All You Need is Love

So here is another one of BlackBerry’s ‘Love What You Do’ commercials. This one is even more confusing than the last. If you remember the Rock Band version, the band practices real hard and becomes great. In this one, two wannabe fashion designers put a show together. I guess if your first show goes well, you can continue to do what you love.  But what if it’s absolutely horrible? I guess you go out and yourself get a BlackBerry.

Become a Fashionista in Five Easy Steps:

• 1. Work on stuff with friend
• 2. Fight about it
• 3. Work on it some more
• 4. Put on show
• 5. Rave Reviews to shock the fashion world.

Enter the BlackBerry ‘Love What You Do’ logo again and… scene! So, there is even less connection with technology, smartphones, BlackBerry’s, etc. than I’d like to see.  I think step 3.5 in this version is – Up and coming fashion designers run out of rare and expensive fabric they need to complete new line, use Blackberry to track down new vendor, purchase and ship in time to save the show. I still think if they didn’t have the Beatles cover song, they wouldn’t have a commercial at all.

Take a look:

More Love

The ‘Love What You Do’ campaign has several commercials, check out these others:

Rockband Love

Google Interface Changes

If you’ve been to Google lately, and I’m sure you have, you might notice the slight fade in effect of the home page. On loading the page, the web page is missing quite a few of the usual links, titles, buttons and other options. You can type your search terms and keywords in the search field and press enter to search or if your mouse enters the page the other fields will show.  Everything “fades” in and gives you a nice visual instead of abruptly pooping onto the page.

I have read that it is causing a bit of confusion among users. I have to admit, when I first notice the effect I thought that my system was hung up or the page stopped loading. I thought was odd being that it’s Google, and I don’t recall a time that they were ever down. Also, some users may not be seeing this because it is based off of browser and system. I don’t know whether Google is rolling this out or just testing it. It may be a Google Labs project but I’m assuming that it will make it’s way past that and be part of the regular page.  They don’t make too many changes to the interface and if it’s made it this far to the public, you can be certain that Google is behind this 100% and only a major backlash from the web community would kill the new feature.

See The Google Fade In Live

Here’s a video of the effect if you aren’t seeing it on your computer:

I am getting used to this visual effect and actually like it. But that may be because I like to keep things simple.  One thing I was thinking would be to keep it empty until you type your search terms and then provide butttons to search based on your needs. So instead of pressing the “Google Search” button, you would press the “Web Search”, “Image Search” “Video Search”, “Blog Search”, etc. buttons. That would limit the need to switch search engines and thus eliminate one more unncessary click.

Oh, I hope it does!

I hope the new Droid phone is everything the iPhone is and isn’t. Everything it is because I was just at an Apple store yesterday and the iPhone is awesome and of course, I want one. And everything it isn’t because it will be available from Verizon so I can actually get one. And since I’m using a BlackBerry on Verizon’s Network, I’m pretty excited about the chance to try out a new phone without having to switch carriers.

iDon’t Believe the Hype

Verizon’s newest smartphone, scheduled for a November release according to the television commercials, is hyped up to be the latest attempt by multiple manufacturers to be labled an “iPhone Killer”. Well, it’ll have to be pretty good. It’s rumored that it will have a 5 megapixel camera with flash, video, GPS directions, full QWERTY keyboard, speech recognition, replacement batteries, run multiple apps, music, “The Network” and 10,000+ Apps. That’s a pretty good start.

Watch the commerical to see if it gets you as excited about the upcoming holiday season as it does me.

There’s a Map for That

Since we’re talking about Verizon vs. Apple, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the other latest commercial from Verizon attacking Apple. Instead of “there’s an App for That” from Apple, Verizon is touting it’s excellent coverage under “There’s a Map for That” coverage. A direct blow from one major network to the other. Enjoy!

All You Need is Love

Apparently, all you really need is love and a BlackBerry and everything else in between takes care of itself. According to the latest commercial in the ‘Love What You Do’ campaign, BlackBerry is insinuating that if you have one of their smartphones you’ll be able to do whatever you want. Like start a rock band and become really, really, ridiculously famous. I’m just not sure how the phones actually accomplish this for you.

For those of you who haven’t seen the commercial, let me break it down for you.

BlackBerry Saves the World in Five Easy Steps:

• 1. There’s a band
• 2. They suck
• 3. The band practices
• 4. The band rocks out
• 5. The band gets fans

Enter the BlackBerry ‘Love What You Do’ logo and… scene! So, I get the point that somewhere along the way the band used their awesome BBs to help them do something productive that could otherwise not be done without them. However, it would be nice if the commercial at least hinted at what that actually was. There should be a step 3.5 – While traveling through the remote parts of the mid-west with little to no mobile coverage, Band connects with concert promoter who gets them a gig at the Whiskey. That would make sense.

The commercial does succeed in pulling some emotional heart-strings, but I’m not sure that is enough to convince people who don’t have BlackBerry’s to buy one. Certainly, if they didn’t have such an established brand they would never be able to pull this off because it is strictly branding and has no product sell value at all.

Take a look for yourself and make your own decision.

More Love

The ‘Love What You Do’ campaign has several commercials, check out these others:

• Fashion Show/Runway Love

My wife likes to remind me when we’re out to eat that there are other things on the menu besides cheeseburgers. What? I beg to differ.

I don’t know where my love of burgers comes from originally, but I do I remember going to Hardee’s on Millersville Pike as a kid vividly. (It’s not there anymore.) Specifically, I remember the first time I looked at the logo and realized the “a” and “e” were the same letter forms. I was so proud of myself. Let’s take a look at the logo below.

The shape is flipped 180 degrees and is actually a bit rounded out on the “e”.  The leading edge of the letter form is also angled slightly different but that’s because of the faux perspective they put on it. The angles would be off if it were not adjusted. So it’s not exactly the same shape, but close enough.

Sadly, Hardee’s is now Carl’s Jr. of which we have none, and the super text logo is gone in favor of a star and script. I’m not sure what about the star says “good burgers” but I wish the would have the opportunity to find out.

You can read more about this logo over at Brand New by Under Consideration.

Q: PhotoSketch: Is it real or is it fake?

A: Who cares?

In case you haven’t heard, Photosketch is program that seamlessly stitches several different photographs (found on the internet) into one final image based on a simple sketch with notes. It is brought to you by the brains of five super-computer Chinese technology students at Tsinghua University. The idea is that anyone can do a basic drawing to provide the concept and that PhotoSketch will pump out a picture worthy of sharing with your coworkers to get approval.

The key here is that it is done to provide slightly better than stick figure drawings to help get your point across without having to waste time and energy creating mock-ups, marker comps, cut & pastes or other methods often used in the conceptual phase. The image above was supposedly created from the sketch below. Awesome, right?

The Future of Digital Imaging

At this point, PhotoSketch is most likely a pipe-dream “Look what we wish we could do with technology” project than something you could actually begin to use anytime soon. Even if it were available imediately with all the features it boasts, designers shouldn’t be as nervous as some would suggest. Tools will come and go, but knowledge can never be replaced.

As a designer myself, I would use PhotoSketch as a quick concept tool before I ever even opened PhotoShop. It’s just easy, plain and simple.  Take a look for yourself:

PhotoSketch: Internet Image Montage from tao chen on Vimeo.

You can also read more about it and see what other people are saying over at Mashable.

It’s happened to all of us. Sometimes you see it coming; sometimes it sneaks up and punches you in the gut. Sometimes it steps out of the dark to trip you on your way into the board room. Yet no matter how it happens, your reaction is always the same. A look of disgust accompanied by shock, disappointment and sometimes even humiliation. Yup, you guessed it… you’ve just been buzzworded.

If you work in an office or have ever been to a corporate meeting, there’s a good chance you’ve been buzzworded a time or two. You may have been the direct recipient of a buzzword (ouch) or you may just have been in the room when the speaker launches into a buzzword buzz-storm. Either way, buzzwording is so deeply ingrained in American business it’s virtually unavoidable.

Let’s check the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.

buzz•word
Pronunciation: \ˈbəz-ˌwərd\
Function: noun
Date: 1946
1 : an important-sounding usually technical word or phrase often of little meaning used chiefly to impress laymen

2 : a voguish word or phrase —called also buzz phrase

The date for buzzword is listed as 1946. Now, we all know the practice of buzzwording has been around a lot longer than that, but I wish we knew the first documented case of buzzwording. That would be a real treat to hear. The mere definition of the word conveys the deeper meaning of it all – deceit. Buzzwords are words or strings of words meant to confuse, disguise, complicate or mislead someone into believing you know more than you actually do. Buzzwords benefit no one except the user. Unfortunately, buzzwords are so popular, they user may not even know they are using one. This brings us to an even bigger problem, the common acceptance of buzzwords.

There are a ton of commonly accepted buzzwords, think-outside-the-box, solutions provider, synergy, value-add and the list goes on and on. If you’re having trouble thinking of a particularly effective buzzword, please consult the Buzzword Generator or the Web Economy Bullshit Generator for some particularly nice ones.

It should be noted that buzzwords vary from jargon in that jargon has no intent to mislead the listener. Jargon is often necessary in technology and complex industries which require very specific terminology by industry insiders, but when those terms are used outside the industry they can become buzzwords. This ultimately signals the death of that word and gives it a special place in buzzword history.

As it differs from jargon, so is it similar to Bullshit. Harry G. Frankfurt’s beautifully written eighty-page pocket-sized On Bullshit makes the argument that “bullshit is a greater enemy of the truth than lies are”. Here, Bullshitters and Buzzworders fall into the same category, disliked. They are disliked so much and so globally that On Bullshit spent 27 weeks as a non-fiction bestseller on the NY Times Best Seller List and has been translated into 15 different languages worldwide.

In your attempt to rid the world of buzzword misuse, perhaps you would like to take up a game of Buzzword Bingo at your next big meeting. Good luck to you! Here’s hoping you can maximize front-end functionalities of low-level partnerships to integrate cross-platform synergies while streamlining scalable networks and leveraging existing technologies to create a best-of-breed business model that harnesses dynamic architectures and frictionless communities.

Wow.  I think I just wrote someone’s mission statement.

Here’s a collection of alternate Citadel logos I’ve developed over the years. Citadel has a well established brand and it’s important to use that visual recognition when introducing a new concept, product or service pledge. In the various logos below I’ve carried over color, shape, font and feel to extend the original Citadel logo.  A few of them are subtle but each of them add new meaning and a unique twist.

1.

Citadel Class Service Customer service pledge

2.

Citadel TV In-house television network

3.

Safe, Sound and Secure Logo designed in response to financial crisis

4.

Market Rate CD Promotional product logo

5.

Switch Kit Logo for branded online bank account migration

Another video featuring kinetic type, I know. But this one for Eric Hutchinson’s OK It’s Alright With Me is pretty sweet. The combination of the black and white with the moving type makes for a pretty simple yet effective video. Not to mention if you didn’t know the words before watching this video it won’t be long until you’re singing along. I picked this guy up a few times on Pandora and really enjoy his music.

Eric Hutchinson – OK, It’s Alright With Me

How to do Kinetic Type Tutorials

Watching this video got me thinking about how to do this kind of  thing and I remembered seeing a few really great video tutorials not that long ago over at the Envato site AETuts.com.  Check out the links below; there’s a pretty basic one they put together for Linkin Park’s Bleed It Out and a three-part video series to Bruce Lee’s Be Water speach.  Both excellent and easy to follow for anyone familiar with After Effects.

Design Rhythmic Motion Typography in After Effects

Create an Animated Homage to Bruce Lee – Day 1

Collection of Kinetic Type on the Web

The good people over at Web Designer Depot put together a nice collection of Typography in Motion. As a matter of fact they put together a nice little collection of 18 different examples including a great one from Zoolander.

18 Creative Examples of Typography in Motion

Do you deserve a job in advertising? That’s the question Atmosphere Proximity,  Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Ogilvy NY, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness along with the Ad Council, The New York Times and Microsoft Advertising are asking in their online video contest The Big Ad Gig. Finalists get invited to Advertising Week in NYC September 21st-25th and are given the VIP treatment. They’ll participate in a creative brief giving a four minute pitch to decide the winner. Should you be lucky enough to be deemed the winner you’ll have your concept for the final pitch produced and spread across the Microsoft galaxy including gaming and mobile. Oh, that and a 30-day paid gig at one of the sponsoring agencies. Sweet!

Entry into the contest consists of uploading your resume, linking to your online portfolio and posting a video to YouTube where you proclaim to the world “I Deserve a Big Ad Gig”. Entries were due as of 11:59 pm September 7th and when I checked earlier in the evening only 5 videos were actually posted to the YouTube contest page. Of course, I submitted mine around 11:45 pm so I can expect many others did the same thing.

Here’s the script for my take on The Big Ad Gig courtesy of Michael J Fox and Teen Wolf:

Me: Hi.

Uh, I deserve a big ad gig.

Shopkeeper: You don’t say.

Me: Yeah, Uhhh… how hard is that?

Shopkeeper: You got any IDEAS, sonny?

You little bastards just won’t give up will ya? Listen, no IDEA, no goddam GIG. Can’t you get that through your thick skull.

Me: I DESERVE A BIG AD GIG.  …  And these. (holds up bunch of markers.)

So the words above that are bold are the words that have been changed from the original scene to make sense for the contest. Take a look at the video below to view my entry into the Big Ad Gig Contest.

The Big Ad Gig – Teen Wolf Style