Western Romance

Here's a cool little set of choice vintage magazine covers in celebration of both the Stock Show & Rodeo and St. Valentine's Day down here in San Antonio: Western Romance

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HMK

Window Revenue

Just in time for the recession, companies like WindowGain and NeoScape are doing what they can to brighten up those unsightly boarded-up and/or broken-window storefronts. Their mission: turn empty urban windows into digital message displays.

“It’s an innovative way to activate empty storefronts with new technology,” Randi Lathrop, who has overseen pilot projects in Boston, tells the Boston Globe.

Nice thinking. Almost anything looks better than those makeshift boarded up windows.

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HMK

Thanks to David Gianatasio AdFreak.

Dog Coach

Now that's a group of smart dogs. Looks like you're in good hands with these dog coaches. But actually it's Dazy not Daisy and Ringo is still working on dotting the "i" in his name...

Agency: .start, Munich
Creative Directors: Marco Mehrwald, Thomas Pakull
Art Director: Felix Ranft
Copywriter: Bjoern Pfarr

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Gracias Freddy.

Evolve

In 1930, Goro Yoshida and his brother-in-law Saburo Uchida created Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory in Japan. Four years later, they created their first camera, called the Kwanon. It was named after the Kwanon, Buddhist Bodhisattva of Mercy. The logo included an image of Kwanon with 1,000 arms and flames.

Coolness of logo notwithstanding, according to the Canon site, the company registered the differently spelled word "Canon" as a trademark because it sounded similar to Kwanon while implying precision, a characteristic the company would like to be known and associated with.

There's a few more nice examples of logo evolution from the smart folks over at: Netorama.

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HMK

San Antonio: I Love It Lame!

This is from David Gianatasio at Adweek:

The city of love is ... surprise! San Antonio, Texas! I always thought it was Paris. And not Paris, Texas, either. Scorpions and ZZ Top (the band in one case, but not the other) spring to mind on those rare occasions when I ponder the Lone Star State.

But a press release from Bromley Associates set me straight. There’s a new campaign about all the things there are to love in San Antonio, but it will remain largely under wraps until Feb. 14. “We’ve already begun running teasers in the media and via direct mail, so it’s the campaign name and logo that are embargoed.” Fair enough. We won’t print the logo or divulge the slogan, though if some clever reader figures it out, well, that’s just the luck of the draw. Think Texas ... love ... Valentine’s Day.


No doubt, there's lots to love down here in my hometown of San Antonio, but as far as slogans go, you simply can't beat 'Keep San Antonio Lame". Or as my buddy Carlos Zapata put it in his letter to the editor of the San Antonio Current:

Let’s face it, San Antonio is a BIG small town. I think John Lisle of 99.5 KISS FM put it best when he described San Antonio as, “the Barney Fife of metropolitan cities - we have a gun, we just don’t have any bullets.” I really do enjoy reading the Current and being in the advertising business; I think that it is a very good source for advertisers. But come on, I think you need to forget where you live. Just embrace San Antonio and its lameness and stop wishing it were something else. If you need cool, head up to Austin. Embrace San Antonio and our choices without judgment. Keep Austin Weird and please KEEP SAN ANTONIO LAME!

Right on Carlos. And while we're at it, why not crank up our jingle, thi perfect S.A. tune from local rockers Speeder, as our anthem in every bar and nightspot in town at the stroke of midnight, every night: Hey San Antonio!

Have a great weekend and Keep San Antonio Lame!

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HMK

Dogs Rule

Advertising Agency: TBWA\Chiat\Day, Los Angeles

A new trend of families leaving their pets behind after losing their homes to foreclosure has animal rights advocates concerned across the country, according to the Humane Society of the United States. The leading animal advocacy group says an onslaught of new home foreclosures has led to an increase in animal abandonment reports.

“Abandoned pets face a grim future,” the Humane Society asserted in a press statement. “Many pets trapped inside abandoned homes aren't found until they're on the brink of starvation. Those lucky enough to reach a shelter have about a 50-percent chance of being adopted.”

Man, I wish we could handle more than our 2 sweet rescue pups Ringo and Dazy.

Have a heart, take the first step and if you're able - do something: Humane Society of the United States. You won't regret it - Dogs Rule!

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HMK

Maison et Objet

“Faced with an unappealing daily existence and uncertain future,” text on the wall explained helpfully, “it’s time to strike a new attitude!”

In the absence of much practical direction from the official sources, and given the disparate merchandise visitors had to sort through in a few days (Jan. 25 to 29), the Maison et Objet seemed like a good opportunity to put the discipline of trend forecasting to the test.

Would journalists and forecasters at the show reach a consensus, independent of outside influences, about where things are headed, or would they pick out patterns that suited their own tastes, looking for “the trends you want to see,” as Michelle Ogundehin, the editor in chief of British Elle Decoration, put it?

Ms. Ogundehin and four others whose business it is to spot what’s coming next were asked to accompany a reporter on separate rounds of the show and to describe trends they were seeing.

Results of this exercise may surprise skeptics. Choosing different examples and using different words, the five broadly agreed on a few distinct currents in furnishings design and on some reasons behind them.

Read the entire Sabine Rothman Putting Trend Spotters on the Spot piece in today's The New York Times.

Or, head straight over to Maison et Objet and decide for yourself.

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HMK

Heads Up

Check out this wicked fun collection of Head Props and then some from those keen-eyed Ephemeral Phreaks over at Swapatorium.

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Fire Table

Me like: Fire Table!

And while we're at it: Six Out-of-the-Hearth Fireplaces

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HMK

Gracias to the kids over at Cool Hunting.

Write On

Agency: Vitruvio Leo Burnett, Madrid
Creative Director: Rafa Antón
Art Director: Sergio Lobo
Copywriter: Francisco Cassis

Nice work guys.

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HMK


Thanks again Freddy...

Is Obama a Mac and Clinton a PC?

Styles make fights — or so goes the boxing cliché. In 2008, they make presidential campaigns, too.

This is especially true for the two remaining Democrats, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Reporters covering the candidates have already resorted to traditional analysis of style — fashion choices, manner of speaking, even the way they laugh. Yet, according to design experts, the candidates have left a clear blueprint of their personal style — perhaps even a window into their souls — through the Web sites they have created to raise money, recruit volunteers and generally meet-and-greet online.

On one thing, the experts seem to agree. The differences between hillaryclinton.com and barackobama.com can be summed up this way: Barack Obama is a Mac, and Hillary Clinton is a PC.

This is a great read - thanks to Naom Cohen at The NY Times.

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The Rolling Bench

Smart Korean designer Sungwoo Park (and his design gang) came up with a simple solution for wet benches and chairs. The slats on these benches can rotate to the dry side by cranking the handle. Brilliant.

Nice work guys.

More info: Yanko Design.

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HMK

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...

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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.

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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."

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HMK

WonderBra

Hmmm. This rebranding makes me wonder, brah - how could they totally ignore all the visual possibilities of what could be done with that big W or the B...

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HMK

Thanks Fred.

Choice Vinyl Cover Art

The Ferguson Trio. A righteous, rocking threesome for God with a honey of a hotrod and trailer. “Sing the Gospel” on Praise records.

I love cheesy lp art, check out these awesome Album Covers and you know, the art of 45's, like this French classic from 1961 can be pretty sweet as well...




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Romanian Stencil Art

Take a little break and enjoy this cool gallery of Stencil Art from Romania.

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HMK

Multitasking +

Neuroscience is confirming what we all suspect: Multitasking is dumbing us down and driving us crazy. Here's one man’s odyssey through the nightmare of infinite connectivity.

Check out this cool article from Walter Kirn over at the The Atlantic on the neuroscience that seems to prove my theory that multitasking actually makes us less, not more effective. I mean come on, we all have the same short day, right? If you're doing 3 things using 100% of your attention span that simply means that each task is only getting about 33 percent of your focus.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure this is a good article - I read it this morning while I was listening to NPR and playing tug-of-war with my dogs Ringo and Dazy...

Go: The Autumn of the Multitaskers.

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HMK

Cool Illustration by Istvan Banyai.

FedExcellent

Credits:
Agency : BBDO Toronto
Country : Canada
Photographer: hanghoon
Retoucher: ReBecca Nixon
Executive Creative Director: Jack Neary
Creative Director: Ian MacKellar
Art Director: Steven Kim
Copywriter: Rachel Abrams

Thanks to AdverBox.

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HMK

Storylines

Really digging this simple, yet super functional book display piece entitled Storylines from designer: Frederik Roije.

Available in six powder coated colors and two dimensions, these anodized aluminum storage shelves are ready when you are, exclusively from Studio Frederik Roije.

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HMK

Thinking: Trends for 2008

The good folks over at Landor are sharing their thinking about how trends and consumer mindsets might evolve this year. What will marketers be dealing with, what will consumers be asking for, and how will that impact brands?

Learn what some of the experts at Landor expect to see in the coming year: Trends for 2008 and their impact on brands.

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HMK

10 Ways Digital Can Help You Thrive in a Recession

The question isn’t if we’re heading into a recession. It’s how bad will it be—and what we learn from it? As marketing budgets feel the squeeze of the housing crisis and a slowing U.S. Economy, now is a good time to think about opportunities. That’s right. Opportunities. It just happens that the digital medium could be your best friend in a time when belts tighten.

Here's just three of the ten ways on how digital can help your business or brand thrive in a recession, check out all ten from the wicked smart folks over at: Experience Matters at Critical Mass.

6. Prototype Often
Digital tools allow us to prototype rapidly. Sure we can start with paper—but why? Digital does not equal high fidelity—use the tools available to use bring new ideas to life which can help sell ideas during a time when everyone thinks about the bottom line. Embrace speed. Break a few rules. Make your digital ideas tangible as soon as possible.

5. Coordinate Infinite Touch Points
Don’t put all your digital eggs in one basket like a site or banner campaign—look at smart ways to distribute the experience across as many digital touch points as possible. Be smart about it. Think about how your user think and act digitally and meet them on their turf. Of course this doesn’t have to be digital—but in a recession, you might get more bang for your buck.

10. Listen
Digital gives you many ways to listen to customers – from direct engagement like Dell’s IdeaStorm to simple surveys or even A:B testing. All are excellent examples of using digital to turn up the volume on customer desires. Those brands that do the best job listening will weather any downturn. Listening doesn’t always mean doing exactly what the customer tells you—but it can make what you decide to do that much better.

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Formulating Ideas

There are a countless benefits to investing time formulating ideas before rushing ahead with any project, in this instance, a website. Because after all:

It is more important to know where you are going than to get there fast.

Any time you spend actually thinking about the nature of your business and ways to improve it can only be a good thing. You may find that the processes put in motion by considering how best to present your content on the web have beneficial flow-on effects in other areas of the business which means you end up with a win-win situation: a website that achieves its goals and a business that is healthier overall because of new ideas generated during the development process.

If you can possibly manage the time, read the rest from the smart folks over at: Tyssen Design.

All we can do is hope to find the clients that get it, respect what we can bring to the table and keep the dialogue open. Bottom line, the idea and end result for the client has to remain your singular focus.

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HMK

The bigger we get…the smaller we have to think. Customers still walk in one at a time.

Smallest, Coolest Apartments 2007

Check out the winners of the 2007 Smallest, Coolest Apartments contest over at: Apartment Therapy.

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HMK