Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Happy 25th Apple


Happy Birthday shout-outs go to Apple; the company turns 25 in January. Congrats to the once little operation that grew and came to create products that many of us (especially here at Handcrafted) couldn't live without.

Via logolounge and wired

Miles

Monday, December 29, 2008

Sweet white space indeed!


Love the white space. Here is a great example of white space and clean, simplistic design aiding in popping the product off the shelf. Unfortunately, the traditional way of thinking says that if you add more colors/star-burts/drop shadows/text to your layout it will help in communicating to your customer. What happens, of course, is when everyone thinks this way the shelf becomes one jumbled mess. That is not the case with the new Truvia packaging.

Via brandnew

Miles

Camera on camera


The light was hitting my vintage 1952 Revere 40 movie camera with such nice light I had to capture it.

Miles

Awesome spot for Audi



The stop-motion/animation, the soundtrack, the concept, simple, engaging, all around well done.

Via thedenveregotist

Miles

Fragile cheers


Nice spot here for Fedex from BBDO Canada.

Via ibia

Miles

Your social media plan


Yeah, I know, the world of social media can be extremely overwhelming and, at times, intimidating; especially when your intention is to dive head first into, and market within, the medley of sites and applications out there. Before deploying any sort of campaign or marketing effort into the vast void of social media a certain amount of due diligence must first be made. Taking time to develop a strong strategy and mapping out your route(s) is critical. Here is a nice writeup on the topic.

Also on the subject I wanted to point to this particular blog in which the author discusses the impact of social media and introduces the thought that the sheer number of new tools/applications alone is beginning to dilute their own potential benefits.

Via brandflakesforbreakfast

Miles

100 identities for the years end


A nice collection of elemental designs here.

Via logodesignlove

Miles

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

How to promote your product; tell a story, make it personal


Origami In the Pursuit of Perfection from MABONA ORIGAMI on Vimeo.

Here is a fantastic spot in promotion of Aisics shoes. The stop-motion production guides the viewer on a brief history of the Aisics brand, complete with narration and superb origami animation. Enjoy,

via brandflakesforbreakfast

Miles

Monday, December 22, 2008

How not to promote your product




This site is executed in such poor taste. (no pun intended) Nothing like exploiting stereotypes to hock your mediocre tv dinners. From the ridiculous voice to the idiotic quips this campaign is simply ridiculous.

Via adrants

Miles

Nature is all around you


Nice campaign here from Y&R, Paris. There is plenty going on with the photography, exploded illustrations, storybook feel and expressive typography, but, it somehow all works well together and packs a powerful message. Recycle your old crap as opposed to simply tossing it out!

Via ibia

Miles

7 tips for making a good impression

These 7 helpful rules for making a good impression, no matter who you are communicating with, are based on common courtesy, general politeness and respect. Nice little bit courtesy of BusinessWeek.

Miles

Friday, December 19, 2008

Bad advertising fail

Mini in 3D! from print!



I have no idea how this works, but I do know this is totally awesome.

Via brandflakesforbreakfast

Miles

15 awesome ambigrams


Here is a nice collection of 15 ambigram designs. It is difficult not to appreciate the effort it takes to design such a mark. Fantastic craftsmanship...

a
mbigram, also sometimes known as an inversion or flipscript, is a graphical figure that spells out one or more words not only in its form as presented, but also in another direction or orientation. The text spelled out in the other direction or orientation is often the same, but can also be a different text.

Via logodesignlove

Miles

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Lojack awesomeness


Really nice spots for Lojack here by Leo Burnett Columbia. Very, very well done in both the conception and execution departments. Click the image for a look at all three pieces...

Via ibia

Miles

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Brilliant. Just brilliant


I'm not sure when, or where this took place, but the guys over at Axe/their agency decided to stage this brilliant guerrilla marketing effort. Apparently this guys showed up at a female only foot race, stepped out in front of the racers, sprayed himself with Axe and then started running right before the start, so that all of the women were chasing him. Genius.

Via denveregotist

Miles

Update:
"Axe has once again put a smile on my face with this new execution in Denmark. Created by Uncle Grey it used the largest women’s race in Europe to highlight the ‘Axe Effect’. At the start of the race, over 6000 women waited in the blocks while a lone man wearing an axe shirt jumped the barricades separating the spectators and competitors."

Don't Feel Rejected...


It's all part of the process. And it's a process we rarely get to see, especially in the case of a campaign that went so stunningly well it won Ad Age's Marketer of the Year. Much of the campaign's success can be attributed to the Obama '08 logo, a mark created in a very short time period by the folks at Sender LLC, out of Chicago. In a 2-part interview, new VSA Partners strategist Sol Sender (formerly principal of Sender LLC) reveals everything about the creative development of the 2008 Obama Logo, which was released in February of 2007 and has arguably become one of the most noticed icons on the planet; but it didn't get there without going through the ringer. Sender's team came up with 15+ concepts in just two short weeks, a number many of us are surprised to hear. Needless to say, the interview which can be found here, provides some brilliant insight on the process, including those fine concepts we like to call rejects. Never forget - it's the development of the rejects that help us find the best creative solution.

A screen grab overview of the video can be found at LogoDesignLove
Video via VSA Partners
g

Headline News gets revamped



One of my favorite channels since I was like, 15, Headline News freshens things up with a new identity including logo and a whole slew of onscreen graphics. Here is a bit of commentary on the revamp.

Via brandnew

Miles

Parent fail

Monday, December 15, 2008

One for the fans


So lonely was this fan. So weathered. So sad. Hanging from a flea market ceiling in small town South Carolina, this poor neglected fixture simply begged to be noticed. Simply acknowledged. Stay strong soggy fan. Stay strong.

Miles

Truly handcrafted


This work from Russian Yulia Brodskaya is simply amazing. The time it must have taken to construct such detail is mind-boggling. Enjoy...

Via swissmiss

Miles

Best commercial ever?



I am just going to let this one speak for itself. Think of it as a Monday morning pick me up!

Thanks denveregotist

Miles

Fluteboxing!



Beatboxing with a flute - total awesomeness!

Via yesbutnobutyes

Miles

Thursday, December 11, 2008

In the spirit of Surrealism


Nice work here for Volkswagen by DDB Germany.

Via ibia

Miles

They will never take our Independence Day



This is one of the greatest things I have ever seen. If this doesn't inspire you, you have no soul.
Thanks denveregotist.

Via Overthinkingit

Miles

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

iWant

Here's a pretty awesome piece of advertising in my mind. Miles and I were talking about it a bit last week... and I came to the conclusion that: I am moving to Canada to get this phone.
I'll probably post a comment after a few days so as not to ruin the ad for people who haven't seen it just yet. But, pretty sweet nonetheless. It's just so... so clean!

You can either click the pic above to view it or click here.

~Lee

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Frosting on the Cake.

We got a slight frosting last week a few days after we got our couple feet of snow. I was on my way to work and happened to look out into a field while I was driving.

The picture above is what I saw, so naturally I had to pull over and try to capture it. Normally I'm not a fan of crooked horizons, but I figured since I was shooting this in the theme of lomography that it was okay. In the end I think it 'kinda compliments it.

Anyways, keep warm!
~Lee

Local campaign does good


Cultivator, out of Denver, recently launched an all-encompassing campaign to promote shopping in Cherry Creek this Holiday season. As opposed to going the typical route of showcasing products and prices they went in a completely different direction. The objective, to directly promote fun and merriness! Nice execution and copy...

Via thedenveregotist

Miles

Surfing for Seniors



Via swissmiss

Monday, December 8, 2008

Social Media in layman's terms



Here is a nice little video that breaks down the evolution of social media and explains in plain English just how it works...

Via swissmiss

Miles

Say it ain't so...


Microsoft, thanks to our friends at CP+B, are branching out and creating apparel. Looks like we may have to wait to see if they will release more than just t-shirts. I really like the fun, vintage look, but, will it alter the current stigma that plagues the MS brand?

Via brandflakesforbreakfast

Miles

Friday, December 5, 2008

Judge a book


Here is a collection of nicely designed book covers from this past year. I have always found book design to be one of the more creative mediums, allowing for some truly artistic expressions. Enjoy.

Miles

Well done seasonal spots


Enjoy this collection of well executed holiday ads. Most are a refreshing departure from the typically mundane stuff out there.

Miles

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Nice illustration...


Commissioned for Saks, each hand drawn, each with it's own unique approach.
Nice work

Miles

Random thought not related to advertising

So the big 3 auto makers want a bail-out huh? I have an idea, maybe they should start by helping themselves and making better automobiles. Just sayin'...

Monday, December 1, 2008

Putting down roots


Had a nice visit to South Carolina over Thanksgiving and visited a neat little city called Greenville. The south is an interesting place, sure, we saw trucks driving around with confederate flags pinned to them, ate questionable "greens" and for what its worth, I don't think anyone there really knows how to drive, or at least knows that the left lane is meant for passing, not cruising in. Overall though I found that the people are incredibly laid-back, open and really really friendly and genuinely nice. In the center of Greenville is a river with numerous cascading waterfalls. The city has turned this area into a big park with bridges and benches galore. The cool thing is that you can climb around on the rocks and even in the water if you want. Not sure if that would fly here in Colorado. Anyway's this is a tree near the bank of the river that I just had to shoot.

Miles

Good copy is good


Nice piece from TBWA Vancouver here. I smell a really smart campaign here, hope to see more of these.

Via ibia

Miles

Monday, November 24, 2008

Subconscious awareness = brand loyalty


Here's a nice brief via thenewyorktimes that delves into the theory that subliminal messaging may have a real, perhaps quantifiable, impact on consumer buying habits. We all have a suspicion that the logos and brand messaging we see emblazoned on other peoples clothing may stick with us and affect our purchasing decisions. "Incidental brand-consumer encounters” is the description given to this phenomenon in a forthcoming article and study developed by a group from the University of Maryland. According to their research, this sort of soft-marketing is quite effective. Of course the amount of time and energy it takes to build up enough brand equity for this effect to take place is no walk in the park.

Miles

20 Identities by 10 Designers


Courtesy of logodesignlove.
Enjoy!

Miles

Friends



Wicket... so much to say about Mr. Wicket. I honestly don't know where to begin... but, I suppose "delightful" is as good a place as any to start. He always has a smile on his face, and this picture captures it perfectly.

I'll be spending much time with Wicket these next few days, and I look forward to every minute.
~Dimple Brockhouse of Loamsdown

Photo shot by Miles

Friday, November 21, 2008

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Malcolm Gladwell @ AIGA


If you haven't yet read the book Blink, I highly suggest giving it a gander. Malcolm Gladwell does a great job of dissecting the human mind and exploring the unique characteristics that define our personal perceptions of both life and society. Here is a nice presentation from this years AIGA business and design conference in which he analyzes creativity and it's natural evolution of trial and error. A bit lengthy (38 min) but throw on the headphones and give it a listen if you have a chance.

Via swissmiss

Miles

Let me google that for you


Total sarcasm. Here is a great tool to use when someone asks you a ridiculous question, one in which you know the answer could have been found with a simple google search. Just ask the question and send them the link. You little jokster.

Via brandflakesforbreakfast

Miles

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Kitties riding Roombas



This has nothing to do with anything. But sometimes, watching a video of a cat riding around on a Roomba is the perfect way to start your day.

Via yesbutnobutyes

Miles

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Less disgusting sliced up animals


This is a very clever print campaign for some place called Zoo Safari that may or may not be an actual place, I can't seem to dig anything up. Great copy and visuals help create an impactful, memorable message. In contrast to yesterday's near horrific Black & Decker campaign this approach of slicing animals into pieces is well intended and relevant.

Via IBIA


Miles

Monday, November 17, 2008

Choppity chop


Winter is beginning to settle in around my home so I took on the chore of chopping up some firewood. The morning light hit this bit of timber just right and I couldn't resist.

Miles

This is really cute



The entire campaign for the new VW Routan is just terrific. Here is the second installment from a series of 6 shorts promoting the new model. Enjoy.

Via The Denver Egotist

Miles

This is really sick

I think this campaign from Ogilvy (Thailand) for Black & Decker lawn mowers is completely disgusting. Maybe it's because I'm an animal lover or maybe it's because I have a soul. Ill debate anyone on this. And yes, I am already aware that this is not geared for our market. If you are not easily offended, click here.

Spend, stimulate, strengthen


Good Monday morning everyone. A friend of mine recently launched a sort of social experiment to help kick-start our economy. The idea is straight forward, we all spread the message to simply spend money the weekend of December 6th and 7th. We can all agree that the current situation of our economy was brought on by many issues, but one of the biggest contributing factors keeping it down is our own fear and uncertainty. Take a look...

http://www.citizensforastrongeconomy.org/

Miles

Friday, November 14, 2008

Silly cups create a strong brand


I love this bit courtesy of brandnew. A fun, whimsical approach was taken with the design of cups and collateral for the coffee shop Puccino's; based out of the UK. I admire the courage it must have taken for the client to give these the go-ahead. Instead of going the typical, comfortable route and risk drowning in the masses of other coffee cafes, both designer and client thought completely outside of the box and have created, to some extent, a cult like following. Building a strong brand by way of unique messaging. Makes sense to me. Link to a brief interview with the designer behind it all. Happy Friday.

Miles

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Design for good



For those of you who aren't yet familiar with the annual TED conference in Monterey CA, I'd like to enlighten you. Their website features a collection of presentations over the years from the aforementioned event. Topics of discussion include everything from politics, culture, art, science, design, technology and much more. I highly suggest checking out some of the talks when you have a chance, it is all truly inspiring stuff from some of the worlds most notable individuals in their respective fields. This piece is no different, it highlights a new design of prosthetic that is, truly amazing. Enjoy.

Miles

Thursday Silliness



This is absolutely ridiculous. Explanation here.

Miles

Via burbia.com

The tweens will save us

Fear not, teenagers plan on spending everything this Holiday season that they've saved while working at that fast food joint. A new survey from Junior Achievement gives us hope for the economy. Click here.

Miles

Via retail design diva

Startling speed from Peugeot


Awesome series of print ads here promoting the new Peugeot 207 RC. For those in the know, or simply with a fondness for world championship rally racing, you are probably well aware of this car and it's performance capabilities. Let's just say it's super quick. This campaign does a great job of evoking the anticipative energy the driver would have before an explosive burst of acceleration. Something about these pieces just makes my stomach tingle, in a good way. Great work, although animal rights activists may find it questionable.

Miles

Via I believe in advertising

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Giant the sign


Ontario Auto Center _GIANT from Handcrafted Media on Vimeo.

Back in July we shot a fun, campy little spot for an automotive dealership group. We only shared a few screen caps from the video then, but alas, finally, the full spot above in all it's glory. It is a quirky little bit that lends itself to a younger demographic and sense of humor.

The actual dealer group is partially represented by a giant physical sign that rises above their landscape. The concept was to instill the idea that the dealer group is closer than you think. We decided it would be pretty hilarious and effective to bring the sign to life. Enjoy!

Miles

Logos should be timeless


Arguably, the top 10 'timeless logo designs', by logodesignlove

Also, check out the readers top 30 here.

Miles

Monday, November 10, 2008

Speak no evil

Believe it or not, under all that hair is a miniature schnauzer. Her name is Sasha, and this leaf was stuck to her face for about 10 minutes.

Seemingly not bothered by the fact she had a leaf stuck to her face, I took a picture to commemorate the event. I shall now dub this event "Dog speaks no evil".

Stonehouse all up ins.

Scooter Power


Enjoy these great new spots for Vespa. Wonderfully designed and beautifully illustrated. The concept is spot on for their market.

Via I believe in advertising

Miles

Friday, November 7, 2008

I like the cut of your jib.


Well it was quite the productive week here at HCM. Another week, another bunch of ad stuffs finished.

Anyway, the above pic is a behind the scenes look at a setup we had going for a spot we shot this week.

My hands will be famous one day.
~Lee

Simplicity, Consistency and Relevance. Bam!


We seem to be bringing up the advertising/brand campaign of Obama in daily conversation here at Handcrafted, noting the effectiveness and discussing why it worked so well. From a marketing perspective, no other campaign in political history can compare. Ad Age acknowledged Obama as marketer of the year, and that's not a category limited to politics alone. Numerous articles abound assesing and disecting the topic. Here is a piece courtesy of Ad Age by Al Ries that I feel sums it up nicely and credits the successs to the principles of simplicity, consistency and relevance. We couldn't agree more.

Miles

Thursday, November 6, 2008

It's like having machine guns on your face!

This really has nothing to do with anything, but it sure is funny. Apparently this is a microsite that promotes an online dating service. Very clever; image links to the site.

Via Brandflakesforbreakfast

Miles

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

History in the making


No matter how you voted, this is pretty spectacular.

Via The Denver Egotist, Illustration Patrick Moberg

Image types 101


What is Vector? What is Raster?
Here is a simple description of the two and what makes them different...

Miles

CO-OP, it's free!


Here is a terrific little web-based application that we have recently started using here at Handcrafted. It's called CO-OP, and what it does is allow small teams to communicate with each other. Think of it is instant messaging but with a bit more focus and structure. You can notify your team members about what you are working on, see what others are up to and set daily agendas for what is to be accomplished.

Check it out...

CO-OP

Miles

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Great new Career Builder spots

I have always enjoyed the Career Builder creative. All of these are wonderfully thought-out and executed, link to the site to see the set.

via fubiz

Miles

It's almost that time of year...



Looking for funny, wacky, office (or not) related gifts for the upcoming holiday season? Knock Knock has been one of my favorites for years. They create some off-the-wall hysterical gifts, from notepads to stickies and my favorite, flash cards. Check them out...

Miles

Test your website


Many of you, I am sure, have already been introduced to this site. But for those of you you haven't, take a look at browser shots It allows you to plug in your site (or a site you are working on) and view screen captures of how it appears in various web browsers and os platforms. Try it out...

Miles