A fact of our times, whether we admit it or not, is that we’ve all become a bit more…thrifty– perhaps looking for sales, indulging in the occasional garage sale stop, etc? Generics are products that, I believe, are often overlooked. Made to function like a brand name product but for a fraction of the price, can anything be better? Of course, we’d all like to have the 3 hour loading times of the Adobe Creative Suites programs, but can we afford the nearly $1,000 we have to part with to fix our “brand” habit? Not in 2009. So, what’s to…
Do you know how I know your business card is crap? Let me guess, it’s rectangular, probably Strathmore stock, can easily be torn, has your name and your title on it, and it’s as forgettable as every other business card much like the one in the picture (it’s mine).
Did you simply choose a template when deciding on a business card style or did you have some sort of creative input? (Did you see what I did there? I crossed out creative to further imply that (y)our business card is crap.) I recall when my creative director was designing the card you see…
For all those media doom and gloom reports about the economy and all of the woes you may be experiencing right now, there is still plenty to be done. Remember, readers, we are the keepers of our destiny and have the power to make it happen.
Peep these tips for all you creative folk out there.
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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding communications, and brand development. Join her at http://twitter.com/germllc or her firm’s website at http://germonline.com/
Chicago – Dallas – Los Angeles – San Francisco – New York City – Seattle: These placement gurus have got some good work and clients brewing. Go get you some work and you are free to send all commission checks to me via Paypal 
Seriously, lots of great work and opportunity for freelance. Let me know how it goes!
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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding communications, and brand development. Join her at http://twitter.com/germllc or her firm’s website at http://germonline.com/
This designer, Karl Kwasny, really knows how to do things his way. In designing, he creates his own world utilizing design and illustration. There is nothing generic about his work. And for all you out there who say, “having a style is wack,” with clients like Coca Cola, Hershey’s, and Target, their check books beg to differ.
Check’em out!
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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) who has been in the communications industry for over 8 years, specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding communications, and brand development. Join her at http://twitter.com/germllc or her firm’s website at http://germonline.com/
Growing up as part of the Hip-Hop generation, I developed quite the admiration for graffiti art from the simplistic (as shown above) to the elaborate that’s hardly legible. A lot of the allure is the illegal aspect of it requiring artists to be quick with their craft, but still manage to be precise; the desire to have their work seen by the masses even if it means risking criminal charges; the fact that the majority don’t make a penny for their art, but they continue to illustrate the city – this I can respect. Sure, some would argue that it’s…
Ever wonder, “what does it really take to develop great ideas?” I mean the big ones. The juicy, sloppy, wet ones that drench the culture and live soaked in society for decades. Well, there is a great Cannes Selection film, “Art & Copy,” that does just that. Or, shall I say instead of wondering, the filmmakers decided to Just Do It!
Check out a screening in your area: http://www.artandcopyfilm.com/screenings/
While in Atlanta, I’m gonna go to the screening on Wednesday, April 22nd as part of the Atlanta Film Festival. Tune in Thursday for my review–like you care what I think–but I’ll let you…
Hello 12 Point Type readers! I’m a new writer to this blog and I’ve been wracking my brain trying to come up with an eloquent and compelling first post on par with my fellow bloggers here that would convince you to subscribe so fast you’d chalk it up to an outer-body experience. Unfortunately, my aspirations fail me. Instead, I offer this:
Now I know a good deal when I see one, but I think it’s safe to assume copy-writing just isn’t for everyone;
even if you do it for a living.
A little something to keep in mind when writing is content and…
Ok. Gonna tell you a little secret….
I know we can get caught in our rut of, “how much bigger do I have to make this logo,” “must EVERYTHING have to be sketched, comped, and spelled out to buy off on just the concept?,” or “do I have to work with the brand marketing all-star team from the 60’s?”
But on my way to meetings yesterday, I got a quick reminder of how lucky we are. I was riding on the interstate and saw a car on the freeway hit the guard rail only to be thrown into oncoming traffic. This reminded…
Recently I lost someone in my family whom I loved and was very fond of. At a time like this, it makes you think about what that person will be remembered for. Invariably you also think about what kind of legacy you’ll leave behind. When Paul Newman passed away last fall, he more than anyone defined how to both live life and leave a legacy behind that so many people will benefit from.
Arguably one of the greatest American actors of the past 50 years. From the early 1950s to this decade, Paul Newman repeatedly set the bar high for acting…
Ahh, now I know where awards are and the money to pay for entering can be found.
To those of you who dream of seeing your name grace the gold pencil, running in meadows with gold lions, or at least getting in the table of contents of design award annuals: get ready to pay up. I have been amazed at the fees participants must pay for entering design shows. Ok, ok, maybe I can understand the big bucks for Cannes, One Show, even CA, but all types of “award shows” are now asking for exorbitant amounts for just one entry in…
Some WWF ads that do a great job reiterating a very important cause. Global warming and the severe impact on animals! http://www.worldwildlife.org/home.html?sc=AWY0900WCG00&searchen=google&gclid=CLzll-7b2pkCFQu-GgodoUOvXA
Joel Kirstein is a Creative Director who has been in the ad agency trenches for 25 years, specializing in shopper marketing, branding, and retail. Contact him on Linked In and www.coroflot.com/joelkirstein
Last week the Detroit Lions, the NFL’s poster child for futility announced that they are finally up grading/refreshing their brand identity. If you’re not a foot ball fan, let me give you a bit of perspective on their plight. The Lions have not won an NFL Championship since Ike was president in 1957. They’ve never made it to a Super Bowl and in 52 seasons since then, they have only made the playoffs 9 times and and notched one post season victory. It gets worse. Last season the Lions became only the second team in NFL history to lose every game and the first to rack up an 0-16 record. Simply put the Detroit Lions have become the black hole of pro football.
Ok, this cat has been able to leap the design industry in a single bound. Look! Up in the purple-bluish-pink-yellow sky! It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s Chuck Anderson!
I mean this design machine took over the industry in only 5 years-no formal training-just a lil tenacity and hard work.
No more excuses–work hard ya’ll and MAKE-IT-HAPPEN!!!
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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) who has been in the communications industry for over 8 years, specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding communications, and brand development. Join her at http://twitter.com/germllc or her firm’s website at http://germonline.com/
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I love billboards. The sheer magnitude of their size always invigorated me. The challenges. The possibilities. These are some examples of the best that’s out there, coming to a field of vision near you. http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2009/01/05/clever-and-creative-billboard-advertising/ 
Joel Kirstein is a Creative Director who has been in the ad agency trenches for 25, specializing in shopper marketing, branding, and retail. Contact him on Linked In and www.coroflot.com/joelkirstein
Erik Johansson is a very talented PhotoShop master from Sweden, who produces incredible results by manipulating his photos. To see more of his fun, amazing, amusing and incredible work, go to: http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2009/03/13/photo-manipulations-by-erik-johansson/ 
Joel Kirstein is a Creative Director who has been in the ad agency trenches for 25, specializing in shopper marketing, branding, and retail. Contact him on Linked In and www.coroflot.com/joelkirstein
So, what is the answer?
In a world of competing designers where everyone with Arial and a Sharpie are now the next Paula Scher, how do you compete for work? Is spec the answer?
Well, as lines have been drawn, there are two sides to the work-for-free war and boy oh boy are the jump drives flying.
One side believes that designers must take a united stand to not give free labor and belittle our purpose and industry. The other side says that in this overcrowded, over-saturated, and any other “over” word you can think of, it is just part of the evolving world…
I hear you….I hear you over there!
“I have mad skillz…I mean I’m a design machine.”
“No one can touch me!”
“Just wish someone other than my mac, cat, and mamma knew how ill I am!”
Well there is an answer to your prayers a great way to promote your work! Facebook has a new group called “Artists Group” utilizing FB new iSnap application.
iSnapChat is a new Facebook application. It is a sophisticated visual communication tool to enable artists, photographers, designers and others to and promote their work. To find out more and learn about the launch join this group or click image:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=76846695232
EXCUSES ARE…
Besides stupid people and abject nonsense, they’re a given. We all do things that don’t help our own cause and make what we normally do very fluidly, into a battle and a struggle. Shalu Wasu a creative consultant with a terrific website that offers some great “reminders” on how not to be your own worse enemy. It is a simple, effective read that will be useful: http://tickledbylife.com/index.php/15-elephant-tethers-that-stop-you-from-being-creative/
Here’s a taste of what Shalu Wasu identifies as the many things creatives use to tether themselves to failure:
1. What will people think?
2. But I’ve never had any great ideas!
3. What is the right answer?
4. I don’t…
OK, yes, I went to school to be an Illustrator. At the time, I didn’t know what the hell to do with my creative energy. I was told that my talent and desires would be best honed in the Illustration major. I said, “OK” with no argument. I was hoping to get in the Computer Animation major, but in retrospect, I’m very glad I didn’t. My Illustration BFA took four hard and glorious years to achieve–and even in the end, I wasn’t sure it was the right pick.
Don’t tell any of my fellow Illustration mates–they’d kill me for this. It…
10 – Our Troops all coming home ahead of time, safely and being appreciated for doing an impossible job!
9 – More Talented, Smart Creative people being rehired in Advertising
8 – The Ad Industry coming to their senses that Creatives are the muscle that drives our industry
7 – The economy rebounds from the current melt down as fast as possible!
6 – The price of gas continues to plunge and we’re paying under a buck a gallon by February and it doesn’t stop going down there… (Oil companies going under would make my millenium!)
5 – Wall Street Interlopers, Scum Bag Politicians, Predatory…
10 – More Jerry Seinfeld-Bill Gates Microsoft commercials (Give up, you suck!)
9 - More GEICO Caveman and GECKO commercials (Unwatchable)
8 - Any Advertising of any kind with Paris Hilton in it (Just go away already)
7 - Any Political Campaign ad or commercial… (I think we had our fill in 2008 to last a lifetime?)
6 - Any Politician saying “I approved this commercial.” (If you can’t put together a good tv spot,
how can you think you can run anything?”)
5 – Stop talking about “Change We Can Believe In” (and actually start DOING some of that change!)
4 – More New Brand launches…
I also got a number of emails from people who aren’t necessarily sports fans to the manic level of near-certifiability like me, but enthusiasts of other sports who inquired why I wrote only about the so-called “Big 4″ and not some other sports that they liked. I have also alluded to the Olympics and some other sports in the past, but in the interest of always trying to be both fair and balanced
Shapeshifter Media has been at the forefront of this category with their patented process method for representing an image on a stepped surface and staircase. Very often, the more challenging the physical nature of the “odd ball” type of area to work with, the more interesting the result is. “Destination Brand Engagement!”
Professionally speaking, some people get all giddy over things that most others would find very strange. For me, it’s POP/POS/Displays! I always have and always will get a thrill, kick out of and smile from going out into stores and movie theaters and seeing what the brands and entertainment companies are doing when it comes to POP/POS/Displays. I went back to the stores a few thousand times to ask the managers for these displays, standees, POS, etc. They realized that it was easier to give in to me and give me the object my obsession, just to get rid of me. I loved the dimensional nature. The size. Maybe it was the stench of stale popcorn and corrugate? Who knows?
It’s almost midnight, you have to come up with a logo identity program for a client with a nebulous product and a scattered brand strategy that splits more hairs than static electricity and a blow dryer. Where do you go to get inspired? Where DO you go?
The reason why print will never go toes up is because broadcast in all of it’s new, rich media forms has an inherently higher perceived value, therefore the cost for it is always going to scare a lot of smaller brands and companies from going that route and they have been served well, by their measure by print, so it will not wind up as obsolete.
necessity in bad times always delivers creative and unique solutions.
. I tip my hat to the creators of these expressive portrayals. Emoticons started out as this : ) and have developed ^_^ and evolved 
with the Internet.
Joel 
