Rebranding...Really?

OK, so I've been seeing the new Pepsi logo floating around and had pretty much passed it off as crap, but the other day I saw something that really got me. It was a document that explained the process of the tweak that was made to the logo and why at this link. Take a read and see if you buy it. As a designer I have no doubt that people in the creative industry shovel BS, but this is beyond belief. If they spent as much time working on the rebrand as they did to justify it, Pepsi might have a new unique logo. Of course I really question Pepsi more for buying the whole load.


Anyway the thing that got me looking at this whole rebranding fiasco was when we were in the store 2 weeks ago and my wife was looking for her normal Tropicana OJ. After 30 seconds of examination, we realized that it was now branded to look like a generic (at least that was my opinion). A huge stockphotoish glass of OJ on the box with the name turned sideways (strangely like the new pepsi bottles). The amazing thing is this ended up being a topic of conversation between me and my wife for the next half hour (btw she's not a creative). We talked about how could they lose their custom logo type as well as the orange with the straw stuck into it representing freshness.

Yesterday I read how Tropicana spent $35 million on the rebrand and that it was a huge mistake. Obviously they had been getting a lot of feedback about how much their rebranding failed. So you guessed it, they are going back to their old packaging (bravo). Here is the kicker I find that Tropicana is owned by Pepsi Co and imagine to my surprise both brands were rebranded by the Arnell Group. Huh - somebody at Pepsi Co might be out of a job soon. Oh yeah and just to let you know Peter Arnell (of the Arnell Group) recently spoke at an event hosted by Pepsi Co and explained, "consumers needed to be able to visualize the juice inside the orange. ” Because us little consumers don't know what orange juice looks like.

Taking Ownership

There are several things I love about winter, but the main thing is the rush of annual reports that start up. A lot of designers would tell you how much they hate annual reports, how constrained they are, how uncreative they allow you to be and most of all how little of a budget they have to produce an amazing piece. All of those things can be true, but I think with a little work designers can show their clients how a creative and engaging annual report can benefit them and hopefully in the process excite their client about the report as well.

Above is my latest completed report. It's for a metropolitan planning organization, which on the surface sounds pretty basic and dry, but in reality has a lot of interesting angles to concept an annual report around. I started working with this organization 6 years ago and since the beginning things have changed a lot. The organization has come to see how valuable of a PR piece a well produced report is to them. And personally I love working with this client on their report because for the last several years they have been taking ownership. Every year now they are thinking ahead and on the look out for ideas to make their report even better then before. They are excited about their own annual repor, what more can you ask for.

Maybe I'm different because I want the client to be involved in the process, I want them to think about paper and ask what they can do to make something work even better. I prefer to do work with my clients instead of do work for my clients. As a designer I always take ownership of the work I do (even though sometimes I would prefer not to), but having clients that are willing to take ownership makes the work I do that much more valuable.

It's Just a Little Gift.

Every year since I started this crazy company I've been doing some sort of handmade ornament for my clients and vendors for Christmas. I know, it's not really politically correct, but I love Christmas ornaments and I think a large majority of other people do too.

This year I had been talking to a local pottery artist in Greenville and decided it would be great to work with her on this years ornament. Her name is Lily Stratton and her website is http://www.lilypottery.com/. I did a sketch and told her to add her own little touch - after all she is an artist. After a couple of little tweaks of color and minor design changes the final outcome is the porcelain bird above. It turned out amazing.

After I decided what I was producing for the ornament it was time to turn to the actual design of the card and package. Since the great illustrator Charley Harper died last year I wanted to do a tribute to him in his style - which really works great for letterpress. So the next step was to find the perfect person to do the letterpressing. Having worked with Porridge Papers in Lincoln Nebraska a couple of times I contacted them. After some plotting on how to best setup the file to letterpress correctly the job was sent to Nebraska to return as a beautiful set of cards. One card was then applied to a aluminum CD tin and the bird was inserted along with the Christmas card and some tissue. Overall it was a daunting project for a little gift for clients, but every year I hear how much these gems are loved.

Out of all the items I design and produce my Christmas ornaments are the ones that make it out of storage every year and back on to a beloved tree. I can only hope that they will be around long after I'm gone. To check out ornaments from past years check out my website under the misc. section of the portfolio section.

Green at What Cost?

So a couple of weeks ago I was out enjoying the change of seasons and I happened across this amazing photo. It really highlights the interaction of man and nature. It got me to thinking about how much are we willing to pay to be "green". With the economy in a major downturn and the pending "change" coming to the world how much are we really willing to spend?

My personal opinion is that this commercialized push to be green will be relatively short lived. Most corporations have jumped on this band wagon as a way to get good PR, not necessarily because they want to change the world. The one thing it has done is drawn attention to every aspects of our lives. I don't know about you, but I'm not willing to cut the TP down to 3 sheets per use like some have suggested. I work hard for my money and I would like to spend it myself. The last thing I want the government to do is dictate to me what I can and can't buy. I'm not saying that I don't believe in being green - I just would prefer to not be told that I have to be green in every aspect of my life.

I'm not into organic, but I'm into buying local - you go figure the difference. I don't mind recycling, but I'm not going to start piling my garage with garbage. I conserve on gas by running to several places all at once, but I don't want to drive a car that looks like a golf cart. Now the real question - how much are you willing to pay to be green? Are you really willing to pay 10 times the amount you pay now for your electricity? Are you really willing to pay $4 a gallon for gas? Are you willing to pay $3 for 1 organically grown avocado? Why shouldn't the free economy be allowed to sort these things out. Maybe there are enough people out there that will be willing to pay extra for these things, but don't force it on us. Between taxes and the necessities of life I'm tapped already. Just like that photo above, nature seems to do a pretty good job recovering from our obsessions. Yeah, it's going to be a little scarred, but over time it will bounce back just fine. I think it's more important for us to be responsible than it is to be fanatical.

The Propaganda Revolution?

So with the former Soviet Union starting to take shape again and the possibility of a "depression" as the pundits say, are we looking at a possible era of new propaganda? I'm not talking about the propaganda we get everyday by watching network television, I'm talking about the design propaganda that took us through the depression and WWII. There was amazing work produced back then at the expense of the governments of the USSR and the USA. Work that I think you would be hard pressed to matched on such a scale again. I think the real question is, does the world the way it is today have a place for such propaganda.

Personally I think as a whole that with the wide access to the internet and television that printed propaganda has little chance of a revolution. Sure the pieces could be produced, but to what success? Designers and collectors would love to get their hands on political and social propaganda posters. This is a problem - well designed, graphically interested posters would immediately disappear from their place of post, thus not allowing the message to get out. That's why I think the evolution of propaganda has already happened. Examine the current presidential election - messages, videos and stories being disseminated on the internet. Supposed news organizations with an initiative for a specific candidate. Regardless of the truth of any of the items they are around the world in seconds. A successful YouTube video today is 100 times more effective than a great propaganda poster of the 1930's. The whole thing that's sad about this is that those posters of the 1930's and 1940's will always be cherish and have a place in history. But how long will the modern day videos and internet stories be remembered and cherished? That's the problem with the internet - there's no tangible element to remind history that it existed. Print will never be perfect, but it will always be part of history.

As a designer I say we start producing propaganda to halt the evolution of propaganda - let's see how that would workout. Of course we may need a government agency created to oversee the PATEOP (Propaganda Against The Evolution Of Propaganda).

The Impact of Image

Don't you just hate it when a client comes to you and presents a project that they want to produce and they explain to you that they only have enough budget for design and printing. They have nothing for photography or illustration. What's the point? It's kind of like building a house without a roof - it's got windows and has a foundation but it won't last long and needless to say is useless.

I can't express enough how important imagery is for any project. While there are lot of options utilizing stock these days they is still no substitute for shooting or illustrating for the actual project. I've heard many times, "Oh don't worry, Jane here is a photographer". Really, than why is Jane answering your phones. There is a reason that professional photographers get paid for what they do, simply put - it's not that easy. Sure I can come up with some brilliant ideas for a project and have an idea of how I envision a photo looking, but just because I have digital camera doesn't mean I can shoot photos.

The photos when shot properly will perfect the concept and in turn make the piece effective. Why spend the money at all if you aren't willing to get decent photography or illustration? Keep the money and throw a party, it might have a better result. Now when the budget for photography or illustration is considered the outcome can be outstanding. Regardless of what the project is imagery is going to make or break it. So next time you want to produce an amazing piece remember to add in the budget for photography and/or illustration. Your designer/agency will thank you, as will your boss for producing such an amazing piece.

A Job Worth Doing

So today I was reminded of one simple rule of business - a job worth doing is worth doing right. While I always feel this way I have experienced many people that don't.

Today I had guys coming over to sod my yard and the guy who was really just a laborer said "the ground isn't prepared properly and I really hate to put nice sod on this uneven ground". Needless to say his instructions from his boss (the owner of the company) was that it was done and ready to be put down so just do it. This led to a discussion between me and his boss that basically went nowhere. After the owner left the laborer basically explained to me that the company has a new owner and how the new owner has no interest in doing something the best that it can be. He also told me he had very little interest in working under the new owner long term since the owner took no pride in doing the job right. Now remember this guy is just a laborer, just a guy who lays sod. So this laborer and his team decided among themselves that they are going to spend the several extra hours it will take to make the job just right. He had more interest in making me happy then the owner of the company. This guys pride in his job is so important to him that he's willing to go find a company that appreciates the good work he does. Who wouldn't love to have someone like that on their payroll. Needless to say at the end of the day the guys working in the yard, doing all of the hard work. They will be getting a big tip from me.

This really sparked that whole thought of a "a job worth doing is worth doing right". When did that change? When did so many people stop taking interest and pride in their jobs? If a guy laying sod can appreciate what he does so much that he's willing to go the extra mile to make it right, why can't all of us? I personally never take a client for granted. If I'm going to take on a job of course I want to do it to the best of my ability. By doing a great job I that client will refer me to other clients and hopefully I will have the opportunity to work with that same client in the future. It sucks to do work you hate, so if you hate it find a new job or a new client and do stuff you love. Even if you aren't making as much money you'll be much happier in the end. So the next time you take a job, first make sure it's worth doing and second make sure it's done right.