Culture comes to StrawberryFrog

We just noticed that the lovely alternative agency StrawberryFrog is talking about cultural movements on their website. Specifically, that they create cultural movements for their clients.
To quote: “Today, consumers don’t just want to buy brands, they want to BUY IN to what a brand believes in.”
Hear hear, Frog! Absolutely dead on.
This is totally backed up [...]

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Saturn grows up and moves out

“See ya, Mom and Dad. I’m outta here.”
Ah, Saturn, finally ready to get an apartment of its own. About time. GM is like the narcissistic parents who suck the life out of a kid and then complain the slouch doesn’t help around the house.
As far as I can see, Saturn is the one American car [...]

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Good news from HOW

We just got the HOW Design Annual and found we had two winners in it. A Packaging Merit for our label and bottle design system for Lovejoy Vodka, created for our client Integrity Spirits, and an Identity Merit for our own ID Branding identity system.
Thank you once again, Integrity Spirits. Your products are amazing.
- Doug

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Facebook’s big oops

Wow. There it is, an instant example of the difference between a brand’s product and a brand’s values. I’m talking about yesterday.
In the morning I was reading outraged postings about Facebook’s new Terms Of Service,

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How evil is Adbase?

Um, well, let’s see. Somewhere between local car dealer advertising and Satan.
Why? Because they have made me hate photographers. And I love photographers.
If you haven’t felt their talons sinking into your tender parts yet, Adbase is

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Are You Brand-Curious?

Are you curious about how people are using brands today to help shape their identities? Do you have real world experience developing brand strategies, but are seeking innovative new models for developing them? Are you open to the idea that a brand is not just driven by the consumer, but also by the values of [...]

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Cancer strikes twice

I was alerted to this by Dylan Boyd at Eroi.
The wife and the son of Stephan Martinez were struck with cancer at the same time. That feels like a cause worthy of a fundraiser.
Stephan is Operations Manager at LAIKA/house here in Portland – the internal

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The good, the bad, and the airlines

OK, I’m making this post brief because we’re busy. But I just got back from a week of travel and I have some observations about airlines.
One: I think United needs real help.
Two: Frontier seems to be on to something.
Three: I flew Delta and can’t remember anything good or bad about it. Which

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David Baldwin fires one up

I’m sure David Baldwin would rather not open a business in this kind of economy. But he’s doing so anyway. That’s conviction.
The man who is currently the chair of The One Club, and who was not too long ago the Executive Creative Director of McKinney in Durham, North Carolina, has just launched Baldwin&, a “creative [...]

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