11.09
[A version of this post was originally published on Interbrand's blog.]
You probably already know that hurricanes are named alphabetically each calendar year, alternating between male and female names. What you may not know, however, is that the origin of this naming convention is a 1941 novel titled Storm by George Stewart, in which the titular storm was dubbed “Maria.” The alphabetical approach was formalized in 1950, but for a long time only female names were used. In 1979, male names were added, since it’s a bit sexist to assume every terrible storm is a woman.
The brilliance of this naming convention is that
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10.05
This is the 9th round of three-minute fiction on NPR. Unfortunately, the deadline has already passed, but you can still see some of the best stories on NPR’s website. In honor of the contest, here’s a link to and old three-minute fiction submission (not mine) called “The Weatherby.” I love this one, and haven’t been able to get it out of my head since reading it. Enjoy!
10.05
[This article section was written by Sarah Reiter, CEO of FutureBrand Southeast Asia, and was first published in Campaign Asia as "Brand Health Check: Can Pepsi shed its bridesmaid's tag?" She's kindly given me permission to post it here as a "guest post."]
Pepsi’s late-2008 rebranding that led to the current ‘smile’ logo is the latest in over a century of dramatic shifts in identity, during which Coca-Cola has maintained a relatively consistent look and feel. A brand is more than a logo, but the constant revamping may be symptomatic of underlying strategic problems.
While the Coca-Cola brand brings to mind genuineness, authenticity and Americana, the Pepsi brand personality is a bit harder to pin down. Since the early 60s, Pepsi has attempted to associate itself with a younger generation. One challenge with this positioning is that it’s a moving target.
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10.04
I’ve accepted a role with Interbrand in San Francisco, as Director of Verbal Identity (a fancy way of saying naming, messaging, voice, etc.). This is the first time I’ve moved back to a city I’ve lived in before, and the first time I’ve returned to a company I’ve worked at before. Both with good reason.
I’m also trying out a new look for the blog. Let me know what you think!
08.20
Lots going on right now and no time to write! Will be back up and running, perhaps with an entirely new blog format, ASAP.
07.16
I’ve been lamenting the lack of anamorphic advertisements for some time now, so was happy to see this perfect example of an anamorphic ad in Singapore. It’s probably the best example I’ve seen yet. The ad is displayed on the steps from an MRT (subway) station up into a mall, and is supported by smaller display ads on either side of the escalators. The best part is that when MRT passengers come up from the station, they’re bound to see this ad from the correct vantage point so that the image is reconstituted. Very cool (in a very nerdy kinda way).
Viewed head-on:
Viewed from an angle:
