’re changing. We’re asking you to share your designs. We love our version, but we’d like to see other ideas."
- Marka Hansen, via Gap's facebook page

Excuse me, I'd like to see the manager please. Is this really the ideal way of developing an intelligent, strategic identity for a global brand? It insults professional designers everywhere. The same reason buying a guitar doesn't make you a musician, is the same reason buying photoshop doesn't make you a designer. Use a reputable agency for a logo of this magnitude. Not the dude that lives 2 doors down from me.

That's not to say amateurs can't leave a lasting footprint. Arguably the most recognizable trademark in the world, Nike, was designed by a student. But more and more global companies are putting their advertising and marketing in to the hands of consumers. Reaching out to connect with them on a more personal level is one thing. Asking them to photograph your pizzas, shoot your commercial and design your logo is another.

Could this new Gap logo turn out to be a hoax? Just some sneaky way of generating buzz about their brand? It's possible. But it's also possible for someone to design a bad logo. Time will tell.

For now Gap is just shopping this logo around. We tried it on and it just doesn't fit. Now it's time to return it.

May the farce be with you

I don't know what planet George Lucas is from.

I bought my son a Star Wars action figure the other day. On the box read this promotion: "FREE Boba Fett with purchase of 5 action figures."

Well, if you were a kid in the 80s, you have fond memories of these mail-in toy promotions. Whether it was The Fridge, Seargent Slaughter or even old-man Anakin Skywalker, they were super awesome and "not sold in stores!" And if you were diligent, or nerdy enough, to clip the UPCs, you not only scored a toy, but some much-needed bragging rights with the fellas.

So when I saw a chance to get a FREE Boba Fett, I had to get it. For my son, of course.

I opened the box and read the fine print: "Send 5 UPC codes, along with a check for $6.99 to receive your FREE Boba Fett."

Uh, huh?

I guess George had altered the deal. There was no mention of shipping and handling. Just "hey, send us $6.99." ($8.99 Canadian).

So, $6.99 gets me - sorry - my son, a "FREE" action figure? Hey, I don't mind paying $7 bucks for Boba Fett. Lord Vader knows I've spent a lot more than that over the years.

Just don't call it "FREE." Say "SPECIAL." Or "OFFER USELESS TO RESIST." Or "FREE - FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW." I'll chuckle, shake my head and whip out the wallet.

Only a fool would call something free, and then charge people $7. But I remember a wise man once said: "Who's the more foolish: The fool, or the fool who follows him?" Of course, that same man also said, "I don't remember ever owning a droid." So perhaps I shouldn't follow his advice.

So then I wondered, maybe they didn't mean "Free Boba Fett," but FREE Boba Fett. As in, set him free! That's one explanation. And one that made me feel better. Like I was helping Boba Fett bust out of the clutches of some horrible warehouse in China. I couldn't be sure. But I was sure of one thing - I was getting that toy.

For my son, I mean.

Original thinking in risk-averse times

Saw this quote from Esque Studio describing their mental approach to their latest glass-blown art endeavor:

"It was also important to take such a bold step, that people would not be willing to imitate what we did."

So think about that. Be bold, so no one dare imitate you. When you're carving out your brand territory, be conscious of the competitive landscape. Could others follow you easily? Could they make the same claims? Even surpass you without much effort? If yes, then consider a path over more rugged terrain.

Of course, your trailblazing must be in lockstep with your target audience's needs and wants. After all, what good is leapfrogging the competition if you're going over customers' heads.

But just because your branding and product presentation logically follows the research, that doesn't mean you can't surprise and delight people with an imaginative and perhaps unconventional take on their needs and wants.

It's a much more savvy way to show that you 'get' them rather than merely regurgitating the demographics data - data that your competition is likely using as well.

Have it your way or the highway

More fast food fun - this time from creative frontrunner Burger King.

We're awaiting the episode where Milka Duno comes in for an application, then gets put on probation because she can't turnover the drive-thru customers fast enough.

We're lovin' it

Using the guise of the McCafe brand, McDonald's has broken away from their traditional ad look for their new fruit smoothies and the results have been visually astounding. It seems they are finding their mojo in terms of having appropriately different looks and raising or lowering the creative effort depending on the perceived value of the product their pushing, much like a carmaker does with different models.

After all, the smoothie audience probably isn't going for the Double Quarter Pounder. And vice-versa.

Weird commercial of the day

Remember that scene in Top Gun when Maverick and company approach Kelly McGillis and sing "She's lost that loving feeling" - she awkwardly smiles as she tries to understand what's happening? Now imagine you are the grocery shopper lady and Maverick is the Brawny man. Make sense? Well, neither does the commercial.

Children's Museum logo lacks imagination

Inspired. Imaginative. Impressive. These are words easily associated with the Children's Museum in Indianapolis. Not so their new logo, though.

Of course, a logo is subjective, but the new identity (seen on the right) is, as Facebook fans put it, "too mature" to convey the fun-loving, eye-opening experience we all know the Children's Museum to be. And when the marketing firm behind the logo claims it "communicates the extraordinary world of imagination that awaits visitors," we're sorry, but the kid gloves are coming off.

Read that again - "the extraordinary world of imagination." Strong words that the Museum and its staff deliver to a T. Which is why the new logo deserves an F.

The firm's web site goes on to say:

"The new mark is a literal interpretation of the new welcome center and aligns with the Museum’s global brand. The logo was a result of (our) process using solid research from focus groups, one on one interviews, and stakeholder input."

Hear that, kids? Focus groups. I scream, you scream, we all scream for focus groups.

Now take the logo on the left. That mark was designed in 1974. And over 35 years later it still holds up. The letters 'c' and 'm' play nice with each other, share the space like good little letters and form a sweet center for kid-like fun. We're guessing the only focus group used to approve this one was comprised of the kids in the client's and designer's families. When you compare the two, which place would your kids want to go?

Sorry, Mom, you always said if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. But Mom never had a blog.

Overall, though, it is better that the logo not live up to the experience than the other way around.

Shortomatic.com: Whoooo are you wearing?

Thanks to shortomatic.com, now you can sport custom-printed, hand-sewn board shorts. Just upload your image, choose size and trim color, even personalize the inner waistband. At $99 a pop, it’s a bit of an investment, but you’ll never be caught wearing the same gear as the pudgy sunbather one beach blanket over-- a small price to pay for that.

Toy Story 3 review: These toys should've been recalled

Don't believe all the buzz. This movie is a big, fat downer.

Sad in the beginning, joyless in the middle and dark in the end. Toy Story 3 left me with a feeling of emptiness. I had such high hopes too. Like - how would Jessie and Bullseye work with their new friends? Would Zurg pick up where he left off as the all-american dad? How many have been laid-off from Pizza Planet?

I didn't expect all the funny toys from TS2 to make it into this film, but I thought at least the funny would. I was wrong. The only thing worse than watching Woody and the gang come to grips with their imminent death of being burned alive was watching my 4 year-old daughter come to grips with it. "Shutter Island" was more uplifting.

Adventure is fine, but for some reason Pixar believed adventure could not co-exist with humor. It's no surprise that there are no bloopers at the end of the movie either. What good are funny bloopers after a movie filled with sadness?



Don't believe me? Look at Woody's face! Does he look like he's having a good time? And these are stills taken straight from the official website!

Also - the whole 3-D thing is, I'm convinced, a money-making gimmick only. It brought nothing original to the movie. By having their graphics team spend more front-end time they can charge an additional $3 for every ticket. Bravo. My daughter took them off half-way through the movie and never put them back on. I wish I did the same.

Are there laughs? Sure. By my count there were four. (Five if you count nervous laughter.) In the end I felt like I had opened up my favorite toy on Christmas morning only to discover it was socks and underwear.

The role of psychology in web design

This is a great piece from one of the web's best. How have you taken the user experience beyond usability? How can you empower and even inspire your audience to motivate them to act upon whatever ultimate call to action you've created?

I'm thinking Steak 'n Shake

Remember 'Oven Mitt' from the Arby's commercials? Apparently he works for Steak 'n Shake now.

See the commercials here.

Ebony and irony

The truth doesn't require retouching.

Weapons of mass construction paper

The origami overachievers at PostlerFerguson have expanded their paper arsenal. Looks like 'paper' beats everybody.

Purchase yours here.

Some sketchy areas of town

Looks like Bing has defied the odds, breathing new life into the cocktail napkin sketch concept with its Destination Maps app. And while it pains us to give Microsoft some props for design, the proof is in the pictures. The rendering can take some time (knew there was something), so you can look here before you leap.

Originality, you're fired.

Check out this great montage of The Celebrity Apprentice. Or as we like to call it - the Ultimate Rerun.

Google's 2-bit idea

It's so easy to Google, users don't even have to go to Google to do so. Maybe that's why the e-juggernaut has upped the ante on playing with the word 'Google' on their home page.

Celebrating Pac-Man's 30th birthday, Google has turned their word mark into the game, so people can waste countless hours playing it at work today (and a few minutes blogging about it.)

Hopefully, Galaga can't be far behind.

Kiss those days goodbye

The recent tazing of a Phillies fan as he ran onto the field got me thinking. What would happen if tasers were around in the 80s, during the "Morganna - The Kissing Bandit" era?

For those of you younger than 30 - Morganna made her claim-to-fame by running onto the fields of various sporting events mid-game. It was widely accepted as good, clean fun. She got so well known that some athletes would welcome her mid-jog. (Although I'm guessing she was pretty easy to recognize.)

That's Nolan Ryan on the pitchers mound, bracing for bandit-besos. Note the security guard in the dugout. Not only is he not-tasing MKB, he's flat-out applauding. Were the 80s goofy or what?

Fast forward to 2010 - where the only ones getting to first base are the ballplayers.

(See phillie fail here)

Stars prove, but don't proof, themselves

O, the hilarity. This picture was snapped just 4 hours before today's big unveil of Hollywood Walk of Fame's newest addition. Sans 'O' and a hyphen. When the gaffe was brought to the workers' attention, they chiseled out the 'Luis' and had a temporary 'Louis-' in its place by ceremony time.

The misspelled paperweight was given to the actress as a memento.

Euro ash

That bites.

Finger-rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?

Conseco is changing its name.

Feeling 'Conseco' still conjures up negative reminders of years past, they will soon be known as 'CNO Financial Group' ('CNO' is their stock ticker name.)

How will this affect "Conseco Fieldhouse"? Don't know. But the Conseco brass - check that - the CNO Financial Group brass will be deciding soon. One option would be: "CNO Financial Group Fieldhouse."

For the love of Slick Leonard, let's hope for another option.

I know, the classic stadium names like 'Candlestick Park' are rare. But we need more 'Lambeau Fields' and less 'US Cellular Fields.' Too many capital letters smushed together scare me. I say keep 'Conseco Fieldhouse.' So what if it reminds people of awful financial situations years ago? It can't be as bad as the awful financial situation fans are going through now.

Go, Bulldogs. Go!

Go, Dawgs, go.

Go by hustle.
Go by D.
Give-and-go. Knock down the three.

Go by Hayward. Go by Veasley.
Go by Nored. Go by Mack.
Go by Howard. Go by Stevens.
Keep it going. No looking back.

Bulldogs at work.
Work, Dawgs, work!

Bulldogs at play.
Play, Dawgs, play!

Go by Hinkle. Go by Cali.
Go by Salt Lake City.
Beat the best to be the best,
and take your place at Indy.

Stop, Dawgs. Stop!
You’ve earned your cred.
Go, Dawgs, go.
Your destiny’s ahead.

The Bulldogs are going up.
The Spartans are going down.

You’re almost there!
Now let's see
you climb that mountain and
storm the Final Four party.

Bulldogs, Bulldogs,
Bulldogs, Bulldogs.

What a Bulldog party it will be!


Lovingly adapted from the P.D. Eastman classic, which you can most certainly order through the Butler superfans at Big Hat Books.

We’ll leave the ambient lighting on for ya.

Watch out Ace, James and W. Motel 6 is coming for you. Well, maybe not exactly. But if you never thought “European and stylish” would describe the low-budget hotel chain with questionable taste, think again.

Starting with a few prototype locations (they’re calling the Phoenix project), the company is currently undergoing a major facelift lead by the London design firm Priestmangoode. Bright accent colors, platform beds, granite countertops, 32-inch flat-screen tvs and wood (effect) floors freshen the look, while multifunctional furniture pieces and modular storage optimize the room’s space….all this, still for $39.99.

“This design embodies the heart of Motel 6 – it’s no-frills, uncomplicated and efficient with a new modern edge,” said Jim Amorosia, president and COO of Motel 6 and Studio 6. “The Phoenix prototype offers the best of both worlds – an upscale feel at the lowest price of any national chain. True to the spirit of Motel 6, the new design is simple, functional and straight to the point.“

While the interiors will be updated in the next few months, so too will the exteriors, lead by the firm BOKA Powell. Motel 6 plans for about 120 properties to have the new Phoenix look by the end of 2010.

And competitors Super 8 and Red Roof Inn are beginning to renovate their properties similarly, all aiming for the budget traveler with design as the weapon of choice.

Redecorating may be a big task, but overcoming their brand perception might be the hardest challenge. Will the current customer base feel comfortable staying in a room resembling an IKEA or BoConcept showroom? Will prospective style-conscious patrons be able to overcome their Motel 6 fears?

And where does Tom Bodett fit into all this? Or does he prefer “Tomas” now?

This wasn't built in a day either

This all-type view of the Roman Coliseum was made by Cameron Moll using Bembo Pro, Goudy Trajan and recreating the calligraphy of M. Giovambattista Palatino.

Even the quick video showing how Moll resurrected the 460-year-old calligraphy in Illustrator is a bit spellbinding.

Serendipity? There's an app for that.

A new app is on its way that will automatically and permanently delete your text messages from the sender's phone, the receiver's phone and the server, making it impossible to retrieve.

What would one call this novel feature? Why not TigerTexts.

That's right. Developers at X Sigma Partners insist that their latest creation was named long before Tiger Woods' text message booty calls unraveled his marriage and career. Really? Please go on.

Co-founder Jeffrey Evans points to such inspiration for the name as the app was launched in the Lunar Year of the Tiger. He goes on to say, "Tigers are notoriously difficult animals to track; TigerTexts are difficult to track as well. So if you send a private text message it should stay private."

Well, we're convinced. Oh, what's that? You have more, Mr. Evans.

Furthermore, a series of tiger paw prints are left in place of the deleted message in a conversation thread.

See, albeit a bit suspicious on the user end of things - those paws could give pause - there's no way that piece of code could have been created between the Woods' scandal and the TigerText release.

Sounds more to us like X Sigma is just doing a smart job covering their tracks on a brilliant piece of naming.

It's been an awards kind of week

We're pretty excited about our TV, radio and billboard Addy wins on Saturday. We're also thrilled to kick off 2010 with another great campaign for VMS, including some attractive, custom-designed awards of our own. Still working on that national anthem, though.

Who will win? No one knows.

It's a race. It's a chase. Hurry up and feed your face. Who will win? No one knows. Feed the hungry hip-hippos.

Good luck to everyone in the Addys tomorrow. (especially us)

Say goodbye to the ol' gas guzzler, Russ.

Bummer, Hummer. Apparently, you were the one thing in this recession that wasn't too big to fail. With the falling through of a deal with Chinese heavy machine maker Sichuan Tengzhong, GM has decided to cut its losses and shut down the brand altogether.

Hummer was a Brand with a capital B - unique in that it had a tiny niche in the marketplace, but whose name and personality pervaded throughout the entire consumer conscience. Whether you loved it or hated it, you have to recognize that the Hummer brand was larger than life. While it was alive anyway.

Reality killed the video star

MTV dropped 'Music Television' from its iconic logo last week. This might be more surprising if they hadn't dropped it symbolically with their programming over the last decade.

Now the logo will have cast members from Jersey Shore among others inside the M.

And they call it progress.

It's just nice to be recognized

In the wake of our recent Addy award-winning work, we would like to share this flattering piece from Sweden. Guess word gets around.



Click here for the big screen effect.

We dat.

A little social media experiment. Awesome if it works. If not, don't cost nothin'.
See previous cool Colts ideas here.

Refresh everything, except for the logo

Soda's second fiddle is pushing the Pepsi Throwback for the second time in 10 months, leading with the tag 'Made with real sugar.' Of course, this isn't the first time a long-standing brand has gone retro to conjure up some good feelings. But do you remember a brand ever doing so when they just unveiled a new logo - a million-dollar logo?

True, it's not just a design gimmick; there is an honest-to-goodness tip of the hat to the old formula (sugar vs. HFCS). But it's hard to forget how the new logo was much maligned by ad insiders mostly for the gross amount of rationale (below) behind the mark to justify the price tag that put more stock in golden ratios and smiley faces than intelligent insights into the consumer psyche and purchasing decision. But maybe the new logo is also hated by consumers. Our humble opinion for the odd change in course: The new logo made it feel expensive (well, as expensive as soda can feel anyway). Use a throwback logo, and it feels like you're rolling back prices to 1965.

Pepsi Breathtaking Design Strategy

Sure, the new logo is here to stay-ish. But ten years from now when Pepsi goes retro again, we're sure they'll have thrown the new logo behind the woodshed. Heck, it feels like the marketing execs at Pepsi have already gone back through the concepts (as clients are apt to do) and liked what they found on page 10. No wait, 14.

Nestle didn't phone this one in

Congratulations to Nestle for taking one of its most important consumer touchpoints and actually making it entertaining for the consumer by creatively crafting their new 800 hotline. Usually, this number is only used by moms with a dire chocolate emergency, but thanks to some Quick thinking, Nestle has cleverly turned it into a source of amusement that, with the help of Facebook and Twitter, people are finding and embracing.

It's sort of like the notion that it's best to meet your neighbors early on when things are good, rather than wait until their dog/children/music/hygiene has become a nuisance.

Here's the Facebook post:

Call the Nestle Crunch Hotline at 1-800-295-0051. When you are asked if you
want to continue in English or Spanish, WAIT QUIETLY for about 7 seconds and
you will smile. Promise! Keep going and press 4. Listen to the
options...then press 7.

We won't give away the gag, but it is worthwhile. And a good reminder of how social media can magnify even the smallest thing a brand can do.