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.