IN THIS ISSUE:
Publishers Note
Graphic Design News
Blank Canvas Winner
Graphic Design News
Take Five
Graphic Design News
Event Spotlight
GDUSA Inhouse Awards
With the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics about to begin, my first
thought for this column was to make a few Canadian jokes about
butter, bacon and beer, and be done with it. It's a tendency to
go for the cheap and easy laugh, of which I am not proud. So less
said aboot it the better. Eh? My second idea was more on
point: since there has been comparatively little written about
the graphic look of the Vancouver Games, I wanted to know
more. What I discovered is that the official symbol of the
Winter Olympics is a contemporary interpretation of the
inukshuk. For those of you who are Inuits, that is surely
explanation enough. For the rest of you, let me
elaborate: for centuries the Inuit people of Canada's Arctic
stacked rocks in human form to create the inukshuk, a
guidepost that provides direction across the vast horizons
of the North. Over time, the inukshuk became a symbol of
hope, friendship and welcome. The current emblem is a
specific inukshuk known as Ilanaaq or
"friend". The design was chosen by an
international judging panel from more than 1,600
entries from every region of Canada. Rivera Group
of Vancouver submitted the winning work, created by a
team that included creative director Elena Rivera
MacGregor and designer Gonzalo Alatorre. And there, in a
nutshell, is the allure and the enigma of Canada. You
start out wanting to make fun. But then Canada charms
you with its decency, modesty, quiet intelligence
and good taste. Eh?
— Gordon Kaye
A Taste of the Olympics
McDonald's is the official restaurant of the 2010
Vancouver Olympics, and with that comes advertising,
athlete-themed packaging, and various signature programs
for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Mary Dillon, McDonald's
Global Chief Marketing Officer says that several new
television commercials will be aired in the U.S. and
Canada, that and in-restaurant graphics are featuring
popular winter athletes on McDonald's packaging.
Hard Choices
AIGA has resigned its membership in the International
Council of Graphic Design Associations. Richard Grefe,
executive director of AIGA, explains that the decision
was two-fold. First, Icograda was moving too slowly on
a central premise of AIGA's participation: the creation
of a pan-disciplinary design organization that welcomes
all designers regardless of specific discipline, including
graphic, interior, and industrial designers. Second,
financial considerations require the AIGA, like all groups
today, to make hard choices about committing resources
and setting priorities in a world that is changing at
a rapid pace. Icograda did not make the cut.
Agency Gets Onboard
Cruise West, a leading small-ship exploration company,
has selected remerinc of Seattle WA as agency of
record. One of the first new marketing efforts is the
"Theirs/Ours" campaign, designed to position
the company as the obvious alternative to the glitz,
size, excess and impersonal nature of mega-ship
cruising. In a series of humorous executions, the
mega-ship experience is compared with Cruise West's
closer, more personal and authentic experience.
Made In China
"Made in China, made with the world" is the
theme of an advertising campaign masterminded by DDB Guoan,
the Chinese branch of New York-based DDB. Commercials
in the US, Europe and Asia show teenage girls dancing at
a bus stop using an MP3 player, made in China, with
software from Silicon Valley. Another shows a jogger
tying his sneakers, made in China, with American sport
technology. The object is to refute the scandals involving
Chinese-made products. "Many products made in China
are designed in cooperation with other countries,"
DDB Guoan account director Rich Zheng said. "It
helps create a positive, objective image for our
products."
Taking It Personally
When two companies merge, the investment bankers may
be done, but for the graphic designers it's just the
beginning. In the case of the merger between Towers
Perrin and Watson Wyatt - two leaders in benefits, risk,
financial services, talent and rewards - Interbrand
was challenged to create a distinctive voice for the
new company. The solution is a logo tht symbolizes a
personal commitment by Towers Watson to their customers
by "putting their name on the line" with a
personal signature of the company. The identity combines
a strong word mark and an approachable signature
symbol. Says Craig Stout, Senior Creative Director
at Interbrand: "The Towers Watson identity
demonstrates a push toward honesty and bold
simplicity in design."
BRIDGEMAN
Patrick Dustmann wins the first Bridgeman Blank
Canvas Competition. Artists and designers were
invited to redefine a fine art masterpiece. To
make it challenging, entrants had to be inspired
by one of ten pre-selected paintings, and then
use at least three images from bridgemanart.com
in their design. The title of Patrick Dustmann's
piece is "Disturbing the Tranquility of the
Garden." His inspiration: The Great Wave of
Kanagawa, from the series '36 views of Mt. Fuji'
by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). More on the
story, the winning piece, and GDUSA's involvement at...
BRIDGEMAN BLANK CANVAS COMPETITION
Serving Up Coupons
Fast food chain Wendy's International is
rolling out a mobile coupon campaign, in
partnership with Options Media Group Holdings.
Restaurant patrons in the Northeast are now
able to opt in for mobile coupons and ads, and
in return, get discounts at select Wendy's
locations. Coupons are received via text
messaging and can be redeemed on mobile devices
when presented to cashiers. According to Options
Media's CEO Scott Frohman, "Consumers tend
to look at text messages quicker than e-mail, so
it's an instant result for the brand."
You, On Display
Wayne Hunt and the team at Hunt Design recently
completed graphics and a permanent exhibition for
Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. The 15,000-square
foot exhibit is a celebration of the body, mind and
spirit. The exhibit showcases the extraordinary workings
of the human body, the choices people make, the environment
in which we live and the role of medical technology
in our lives. The exhibit's 50+ interaction displays
are created to appeal to children and adults alike.
AmEx Offers Design
American Express has launched LoyaltyEdgeSM, a
practice area to help corporate clients develop or
enhance loyalty programs. Delta Air Lines is the
first client. The division offers program design and
execution, loyalty and redemption options, customer
service, targeted marketing and analytics services based
on the needs of the clients. "We have a lot of
experience with loyalty programs and we decided that
now was the right time to expand that experience to
our strategic partners to help clients implement,
enhance or change their loyalty programs,"
explained Mona Hamouly, American Express spokesperson.
Crossing Borders
Ruzow Graphics, a Connecticut-based boutique, has
designed and illustrated a pro-bono logo for Builders
Beyond Borders (B3)'s 2010 trip to Peru. B3 organizes
construction projects in impoverished communities
around the world and recruits high school participants.
The image of the logo represents the Nazca Lines, a
series of ancient geoglyphs located in the Peruvian
desert, believed to have been created between 200 BCE
and 700 CE. Ruzow Graphics prides itself on such on
"bold, memorable design style."
TAKEGETTING GOOD CAREER ADVICE
Thinking of tapping your coworkers for some career wisdom? You
may want to reconsider. Nearly six out of 10 advertising and
marketing executives polled said they have received bad career
advice from their colleagues. Bosses didn't fare much
better, with 54 percent of respondents saying their managers
have steered them in the wrong direction. Following are
five tips to help you solicit useful career advice:
1. Find The Voice of Experience. When seeking guidance on a particular issue, get perspective from someone who has faced a similar situation. For example, if you're looking to transition into a particular niche, talk to someone who made a comparable change. If you're having trouble finding suitable contacts, use social networks like LinkedIn to expand your reach.
2. Let Your Ambitions Be Your Guide. The people closest to you have different perspectives about what's important in life — and what should be important to you. For instance, your parents may value security more than you do. When contemplating advice, be sure to differentiate between the ambitions others may have for you and your own.
3. Help Them Help You. Even those who aren't personally invested in your success may find it hard to provide counsel if they don't know your career goals. By describing your professional objectives and values to your acquaintances, you'll help them give better guidance.
4. Don't Put All Your Eggs In One Basket. When making an important career decision, tap many sources for advice, including recruiters, career experts and trusted mentors. A variety of information can help you make the most informed choice.
5. Keep It Coming. Thank everyone who takes the time to provide career guidance, and keep in touch with all helpful sources, returning the favor when you can.
The Creative Group is a specialized
staffing service placing creative, advertising, marketing and web
professionals on a project basis. For some examples of bad career
advice cited by survey respondents, visit...
http://creativegroup.mediaroom.com/careeradvice
Typface Bold and Balanced
Unifoil, a leader in metallized and holographic materials,
debuts a new logo designed by Morello + Company. The
design, incorporating the tagline "inspired
substrates," communicates a brand message of
innovation, sustainability and visual impact. The logo
incorporates a version of Handel Gothic typeface that
is bold and balanced, with softened edges. Morello +
Company chose all capital letters for impact and to
send a message of strength, but transformed the
"O" into a unique symbol of interest.
Second Life For Dow
The Scott & Miller Group recently used Second
Life, the online 3D virtual world, to help Dow Chemical
design a customer hospitality and business center at
the National Plastics Exposition tradeshow. The agency
built a virtual replica of the 36,000 square foot ballroom
and applied a variety of graphic theme approaches. Clients
were able to login to Second Life and, using avatars,
walk around the virtual room to evaluate layout and
design. "The ability for clients to 'get inside'
and explore and our ability to make design changes on
the fly kept everyone focused and streamlined the
review and approval process," said Tom Leinberger
of the marketing communications firm.
Sam Raises The Bar
Dragon Rouge has created a brand identity for Rue
33, Sam's Club's premium vodka brand, to help drive
club member loyalty. The identity is built around the
concept of 'French premier grand cru vodka.' The
packaging mixes a frosted background and see-through
effect, recognizable design cues from premium vodkas,
and a line of poplars, a traditional representation of
wine estates. The effect is a contemporary elegance
and charm of the spirit, with subtle red, white and
blue highlights to reference the French heritage
of the product.
7-Eleven Stocks Up
7-Eleven is expanding its 7-Select private label line
to include 15 bakery-type snack products. 7-Eleven
has put in significant effort this year to succeed in
the private label sector, introducing a range of products,
such as sandwich bags and olive oil, as well as refining
their labeling and packaging.Said Joe Hermes is 7-Eleven
senior product director for bakery and produce.
Neenah Paper FSC Webinar - February 23
A free webinar hosted by Neenah Paper on what FSC Certification
means to designers, printers and their clients.
http://www.neenahpaper.com/webinar/index.asp?sr=GDUSAFSC
Graphics of the Americas - February 25-27
More educational sessions and bonus opportunities than ever to
help graphics professionals stay ahead of the industry curve at
the 35th anniversary show in Miami.
http://www.gdusa.com/eblasts/2010/100114-goa/msg.html
Surtex Show - May 16-18
SURTEX is packed with the latest trend-on artwork, designers
and licensors from around the world. A chance to license your
art and design. At the Javits Center in NYC.
GDUSA'SAmerican Inhouse Design Awards is the premier showcase and
recognition program for outstanding work by
inhouse design / marketing / communications departments. The deadline
for entries is March 18. You can request a printed from
by emailing awards@gdusa.com. Or
you can download an entry form immediately at...
http://www.gdusa.com/contests/aida.php