TED - "Ads Worth Spreading" Winners

Haven't visited the Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) website yet? Hop on over there posthaste to fill your soul with forward thinking ideas and people.  

Today, TED announced its winners of the first "Ads Worth Spreading" competition. The goal? To celebrate and recognize ads that are so good you actually want to watch them. 

All the winners used compelling imagery and messaging but our favorite is "Girl Effect:Clock is Ticking" by Wieden+Kennedy in Portland, Oregon for the Nike Foundation. Great use of compelling animation. 

What's your favorite and why?

Linje Espressomaker

When I saw this espresso maker, I seriously considered redecorating my kitchen. Unfortunately, this design is only a prototype - for now. Created by Øsyten Helle Husby, Audun Grimstad, Åsne Kydland and Mariko Kurioka Rohde as a design school assignment, it brings a Nordic approach to coffee.  I give it an A+++++.  To see more, visit their website.  

M Culinary - Special Events Ad

We just wrapped up a full-page ad design for M Culinary - one of Phoenix's top catering and restaurant companies. For all you foodies and event planners, look for it in the upcoming issue of Special Events magazine. If you need culinary assistance and/or catering, M Culinary expertly handles small intimate gatherings and large events like the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament. Give them a call and tell them that the ladies at Alchemy referred you! 

Your Email Style Says More Than You Think

Today, Fast Company posted an article about the impression your Email style makes on others.  A first meeting with a potential client is always a little nerve-racking, right? But what happens when you send them a post-meeting email?  That interaction has consequences too, so beware.  Whether the message is a brief thank you or includes requested information with a lengthy explanation, follow the three guidelines from this Fast Company article to make the right impression.  

Oh, and for all of you who think you can text abbreviate your words - don't.  Using text abbreviations in formal business correspondence like  "u", "mtg", "thx", "btw" or <smile> will result in a CUL or CUL8ER. 

Great information, as always from Fast Company.

Click here to access the article.

Designer Water Bottles

My  2011 New Year's resolution is to drink more water.  It is ambitious considering that I don't like water and probably drink only 8 oz a day.  My "drinking" schedule is coffee in the morning, Diet Coke during the day and a glass of red wine at night. . . . I turned to design for inspiration and am pleased to present some stunningly beautiful water bottle designs.  

Here's to a more hydrated 2011. 

Classic - A Definition

 clas·sic /ˈ[klas-ik] –adjective : of enduring interest, quality, or style: a classic design; classic clothes. 

E is for Elephant

I am trying to find the perfect gift for a dear friend who is pregnant with twins (yes Andrea, I mean you!) Enter alphabeasties: and other Amazing Types. This beautifully thought out concept features animals created out of representative typefaces. There's a dachshund made out of Bauhaus "d"s and an alligator made out of Volta. Is it ever too early to teach children about good design? Created by the brilliance that is Werner Design Werks and available at Amazon.com or Chronicle Books.  

Vintage Audi Poster

Vintage Audi poster created between 1968 and 1972 by Armin Hofman.  Love the headlights.  Simple and elegant.

Coca-Cola Bottles - A Visual History

Coca Cola is a sponsor of the 2010 Winter Olympics so I thought it would be interesting to show the history of the Coke bottle.  Enjoy.

100 Years of Coca Cola bottles: (Left to Right) 1899 - 1900 - 1915 - 1916 - 1957 - 1986

Functional and Glamorous Package Design

I am always amazed when I travel overseas at how design is so functional and well thought out.  In the European apartments, everything has a place and there is a place for everything.  It isn't a surprise then that the designers of the new Guerlain Rouge G lipstick took the same approach.  The packaging combines both glamour and functionality into one small handheld "device". They turned the lipstick package into a compact; a magnet holds the two parts together, and the opening with lipstick reveals a two-part mirror with which you can easily apply the lipstick. This is one powerful pistol for your pout!  Find more great packaging over at The Dieline.

Designer Dog

Harry Barker = upscale dog boutique.  Shhhhhh....don't tell our designer dogs.  

Pantone Color of The Year: 2010

Move over, mimosa yellow, Pantone 15-5519 has arrived! 

Pantone LLC has announced that Pantone 15-5519 Turquoise is the Color of the Year for 2010.

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®, credited its connection to feelings of serenity, protection and luscious escapism. 

Time to get out all that Southwestern jewelry!  Better yet, head on over to the Heard Museum website to pick out a new turquoise necklace for the New Year.

Client Work - PR Boutiques International

 

PR Boutiques International Reveals New Look, Expands Global Reach
Doubling membership, PRBI launches efficient new website and logo

New York, Oct. 14, 2009 – Public Relations Boutiques International™ (PRBI) unveiled a new web site and logo today that reflect the rapid growth of the organization as well as its global expansion.

PRBI’s new site features an interactive map where visitors may easily and dynamically access information about the organization’s members. Firms hale from all around the world including Europe, Asia, North America and South America. The new logo conveys the sophistication, reach and power of boutique agencies sharing resources and best practices.

Membership has grown from 12 to 29 agencies in less than two years. “Our new website is easier to navigate, and is a useful tool to reach both prospective members in areas where we are not yet represented and also potential clients,” said Lucy Siegel, president, PRBI (and president/CEO, Bridge Global Strategies LLC in New York.).

The new site was developed by RM Corporate Communication in England. The logo was designed by Alchemy PR & Marketing in Phoenix, Ariz. “Our members are pleased with the elegance of both the web site and the logo,” Siegel commented. “We hope the site will draw a multitude of visitors and help us increase the visibility of our organization.”

About PR Boutiques International:

Public Relations Boutiques International™ (PRBI) is an international network of boutique public relations firms. The principals of member firms are experienced practitioners who have held senior positions in large PR agencies and/or corporations but now put service first and work directly with clients. PRBI member firms excel in meeting a huge range of client needs in a large number of industries, including corporate public relations, consumer PR, health care PR, investor relations, crisis management, business-to-business PR, economic development PR, not-for-profit, academia, government, financial, technology, legal, multicultural and international PR. Member practitioners have won the highest levels of professional awards, with qualifications ranging from PhDs to former top journalists. They also represent memberships in the most noteworthy international public relations and business associations. For more information, visit http://www.prboutiques.com

2014 Winter Olympics Logo Unveiling

The logo for the 2014 Winter Olympics, to be held in Sochi, Russia, was unveiled recently, becoming the first Olympic emblem to feature a web address—Sochi2014.ru—as organisers target the digital generation.  The Sochi 2014 brand was developed by big-hitter brand consultancy Interbrand.   The "s" and "2" of the typeface selection and placement is seamless. Nice job Interbrand.  For more information, head on over to logodesignlove.

Chocolate Fondue

Simple, elegant and perfect for a sweet treat.  Mmmmmmm....

And here's a fondue recipe to go with it:

Chocolate and Coconut Cream Fondue

• 1 15-ounce can sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López)
• 12 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
• Assorted fresh fruit (such as whole strawberries, 1-inch-thick slices banana, 1-inch cubes peeled cored pineapple, and tangerine segments)

Combine sweetened cream of coconut and 12 ounces chocolate in heavy large saucepan. Stir mixture over very low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Stir in whipping cream and extract. (Fondue can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover; store at room temperature. Stir over low heat to rewarm before serving.)

Transfer mixture to fondue pot. Place over candle or canned heat burner. Serve with fruit for dipping.

Blogosphere Report

According to Technorati’s 2009 State of the Blogosphere Report, bloggers are generally an affluent and educated group.  The report, released on Monday, focuses on professional blogging activities, brands in the blogosphere, monetization, micro-blogging and bloggers’ impact on U.S. and international events.

Per the report, 73% of bloggers are hobbyists, who blog for fun and do not earn income from their site. The report focused on the remaining groups: part-timers (15%), corporate (4%) and self employed (9%).

Among the findings on current professional bloggers, Technorati found:
• Two-thirds are male
• 60 percent are ages 18 to 44
• The majority are more affluent and educated than the general population:
- 75 percent hold college degrees and 40 percent have graduate degrees
- One in three has an annual household income of at least $75,000, and one in four has an annual household income of $100,000 or more.
• More than half are married
• More than half are parents

Howard Aiken Quote on Ideas

The quote says it all.  I hope this inspires everyone to go out and be brilliant in whatever you choose.

Have a great day!

Computer Safari

When I work in my home office, my mind often drifts thinking of all the places I want to see in the world. Prague, Mount Rushmore, St. Petersburg. But my dream always starts and ends in Africa on safari. So I immediately "connected" with these cute little animal USB memory drives from Japan. Now, I can have my own little elephant sitting on my desk.  

These USB pets are from Japanese company Marubeni InfoTech. Available in both walnut and maple, you can choose between a 1 GB dog, pig, elephant, hippo, or swan. Or get them all and have your very own herd. They could have chosen a better place for the USB cord but hey, they are so cute I can overlook this design flaw.  

Available at the monoDO website for 7,980 yen, which is about $73 US. (website is in Japanese, but I’ve linked to the translated version). Thanks to Geek Alerts and Paige + Modern for bringing a piece of the animal kingdom to me! 

The Flash Mob Got a Feeling

Today was the 24^th season premiere for The Oprah Winfrey Show.  The Black Eyed Peas performed their newest song and number one single, “I Got a Feeling,” on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.  At first, for a good ten seconds of more, not a single person in the audience even moved.  I thought, uh oh Oprah’s show is going to need to do some damage control since this will hurt the Peas’ reputation.  And then it happened…a flash mob…hands down the best publicity stunt!

A flash mob is when a large group of people get together in a public space and perform an unusual action to gain intrigue and pique interest from the public.  You may recall T-Mobile incorporates flash mob tactics in their ad campaigns.  I would have loved to have orchestrated today’s performance on Oprah – it was so creative and full of energy.

Check out today’s performance on YouTube, “OPRAH (TV) FlashMob 24th Season Kickoff & "How Did They Do That" aired 9/10/09.”

Oprah’s PR team must have had the most fun with this flash mob initiative.  How did they pull it off?  Oprah’s team hired a famous choreographer, 20 professional dancers and recruited 800 Oprah fans on Facebook and Twitter to participate in the dance lessons beforehand.  Not to mention block off Michigan Avenue, as well as spend a pretty penny.  At the event, these 821 dancers were able to inspire the 21,000 people in attendance to follow their moves to make the largest flash mob ever performed in the world.  Now that’s the way to generate momentum for your 24^th season…not that Oprah needs help in the popularity department.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T22VEBznFVo&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egather%2Ecom%2FviewArticle%2Eaction%3FarticleId%3D281474977807960%26grpId%3D3659174697244816&feature=player_embedded

It's Raining Today.

Rain showers my spirit and waters my soul.
~Emily Logan Decens