Advertising Is Good For You

Graphic Design: custom barcodes

Fast Company has posted an article on D-Barcode, a company that designs custom barcodes.

I think these barcodes are wonderful, providing a little extra branding and a welcome attention to detail.

Click here to see more examples.

 

Homage or satire?

Source: Design Fetish

The best branding comes from specializing in one thing and doing it better than anyone else

Margie's Candies has been a Chicago institution for 80 years.

 

Margie's sells candy and ice cream.

Just candy and ice cream.

REALLY GOOD candy and ice cream.

 

But is it REAL shrimp flavor?

Source: Blame It On The Voices

Louis Vuitton, The Book

Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture includes descriptions of some of the collaborative projects between the Louis Vuitton brand and various designers.

The book is expected to be released soon. A deluxe edition designed by Takashi Murakami will be for sale in Louis Vuitton stores and on the Louis Vuitton website starting 1 September 2009.

Some images from the book:

 

 

Source: Highsnobiety

Branding: The Psychology of Color

Branding Strategy Insider has an interesting post titled Color Psychology in Marketing. It includes some interesting insights into how colors influence people's perceptions.

According to the post, here are colors and their corresponding associations as perceived in the North American mainstream culture:

Red --excitement, strength, sex, passion, speed, danger.
Blue --(listed as the most popular color) trust, reliability, belonging, coolness.
Yellow --warmth, sunshine, cheer, happiness
Orange -- playfulness, warmth, vibrant
Green -- nature, fresh, cool, growth, abundance
Purple --royal, spirituality, dignity
Pink -- soft, sweet, nurture, security
White --pure, virginal, clean, youthful, mild.
Black --sophistication, elegant, seductive, mystery
Gold -- prestige, expensive
Silver -- prestige, cold, scientific

The most irresistable shade of blue known to womenkind

I rarely notice pop-up ads. Rarer still do I click them.

But when I landed on the New York Times homepage and saw this ad, I didn't hesitate to click.

Tiffany's signature blue.

That's it.

That's all it took to get my attention and make me want -- no, not want -- NEED to know more.

Tiffany's branding isn't edgy or particularly innovative. It's not what advertising/marketing people would describe as very creative.

But Tiffany's branding is distinctive. It's used consistently, almost predictably. And it doesn't hurt that Tiffany's product lines are exquisite.

Clicking the above ad brought me HERE. And now I have a few more items on my what-I'm-buying-when-I-win-the-Lottery list.

You rotten kids, get away from that nice candy brand!

Poor Smarties. Yummy. Tart. Sweet. Perfectly packaged for Halloween. And now being inhaled by dumbass kids. Perhaps "fake smoked" would be more accurate.

There's no shortage of parents, pediatricians and educators worrying about the effects inhaling Smarties will have on children. So you'll excuse me for worrying about the effect all this misuse and undeserved negative attention will have on a nice candy brand that's been around since the 1930s.

Source: Wall Street Journal

What image problem?

Source: Bits & Pieces

The rebranding of America officially begins today

Source: Chicken Crap

Bernie Madoff's corporate tchotches are on eBay

Former employees and clients of alleged Ponzi scheme con artist extraordinaire Bernard Madoff are trying to offset some of their $50+ billion losses by selling on eBay the freebies Madoff Securities gifted them.

Madoff-branded crap promotional merchandise currently for sale on eBay includes: a humidor, umbrella, beach towel, baseball hat, tote bag and mouse pad.

"He's like a brand. It's like Coca-Cola."

-- Alexander Lyubimov, executive director at Russia's Rossiya TV station, talking about former Soviet dictator/mass murderer Joseph Stalin, who is the early leader in an Internet poll to name Russia's greatest hero

Source: Boston Globe

A re-branding case study just waiting to happen

Source: Small Bits and Pieces