Every rule-maker (organization) must fight the natural tendency to focus too much on the problem child and, in doing so, losing the affection of the others.

Be well, Chuck

Have thoughts about Design Briefing 175 (this one)? 

Share them here > http://www.pageplane.com/design_briefing_175_sound_off.html

315 template files in 19 different categories -- Everything from brochures, newsletters, and direct mail to packaging, calendars, and books (one CD works with both Mac and PC). Use two or three files and you'll pay for the entire book and disc...

For Adobe InDesign 

Here > http://www.ideabook.com/the_indesign_ideabook_59.html

For QuarkXPress 

Here > http://www.ideabook.com/quarkxpress_templates.html

This is a favorite illustration: The Road to Success. I believe the original was published in 1913 in a music magazine titled, The Etude.

The Road to Success... 

Here > http://etudemagazine.com/etude/assets_c/2010/09/road_to_success_1024-498.html

A discussion of the poster... 

Here > http://aminotes.tumblr.com/post/582655273/the-road-to-success-published-1913-motivational

The Etude Magazine website... 

Here > http://etudemagazine.com/etude/1913/10/the-road-to-success.html

I simply don't understand this. 

Here > https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1/p526x296/1897957_10151852167051610_1102271724_n.jpg

I get a similar piece of direct mail once or twice a year. It attempts to deceive me into believing that some anonymous someone, (there is no return address or signature, just an initial), is alerting me to an article they have torn out of a newspaper--on the attached note they always say, "Thought you'd be interested!" Clearly, the purpose is to get you to call the 800 number buried in the article.

So here's the question: Why in heaven's name would anyone pursue a product or service from a firm that approaches them with a clear deception?

I'm missing something here right? 

It's easy to forget all of what it takes to produce print materials. Here's an interesting look at how ink is made featuring Peter Welfare, the head inkmaker at the Printing Ink Company, one of the manufacturers licensed to produce Pantone inks....

How ink is made... 

Here > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fypi6dAJB8E

The Printing Ink Company... 

Here > http://www.theprintinginkcompany.ca/

Some stats on the enormity of the print industry from Keen... 

Here > http://printisbig.com/

About the Pantone Plus Series... H

ere > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkqMzLR8kS8

To me, branding coffee is a lot like branding wine. There are lots of wine and coffee connoisseurs but there are also many of us who, all other things being equal, look for style and packaging.

So when a recent article from Roast Magazine listed the 10 most popular coffee shops in America, my eyes perked up. It's interesting to see how differently each company (the REALLY successful ones) markets its product.

1. Caf� Du Monde, New Orleans, Lousiana... 

Here > https://foursquare.com/v/caf%C3%A9-du-monde/4aa59477f964a520dd4820e3/photos

2. La Colombe Torrefaction, New York, New York... 

Here > https://foursquare.com/v/la-colombe-torrefaction/4eb811f629c212fb6d8158e5/photos

3. Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Coffee Shop and Caf�, New York, New York... 

Here > https://foursquare.com/v/stumptown-coffee-roasters/4aa52d50f964a520834720e3/photos

4. Sightglass Coffee, San Francisco, California... 

Here > https://foursquare.com/v/sightglass-coffee/4a4b8a43f964a5206fac1fe3/photos

5. Four Barrel Coffee, San Francisco, California... 

Here > https://foursquare.com/v/four-barrel-coffee/480d1a5ef964a520284f1fe3/photos

6. Blue Bottle Coffee, San Francisco, California... 

Here > https://foursquare.com/v/blue-bottle-coffee/49ca8f4df964a520b9581fe3/photos

7. Starbucks, Seattle, Washington... 

Here > https://foursquare.com/v/starbucks/440daad8f964a52096301fe3/photos

8. Birch Coffee Coffee Shop, New York, New York... 

Here > https://foursquare.com/v/birch-coffee/4aeedbe6f964a5206cd421e3/photos

9. 85�C Bakery Cafe, Irvine, California... 

Here > https://foursquare.com/v/85c-bakery-cafe/4a633314f964a52097c41fe3/photos

10. Intelligentsia Coffee, Chicago, Illinois... 

Here > https://foursquare.com/v/intelligentsia-coffee/4a5bc165f964a520b9bb1fe3/photos

The Roast Magazine article.. 

Here > http://dailycoffeenews.com/2013/10/01/the-10-most-popular-coffee-shops-in-america-in-photos/

This is very smart design. "Automated micromarketing" provider Nimblefish creates a series of video snippets that address specific, individual issues. It then produces multiple variations of its client's presentations-each to address a specific set of choices the user provides.

For example, if the user selects A, B, and C, they are shown presentation 1. And if the user selects A, C, and F, they are shown presentation 3.

You don't need a hybrid system to do the same thing. You simple ask questions and produce a version of the video for each set of answers.

Thanks to Karla Humphrey for pointing us to it.

I suggest taking a look at the Sears Case Study under "Advisor"... 

Here > http://www.nimblefish.com/casestudies/

An impressive, media-rich website created by ad agency Mullen.

National Georgraphic's Killing Lincoln... 

Here > http://www.killinglincolnconspiracy.com/

The site's case study via Jon Reil, Mullen's creative director... 

Here > http://www.jonreil.com/2013/05/killing-lincoln-wins-one-show-bronze-pencil/

Mullen's portfolio... 

Here > http://www.mullen.com/work/

BTW, the big, bold typeface Alfa Slab is available here... 

Here > http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/alfa-slab

...so I didn't have to fast-forward through all that football. As Mom said, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all".

Adweek's 10 Best Ads of Super Bowl XLVIII: 

Here > http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/10-best-ads-super-bowl-xlviii-155441

The original artist's correspondence course  

In the late 1940s illustrator Albert Dorne invited a group of fellow members of the New York Society of Illustrators to create a correspondence course which came to be known as the Famous Artists School.

An early ad for the Famous Artist School... 

Here > http://www.infomarketingblog.com/images/Like_To_Draw.jpg

There were a dozen original members, among them, Norman Rockwell... 

Here > http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LxB5bkk8QeU/S-OOf2uRjkI/AAAAAAAAGKQ/3kXA_GZ2IBQ/s1600/artistsa.jpg

An article from Norman Rockwell Museum: Uncovering the Treasures of the Famous Artists School Archives... 

Here > http://www.nrm.org/2013/11/ryan-mitten/

What follows is an example of each illustrator's work. Some showing the type of material they contributed to the effort.

Albert Dorne... 

Here > https://www.flickr.com/photos/leifpeng/78891623/sizes/o/

Al Parker... 

Here > http://www.flickr.com/photos/leifpeng/73972508/sizes/o/

Austin Briggs... 

Here > http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/dc/f8/5e/dcf85e523d2c1c946a85eca495878787.jpg

Fred Ludekens... 

Here > http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n5eKz4l1d18/RsDdYX7-ogI/AAAAAAAAAos/l-tA_xfF8CU/s1600-h/PG22.jpg

Harold Von Schmidt... 

Here > http://www.flickr.com/photos/leifpeng/6153241028/sizes/o/

Peter Helck... 

Here > http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6MBvSFCew7U/TAJp5zPPP9I/AAAAAAAAB4E/dBu3-1uKto4/s1600/Helck05.jpg

Norman Rockwell... 

Here > https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/norman_rockwell/barbershop.php

Jon Whitcomb... 

Here > http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2383/2073027119_3aad85dee0_b.jpg

Ben Stahl... 

Here > http://www.flickr.com/photos/leifpeng/124646346/sizes/o/

Robert Fawcett... 

Here > http://www.rockwell-center.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/045.004.jpg

George Giusti... 

Here > http://www.theenglishgroup.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/holiday-460x575.jpg

Stevan Dohanos... 

Here > http://americangallery.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/packing-the-car.jpg

About the school's annual report... 

Here > http://www.printmag.com/design-education/designing-the-famous-artists/

I was commenting that I wasn't "feelin" the graphics from the new H&R Block ad campaign. It is a rather plain-looking border (everything is "flat" these days) with a clown-like bow tie symbol. I not only didn't understand the style, I didn't understand the bow tie reference.

When others began to speculate what the bow tie might mean, my interest was piqued... 

Here > http://www.pageplane.com/marketing_pr/hr-block-bow-tie.html

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I'm a creature of habit. When my wife and I find a restaurant we like, we visit it regularly. Regularly to the extent that you'd think someone would notice.

It got me thinking, in all the years that I have frequented a restaurant for, let's say a six months or more, I have never had an owner, a manager, or a waiter say anything approaching, "I notice that you're in here often and I just wanted to thank you for your business." Or, "I've seen you in here a few times and I just wanted to thank you and introduce myself." Or even, "Oh, you again."

Isn't that weird? Don't you occasionally find ways of saying thank you to your clients? I sure do. But it must be the nature of the places I go, or my demeanor, or some other quirk because as good as "thank you" is for marketing (not to mention that it's just civilized behavior), I've yet to get one.

What's been your experience?