Top 20 Graphic Styles, etc. I'm "going to try" to Avoid in 2011 (Wrap-up)

Ok. So I tried to avoid using certain design techniques throughout the year and here's what happened.

Top 20 Graphic Styles, etc. I'm "going to try" to Avoid in 2011

20. Glows (Sometimes not avoidable when you have type over a photo, but I managed pretty good)

19. Strokes on Type (Didn't happen)

18. Flourishes (I live in Fort Worth, it's going to happen)

17. 3D Type in Illustrator (Nope)

16. Sunray backgrounds (Yep, used it one time, but the client didn't choose it)

15. Metal Backgrounds (Used a textured metal, but only as a layer in photoshop)

14. Wood Backgrounds (Nope)

13. iStockphotos.com (Ha! Bought a photo on there today)

12. Gradients (Of course I used gradients...what was I thinking)

11. Beveled Type (Yeah, just once, but just a pt. 1)

10. Opacity on Type (I didn't but had to work with it from another agency)

9. Maps with Pins (Hell no!)

8. Silhouettes of People (Not gonna happen)

7. Overly Saturated Color Enhanced Photos (Didn't go there)

6. Burnt Orange (Not sure why I choose this color because I'm a purple and gold kinda guy)

5. Use of Twitter Bird (Funny, but no)

4. Raw Meat Type (Huh? Nah)

3. Curving Type in Pshop (Yep that happened, but it was a major campaign that got chosen...yay!)

2. Use of Sketchings in print (Shoot me if I ever do this)

1. Excessive use of ALL CAPS (YES I DID ON ANOTHER MAJOR CAMPAIGN THAT GOT CHOSEN)
Examples to come...

Happy holidays everybody! Be safe, but merry. Cheers!

Cut and Paste - Helvetica

I recently saw a feature-length independent film/documentary about about the font Helvetica. I got so fired up I'm now dying to use it in a project. You should find it and check it out. It's truly inspiring. This statement couldn't be more true, "Helvetica encompasses the worlds of design, advertising, psychology, and communication, and invites us to take a second look at the thousands of words we see every day."

Here is some basic info about Helvetica.

Helvetica was developed in 1957 by Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann at the Haas'sche Schriftgiesserei (Haas type foundry) of Münchenstein, Switzerland. Haas set out to design a new sans-serif typeface that could compete with the successful Akzidenz-Grotesk in the Swiss market. Originally called Neue Haas Grotesk, its design was based on Schelter-Grotesk and Haas’ Normal Grotesk. The aim of the new design was to create a neutral typeface that had great clarity, no intrinsic meaning in its form, and could be used on a wide variety of signage.^[1]
When Linotype adopted Neue Haas Grotesk (which was never planned to be a full range of mechanical and hot-metal typefaces) its design was reworked. After the success of Univers, Arthur Ritzel of Stempel redesigned Neue Haas Grotesk into a larger family.^[2]
In 1960, the typeface's name was changed by Haas' German parent company Stempel to Helvetica (derived from Confoederatio Helvetica, the Latin name for Switzerland) in order to make it more marketable internationally. It was initially suggested that the type be called 'Helvetia' which is the original Latin name for Switzerland. This was ignored by Eduard Hoffmann as he decided it wouldn't be appropriate to name a type after a country. He then decided on 'Helvetica' as this meant 'Swiss' as opposed to 'Switzerland'.

Now help me bring it back!

James

Power Service Diesel-Powered Funny Car Photoshoot with driver John Robinson and the Witherspoon Team

This was probably one of the biggest off-site studio setups I've worked with on a photo shoot. Photographer Patrick Green of Patrick Green Pictures and the Witherspoon team set up a 20'x20' photography scrim/studio inside Power Service's Warehouse in Weatherford, TX. Funny Car driver, John Robinson was the most patient man during this terribly long day starting at 7am and not finishing until 3pm. Thanks John.

James Ware

Thanks,

James

Top 20 Graphic Styles, etc. I'm "going to try" to Avoid in 2011

20. Glows

19. Strokes on Type

18. Flourishes

17. 3D Type in Illustrator

16. Sunray backgrounds

15. Metal Backgrounds

14. Wood Backgrounds

13. iStockphotos.com

12. Gradients

11. Beveled Type

10. Opacity on Type

9. Maps with Pins

8. Silhouettes of People

7. Overly Saturated Color Enhanced Photos

6. Burnt Orange

5. Use of Twitter Bird

4. Raw Meat Type

3. Curving Type in Pshop

2. Use of Sketchings in print

1. Excessive use of ALL CAPS

What's left you say? Well, I guess we'll see in 2011.

What graphic styles are you going to try to avoid next year?

Thanks,

James

Celebrate HAUL-IDAYS with Chronicle Books

So here's my list of books that I would like to Haul-in for the holidays. Happy shopping and reading!

Post a list of Chronicle Books valued at up to $500 that you’d like to haul in, and you’ll be automatically entered into a drawing to WIN your list of books! And, one of your readers who comments on the post will win the list too!
Last day to submit entries is December 10th!
 

1. This is Advertising:

2. Art Direction Explained, At Last!:

3.  New Packaging Design:

4. 365: AIGA Year in Design 29

5. Rex Ray: Art + Design

6. The Picture Book: Contemporary Illustration, By Angus Hyland 

7. Guerrilla Advertising: Unconventional Brand By Gavin Lucas, Mike Dorrian 

8. Make It Bigger: Princeton Architectural Press  By Paula Scher 

9. Hatch Show Print: The History of a Great American Poster Shop By Jim Sherraden, Elek Horvath, Paul Kingsbury 

10.  BAND ID: The Ultimate Book of Band Logos  By Bodhi Oser, Art Chantry 

11. The Jim Morrison Scrapbook  By James Henke 

12. Lobel's Meat Bible 

13. David Choe

20 years in the ad biz: Props to my favorite Logo Marks

The logo is the printed spokesperson for your brand. Your logo can't say everything, but it can say something and it should make a statement of who you are and what your product is. I think it was Stan Richards that said, you know a good logo idea when you see the sketch on a piece of paper and it says everything right there in a line drawing. I'm with Stan. When a designer has to go to great lengths to gussy up a logo, then it's probably not working. Let me take a step back, I'm here to say I'm not a master at creating logos, although I do enjoy designing logos from time to time, it's just being in the ad biz doesn't always allow me to have the time it takes to create a truly conceptual logo. Below are some examples of logos that I think nail it, both creatively and conceptually.


10. Bell Telephone Logo - simple, to the point, memorable and you know exactly what they do.

9. Target - Bullseye

8. FEDEX - the only request the client had was that there be an arrow in the design

7. Shell Oil & Gas - Always thought this logo was visually perfect...you can see it from miles away

6. NIKE - The original swoosh, nuff said.

and for more contemporary logos to share

5. Spartan Golf Club - I love it when a designer merges figures together to make a composite that works

 4. VOODOO Music Experience Logo - Very dynamic and engaging, it doesn't say music, but it does say voodoo and New Orleans...ie. the fleur-de-lis

 3. CHANNEL - Sweet, simple and very high-brow

 2.Playboy - says it all

 1. ...and now my favorite logo of all time!
I thought this move for Prince was a first of it's kind and everybody knew what that logo mark stood for. It may not be the greatest design, but the statement he made with it was amazing, no words just a symbol...pop culture baby!

Thanks for checking out my blog and hope you guys keep coming back

20 years in the ad biz: Props to my favorite Print Campaigns

Is print advertising dying? Nah, I have a feeling print will never die. Like rock n' roll. There will always be magazines, newspapers and billboards and the Stones. In 2008, 525 magazines died. Sorry, couldn't find a more current statistic. Then there's Newspaper Death Watch...pretty self explanatory.

Below are some of my favorite print work that I think are conceptually amazing. Enjoy!



Guinness
Guinness, the world famous dry Irish stout, owes its fame not only to its distinctive taste, nor to its simple, old fashioned black-and-white logo, but to its modern, creative, humorous and almost always surreal advertising.

 

Think Small Volkswagon Campaign

 

Here's the copy:

Our little car isn't so much of a novelty any more. A couple of dozen college kids don't try to squeeze inside it. The guy at the gas station doesn't ask where the gas goes. Nobody even stares at our shape. In fact, some people who drive our little flivver don't even think 32 miles to the gallon is going any great guns. Our using five pints oil instead of five quarts. Our never needing anti-freeze. Or racking up 40,000 miles on a set of tires. That's because once you get used to some of our economies, you don't even think about them any more. Except when you squeeze into a small parking spot. Or renew your small insurance. Or pay a small repair bill. Or trade in your old VW for a new one. Think it over.

 

 

Memorex Tapes

Is it live or is it Memorex?

 

 

Levy's Real Jewish Rye Bread

 

 

Zippo

Disposable just another word for garbage.

 

 

Hard Rock Cafe

No copy needed. However, it's promoting their Sunday brunch I think.

 

 

 

Altoids

I've always enjoyed Altoids ads. Always very clever and funny.

 

Got Milk?

Great campaign that just keeps going and going...wait what?!?

Chick-fil-A

An idea from the Richards Group in Dallas that has legs...and hoofs. Ahhhh.

 

City of New Orleans

Last but not least, I wanted to put in one of my favorite print ads that I art directed when I worked for Zehnder Communications in New Orleans. Great campaign that still works today.

Check out the commercial here.