Happy Weekend

This just makes me smile.

Its a family photo of two of my favourite men, their dogs and their silver rocket.



click here for photographer info.

Tiger Woods - love it or hate it

Yes, he 'sexted' a bunch of ladies, cheated on his wife, humiliated his family, his friends, his sponsors. He's a dog. But if nothing else, America loves a comeback story. Look at Britney and Martha. And if Jesus Saves, well, then all the better story in the money-loving, God-fearing man's world that Tiger golfs in.

I have alot to say about Tiger. A supremely gifted golfer, but dumb as a post. His 'people' were complete baffoons and his emotionally revealing press conference a few weeks ago was just part of an overly scripted timeline to get him to this day... the day the 2010 masters begin.

To commemorate the eve of Tiger's return, Nike aired a 30:second black and white ad. A single camera locked on Tiger's face while a narration of his deceased father played in the background. How did WK ever find the dad's script in the first place is a miracle. This Nike's ad is perfect. Not because its an amazing execution, I'd say its a little heavy on the pouting face. And while I do feel emotion, its mixed. However, to me what makes the ad great is the timing and the assumptions it makes. It assumes you know Tiger's story. It assumes you know its the day before the masters, the day before the big comeback (in fact it assumes a comeback). It assumes you know about the importance of his father in his life.

Way to go Nike. I liked how you protected your brand, and delivered a provoking piece of creative. You aren't being direct in your approval or disapproval, in fact you detach your own opinion of the situation. Yet somehow you were able to tell a story and start a conversation at the same time.

Love it or hate it, this ad is the best timed, beautifully orchestrated bit of messaging that has come out since, well, since Tina Fey looked amazingly like Sarah Palin and brought down the republican party.

Tiger is lucky to have Nike. And Nike is lucky to have Tiger. Milk drinkers won't get the job done on this day. Apparently, golfers who have a penchant for pole dancers and who wear Nikes just might though. If Nike did a boring ad of golfing greats, I would've gone unnoticed. So would the story of an old duster cheating on his wife. Tiger has been given a mulligan, and people want to see what he'll do with it.

click here for more perspective from Canadian marketers.

What font are you?

I am Dot-Matrix.

And know that because I took my Font Personality test here

Pretty rad.

And if you are feeling part font-ophilic, check out Helvetica, a documentary about the love affair people have with this one perfect font.

Republic of Bacon Unites

Every once in a while a campaign comes along that screams Peter Edmonds.

Or in perhaps your case, just fill in the blank with whomever it is in your life that loves and adores the briliance of a certain product. And in my case its Peter, and the product is bacon.

Peter is one of my best friends in the whole wide world. And he loves bacon. And I love them both, almost equally.

The Republic of Bacon is fantasy world created and built for people like Peter.

This campaign is amazing. It takes you to a whole new world (not a maple leaf food world with listeria ). Although the website looks almost exactly like Kanye West's website... it comes to life because it surrounds you with rituals, themes, anthems... kind of like the Valley of the Jolly Green Giant, it is a special place just for bacon lovers.

I love when brand creates a whole special universe for themselves. I think it's brilliant, and its particularly brilliant when they go all the way to bright on it. Most brands don't have the guts or the budget to fully realize an entire campaign this deeply. They did not hold back. And as a result they got a living breathing personality/city to work with now and into the future. They took the notion of the love of bacon and put a whole code of conduct behind it... there is an anthem, there is ritual, and even a touch of pork porn. They are creating a cult, and isn't that what great branding does?

The Republic of Bacon Porn for First Timers.


Bacon Love TV spot... what I want to share is the Aromatherapy one.... but I can't find it. ( I suspect they are saving on talent costs with no internet posting.boo!!)


click here for Homer Simpson quotes about bacon. (hmm, royal society of bacon posted it... interesting and yet, somehow suspicious).

Russia 2014 Winter Olympics Logo

Does this look like engenius identity development to you?

This is new logo for the next winter Olympics. Their tagline is "The Gateway to the Future". The work was described as a 'unique digital emblem' by Interbrand, their agency. Really Russia? This isn't 1984, this is 2010 and you are supposed to be branding yourself for 2014. Putting a .com/.ca/.ru/.net is not fresh thinking.

I have strong feelings about websites on the end of logos, or as part of logos. Unless online is your core compentency, then maybe.... but it certainly isn't branding genius.

Why am I fussing? Nothing bugs me more than when marketers (like myself) are so full of complimentary, justifying marketing BS terms that you just want cash in your chips and never create again (read the Intebrand article here). When something like this is considered breakthrough, where do we have to go now? Is it good riddance Twitter and Hello gramophone?

Now don't get me wrong. I think its stylistically quite gorgeous. And much like the Vancouver/Whistler work I love the scenic play, and I love that they used original photography and mixed it with key iconography.... but to say that a website in a logo is - One: unique, Two: Makes it an emblem, and Three: Digital is a stretch.

Its hard to manage clients. Especially fiercely cautious and protective clients. But being the first to finely balance not only the city, but the country and a website all into an Olympic identity seems natural, but not revolutionary. I know 'simple' is not so simple. And I am sure people are wondering 'Jessica, go ahead and do better yourself then!' But what this says to me is that the client was hard to work with if this is what is considered progressive. I bet alot of fresh thinking was left on the table before acquiesing to this. Interbrand is a talented group.... and the billable hours it took to do this across 12 international offices screams meet in the middle to me.

The concept work, much like the Olympics needs to live up to its own creed of "faster, higher, stronger." This just tells me I can check my email in Russia.... good know, but not enough for me to care.

Nice looking? sure.

Brillianty inspiring? not really.

click here and here for other articles on the Olympics.