I went to see our own Minnesota Wild play hockey last night at St Paul's Excel stadium. Obviously, there is violence to be expected in this sport. Body slamming, puck whacking and yes, the occasional punch-up.
What I was not prepared for though was the pre-game ad spot for the National Guard, a joint effort by Kid Rock and some NASCAR dude. It's 2:36 of sheer testosterone, us versus them, and America hell yeah. I felt like I was watching a shoot 'em up video game.
Regardless of my personal opinions on the war, and American foreign policy in general, the messaging behind the ad simply highlights how dire things must be for military recruitment. For the U.S. military brand, the Hero archetype obviously makes the most sense, but let us not forget that this archetype's shadow/downside (ie when the archetype is taken to the extreme) is arrogance. And in this case, it's a very fine line.
I don't have the magical solution. The military has been recruiting for an extremely controversial conflict for a long period of time. People are more and more skeptical of our involvement with it, and of the human cost it brings. Perhaps the brand has no other choice but to try to energize potential recruits with blaring rock music and lyrics such as
So don't tell me who's wrong and right/ when liberty starts slipping away/
and if you ain't gonna fight/ get out of the way/ cuz freedom ain't so free when you breathe red white and blue/ I'm givin' all of myself cuz that's what I do.
I've never been into The Biggest Loser much. This season, I've been sucked into a few episodes. Call it curiosity. Or perhaps I'm just trying to understand the Capsule office obsession with P90X a little better.
Whatever it is, the most standout thing about the show is not the incredible transformations, the tears, or the throwing up after a particularly strenuous workout. It's the horrible product placement.
Last night I watched Aussie chef hottie Curtis Stone touting Jennie O ground turkey burgers to the team: a giant disconnect if I ever saw one, given that his usual style leans towards local, organic and gourmet. Jennie O mass-produced ground turkey meat is none of these things. The close-ups of the product packaging, over-use of the brand name, and general clumsiness of the segment made the product placement unnatural and icky.
I've seen the same thing before with Yoplait yogurt. In one of the first episodes of the season, we see one of the contestants upset over something - possibly a poor weigh-in result. Bob consoles her. WITH A YOPLAIT YOGURT.
I don't know about you, but when I'm upset, the last thing I feel like reaching for is a low-fat strawberry yogurt. Another example of an unrealistic and forced scene. Poor Bob must have been cringing beneath those gigantic tattoo-covered biceps.
I understand that brands are seeking new ways to promote themselves - new causes, new associations, new ways of connecting with consumers. But they're putting themselves at risk of insulting the audience instead.
I found a transcript online of a blogger's conversation with Jillian Michaels and Mark Koops, executive producer.
“One of the other questions that’s been brought up by a lot of
the readers on [DietsInReview.com] is the product placement that takes
place on this show. Everyone [feels it is] very cheesy and it’s very
obviously placed. Is there any plan to tone that back in the future or
to maybe do it a little differently?”
Jillian: “Mark? I’ll have to defer to my boss on this one because I cannot talk about this at all. I’ll get in trouble.”
Brandi: “Product placement is obviously paying the bills for the show, but it seems to be striking a strange chord with the audience.”
Mark: “I think, you know, it is sort of, no pun
intended – part of the reality of where television is moving to in the
21st Century. The 30-second spot, you know, goes away and (DVR)
penetrations, it’s a longer topic of conversation.
We’re approached by a number of companies wanting to, to get
involved in the show. And I think we’re very selective in terms of who
we take. We’ve been approached in the past by all the fast food
companies, you know.
I think we do try and have a selective process about who we pick and about the message they’re trying to (sell).
Could at times it be done, you know, cleaner and better? I think there’s always room for improvement."
Seems like Jillian's not excited about it either.
I have three words of advice for The Biggest Loser and its sponsors: Make It Subtle!
Color is something that's all around us, yet we often overlook its powerful ability to impact both mood and perception. Pantone is often looked to as the color gurus, so lets take a look at what they earlier predicted to be the big color hits of fall/winter 2009/10.
Pantone says, "A natural choice during uncertain times, patriotic American Beauty,a wonderfully balanced, true red, speaks to the need for cohesiveness. Perfect for all skin tones, American Beauty is a feel-good color. Purple Heart connotes a sense of refinement and sensuality, adding an air of creativity and excitement to the top 10, especially when paired with American Beauty."
Congratulations, Pantone. You were right on the money with American Beauty and Purple Heart. Jewel-toned shades certainly become more popular with the cooler weather, and this is more apparent in 2009 than ever. From cosmetic companies to haute couture fashion houses, fabric designers to interior decorators, purple isn't going anywhere anytime soon in the creative industries
We have some wonderful illustrative work pass across our desks at Capsule, and it's just one reason I love the privilege of working in this creative little space in downtown Minneapolis.
Anyone interested in illustration is most likely already aware of Charley Harper, an unbelievably talented American modernist illustrator. I was reminded of the beauty of his work while shopping in Patina yesterday for a nephew's second birthday. There is a LOT of stuff you can buy these days for kids, but when I saw the ABCs book below I knew it would be a hit both for little Rhys and his mom:
"When I look at a wildlife or nature subject, I don’t see the feathers in the wings, I just count the wings. I see exciting shapes, color combinations, patterns, textures, fascinating behavior and endless possibilities for making interesting pictures. I regard the picture as an ecosystem
in which all the elements are interrelated, interdependent, perfectly
balanced, without trimming or unutilized parts; and herein lies the
lure of painting; in a world of chaos, the picture is one small
rectangle in which the artist can create an ordered universe."
I should probably start this post by mentioning that I am somewhat of a Martha-wannabe, because my admiration of her craft and cooking/baking talents knows no bounds. At home I am frequently accused of exhibiting the symptoms of F.E.D., aka Fall Explosion Disorder. As any home decorating enthusiast knows, fall is our time to shine, and thus my home is currently sagging under the weight of pumpkins (real, ceramic, wood, wire - you name it), leaf garlands/leaves/swags, pretty red berries, strings of lights (one of which is little pumpkins), black cat silhouettes, and other season-appropriate goodness. It doesn't end there either. I'm also in the planning stages of a fall baking extravaganza for our "carve and cocktails" party next weekend, which will feature pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars, pumpkitinis, and anything else that may involve nutmeg, cinnamon or pumpkin.
But I got excited. Back to Martha. Before we talk about her let's take a quick look at her crafty prowess.
Definitely a fire hazard, but oh so pretty.
A gourd- and leaf-stuffed urn on your porch says "We are good neighbors, and you'll never hear us arguing about the cost of free-range eggs."
This exquisite (read: will take you five hours and have you tear your hair out when it just doesn't look the way it's supposed to) Halloween cake says "If you don't act like you're enjoying the heck of out eating this thing I'll scream."
Martha's glorious kingdom extends across best-selling books, a daily tv show, a satellite radio show, a magazine, a website, a home-wares range at Kmart and Macy's, craft supplies at Michael's and Walmart, furniture, floor coverings - even her own freaking line of entire HOMES. Yes, Martha designs homes. No wonder she's an insomniac.
While Martha does do genius stuff with acorns, pipecleaners and glitter, the weird thing is that she's actually just not that likable.
She's pretty darn awkward and seems to lack the ability to laugh at herself. Which is very important, when one owns four country estates in the New England area, one did a five month stint in jail for lying about a stock sale, and one pots plants while wearing Hermes from head to toe.
Her core audience is probably middle aged, middle class women - not other women who own four country estates and hold tea parties in their rare-variety peony gardens. We can't relate to her at all - she's not like Oprah, who we all know is richer than Donald Trump but still manages to act like she's on of us on occasion.
A version of Martha's monthly calendar is shared in the magazine and honestly, I can't recommend it enough for a laugh. It usually looks something like this -
July 5: Deadhead the spent hyancinths
July 7: Chow Chow's doggy yoga lesson
July 9: Refold antique table linens in cream tissue paper, not white
July 10: Remove burlap from box hedges
July 15: Lunch with Gloria Vanderbilt
How did Martha, so seemingly out of touch with the common folk, build her empire?
She's the perfect example of aspirational branding because, well, she's perfect. Her neat little world is perfect. Her closets are tidy and labeled, her cakes always rise, and her glue gun never scorches her hands. Deep down we know we'll never be like Martha, but her brand somehow manages to keep that little flicker of hope alive.
Popular stock photography provider iStockphoto recently announced it will soon be selling ready-made logos to those looking for an off the shelf identity.
As you'd expect, this has caused some controversy online. Just one example (of many): AIGA President Debbie Millman tweeted “What iStock is doing to designers is deplorable. Truly heinous.”
The notion that it would ever be appropriate for a new brand, or a brand looking to recreate itself, to simply select a pre-made logo without any prior strategy and self-evaluation is troubling.
Capsule prides itself on coming to a comprehensive understanding of the brand before our design team even thinks about putting pencil to paper (or hand to mouse). We examine its core, its audiences, its history, its personality, and its best future direction - plus countless other associations - before the visual process commences.
Only in this way can the creative process be one that is truly informed, resulting in the most intelligent design for the brand.
