The subscription-based racket, part 1: Adobe and Pantone

Once upon a time in the wild and free years before 2012, a designer would scrape together  $1,700 to buy an Adobe Creative Suite software package, which came in a box filled with compact discs. It was a tangible item that you owned outright for the rest of your life. In fact, you can still buy one of these boxes today on eBay for under $40. Maybe only for decoration, but hey, it’s a thing.

This software suite contains most everything needed to create print and digital design and earn a living. Other than some upgrades, this software could last a designer 6-10 years. Today a professional Adobe Creative Cloud software subscription costs $54.99 per month, per person. So, it’s kind of like buying it all over again every 2 1/2 years. And if you can’t make that $54.99 payment each month, you’re shut off and you can’t earn a living to make the money to pay for your subscription. You never walk away with software that you can use. You just pay and pay and pay until you stop designing or die.

Sound familiar? This is the current way of the world. Companies don’t want to sell a product once any more, they want us on the hook for that never-ending payment plan. We accept it because honestly, we don’t have much of a choice in many cases. Adobe figuratively has a monopoly over designers. It’s the industry standard, as ubiquitous as its PDF. 

So when Adobe makes changes like discontinuing use of certain fonts or Pantone spot colors, it deals a blow to designers. The Pantone Color Matching System has been around since 1963 and it’s not just the industry standard, it’s the ONLY method to deliberately choose colors for print work. For whatever reason, Adobe and Pantone have parted ways regarding the use of these specific colors. Now, if a designer needs to use a spot color, they’ll have to … wait for it … subscribe to something else. 

A $15/month Pantone Connect subscription will allow designers to select Pantone spot colors in Adobe programs again. This affects freelance designers, agencies, as well as every single print shop, sign-maker, or company that deals in this universal color system. Meaning all of them. There is no workaround. 

What can you get for $15 a month? Unlimited cinematic streaming entertainment on Netflix or all of the music in the entire world on Spotify, or umm, yeah… the right to choose a color. If you’re a small company, every one of these subscriptions are per user, per month. The fees pile up rapidly when you factor in all of the tools used to run a creative company. Production management, website plugins, hosting and features, accounting software, emails, the list is monstrous, and I don’t think Pantone spot color selection measures up to any one of those other subscriptions. But there it is. 

Pantone should let the color naming system go into public domain. Escalator was a brand until everyone called those moving stairs escalators. Band-Aid is perilously close to losing their brand name because of common usage. At some point, when you are the owner of names of colors that are the ONLY ones used by every single printer and designer in the United States — I think it’s unethical to charge everyone $15 a month to use them. They don’t even make the actual inks. They just named colors... and only nature owns the actual colors. 

Alas, capitalism dictates that we will be forced to pay and play along. At the moment, companies using a subscription model have us all by the cojones and the monthly expenses keep rising — squeezing tighter. Don’t even get me started on TV channels and entertainment apps, I’ll save that for another blog.

Dahmer: art doesn't need to be understood to be great, but should it be responsible?

I confess, I'm confused.

Within days of release, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was being watched and talked about with a kind of eager respect. I love to follow hype but I hesitated, conflicted. I don't know what we are supposed to learn from digging so deep into this terrible story — something inside of me was whispering that maybe it's not a healthy thing to spend time and energy on. 

My 20-year old daughter, who is fairly well versed in the true crime and serial killer genres, said that she already knew so much about Jeffrey Dahmer that the show bored her and she stopped watching it. She said perhaps it's good to understand mental health and the circumstances that could lead a person to such monstrosities — but that she's disgusted that there are already "thirsty edits of Evan Peters as Dahmer" out there.

I was still having an internal debate. It's not like Hitler. Learning about the Holocaust is important to remember and understand what happened to millions of people and, in fact, the entire world. So is it a numbers thing? Dahmer only killed 17 people. This series is an exploration of one single man with one single psychological profile, I'm not really sure if there is a warning for us all to be found? He's not an anti-hero that we can get behind, either. We have become accustomed to watching "bad people" be heroes. We still want some good to come to them, even if it's criminal we tend to root for their success. Redemption and victory, overcoming dangerous odds. But this is too real, gross, terrifying, and unthinkable.

Finally, curiosity got the better of me. I watched several episodes. I struggled because it's not enjoyable (which is a relief). It shouldn't be enjoyable. Mostly, I find it sad. I'm sad for every single character in the show. Sad for Dahmer, for his mom, his dad, his grandmother, the victims, even his neighbors and the police who didn't know what to do with him. I suppose sadness is appropriate. I mean, when you set out to make a series like this, what are you trying to evoke? 

As of today, it's one of the most watched shows that Netflix has ever streamed. I'm still confused, undecided as to whether I should finish watching — maybe if I do, some of my questions will be answered. So far I did learn how Dahmer tried to ask for help, but his family and the community didn't really know what to do with him — and that there were real opportunities to catch him but lax law enforcement, racism, and homophobia all contributed to Dahmer slipping through the cracks much longer than he should have. Are those lessons good enough reason to invest so much energy watching something so dark and depressing? 

As an artist I think it's a strong, beautiful piece of work. It showcases the era interestingly, Evan Peters is absolutely stellar, the mood is steady and unhinging at the same time — it's difficult and that's not a bad thing. I just want to know if it's responsible to have made this, or for me to watch it. There's a lot of press about victims' families being unhappy because they weren't consulted. It has unearthed the subject, emotions and memories for many who are angered to see it part of the popular culture.

So I'm confused. Why was this series made? Is it enriching anyone's life? Why am I okay with almost any fictional work that is dark and disturbing but not this all-too-true telling? What say you all?

Insta-logos: the trail of Instagram copycat logos

You may hate or love Instagram's new logo — there's definitely enough commentary out there from every level of expertise imaginable — or you might not care about it at all. While there is much debate as to whether it is a great, modern logo or a total design fail, one thing is for certain: Instagram is so big that it really doesn't matter. No one is going to stop using Instagram because they hate the garish, childish icon. Conversely, I doubt Instagram is picking up any new users who fell in love with the simplistic, flat, colorful bauble.

Instagram is a giant owned by the landlord of the entire land of giants, Facebook. No matter what the logo looks like, the app is already an indispensable tool for the masses. This kind of power is inevitably trend-setting and creates followers who jump on board hoping it will gain them some of the riches that flow in the wake. While imitation is a form of flattery, I say it's just unoriginal. Photo Collage Editor and Life360 followed Instagram's unveil with copycat logos. Even if they are all under the same corporate umbrella (which as far as I see, they are separate companies) they are still completely different brands.

I've spotted these "flattering imitations" because I use the apps... maybe there are more out there. Have you seen any? Post in the comments if you have!

Generation Prince

He was Generation X's Elvis, and so much more. Flaunting a new look, a new sound, and a lifestyle that was too sexy and edgy for the mainstream masses. Which is exactly how legends are made – by bursting through safety barriers to open minds and hearts to something new, and in the process, creating a deeper creative-awareness in the world than was there before.

At age 14, I screamed and cried for him at the Purple Rain concert, just like an Elvis fangirl would have done back in her day. Larger than life, Prince epitomized love, sex, romance, racial harmony, philosophy, musical genius, fashion forwardness and free-thinking. He had psychedelic ideas and he conveyed them in beautifully honest ways. I imagine that he created many of his dream worlds to escape his harsh and boring reality. There was no one and nothing like him in the world, and there never will be.

I don't even know how to process Prince's unexpected death, right after losing David Bowie — I feel like part of me, part of my generation is crumbling back into the earth. It's time to let go and make way for new legends, and to understand that they all get their own time.

Goodbye from this generation, from this time, Prince. Thank you for everything you gave us, which was nothing less than your entire self. 

embrace the opposition

Politics. Religion. Science. Fashion. Art. Entertainment. Food. Is there really any facet of our lives that doesn’t spark controversial conversation sometimes? Even angry conversation that leads to arguments and worse, wars? I’ve seen some pretty harsh stuff on social media lately (primary colors oh, my!) and my first instinct is to ignore it or hide it so that I don’t have to give energy to the negativity. My second instinct is to comment and get involved, though it’s a rarity if I do because social media is not just social, it’s also professional. 

I’ve got my reputation to keep palatable. It can be dangerous to be open about controversial topics. It can also be frustrating if you, like me, don’t enjoy angry conflict. Seen another way, though, all the "stupid crap" you see out there is a beautiful thing. Debate is integral to the high ideals of democracy. Our right to spew our opinions all over the place is a privilege that too many people have paid for with their lives. We all know this. The beauty I think we tend to miss goes deeper.

Our freedom of speech is representative of our freedom to be what we truly are, and to live peacefully within a mix of different ideologies, philosophies and personal ethics. It is a balance that creates the country we live in and systems we rely on. So the next time you you feel angry towards a politician or person for having a passionate opinion that differs from yours; the next time you shirk away from sound bites and information that makes you want to throw up, instead of recoiling or lashing out, try embracing it. Listen and appreciate it.

I am not suggesting you agree with it. I’m not suggesting you change your mind at all. What I suggest is being open and tolerant with everyone who would run the world differently than you would. Be grateful that we aren’t all the same! If everyone thought and behaved like I do, we’d be in some socialist, anarchist, artsy commune and I’m guessing things would fall apart. If everyone thought and behaved in any ONE particular fashion, I’m guessing things would head straight towards a dictatorship or a corrupt, highly limited society. Instead, embrace the balance that is created by living in a mix. Be vigilant against corruption and lies, yes! But opinions that are different than yours? Debate them healthily, and thank your God that someone is out there to do the jobs you can’t do, that someone is looking out for people who you don’t even think about, that someone is watching out for our safety from dangers we don’t even know exist.

The worst thing we could do is have one party win out in politics, or shut out people who we think are “different” than us. One of my favorite people lives right here in Ocala — I haven’t met him, and I often disagree with his politics, but he’s awesome! This guy hand-paints signs that he posts on his property and carries around town. He’s a shining example of democracy, it’s absolutely a beauty to behold his signs, my agreement doesn’t matter at all. I respect the way he engages in the system and gets his points across peacefully. 

Listen, learn, and above all, protect the freedom of speech that allows people to say things you despise.  We have such an amazing system when it’s used properly. We must shed light on corruption, abuse of power and crime… and we must encourage everyone to engage in debate and in the systems we have in place, ESPECIALLY if they don’t agree with us!

Words to live by — manifestos eternally inspire and guide.

Life is no small thing, we would do well to center ourselves and take it seriously more often. Do the right thing, live by our rightest compass. A strong manifesto is important. We need words to live by. When you read the ones that connect with you, they change your life forever. A good manifesto will not only change your life the first time you read it, but it will continue to center you throughout life's twists and turns. It might come in the form of a personal or corporate mission statement, a political speech, a document that carries the change it speaks lawfully with it, or even a song or advertisement.

These are a few manifestos that continue to inspire me.

Apple's "Here's to the crazy ones," ad-turned-manifesto —

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.
Maybe they have to be crazy.
How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?
While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

The Holstee manifesto —

 

Erin Van Vuren, poet, has many manifesto-type writings — (more here)

 

Martin Luther King, Jr's "I have a dream" speech, a call to action manifesto — (exerpt):

I say to you today, my friends, though, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brother- hood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. 

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream . . . I have a dream that one day in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. 

I have a dream today . . . I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low. The rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

 

Declaration of Independence, probably number one as a way to live — (excerpts):

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. -- That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. 

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

A lesser-known founding [fonting] father

Mr. Caslon's first name isn't Adobe. It's William and he is, essentially, one of our founding fathers. Though I'm speaking for those of us in the graphic design community and not of the rest of the United States per say, William Caslon did end up influencing the image of that famous document to which we owe our freedom today.

During the last days of June 1776, the men we know as our founding fathers (Jefferson, Adams, Franklin and the rest) wrote, re-wrote and revised a document that finally became known as our official Declaration of Independence on the morning of July 4th. Later that day, Congress ordered the first printed text of the Declaration. This printed version (referred to as the "Dunlap Broadside") was set primarily in Caslon typefaces. 

William Caslon (1692-1766) created what is cited as the first original typeface of English origin. Today there are many revivals and variations of the Caslon typefaces, all of which are solid standards for designers and printers to turn to for printed communication. Personally, I find nothing better for body copy and many design choices, as exemplified in all of my Little Black Mask marketing materials being set in Adobe Caslon Pro. 

So on this 4th of July I not only honor our countries' founding fathers — who I thank for their incomparable bravery, genius, perseverace, sacrifice and vision — but I also tip my hat to William Caslon, an engraver, a craftsman, designer and artist who helped shape the way we see the printed word today.

Trendspotting: retro-ish logo fonts

How much do you believe in coincidence?  The following logos have recently cropped up independently of each other:

These companies are not connected by ownership, so it's just a total "coincidence" that they are retro script words. They are similar though — all three are photo/video sharing sites, each with a twist of their own. To be fair, the above Instagram logo is not their latest. They have since redesigned their logo. It's Soooo different now, see:

Of these three, I'd say the Instagram one has the least longevity. Somehow they went backward into future of the 90's with the redesign. It's not as clean and mod as the first and it's not far back enough to be cool. At least the other two have customized to indicate their product — Pinterest with the pinpoint on the P and Vine being one connected vine. 

I don't know exactly what it is that causes creative industries seem to come up with multiples of one theme at the same time,  but I wouldn't call it coincidence.

I confess: I suck at recycling

That's a pretty big confession for a superhero who wants to save the world, but I do suck at recycling. It's true. I'm a part of the problem, even if I am a part of the solution too.

It isn't that I don't care. It isn't that I don't make an effort. It's that I don't go far enough out of my way. My town doesn't pick up recycling so I have to separate and haul it. I do some, but not all. I'm no better than anyone else in this lazy society.

For example, I have lots of cloth bags for shopping. I carry them around in my car everywhere I go. I park my car, go into the grocery store, load up on groceries that are come in excessive packaging and wheel up to the checkout. "Paper or plastic?" Dammit! I realize that I forgot the bags in the car. Again. Head bowed in shame, I mutter a quiet "Plastic" as I picture the mountain of plastic grocery bags shoved to the side of my refrigerator at home. I do bring them in for recycling eventually, but still, they shouldn't even be there!

The truth is, recycling isn't enough. Something else needs to happen, too. Abstinence. If we abstain from using the plastic bag, we don't have to take it to be recycled. If we buy digital movies, we won't have any packaging. I still buy dvd's so I would like a redesign on dvd and game packaging. I really enjoy the covers, being a movie buff and a graphic designer. Can't the dvd's come in a sleeve, which can be put into a binder?

I just went through and pulled out the cover and dvd from about 60 or 70% of my movies, so I can put them into one binder. That mountain of plastic cases all fits into one shoebox, packed loosely even. I had to spend some time searching online, but I finally found a company who makes holders with tall pages {see sleeves here} so I can see the covers {see case here}. Now that I saved myself all that space, I'm left with the waste to figure out where to take for recycling.

It doesn't quite seem like enough, does it?

The World Flag – from ten years ago

Without question, 911 is among the most dramatic days in our history. On this ten year anniversary, most people's reactions are similarly that of pensive, respectful remembrance. Ten years ago, however, people's reactions were not all so similar. There was anger. There was fear. There was sorrow. Support. Solidarity. Patriotism. Racism. Conflict. Bravery. Sacrifice. Unity. There were cries of nonviolence met with anger and violence. Money and blood poured into the Red Cross faster than I've seen in my life. Candles were lit. Flags were displayed. Oh, the flags!

It must have been a great time to be in the U.S. flag-making business. I wondered if they were all made in the U.S.  They were for sale on the side of roads and in gas station shops. They were hung outside of houses and stuck to sides of cars. They were everywhere. I had a few. I found comfort in our "united we stand" philosophy just like the rest of America. It wasn't enough for me though. I tend not to think as a citizen of the United States, as much as a citizen of the Earth (or even farther, the Universe, and so on). To me, the world had taken a hit, not just the United States. It was a dark day and the world would move forward together. We are interdependent. 

Since I am an artist and graphic designer, my reaction was to design a "world flag." At that point in time, just about everyone had an email address and there were chat groups and websites a-plenty, but there was no MySpace or Facebook ... in fact Google was a fledgling still in Yahoo's shadow. I designed the flag and began emailing and posting it around the internet, encouraging people to display it along with their country's flag (not instead of). It promoted true unity, recognizing that we are all citizens of this world who celebrate our differences while we stand together. 

The flag circulated and amplified in number a bit, and had some good reactions, then eventually fizzled out. Every once in a while I find my files and look at the flag that never made it to the level I envisioned. I didn't try very hard to get it to the world, after all. Maybe it was just my own personal processing of the most dramatic day in my life. I am dusting it off now, on the ten year anniversary of that day.

The World Flag – for all citizens of Earth

Meaning:

    • The circle represents Earth, Unity
    • The stem and leaf represent Life
    • Together, they form a face representing Humankind
    • The green represents land
    • The blue represents water and sky
    • The white represents Peace
    • The placement of the circle to the right represents growth and progress

I confess: I do not know the 5 secrets to instant entrepreneurial profit and eternal success…

… and neither do they. 

There aren't 7 SEO techniques you can implement in your website to ensure you 10 new customers every 30 days. There are not 3 lessons you can learn from General Patton that will guarantee you will exude leadership skills that inspire your employees to sell for you in their sleep. Google+ will not make your business the next Google, and neither will Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. There is not one white paper you can download that will change your life as soon as you read it.

I have a very short romance cycle with buzzwords. About the same amount of time a pear is good. The first time I hear one, I don't know it's a buzzword yet. It's still a word that sounds really smart because a small group of people use it in a specific way. For a little while, I feel cool if I know one before everyone else does. I seem really smart and on-trend if I use it while describing something to a client. But that's it. That is the peak after which the buzzword gets more popular and starts being compulsively spewed out of the mouths of the masses. At that point, it's lost its value to me and becomes merely another common word. It's over.

For some reason the rest of the world doesn't realize this.. Instead, for years, if anyone just says one of these buzzwords, they are looked upon as an expert. It doesn't even have to be used in a sentence! They don't even have to know what it means or where it came from! It just has to be uttered. While the majority of the population is being wowed by these experts, I'm itching all over from the merciless assault of buzzword overuse out there. Make it stop!

In the past 24 hours these headlines came straight to my inbox/feed/stream:

•  5 ways to succeed as a startup in an industry awash with competitors
• The 1 Question That Inspires Innovation
• 4 ways to harness the power of co-creativity
• 5 Ways The Kardashian Family Built A $65 Million Brand
• How to manage a team of robot workers
• PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, on the 5 C's of leadership
• 3 ways for CEOs to avoid overconfidence
• The best apps for building a business
• 6 Google+ Myths Debunked
• 25 Questions To Ask Before You Outsource HR
• Five Things Hollywood Teaches us About Product Design
• 4 social media case studies from the tourism industry
• 5 key questions to ask about your social campaigns
• 6 Creative iPad Uses For Small Retailers
• Top 5 Legal Issues Of A New Company
• 100 Websites You Should Know and Use

I know, I know, you're wanting the link to a couple of these because they just might contain THE answer. Well I'm not providing them. These headlines are just to illustrate the weight of the world that is on my shoulders. Realize that the reason all of these came to me is because I actually subscribe to the sources. They really do have something smart to say, even if it isn't going to change my life. I have to keep up with trends and technology because it's what I do for a living. Besides, some of these articles might have the next buzzword in them, before it becomes an overused and sales-pitch-ish.

I confess: I hate false [eyelash] advertising

In the world of makeup, beauty (on the surface) trumps reality. Makeup's number one mission is to decorate. Why be plain? With makeup we can accentuate the best in ourselves and cover up the worst. Like fashion and hair, it's an accessory – an accent – to our image. It allows us to look different with different moods and events, too. Who wants to look exactly the same all the time? That's all fine as long as there is some kind of integrity to the image we make of ourselves. Unfortunately, there is a point when makeup crosses over from being decoration to being disguise. Why don't we see beauty in our natural selves? Because of advertising.

Yes, advertising – that insidious, brainwashing, sales pitchy, repetitive, starburstish, spammy, manipulative, interrupt-your-entertainment, get-in-front-of-you-hundreds-of-times-a-day industry that I am in. Of course, it doesn't have to be that bad. There is a manipulative and brainwashing power behind advertising and design strategy, but if used for good, well, it's all good. That's why it's so important to self-regulate. Advertisers have big a responsibility to be honest.

My latest pet peeve is mascara ads. What the hell are they thinking? What the hell are the consumers thinking if they believe a little bottle of mascara is going to give them eyelashes like this? How are we supposed to choose mascara based on that misinformation?

Dishonest advertising is more than just a con to get your money… it can be damaging to the health, wealth and happiness of society. When people begin to identify more with the ads they see than they do their own reality, self esteem plummets and their wallets empty out. When people begin to want what they see in ads more than what they have in real life, their life becomes one big failure in search of the unattainable.

Three cheers to the U.K. for cracking down on L'Oreal and Maybelline for running these misleadingly-airbrushed ads of Julia Roberts and Christy Turlington (read more here).  It's a giant slippery slope that starts with something simple like covering a blemish. Who doesn't want to smooth out their skin a bit? Heck, if I could Photoshop myself every morning, I would!


The answer lies not so much in refraining from using makeup as it does in creating only honest advertising. Decorate but don't lie. Emphasize but don't lie. Communicate the strengths and leave out the weaknesses, but don't lie. I'm all about honest propaganda for a good cause!

I confess: I have better taste than you

No, not YOU! You have great taste! You're reading my blog! Don't be silly.

I'm speaking to those other people, the ones who smell like Old Spice. The ones who can't discriminate between a great story and its shallow, more expensive sequel. Yeah you guys. (No, not YOU dear blog reader. You know who I mean by now, right?).

Yes, I have better taste than you. I like independent, cerebrally thrilling and ironically funny movies. The movies you like will never become cult classics and you don't even know why that sucks. I like design where form follows function and melts your soul with beauty. You think the name of your company is a headline and and that nothing stands out if it's not bolded, in quotes or in a starburst. You don't even know that quotation marks aren't "attention-getters."

It's not just me that has better taste than you, the reader of this blog has better taste than you, too. Lots of people do! Alas, there are more of you than us, which is why mainstream stuff, by definition, isn't very deep. It has to please the masses and go with the flow. For the most part. Thank God, once in a while someone breaks out of that mainstream mold.

For example and more evidence of my fabulous taste, I love the Old Spice campaign starring Isaiah Mustafa. He is stunning to behold and plays the role perfectly. Hilarious concept, great filming, groundbreakingly communicative and social, that campaign actually got me to almost buy some Old Spice for my son. Almost. Until I smelled it. Oh well. Still, I'm a huge fan of the ads now and their sales have gone way up because of people like you, which is cool for them. 

Maybe it had run its course already. Maybe Weiden + Kennedy hadn't thought past the year's brilliant campaign. Maybe people like you were disappointed that they didn't get chicks any easier while wearing Old Spice. 

I don't know the reasoning, but Fabio happened.

I finally clicked the "New Old Spice Guy Fabio" ad tonight because it's stalking me. They've spared no expense with the Facebook ads, apparently. I was hesitant because I'm neutral at best in my opinion of Fabio. He doesn't do it for me but I thought maybe they could really dig into the cheese factor. So I watched some of the commercials. They're like a bad mix of Sprockets and Hans and Fronz skits on Saturday Night Live. Are you kidding me? *Sigh. They sort of, brought the concept of Isaiah's ads along but Fabio can't carry it. He's dropping it left and right. Choppy. Confusing. Cheap. What is happening in this one??:

I wish everyone out there had great taste like me and you (yes, YOU this time!!) – then we wouldn't have to waste our time on sub-par stuff unless being sub-par made it cool.

I confess: If I see one more social media expert advice headline I'm going to ...

A. Unsubscribe from whomever sent it to me.

B. Throw up a little bit in my mouth.

C. Re-tweet it because it seems like good information even though I only skimmed it.

D. Click the link only to realize that I've been "Rick Rolled."

E. Read it despite myself and get distracted from what I was doing, get most of the way through it and feel empty inside because it wasn't worth my time.

F.  Read it and actually learn something, click a link about the writer, like their Facebook page, and never notice their posts in my over-crowded stream ever again.

G. Click the link and WISH I'd been "Rick Rolled" once I see the boring page, get distracted by thinking about how "Rick Rolling" is actually one of the more brilliant viral-marketing-social-media-campaigns out there because it isn't marketing at all.

It's annoying to see so many experts dishing out fast-food advice as if you can follow a formula and *poof* your business will explode like a viral disease with no vaccine. The truth about it all is much more simple than all of the mountains of advice out there make it seem. 

Social media isn't really new. Yes, there's new equipment, new delivery methods, new technology and yes, it offers the potential of getting up close and personal with a few billion people. But the concept is as old as we are. Humans have been practicing social media since before the written word. We've always had a voice (just maybe not as strong as Rick Astley's).

Whether or not your message goes "viral" hinges on good old fashioned principals like communication skills, creativity and hard work. I would go into more details on that, but then this would be a social media advice blog post and I really don't want to read or write another one of those for at least a day or two. 

What's Your Super Power?

You already have it.

Whether you acknowledge it or not, it's in you. Let's say you get hit with a super-mega-gama-ray of randomly scientifically amplificating uber-you-ness that turns you into Super ______(insert descriptive name here).

What's your super power?

(Click here and then leave a comment with your answer!)

d [is for divinity] • an alphabet exploration

Why the world is worth saving, one letter at a time.

A    B    C

3 examples of excellence in social media + advertising

In the future everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes. ~Andy Warhol

Do you think social media is cutting-edge? Think it hasn't gone mainstream yet? Think again. Three brands that are making positively brilliant use of social media in their advertising strategies happen to be three of the most white-bread, mainstream, non-exciting brands ever. These brands might make you think of childhood in middle-class middle-America, but they wouldn't make you think of cutting-edge social media campaigns, would they? Think again, again.

The beauty of social media is the conversation. Twitter turned five last week. Five years ago, there was no way these middle-weight giants would be taking consumers' chatter and turning it into national commercials AND publicly mentioning these consumers by name. These middle-of-the-road brands are playing the game perfectly and running a great race. Most importantly, it's real. 

Take a look at some of these commercials, and then go tweet something about your favorite brands. You never know, you might get your 15 minutes of fame thanks to a Twitter mention via a television commercial that plays on YouTube and goes viral internationally. It could happen. 

Wheat Thins. Surprising tweeters in their real life, bringing the brand to them.

Agency: The Escape Pod

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Making a commercial out of a tweet, as artfully as possible with a lightning-fast turnaround.

Agency: Crispin Porter + Bogusky

Old Spice. Holding conversation with real tweeters with "The Old Spice Guy's" surreal machismo.

Agency: Weiden + Kennedy

and the winner is ...

Last week, I won seven ADDY® Awards, Best of Show and the AAF Silver Medal Award. In the wake of these wins, all of the ADDY Galas happening around the country and the Oscars, I explore: what do awards really mean, anyway? To hear many say, they don't mean a thing.

Awards are meaningless to me, and I have nothing but disdain for anyone who actively campaigns to get one. 

~Bill Murray 

Awards are only a publicity gimmick. 

Tony Randall 

Awards are so unnecessary, because I think we get so much out of our work just by doing it. The work is a reward in itself. 

~Natalie Portman

On one hand, they are totally right. After all, the work itself is satisfying. Hopefully we all have a better motive to do good work than awards. Hopefully we're saving the world one project at a time and loving the process. 

On the other seventeen hands, however, they are wrong. For entertainers, artists and designers, what we do has to be well-received or it doesn't work. Awards highlight work that works. I don't mean people's choice awards, like American Idol, I mean awards that are judged by experts. These judges have the privilege of honoring and celebrating great work. In doing this, it encourages more great work to be produced year after year. They give deserved recognition to many who are often underpaid and unsung.

“This award is meaningful because it comes from my fellow dealers in celluloid.” 

~Alfred Hitchcock 

There's more. Awards help validate a smart and talented artist's position, thereby educating clients. All too often, businesses hire creatives to do their design work but don't trust them enough to let go of the reigns. They often dictate unreasonable parameters, then make choices based on their personal taste or untrained opinion. One of the biggest challenges to creating solid, effective work can be the clients themselves. Awards can also help to get more clients, too, by increasing the credibility and visibility of the recipient.

Awards sell tickets, and they're a clever publicity stunt. 

~Tony Randall 

It's easy to say that awards don't mean anything, but if you work your ass off and are rewarded with an award, you can't honestly tell me you aren't thrilled to get it. Natalie Portman's quote above doesn't foreshadow her tearful and joyous reaction to winning the Best Actress Oscar this year.

"This is insane. I truly, sincerely wish the prize tonight was to work with my fellow nominees. I am in such awe of you."

~Natalie Portman

What I feel most for my wins this year is validated. I am especially proud that the Best of Show award was for an inexpensive yet highly conceptual, one-color piece. It demonstrates that a great concept doesn't need a giant production budget to succeed. In a town like Ocala, that's valuable because it means small businesses can have stellar creative, too.

“To those of you who received honours, awards and distinctions, I say well done. And to the C students, I say you, too, can be president of the United States.” 

~George W. Bush

#Fail #Learn #Succeed

I started 2011 out with a self-imposed assignment to blog every day. I had been pretty irregular with my own blogging, which completely goes against my own advice. I figured if I blogged every single day for a year, the habit would become well-formed and I could then back down to once or twice a week without even breaking a sweat. To the people who said, "How will you ever do it? You don't have that much time, Jessi," I answered that I would be able to post quickies some days. I wouldn't have to take time for every single post, thoughtfully writing insights and creating original illustrations. 

I made note of my analytics before I began so that I could track my progress, weighing-in my blogging muscles periodically. On average, during the month of January, my blog visits doubled. Comments began to appear where there had been none. Daily blogging was definitely boosting buzz. 

There was just one problem, though. I wasn't actually doing it every day. Right from the starting line, I had trouble with it. I hadn't done work ahead of time and created a lot of posts - I wanted to do it as honestly and real-time as possible. Some days it was no problem, but other days found me wrapped up in life and work more than allowed for the hour or two it sometimes took to blog. I missed days. My Klout score actually went up and down, reflecting this. 

The main flaw in my thinking lied with the "quickie" posts. When it came right to it, I couldn't do it. A quick sentence or two or three seemed no different than a tweet to me. Why would I waste a good blog page and readers' valuable time on a quick albeit insightful post? Why make someone click a link just to read what could be said in a status or a tweet? It didn't sit right with me, so I never did it. 

For a while I thought I would catch up but before I knew it, I wasn't just skipping a day here and there. The idea that I was behind stopped me from posting out-of-time, creating a growing snowball of white blog space.

It's February 19 and my experiment is failing so I'm stopping it before it becomes #epicfailure. I'm not about to wait until December to admit that I'm not going to blog every day in 2011. It's not worth my time and it's not worth my readers' time. So, I'm going back to thoughtful posts without quickies, but with a strategy change. This time I am going to be my own client. Once a week, more if something timely happens that needs commentary, my blogs will consistently appear. Oh, and I've added an email subscription button, to make life even easier for you, dear reader.

Now, go fail at something. It's fun!

c [is for civil rights] • an alphabet exploration • 24/365

Why the world is worth saving, one letter at a time.

A    B