Monday, February 04, 2008

The Power Of Choice?


Yee Haw! We get to vote on the best design for our new Texas License Plates!

Wait a minute... Why does this remind me of our choices for the Presidential election?

Oh, I see, it's not really a choice at all, unless you call choosing the thing that sucks the least and calling that Democracy...

Oh well, after you VOTE there's also an opportunity to comment. Here's what I wrote:

Although the traditional design I voted for still has some nasty gradation in the design, it's the most classic and simple of the "choices".

I really wish someone over at the TexDOT would pay attention to what's happening with the graphics and elegance of the type and font decisions being made and used in some of the current REAL and TRUE Texas traditions and campaigns like Frost Bank and Shiner Beer. These plate design options look like they we're designed by a kid on a PC with free fonts and 2 hours photo shop experience.


Think back to our awesome plates of the late 50's and early 60's - clean, simple and highly readable from a distance, what a concept! It's 2008 and we're still using bluebonnets? Lame. It's design like this that perpetuates the stigma of Texans being unsophisticated and ass-backwards. We appreciate good design - I only wish it was evident in something as mandatory as our State License Plates...

Less Is More! Simple Works. Think about it.

Anyway, the last day to vote is February 11th. Like that matters...

That's Right,

HMK

This Ain't No Disco!


This Ain’t No Disco {it’s where we work} invites Agencies from across the world to show their inner sanctum and like Pandora’s Box, once you look inside nothing will ever be the same again.

I'm really digging this clean and hip entrance lobby of Miriello Grafico in San Diego, California. So much cooler than displaying paintings done by the boss's wife...

Visit lots more places that understand that the right working environment is conducive to productivity and great work over at This Ain't No Disco.

That's Right,

HMK

The True Underdog Wins!



All I can say is it's about time Charlie Brown won something!

This spot was the highlight of the Super Bowl for me - Go Charlie Brown!

And hey look - my quote made Jeanne Jakle's column in the San Antonio Express News:

Best showcase for an underdog: The Coke ad mimicking the Macy's parade that featured balloons of cartoon underdogs — including, well, Underdog and the most beloved tortured soul of all, Charlie Brown. Mused H. Michael Karshis, a local advertising designer, "It was the perfect way to use the classic underdog, Charlie Brown — particularly since the outcome of the game had the underdog team winning."

That's Right,

HMK