PUBLISHERS NOTE: LAST MAGAZINE STANDING
We have a joke in our office that, pretty soon, we’ll be like an
exhibit at Colonial Williamsburg — school kids will walk through the
halls and get a lecture about the ancient art of magazine publishing, a
lost craft like quilting, looming, blacksmithing and candlemaking. It’s
not all that funny but, given the publishing economy, it’s hard to
pay first class joke writers anymore. Seriously, though, I am more
convinced than ever that ink-on-paper publishing has an enduring role to
play in communications and design: our 46th Annual Print Survey, set for
the June magazine, reasserts the classic power of print to touch people
and to enhance any campaign; and a new study by Condé Nast and the
well-regarded McPheters & Co. research company reports that full page
four color magazine ads tower over internet ads in effectiveness and value
on many levels. At GDUSA, our approach to this new era is to employ both
print and online media in relevant ways to reach our audience. So far, so
good. I am bemused that several industry magazines have recently given up
the ghost including Step, Dynamic Graphics, Create, and
Creativity. They’ll live online, I am told, and good luck with
that. Which reminds me of another bit of dark office humor; in our small
moments of triumph amidst the downturn, we pump our fists and repeat a
mantra that amuses and affirms: “Last magazine
standing.” Don’t bet against us and don't be booking any
history tours for your kids just yet.
— Gordon Kaye
GRAPHIC DESIGN NEWS
Dam Packaging
Amstel Light is initiating phase two of its “One dam good bier”
campaign, which plays off its origins in Amsterdam, with new ads, a national
tour, and lots of outdoor. To underscore the homeland theme, new packaging is
being introduced this summer with images of the Amstel River and canals as
well as a description of the brand’s connection with the city. Ceradini
Brand Graphics, New York NY, handled the package design work. “Through
the lens of Amstel we want to bring Amsterdam to life for consumers,”
said Kheri Holland Tillman, vice president of marketing for the client.
Endorse This
The FTC wants to toughen the rules for endorsements and testimonials by
requiring evidence that results are likely to be typical and, when they
know those results may not be typical, to disclose “clearly and
conspicuously” what typical results are. Celebrities who mention
products in interviews or commercials would need to disclose any connections
they have to the manufacturers. Advertising groups label the proposal a
hardship: the AAF, 4A’s, the DMA and the other usual suspects warn
of an unfair burden on advertisers and impingement of First Amendment rights.
Surfs Up
Mammoth offers a Southern California surf culture, but at a mountain resort.
Hornall Anderson was initially asked to create a visual system that captured
this spirit. But the project quickly expanded to rebranding the entire
mountain. Among the challenges: incorporating the heritage of the original
and current mascot, Wooly (mammoth). The rebranded Mammoth identity is just
one element of a comprehensive program, which includes a series of identities,
business cards, gondola graphics, building signage, bus graphic system,
uniforms, ski jackets, employee and season passes, and gift cards.
http://www.hornallanderson.com/?#/project/75/
It’s Cold Outside
Even the outdoor advertising industry, one of the more relentlessly upbeat
and hype-y of the ad segments, acknowledges the deleterious effects of the
economic downturn. Revenue tumbled 15% in the fourth quarter of 2008, according
to figures released by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America. The
industry’s woes are evidenced by the OAAA’s decision to cancel
their planned mid-May convention in Miami. While expansion of new digital
platforms are expected to promise longterm growth, the next year looks fairly
grim, reports the Association.
Dress(ing) For Success
New York creative studio Miloby Ideasystem delivers packaging and identity
for new line of artisan vinaigrette by Lucini Italia. The goal was to
transform the image of bottled dressing from a necessary evil to a guilty
pleasure by, among other things, moving far away from visual stereotypes. The
final packaging features folk-art inspired drawings of the key ingredients
and an unusual amount of detailed copy on the front label. This new collection
is one of a series Miloby is developing under the new all black Lucini logo
and “Traditional Foods for Modern Life” moniker.
Hot Off The Presses
While the future of print media is uncertain these days, its relevancy in
the present receives a welcome affirmation in a new survey by The Rosen Group. The
study, examining the state of current and future media, found that nearly 80% of
respondents say they still subscribe to magazines and 83% consider their daily
newspapers relevant to their lives. The uptake: while there is a shift to online
news consumption and a preference for online sources for breaking news, Americans
still find print publications to be important sources for context, to explore
their special interests, and as entertainment.
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CAREER TIPS FROM THE CREATIVE GROUP
WHAT’s IN AND OUT ON THE JOB
Fashion from the ‘80s might be making a comeback in terms of ripped jeans
and shoulder pads, but many job-hunting techniques from previous eras should be
permanently retired. Following are five tactics that have passed their prime and
their replacements:
1. Resumes. Out: Overly detailed resumes. In: Streamlined
resumes that list relevant accomplishments.
2. Language. Out: Stilted language in application materials
(e.g., “Please find my resume attached in response to the job posting
...”) In: More natural prose that provides a sense of your personality
(e.g., “When I learned about the position, I was excited by the
...”)
3. Interviewing. Out: “Canned”
responses to interview questions (e.g., “My weakness is that I work too
hard ...”) In: Authentic responses that provide insight into your
thought processes and how you can contribute to the company.
4. References. Out: A set reference
list. In: A customized reference list for each opportunity.
5. Networking. Out: Networking
occasionally. In: Networking constantly using tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook
and Twitter, as well as in person.
The Creative Group is a specialized staffing service placing creative,
advertising, marketing and web professionals on a project basis. Find more
information at www.creativegroup.com
MORE GRAPHIC DESIGN NEWS
Shock Doc
Duffy & Partners has reconnected with Shock Doctor to revitalize
the client’s brand and the company’s leadership in sports
protection. The product offerings provide hardcore sports enthusiasts
with technology, safety and comfort. The rebranding includes packaging
and merchandising, business materials, and the design of a website,
iconography and online advertising. The companies first collaborated
in 1992, when Shock Doctor hit the marketplace as mouthguard experts.
“We were eager to revisit and create a new brand expression for
Shock Doctor, which leverages their expertise in sports protection,
technology and design,” said Tricia Davidson, principal and
managing partner at the Minneapolis-based design firm.
Women Owned Businesses
Debra Malinics Advertising has been named as one of the 50 Best Women
Owned Businesses in Pennsylvania, one of seven selected in Philadelphia.
Winners are chosen by a panel of judges based on professional and personal
accomplishments, community service, and business history. This is the 14th
anniversary of the program. Winners will be honored at an evening awards
reception May 11 in Harrisburg PA, with a private afternoon reception at
the Governor’s residence.
http://www.newPA.com
Transition Planning
Given the economic climate, inhouse designers are exploring the transition
from printed annual reports to posting interactive versions online. A perfect
example: Frederick County Public Schools, located in central Maryland. Until
this year, writes Jose Rosapepe, Graphics Specialist in the 23-person
Communications Services, 50,000 copies of the report were printed and mailed
to households countywide. This year, the report was redesigned as an interactive
PDF be read on the website, with rollovers and navigation buttons as well as
hyperlinks to external documents and websites. Rosapepe says they sent “a
message that Communication Services was making an effort to be as cost effective
as possible while still delivering an informative product.”
No Brainer
Cash-strapped municipalities are buddying up with companies ready to pay for
the honor of having their ad or logo on a high visibility civic property. Examples
abound: Chicago is taking RFPs for companies to buy the right to name individual
station stops on the L, New York’s MTA has wrapped an entire subway train
with ads, and San Angelo TX just gave the green light for advertising in its
50-year-old coliseum. Advocates say such deals are a no-brainer. Brands get
exposure in venues not hitherto available, and cities get a revenue stream. Push
back? Opponents say that taxpayer-supported property is no place for a junk food
ads and public space messaging is visual pollution.
Seeing The Light
A corporate identity for Candle Lamp Company LLC has been developed by Charlotte
N.C.-based brand strategy firm BOLT Group. The work included brand strategy and
repositioning, visual identity and brand architecture, as well as business papers
and electronic templates, signage, fleet graphics, packaging and labeling, and
brand standards.“Before our identity program with BOLT Group, our look was
behind the times, and our touch points looked like they came from different
companies,” says Michael Pacharis, vice president of marketing for Candle
Lamp.
Get Real
In the blog Engage:Moms, Kyla Lange Hart of branding firm Toniq LLC argues that
mothers are shifting to a new set of consumer values. In “Nothing Artificial,”
she contends that, as families hunker down at home, moms have a revived interest in
real and genuine value. What’s a marketer to do? Great American brands can tap
their heritage. If done with ingenuity and authenticity, says Hart, a brand’s
heritage story can become valid and compelling, and appeal to the revived interest in
truth, ethics, good value and local support. Stop making substitutions for the real,
good ingredients and materials, she advises. Get rid of what’s artificial.
“Moms want real, not a chemistry lab on their table.”
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=102344
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GRAPHIC DESIGN EVENTS
Now Through April 26. San Francisco
CA. Museum of Craft+Design. San Francisco Graphic Design 2009, an exhibition presenting
leading edge work from the likes of Philippe Becker, Josh Chen, Barbara Vick,
Christopher Simmons, Cinthia Wen, and many more. Michael Osborne is the curator
and exhibition designer.
http://www.sfmcd.org
Now Through May 15. New
York NY. AIGA national Design Center. “Everybody Dance Now: 20 Years of Dancing
in Print” is a survey of the award-winning visual and performing arts magazines
Dance Ink and 2Wice. The exhibition features the magazines’ historic collaborations
with dancers, choreographers and photographers.
http://www.aiga.org
April 16. Chicago
IL. Picturehouse holds its fourth annual Chicago event, this year at the River East
Art Center. Graphic designers and stock agencies meet in a friendly and intimate
setting. New this year! A free lecture on Copyright/Copywrong in Image Licensing by
attorney and author Nancy Wolff. Picturehouse Chicago is free, but you must register
at...
http://www.picturehouse-us.com/GDUSA
April 22. San Francisco
CA. Hotel Nikko. Brand strategists and designers will find FUSE: Design & Culture,
Brand Identity & Packaging Conference a useful forum to connect and discuss important
issues within the industry. This event is sponsored by AIGA.
http://www.renotahoe.aiga.org
April 23. Philadelphia PA.
Bresslergroup. Discuss sustainable design practices at the Philadelphia Designer’s
Accord Town Hall Meeting. This is a public socializing and networking evening which includes
short presentations focused on creating a positive environmental impact. This free event is
sponsored by AIGA.
http://www.aigaphilly.org
April 27. Miami FL. Location
TBA. World Day of Design commemorates the vital role of design in the public arena. The
international holiday represents the creative spirit that underlies all facets of humanity
and it’s impact around the world. This event is sponsored by AIGA.
http://www.aiga.org
May 1. Warren NJ. Hundreds
of creative professionals are expected for the Art Directors Club of New Jersey, 46th Annual
Exhibition. Location: The Stone House at Stirling Ridge. Theme: In Search of Shining Stars.
http://www.adcnj.org
May 1. Philadelphia PA. AIGA
Philadelphia honors 34 winners at the inaugural Philadelphia Design Awards (PDA) showcase. The
display from May 1 to May 30 at Always by Design (AXD) Gallery. Featured artists will be formally
recognized at an awards ceremony and reception on May 1. “These awards show that the
Philadelphia design community deserves a closer look,” says Michele Cooper of Cooper
Graphic Design, Chair of the PDAs.
http://www.aigaphilly.org
May 1. Warren NJ. The Stone
House at Stirling Ridge. The Art Directors Club of New Jersey hosts the 46th Annual Awards
Exhibition. The event showcases the talents of creative professionals throughout New Jersey. The
evening includes a formal presentation of awards.
http://www.adcnj.org
May 4-5. Seattle WA. An
Event Apart is a web design conference focusing on creating content, designing effective pages,
and dealing with browsers and web gadgets. The events are lead by Jeffrey Zeldman and partner
Eric Meyer. After Seattle, they go on the road to Boston, Chicago and San Francisco.
http://www.aneventapart.com
May 8. New York NY. Hammerstein
Ballroom. The Society of Publication Designers is hosting the annual SPD gala 44. A high fashioned
way to network and socialize as well as enjoy an evening of dancing and music.
http://www.spd.org
May 14 Through May 17. Portland
OR. Hotel Lucia. The 2009 Annual Meeting and Exchange is not only an event featuring
distinguished speakers, but also a time for numerous small group and one-on-one engagements
with the leaders of other creative services firms. The topic of this year’s discussions
will be charting new territory in sustainability and environmental consciousness. Association
of Professional Design Firms will host this event.
http://www.apdf.org
May 17-19: New York NY: Surtex
2009 is set for the Javits Center in Manhattan. It is the only show dedicated to the sale and
licensing of original art and design in industries such as home and apparel textiles, gifts,
stationery, housewares and consumer products. Penny Sikalis is VP and Show Manager. Registration
online is now open.
http://www.surtex.com
May 15. Madison NJ. The
next InSource event — Practice Makes Perfect — is scheduled for Friday, May
15 at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Speakers will include Shel Perkins and Steve
Benfield, both on the topic of effectively managing creative services in today’s
corporate culture.
http://www.in-source.org
May 17. New York NY. Who?
The Type Directors Club. Where? L Train from Seventh Avenue. Paul Shaw will lead a walk
through of the MTA Subway System. Stops at 14th Street, Broadway Junction and brief forays
in the Brooklyn of Williamsburg, Bushwick, Crown Heights and Bedford Stuyvesant.
http://www.tdc.org
May 17-May 19. Manhattan
NY. Javits Center. SURTEX is a trade show dedicated to the sale and licensing of art and
design, catering to a host of industries from gifts and stationery, to home and apparel
textile firms, to wall and floor coverings companies. It takes place adjacent to the Supply
Side show which brings together manufacturers, suppliers and decisionmakers from the social
stationery, giftware and graphic arts industries.
http://www.surtex.com
May 27-30. San Diego
CA. Society for Environmental Graphic Design announced the 2009 SEGD Conference + Expo.
“Blurring Lines, Crossing Borders, Ignoring Boundaries,” is the theme. Says
Amy Owen, 2009 conference chair, “Design is increasingly global, pan-disciplinary,
multimedia, and amorphous, defying all traditional boundaries.”
http://www.blurring-lines.com
June 4. New York NY. The
ADC Gallery. The 88th Annual Awards Exhibition will feature Gold, Silver and Bronze winners
in 5 categories: Design, Advertising, Interactive, ADC Hybrid and ADC Design Sphere. After
June 26, it will embark on a global tour. Sponsored by the Art Directors Club.
http://www.adcglobal.org
June 9. Washington DC.
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. The Green Media June Conferences from SustainCommWorld will
deliver experts in sustainable media, networking with sustainability leaders and advice
on the best green practices. There will be a seminar on reinventing print and digital media.
http://www.greenmediaconference.com
June 12. Baltimore MD. Towson
University. University & College Designers Association Workshops provide a focused,
themed program relating directly to designers and visual communicators. Workshop faculty
will share their thoughts on design, creativity, pitfalls and success, each presentation
will finish with ample time for an indepth Q & A session.
http://www.ucda.com
June 17-June 18. San
Francisco CA. The Stanford Court. “Re-Thinking...Design” is an opportunity for
designers to collaborate on the leadership role that design should take on facing the relevant
challenges of today’s design business, becoming a change agent, and creating emerging
opportunities to make an impact. This event will be hosted by the Design Management Institute.
http://www.dmi.org
June 24-June 27. Austin TX.
Austin Convention Center. The HOW Design Conference offers a substantive view of real-world
and current design projects and, as always, centers around career tips, creativity boosters,
and software instruction in a tough economy.
http://www.howconference.com
DON’T LET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION SLIP AWAY
We have a fast-growing wait list for our magazine and enewsletters. If you have not
renewed/updated your free subscription within the past 12 months, you are likely to
stop receiving service in May, including our popular design annuals. We value your
readership so, please, act today. If you run into questions or problems, email me
directly so we can take care of them immediately at
gkaye@gdusa.com.
http://www.gdusa.com/subscriptions/renewsub.php
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