advertising – DesignApplause

cooper hewitt to present ‘herbert bayer: bauhaus master’ exhibition.

Nov 16, 2019

herbert bayer: bauhaus master marks the centenary of the founding of the bauhaus in weimer, germany, in 1919 and features rare works by the groundbreaking 20th-century graphic designer herbert bayer. on view in the second-floor permanent collection galleries. the exhibition follows bayer’s role as both student and teacher at the bauhaus, as well as his illustrious career in the united states following his 1938 emigration.

“as the founding of the bauhaus is being fêted across the globe this year, this powerful and focused exhibition will draw from cooper hewitt’s unique holdings—bolstered by a trove of more than 500 pieces acquired in 2015,” said caroline baumann, director of the museum. “the exhibition offers new insights and scholarship on this bauhaus leader who helped shape the discourse of modern graphic design.”

born in austria and active in germany and the u.s., bayer (1900–1985) helped define a new language of graphic design suited to modern life during his years at the bauhaus. charting his stylistic shifts and theoretical contributions, “herbert bayer: bauhaus master” highlights bayer’s interest in typography and photography, design theory, information design, fashion and beauty, and poster design as well as his corporate work.

becoming one of the most influential graphic designers of his time, bayer applied the school’s theories to commercial practice and promoted its legacy to the public. in addition to contributing to the rational new typography movement of the 1920s, he created a hyperreal illustration style for use in infographics and advertising. he had an enormous impact on institutions in the u.s., including the aspen institute for humanistic studies, where he activated the bauhaus ideal of total design to architecture, landscape and graphics.

“herbert bayer: bauhaus master” will feature information graphics, books, advertising, posters, ephemera and magazine layouts for diverse clients. many of the works on view will be drawn from a recent acquisition of more than 500 pieces documenting bayer’s career in the u.s., made possible through a gift to cooper hewitt from the taub foundation. key works from the bauhaus period are on loan from the collection of merrill c. berman.

the exhibition is organized by ellen lupton, senior curator of contemporary design, cooper hewitt.

chicago’s original mad men.

May 18, 2015

the chicago tribune today presented a flashback of the power of print, print advertising and chicago’s very own mad men. the article tells us that the hit series ‘mad men’ is set in new york, but reminds us chicago school of advertising decades earlier dominated the industry and taught east coast firms a thing or two.

(above) albert lasker> a newspaper reporter and office boy later dubbed the father of modern advertising,

leo burnett > ‘if it doesn’t sell, it ain’t creative’

fairfax cone> thought to have said ‘advertising is what you do when you can’t go see somebody. that’s all it is.

about boo hill

What happens when ads are stripped of their logos?

Jul 10, 2013

what happens when ads are stripped of their logos? is it possible for ads to be so arresting and beautiful that they mimic art? via adage [RK]

Chicago places ads on really public spaces now hurting both pockets and eyes.

Nov 22, 2011

click all images > enlarge

The ( Chicago ) finances are really bad. How bad is it? Not only are our pockets hurting but our eyes are starting to hurt too. Several days ago Bank of America buys newly appointed ad space on the Chicago River bridge towers. Here’s how it went down. The timing put the ad placement two days prior to newly appointed mayor, Rahm Emanuel’s, austerity budget proposal to the City Council. The Chicago aldermen approve the mayor’s first budget 50-0, though some aldermen said they’re giving the new mayor the benefit of a doubt and seeing how things play out. I’m thinking the same thing: The mayor hates how the advertising looks, but he places the controversial ads to make a point these are desperate times. He will support revenue raising ad revenue with visuals and placement that beautify eyesores and sponsored feel-good messaging.

the future in urban advertising may have begun in tokyo’s ginza.

While Chicago waits let’s think about what we might have to look forward to. Reasoning is heavily influenced by 12 Monkeys, Minority Report and Blade Runner.Tokyo’s (above) Ginza was an ad magnet in the 60s. Another Asian ad centric city is Hong Kong. Metro-mega-ad-landscapes appear in traditionally high traffic venues. The traffic first attracts the media and maybe at a certain threshold the media draws more crowds. Most cities are struggling to make ends meet and luckily they can control and influence the manner of advertising and their revenue opportunities while keeping aesthetics and quality of life in the mind’s eye. Some cities will do a much better job than others.

we can expect more cities following new york’s times square model.

I don’t mind Times Square’s visual barrage. Maybe it fits one’s expectations but I’m entertained. And this messaging is confined to Times Square. Why do so many people go there?

Back to Bank of America. The Chicago Marathon makes an enviable amount of money for both BA and the city. Any problem with appropriate messaging here on either the banner or the lamp posts?

trump tower | chicago

If advertising is one solution to Chicago’s finances let’s consider both public and private sector concepts. Now popular is turning existing glass surfaces and windows into digital advertising masterpieces. From the inside you don’t see the artwork. Bad idea to use architecture unless structures are scheduled for demolition, under construction, or being (below ) renovated.

cathedral rehab | rome

The fabric-covered scaffold concept may cost a bit more, but Rome is a tourist destination and she has an architectural legacy to protect. The fabric packaging is seen everywhere including public, commercial, and residential architecture. This package can be up 1-3 years.

marina towers | chicago

Marina Towers and Allstate Insurance team up. Inspired by scene from Steve McQueen’s 1968 movie Bullit. But it’s not big, not bright, a taint understated. For many reasons pretty cool.

I don’t mind sidewalk advertising and most sidewalks are public owned.. The visual clutter is minimal though placement concerns include safety and an appropriate venue. Begging for hopscotch concept.

Mayor candidate Emanuel proposed ads on garbage trucks in January 2011, to raise funds for after school programs. Not long ago in Chicago we transformed cows into art which raised revenue and then publicly displayed the artsy bovines. An advertiser who aligns itself favorably with a public service and communicates with wit and artfulness works, even on a garbage truck.

volkswagen | berlin

Another good idea that encourages mostly locals to wait to drop and recycle.

wabash street bridge over the chicago river

The Emanuel administration thinks such corporate advertising will raise as much as $25 million in revenue from corporate advertising on everything from buildings to the city’s website to garbage cans and parking pay boxes. He might be right on the $25M but don’t expect more of the same ads that adorn the bridges. He knows that tourism comes to Chicago to embrace the architecture. The media has said that companies have been in a wait-and-see mode and gutsy of BOA to kick the can down the road first. Realize, the advertising will indeed come. Maybe there’s a tax on bad advertising. The BOA ads adorn the Wabash Street bridge through December 12. Maybe Rahm is messing with us too to get it all right again.

[ resources ]
adland.tv
blair kamin chicago architecture critic
bored panda
buswrap.com
gothamist
overground arts
three steps over japan

31 why man creates films.

Mar 13, 2010

hate advertising? make better ads. [art & copy director david pray]

make yourself comfortable on an eames sofa compact and watch these “why man creates” films.

Art & Copy

Debuting on the official Sundance Film Festival 2009 selection, Art & Copy is about advertising and inspiration, revealing the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time. Documentary audiences will remember Doug Pray from his award-winning stable of films including Hype!, Scratch and Surfwise. (89 minutes)

Objectified
Directed by Gary Hustwit, Objectified is a feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them. It’s a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. (75 minutes)

Helvetica
Directed by Gary Hustwit, Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which celebrated its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. (80 minutes)

Why Man Creates
Directed by Saul Bass, this classic 1968 animated documentary film is a series of explorations, episodes and comments on creativity by a master of conceptual design. Humor, satire and irony are combined with serious questions about the creative process and how it comes into play for different individuals. (29 minutes)

Ahmedabad
Directed by Parthiv Shah, this exploration of the Indian city examines the architecture, people who live in it, social and cultural aspects and contemporary situation. Ahmedabad is renowned for its international architecture by the likes of Louis Kahn, Le Corbusier, Bernard Kohn, Charles Correa and BV Doshi. (28 minutes)

Charles & Ray Eames films

Design Q&A
This 1972 interview with Ray and Charles Eames is one of the most concise, witty statements about design ever put on film. (5 minutes)

Lounge Chair
A short film made in 1956 showing the assembly of the iconic Lounge Chair at speed. (2 minutes)

Sofa Compact
Made in 1954, this film charmingly traces the design and development of the fold-up Sofa Compact. (10 minutes) article author’s note: we have two sofa compacts and they do not fold up.

Aquarium
Made in 1967, this film is about designing a national aquarium. (10 minutes)

Toccatta for Toy Trains
Made in 1957, vintage toy trains make a joyful journey through a treasury of toy people, props and scenery. (13 minutes)

A Communications Primer
Made in 1953 for IBM, this instructional film shows that films can be approached as a design exercise. (23 minutes)

IBM Math Peep Shows
Made in 1961 for the Mathematica exhibition, these five films are each a succinct and poignant presentation of a single mathematical concept, mostly through animation with voice-over narration. (10 minutes)

House: After Five Years of Living
The Eames House was built using only standard materials available through catalogues. Made in 1955, this film is a personal slide tour of the building. (10 minutes)

Textiles and Ornamental Arts of India
Made in 1955, this is a film record of an exhibition, designed and installed by Alexander Girard from material selected by Girard and Edgar Kaufman. (12 minutes)

Goods
Made in 1971, this film discusses “the new covetables” and looks at one of the Eames’ legendary three-screen slide shows. (6 minutes)

Eames Demetrios films

77 Steps
The process of making the classic aluminum Navy Chair by Emeco. Sheets of aluminum become a single piece of light, comfortable metal. (3 minutes)

Citizen Starck
A brief vignette gives us insight into Philippe Starck’s design approach and process. (3 minutes)

901: After 45 Years of Working
This short film is a powerful record of Ray and Charles Eames’s famed design space at 901 Washington Blvd in Venice, California. (28 minutes)

Lucy’s House
About Samuel Mockbee’s Rural Studio project, students design and build extraordinary homes and structures for the rural poor. They learn by doing and give their clients landmarks of contemporary architecture. (16 minutes)

Ping Pong
About Frank Gehry designing a chair, this film is a beautiful of expression of the iterative process of design. The remarkable architect shows us how prototype after prototype leads to a deeper understanding of materials. (15 minutes)

A Gathering of Elephants
An animated celebration of the molded plywood elephants that Charles and Ray Eames designed for their daughter, Lucia. (6 minutes)

670/671
Few chairs are as iconic as Charles and Ray Eames’s Lounge Chair. Learn about the ideas behind the classic – such as the Eames philosophy of the guest-host relationship. (8 minutes)

Eames Aluminum Group
The Eames Aluminum Group is an icon of contemporary design and expresses the elegant Eames philosophy of Way-It-Should-Be-Ness, a belief both radical and humble. (9 minutes)

South African films

Pioneering film documentation of South African creative industries, the Headwrap series by Plexus films challenged local creatives from different cultural backgrounds and creative genres to collaborate. “Headwrap is doing more than merely showcasing local talent; it’s exploiting an artistic platform to indirectly tackle SA’s social schisms — gulfs that transcend gender, race and class,” wrote Business Day.

Animation & Sculpture – Jeremy Puren and Rebecca Matibe
Directed by Dylan Valley. Specialising in multi-media stop frame animation, Jeremy Puren travels to Limpopo to meet and collaborate with traditional ceramicist Rebecca Matibe.

Spoken Word & Performance – Malika Ndlovu and Peter van Heerden
Directed by Llewelyn Roderick. Malika Ndlovu, feminist spoken word poet and musician, is rarely stumped for words. This is until she first views controversial performance artist Peter van Heerden’s hard-hitting piece about abuse against women and children. The two find a middle ground through collaboration.

Fashion Across the Generation Gap – Sista Bucks and Athi Patra Ruga
Directed by Miki Redelinghuys. Athi Patra Ruga is an up-and-coming young fashion designer who collaborates with Sister Bucks (or Meisie Mosemane), a regal designer, firmly rooted in Africa.

Ceramix – Andile Dyalvane and Hilton Nel
Directed by Lauren Groeneweld. Ceramicist Hylton Nel treats his plates and bowls as three-dimensional canvases. He collaborates with contemporary young ceramicist Andile Dyalvane who draws inspiration from his Xhosa heritage.

Dance & Kinetic Sculpture – Mduduzi Nyembe and Justin Fiske
Directed by Llewelyn Roderick. Mduduzi Nyembe is a new breed of dancer who feels a calling to use the expressive and non-verbal power of movement. He collaborates with Justin Fiske, a kinetic sculptor who creates works using stones and pebbles suspended on string.

Conceptual Art & Music – Blk Jks and Lerato Shadi
Directed by Dylan Valley. The Blk Jks rock – that’s not up for debate. Lerato Shadi is a multi-media performance artist. Both have questions about each other’s work, but find something to share.

Sound Artist & Dance – James Webb and Dawn Langdown
Directed by Benitha Vlok. Choreographer Dawn Langdown embodies the spirit of Namaqualand. She is tough, spirited and enigmatic. A pioneer of sound-inspired art, James Webb’s installations move into a realm of art that has meaning beyond the obvious. See what happens when James leaves the urban high-tech comforts of Cape Town and has to work with the raw reality of the forgotten dancers of Okiep.

Graffiti & Advertising – Falko and Vega Brand School
Directed by Lauren Groeneweld. Falko is one of Cape Town’s most respected and experienced graffiti artists, who works both nationally and internationally. He collaborates with a team of up-and-coming bright sparks from the Vega Brand School in Cape Town to re-brand the stereotypical views of the Cape Flats.

[design indaba film festival 2010 films]

Do super bowl ads add up?

Feb 3, 2010

ads sold out, CBS, at $2.5M to $3M per. fixation on ads so powerful that no one ponders results. mad men will never admit their commercials are ineffective. yet starbucks and krispy kreme built global brands without advertising, and GM is a flop. via huffingtonpost PLUS something polarizing and political—women and medical issues, also from huffingtonpost [RK]

Guy day remembered.

Jan 22, 2010

TBWA chiat day announced that Guy Day—the Day of Chiat/Day—passed away in his sleep at the age of 77. Day had co-founded Chiat/Day with Jay Chiat in 1968.
The new agency, as we all know, went on to create some of the industry’s most iconic work, including Apple’s famous “1984” spot which turned the Super Bowl into “an advertising showcase.”

TBWA Wordwide CCO Lee Clow offered his thoughts of the agency’s co-founder: “Guy made me sane while Jay made me crazy. He taught me a lot of things, like how to understand Jay. I probably wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Guy.”

Resources:
creativity-online
chicago tribune
jayday.org

Creating something during crisis.

May 28, 2009

Economic crisis here. But why not always?
above: the worst product i’ve ever reviewed, the wazabee 3DeeShell
Originally, 10 principles to keep in mind when creating an ad. But maybe ok for product development…

1. No one cares about your company.

You might be intimately familiar with your product or service. You might even love it. But your audience doesn’t. Your ad has to give them a reason to care. Consumers don’t think in terms of features and benefits. Those are marketing terms. Consumers want something that will make their lives easier or bring them success. How will your product or service do this? More importantly, how will your ad convince them it will?

2. Don’t let fear motivate you.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to second-guess your audience’s ability to understand. Think of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners’ “Got Milk?” campaign. The entire message is based on the absence of milk. Without picturing milk in a variety of scenarios, the agency created a world without milk. If somewhere along the line, the California Fluid Milk Processor Advisory Board (the client) had rejected the no-milk concept because it didn’t adequately promote the product or make milk “the hero,” the resulting campaign would have been very different. And probably far less memorable.

3. If it works on you, it will work on them.

You are a consumer. You read ads and buy things. If your ad doesn’t convince you, chances are it won’t convince your audience.

4. Talk about one thing.

Volkswagen once ran an ad whose headline read: “It makes your house look bigger.” The message was simple: VW Beetles are small. The headline didn’t mention the car’s gas mileage, price, or engineering. It didn’t even mention VW. It got people to think small is good.

5. Say it differently.

Take the one thing you want to communicate and come up with different ways to say it. In the VW example above, the headline didn’t say “VW Beetles are small.” Think of ways to state an ordinary message in an unusual way so that it gets attention.

6. Let your audience draw their own conclusions.

When Steven Spielberg first screened Jaws, the audience laughed at the shark. His solution? Remove the shark. In the end, you see the entire shark in only a few scenes. But the movie is still terrifying. The same principle applies to advertising. Don’t be afraid to let consumers draw their own conclusion about your company or product. The conclusions we make for ourselves are usually the most powerful.

7. Make design and copy work together.

The headline and image tell the story. Don’t let the visual design overpower the message. And don’t rely on copy alone to convey the entire idea. A headline should never tell you what is in the picture. And graphic design should never be used merely to fill space.

8. Create an emotion.

The worst thing an ad can do is be boring. A series of physiological events occurs when we’re happy, sad, entertained, or angered. Use this to your advantage. Make sure you generate a response in the person looking at your ad. Any response is better than no response.

9. Sell something, don’t just talk.

Imagine this: You’re looking for a new car. You have one in mind. You arrive at the dealership, see the perfect car on the lot, and go inside to inquire about it. Instead of answering your questions, the salesperson launches into a history of the car dealership. Do you care? In advertising, always stay focused on what you’re selling and anticipate the consumer’s needs.

10. Make them respond.

The best ads demand a response. They make consumers want to act. Always give your audience a reason to act and the means for doing so, whether that’s a phone number, fax number, or web address.

[via]

Earth day. 30 amazing ads.

Apr 22, 2009

An earth day stimulus package. via designcrave [PR]

YouTube access requires job number.

Mar 12, 2009

Twitterings: someone I follow just tweets, “friend at major NY agency says they no longer allow access to YouTube unless it’s for specific project w/ job number. #can’tmakethisshitup.” via twitter [PR]