Piss and Vinegar

for the color illiterate

admin — Mon, 03 May 2010 01:04:19 +0000

For some Graphic Designers and Art Directors (as well as other creative professionals) color theory can be subjective, prone to trends and fraught with uncertainty. If you paid scant attention in color theory class (what the hell is analogous?) or it has been a stone’s age since you graduated art school (both apply to me) color schemes become even more troublesome. I went to a local chain bookstore in search of a general guide. Happily, I found Color Harmony Compendium: A Complete Color Reference for Designers of All Types, 25th Anniversary Edition.

Since I hate paying full price, I ended up purchasing it from amazon.com for much less than the cover price. I found the structure of the book logical. You can scan the pages easily, making short work of your task, reducing the need to pad your timesheet. The book starts with some chapters about color theory and the psychology of color. In the ‘Moods and Color’ section, you find the scheme that fits your concept, i.e., powerful, energetic, professional, etc., which is presented to you through examples applied to page layouts, logos and packaging. When you find a scheme you like, you can look up the CMYK builds in the ‘Color Swatches’ section. If you are looking for a useful color theory book this is a title worth the price. check it out.

Is there a treatment program for embarrassing ideas?

admin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 02:47:45 +0000

I am sure the creative team responsible for the Nike Golf Tiger spot are counting their One Show gold pencils already. So, as a person who admires great creative, I may stand alone in my absolute loathing of this spot. On a human level it insults every person that has been cheated on. On an artistic level, while it cuts through the clutter, will undoubtedly win awards, build reels, etc., for me, it fell flat. There were so many creative possibilities; in my worthless opinion the theme should have been “just shut up and fucking play golf already!” If Tiger is a true addict, this would be a classic example of hitting rock bottom, taking a shovel and digging the hole deeper. I suspect the spot did more damage than it repaired, and at the end of the day Mr. Woods will have to live with it far longer than the average golf fan, Nike, or Wieden+Kennedy. I heard it really pissed Elin off.

A version I much prefer:
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Mute it until they stop

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:52:43 +0000

Do you ever find yourself fumbling for the remote to turn down the television volume when a commercial is suddenly blasting your ears out? I sure have. And it’s happening more and more. When I was a kid it was drag race commercials, but the plague has spread to just about all of them now (anyone super irritated by the GAP Holiday Cheer ads?). So lodged a complaint with the FCC, after a few weeks I got an email response stating while it was illegal to increase the volume level, the advertiser could employ other tactics, which they explained. But since I am not a sound engineer, all I understood was something about gain… anyway it was by tweaking the sound levels they could make them louder without increasing the volume. Or by annoying subject matter and repetitious media placement:

I suspect this is happening because advertisers know we have left the room to get a bite from the fridge, so they want you to be able to hear the commercial across the house. Or, we’re not paying attention, or flat out ignoring them. They claim the declining viewership of TV commercials is a result of TIVO/DVR recording, (I love fast forwarding through the commercials), but I think the number one reason is the sheer suckiness of the stuff, I just can’t bear to watch them. So, instead of making a better product they just make it even more obnoxious. If I can’t fast forward, change the channel, or play something on my iPhone, I mute the sound.

Flip this, Flip Video.

admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:12:15 +0000

From a creative standpoint these spots are a total wasted opportunity. The videos are a collection of “user” created videos AKA YouTube. But what do they come up with? Totally boring, mundane, not funny clips. I am sure someone thought they were funny (Client, probably concepted by an account executive). But sitting with non-advertising professionals I have yet to see one person laugh. Sorry, total FAIL.

Talk to me AT&T!

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:48:15 +0000

Oh wait, you can’t, your service is not available at my home! I have been following the bitch-slap fight between Verizon and AT&T, and it’s quite fun. First punch for Verizon: There’s a Map For That:

An ad which pissed off AT&T, who fired back with a giant map covered with postcards touting it’s self-proclaimed extensive coverage. Credibility added by none other than Luke Wilson (I have no idea other than his folksy presentation, why he is the new spokesman), but the fact remains everyone I know hates their AT&T service.

Like me, they have iPhones. We love our phones, hate our service.

What’s interesting is that people are complaining enough, so much so, that Verizon heard the “buzz” and responded with their current ads. AT&T counters with what one would expect; snake oil. How about actually improving service and coverage? A clever TV campaign with a very likable guy will not change this reality.

This all must be extremely embarrassing for Apple. I can envision Steve Jobs throwing things across his office.

UPDATE:
AT&T finally hears the noise, and answers with an app that tracks network issues.

digital what?

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:47:55 +0000

I ran across an interesting blog post regarding what a digital ad agency is. It is a fact that agencies are in trouble since print and broadcast are shrinking in terms of audience reach and viewers not clicking on their banners. So far the solution is too much Adobe Flash whiz-bang, PPC, and lately, social marketing, (which has been sold as a panacea to their client’s woes). The agency of the future will have to offer expertise in all aspects of marketing; traditional creative development and branding, media placement, social sites, twitter, blogging, SEO, PPC, street outreach, direct response, etc. You have to do it all, and do it everyday to make it work, the occasional posting to facebook/twitter/blogger does not cut it, people forget about you instantly, you have to stay in front of them continuously, and that takes money, so pony-up. Where is Don Draper when you need him? He could sell it, in fact, he’d make you want it really bad.

The Don Drapers of the world want to smoke your money.

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Media Buyers: Post your client’s spots on YouTube… It’s free!

admin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:04:50 +0000

If you don’t, you get poor quality playback:

Addtionally, the average YouTube video is 3 minutes long, yet agencies’ are tacking :30 TV spots to YouTube videos (via a randomly placed media buy?) when they should be producing 3 minute spots for YouTube.

go ahead, bite the apple, don’t mind the maggots

admin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:37:21 +0000

As a devoted Apple user (since 1988) I am happy to see Apple take its rightful place among the great innovators of recent history. I am sure the long-running ad campaign has helped increase Apple’s overall market share, but I am concerned that it is turning even more people off who might otherwise “drink the cool-aid”. It seems the general public has the perception that the typical Mac user is a stuck-up snob. People hate snobs. Be a snob about something; only other snobs will like you. How can a PC running some version of Windows, which dominates more than 95% of the market, be considered the underdog? Just because their OS sucks? No, because of elitist snobbery. Apple is, in fact, the underdog. If it was not for MacOS we’d still be hunting for files in a pitch-dark room with a penlight. I digress: what I am really trying to say is be more human, your computers are, from a usability standpoint. Oh, and come out with a $400 bomb-proof laptop! People would switch like crazy.

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Walk or die

admin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:47:46 +0000

When I first saw this ad, I was not enthused. But upon subsequent viewings I warmed up to it, and now quite like it. And I cannot express why. It conjures a feeling I can’t quite put my finger on. I guess I have to go buy a bottle, drink some over rocks, and find out. It is doing its job.

On an artistic note; I like the imagery of progress, man striving, ambition, the old-time explorer, can-do spirit. The music is very dramatic. The fade out to logo completes the progression. Simple. Elegant.

Not everyone can do this

admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:51:19 +0000

The creative; clients certainly cannot (that is why they hire us, right?), nor can account directors, although they think they can. I totally disagree with the idea that everyone in the agency, from the president to the receptionist, has a good idea and should be able to contribute it. While it is true anyone can come up with an idea, that doesn’t make it a good idea. And not just because it popped forth from their brain. Creatives are naturally critical are have a filter that takes years to develop. We know that 99% of our ideas suck. You should be aware that when you give us your idea, we try to stuff it under a napkin, like a hunk of un-chewable gristle that we just gagged on. So, unless you have our education and do the work we do building portfolios you’re welcome to join us. We are specialists. The account executive’s job is to sell what we give them and manage client expectations. Their job is not to kill or edit concepts. If we seem to mildly like their ideas we are most likely being polite. On the rare chance they do come up with that great idea we will let them know. You’ll see it on a billboard maybe. Sodo Mojo! The best account executives get this and tend to be ones we like to work with and value their input, they are a very rare breed indeed. If you are a budding account executive you should strive for this. If you are a young creative–develop a thick skin. Like Jimmy Durante once said ”Everybody’s trying to get into the act”.