I think I just threw up a little ...

Here's the new company logo:


Here's the old logo:
It's always interesting when a major corporation changes its' branding. To me, it seems like a very difficult decision as its previous logo is universally known and recognized. I recently read an article, which outlined NBC/Universal's new logo. As the company was just taken over by Comcast, the company unveiled a new design for its branding. The peacock image, which has become a staple in distinguishing NBC, has been removed and replaced with a simple text. According to the article, NBC Universal’s chief executive Steve Burke told employees on Thursday that the old logo “seemed kind of busy." ... Ummmm what?

When debating on whether or not to change a company brand image and strategy, especially one that is universally known, a lot of time and energy is required to ensure that the transition fully represents the company mission. In this case, I'm absolutely disgusted at the change NBC made. It's become too simplistic, no emotion. I look at the text and I get upset. It says *nothing*. To be honest, I really did like the previous logo and can't understand the so-called "busy" comment made by Burke. It's simple and sexy, clear and concise. It conveys both aspects of NBC and Universal. Dropping both seems to make the company loose what it's known for. To me, this seems like a case of poor design as well as company strategy.

Goin' Overboard

I remember seeing this ad last term and since then, always seem to reference it when thinking about ads that seem to go too far in trying to convey a message. This ad in particular, seems to be pulling on the heartstrings of an event that shook not only the United States, but also impacted the rest of the world ... and became one of the driving forces behind the war. From the WWF's perspective, I understand that they were trying to bring awareness to the public, but using this iconic scene ... it seems they went too far. With a headline reading, "The Tsunami killed 100 times more people on 9/11. The planet is brutally powerful. Respect it. Preserve it," the ad acknowledges the damages but pushes to illustrate the destruction the planet is capable of. Created by DDB Brazil, the ad was initially rejected by a client for WWF, but DDB went ahead and ran the ad anyway, even entering it into a competition. Mentioning 9/11 still pushes buttons and as such, should remain outside of the advertising world. What's worse,this particular theme should have a no fly respect when it comes to creative work. Especially by agencies in other countries. This was NOT a natural disaster, but rather a carefully planned execution by terrorists. This ad makes me angry. I understand that shock was the initial intent as well as raising awareness ... but using such a symbolic and iconic image sends the wrong message and ultimately ruins the message.

Words cannot describe how i feel about this ...

Stayfree:A date with Ryan from Faruk Erman on Vimeo.

Stayfree:A date with Brad from Faruk Erman on Vimeo.

Stayfree:A date with Trevor from Faruk Erman on Vimeo.

I was shown these commercials a few months ago by my boyfriend who was also taking a class on advertising at Wilfrid Laurier University. "You gotta see these," he explained. Without giving any details, he just played "A Date with Brad," and I watched patiently ... not sure what to expect. What happened at the end of these commercials, I was far from expecting. I kept looking in the commercials for some slight cues as to what they were selling. I was shocked. I laughed because even I couldn't have guessed that they were selling Stayfree pads! Breaking the fourth wall and having the men interact with the audience, playing off of the stereotypical "dream" guy ... but the "dream" guy that talks to you about your feminine hygiene. From what I've been reading, the commercials were produced by BBDO Toronto and did not last very long on air. Harsh criticism was met with the commercials and saw the ads pulled, even off of YouTube. Although the popularity of the Old Spice commercials had produced much success for the company, Stayfree's attempt at tongue-and-cheek did not. The commercials fail to understand that women do *not* want to have their menstrual cycle discussed with them with what would appear to be as the "perfect" bachelor.

To be honest, I'm still on the fence about these commercials. In some ways ... it reminds me way too much of Christopher Walken's skits on SNL ...



Too good for words haha

Back to the men of Stayfree ... Although I find the commercial witty and creative, I still can see why it failed to do well with its targeted market. Just seem a little too .... overdone?

The one you always come back to ...

I always come back to this commercial. Every once in awhile, the thought of it comes back into my head and without fail, always puts a smile to my face. I saw this particular commercial at the Cannes Advertising Festival last year and have always referred to it as one of the coolest commercials I've seen. I'm not a big animal lover, but this commercial just goes right to my heart. It's creative as hell and filming this must have been incredible. Man, if I had money to burn ... taking non-flying birds hang gliding ... who wouldn't?!

I tend to enjoy commercials that aren't necessarily about the product but rather, focus on making the audience think. Stepping above the usual "show and tell" of most commercials, ones that allow the audience to see the humour or emotion, to me, gain a far superior reaction from audiences. Creativity is at the core of design, no matter the medium. Challenging your audience shows effort and thus, deserves my attention. It is commercials such as this one that make me not change the channel or mute between my program.

Oh Pepsi & your continuity errors ...

I'm a big fan of commercials. Every year I go to the Cannes Advertising Festival, which normally showcases the best commercials from all around the world. It's interesting to see the various methods of persuasion and how they vary depending on the location and agency. I must admit, the Cannes Ad Films are always my favourite and I look forward to seeing them each year.

I was shown this commercial the other day and although clever, I did manage to find a continuity error near the end. You're looking at a billion dollar company (Pepsi) whose ads are world renown ... you would *think* that this would have been noticed. The rivalry between Pepsi and Coke has gone on for decades and has become a staple in both company's ad campaigns. So, nothing new to have Coke present in this commercial. Entitled "Diner 2," the noticeable error occurs at the 44 second mark where the Pepsi rep videos the Coke rep drinking the new Pepsi MAX (...how dare he). The coke switches hands in the video in order to fully show the product but if you look closer, you'll notice that the Coke rep is holding it in the opposite hand. I don't know ... it may seem silly, but c'mon ... Pepsi execs should be noticing stuff like that. As a previous film student and now studying advertising & design, it's small stuff such as the continuity error that really ruin the commercial for me. Yes, it's a clever concept but man, get your editing straight!

My True Love

I can't even remember when my love for typography took root. Piecing everything together, I think it was in the 11th grade when I was yearbook editor at my high school. I had a really cool teacher whose design background allowed him to create an amazing learning environment. It was during this time that I began to notice the power that type had on a design. Yes, pictures and colours add flare and style to a layout, but it's really the choice of type that can make or break a design. If the type doesn't match the desired theme or emotion, what's the point? Type is sexy, there is no *question* about that. Since my meager days back in high school, I've come to develop quite the obsession for typography. Even throughout university, I would match typefaces to papers I was writing. Screw MLA & APA formatting, the papers deserved a matching font! Girls collect shoes, this design girl is addicted to collecting fonts. At present time, I have over 3,000+ different typefaces on my hard drive. Each one unique in its own right.

You'll see in posts to come my addiction and realize that it is a true passion of mine. Long live typography!

Design Basics

In the past, I've been kind of hesitant when it comes to making more of an online presence. However, I've come to realize that putting yourself out there, rather, online, gives you greater strength in reaching a wider audience.

I've been given an assignment this term at Humber, to record and reflect on various forms of design. As most of my influence comes from endlessly searching the Internet, creating a blog seemed appropriate ... and fun! So here it goes ...

Welcome to my obsession