The Design Intern's Holiday Tradition
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Each year the fall semester design intern is given the opportunity to design a holiday invitation for the Addison Whitney Holiday Party. The intern works directly with the planning committee, who is considered to be the “client,” to create an invite that is relevant to the party’s theme.
Invite designs from years past include a holiday partridge sailing on a boat (2007 Holiday Cruise) and a jolly reindeer perched upon a snow-covered cabin (2005 Cozy Cabin Holiday Party). This week we will be showcasing invitations from the past 5 years for your enjoyment.
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As Named on TV
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Anyone who watches television between the hours of 10pm to 6am is no stranger to the hypnotic lull of the infomercial. In the wee hours of the morning while I am battling the occasional bout of insomnia, I find myself amazed by the power of an oxygen based cleaner, or convinced that an air sealed bag is the solution to all of my house hold clutter. I also wonder why the same dark headed man with a thick beard and excruciatingly loud voice appears on almost all infomercial product ads---but that is beside the point.
The question I have about these As Seen on TV type products, that pops into my head after Ron Popeil practically jumps out of my television screen demanding me to “SET IT, AND FORGET IT!”, is who in the world names these things?
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Band Brands
Take a peek at your music library: you’ll be amazed at how many familiar naming strategies you spot. Here are a few of my favorites:
REPETITION
Hot Hot Heat
Mr. Mister
Go-Gos
Duran Duran
RHYMING
Milli Vanilli
Lynard Skynard
Quiet Riot
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The Holiday Hierarchy
Is it me, or are we transitioning immediately from Halloween to Christmas? Just when the last Trick-or-Treater of the night walks away from my door step, K-mart busts out the 15 foot inflatable snow globe. Are we skipping something? Yes, I think it is called Thanksgiving.
According to a recent study by the CDC, 34% of Americans are overweight. You would think Thanksgiving would be a marketers dream. Shelves should be stocked with bite size packages of stuffing for ‘Thank’-or-Treaters, freezers full of turkeys to carve and place on our door steps, 15 foot inflatable gravy boats—a pilgrim at the mall taking pictures with your screaming kids. Well, maybe next year…
Let’s face it, Thanksgiving does not get enough credit. How did the rest of our holidays become so commercial, leaving Thanksgiving in the dust? I have a few theories:
1.No Brand Persona
Santa, Cupid, Easter bunny—these are all characters that add a story and pizzazz to their respective holidays. The turkeys’ life story never has a happy ending. This is not a story you read your children before bed. Maybe we could add a gift giving Pilgrim to the mix.
2.Lack of buy in from children
What do children love about holidays? Free candy on Halloween, Toys for Christmas, a basket of goodies on Easter morning, and notes from classmates on Valentine’s Day. For children, Thanksgiving is just another meal. No gifts, no candy, no fun.
3.Minimal merchandising opportunities
How many turkey figurines can you have before your home décor begins to resemble a zoo gift shop? We need more characters, symbols, and colors for Thanksgiving. Side dishes don’t count. There is really only one product to market for Thanksgiving: food. You can buy food ANY day of the year. Luster=lost.
But most importantly…
4. Calendar Crowding
Halloween, Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, New Year’s—all within three months. I call for a calendar reorganization. Any holiday preceding Christmas automatically gets overshadowed. Columbus Day really drew the short straw. If we move Thanksgiving to April, I think we would begin Turkey shopping in February.
I will not be rushed into Christmas this year, and I hope you will stop and smell the yams as well. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Time with family, tradition, relaxation, football---but most importantly, the FOOD! I wait all year for this meal and I am not going to leave the table early to decorate the Christmas tree. Happy Thanksgiving!
Contributed by Laine Beyerl
Climate Confusion
Here’s the scene: It’s an unseasonably cold day. You have just completed a freezing run through the parking lot and have caught the elevator going up. The stranger next to you, visibly chilly, remarks, “so much for global warming, eh?”
I can’t tell you how many times this exact scenario has happened to me, which leads me to believe one of two things: 1. Strangers like to talk to me, or 2. The name Global Warming is fundamentally misleading. (Let’s just assume it’s the latter.)
Apparently the same events seem to happen to Al Gore, as urban dictionary has added “The Gore Effect” to its lexicon, meaning “the phenomenon that leads to unseasonably cold temperatures whenever Al Gore visits an area to discuss global warming.”
So what’s the deal?Read more
Taco Terrier
While I was on the verge of purchasing a puppy it got me thinking about puppy names. I could go with the standard cool name like Bruiser, to the more traditional name like Baxter, to the type of breed. Each breed of dog has its own characteristics, attributes and benefits, similar to that of a brand. Now, a dog that was once considered just a cute mutt has transitioned into its very own brand category … a “designer breed”, which has me completely baffled. Just to give you an idea of how many of “designer breeds” exist, I compiled a list of registered names from the ACHC.
- Yorkshire Terrier + Poddle = YorkiePoo
- Jack Russell Terrier + Poodle = Jack-A-Poo
- Labrador Retriever = Labrodoodle
- Chihuahua + Dachshund = Chiwinie
- Poodle + Westie = Wee-Poo
- Bulldog + Pug = Buggs
- Pomeranien + Poddle = PomaPoo
- Affenpinscher + Chihuahua = Affenhuahua
- Affenpinscher + Poddle = Affenpoo
- American Bulldog + Boxer = Bulloxer
- American Bulldog + Mastif = MastiBull
- Alaskan Malamute + Siberian Husky = Alusky
- American Eskimo + Cocker Spaniel = Cock-A-Mo
- American Eskimo + Shih Tzu = Shih-Mo
- American Rat Terrier + Boston Terrier = Brat
- Beagle + Jack Russell Terrier = Jack-A-Bee
And two of my personal favorites…
- Basset Hound + Miniature Schnauzer = Bowzer
- Chihuahua + Toy Fox Terrier = Taco Terrier
…believe me the list goes on and on
Moreover, I have noticed that in the corporate world, the “breeding” of two brand names often takes a more conservative approach to naming.
MillerCoors (perhaps “Cooller” possibly could of work due to the environment in which their product lives).
Thomson Reuters (Reuterson ehh maybe that is just a bad last name, ie Tom Reuterson).
Is this good "brandalosophy"? Or should a new name be developed opening the door to refined characteristics and benefits giving birth to a new “designer brand?”
By: Nick Irwin
Employee Feature: Kristin Everidge
Name: Kristin Everidge
Job & Company: Manager, Visual Branding for Addison Whitney
On a road trip, my staple convenience store purchase is: FUNYUNS, Cheerwine and Chewy SweetTarts. I limit myself to only eating these less than nutritious items when I am on the road.
He Said She Said: Memorex Logo
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He Said:
I must say that I never thought there was anything wrong with the previous Memorex logo. Sure the colors might have been a little dated (pre 2000), but I enjoyed the simplicity. That is why I believe this new logo is a nice transition into the modern era. Of course it has some clichéd trendy elements, ala an all-lowercase sans serif typeface, but I thoroughly enjoy the focus on simplicity. I am sure one of the biggest supporters to this new logo will be their printers. “HORRAY one color logo and no trapping on a light yellow!” However, I seem to gravitate towards the light gray execution of the logo on the packaging more than the burnt orange. The softer corners and clean lines allude to the shift in target audience, as they call the “savvy female shopper.” With this change in logo and packaging, it makes the brand feel more align with the Apple iPod / elitist crowd which has been a common movement these days. Although I don’t know if I completely agree with the rationale of the new logo, overall, the implementation of the new brand is obviously well planed out, and the renovated brand breathes fresh life into a new direction for Memorex.
She Said:
Memorex recently unveiled a new logo and brand position that attempts to attract more adult female consumers. The previous logo was certainly more masculine and high tech, with jagged edges within the typography and the obligatory technology logo dynamic ring to connote, you guessed it, speed! The new logo still communicates technology, but in a much more modern way, with open letter spacing and an overall clean, geometric design. The rounded letter forms (m,e,o) evoke a softer feeling and the color is more friendly, but I would argue that that is not necessarily enough to attract more women. When combined with the new positioning, advertising and packaging, it could work. I am definitely over the ever so popular sans serif Avenir-esque / Helvetica-esque typeface and icon within the “o” (so obvious), but overall, I would say this is an improvement. What do you think?
Mad Addiction
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The hit A&E Series Mad Men won accolades this year for TVs Most Outstanding Drama Series. Its base premise is about a fictional 1960s New York City advertising agency Sterling Cooper and its executives.
Even being a fictional show mostly centered on the personal lives of the characters, we still get a glimpse into branding and advertising conception during the 60s. What I enjoy most about this newfound addiction of mine are the brands featured as clients of the agency. American Airlines, Heineken, Maidenform, Cadillac and Kodak are just a few. I’ve also learned that some of these mentioned do pay for the placement in addition to their advertising spots during the show.
Although the show takes place over 50 years ago when there weren’t as many legal trademarking challenges to overcome, it still portrays creativity on a personal level, even while dealing with the transitional social challenges of those times. For those of us fortunate enough to be working in the branding industry, there's a sense of pride in watching the perspective of what it must have been like then, but also how things have changed. Pairing that with the intriguing lives of the characters has made this show one that I can’t ever miss.
By: Kelly Wilson
Good Guide
One of our most influential tools in a capitalist society is our power as consumers. When you choose to buy something, you are not only supporting the brand, but the production of that product, and the company as a whole.
Guides such as Consumer Reports have long existed to provide consumers with detailed information and reviews on product performance. GoodGuide takes that notion a step further, according to their website, providing “the world's largest and most reliable source of information on the health, environmental, and social impacts of the products in your home.”
With a visit to GoodGuide, you can browse items ranked in three categories: Health Performance (which includes adverse health effects and safety), Environmental Performance (which includes energy and climate impact, as well as use of hazardous materials), and Social Performance (which measures company philanthropy, labor and human rights, and customer satisfaction).
So the next time you are debating which brand of makeup or detergent to buy, take a quick look online—what you read may just make the decision for you.
Contributed by: Maghan Cook