Whoa.

Where Do You Fit In The Industry? Try it!

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 03:12:36 -0400

Where Do You Fit In The Industry?
Try it!

As a loyal Cubs fan, this video provides a look into an...

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 04:37:07 -0400

As a loyal Cubs fan, this video provides a look into an alternate reality. Where 100 year old curses are broken and dreams really do come true. I wholeheartedly thank whoever came up with this idea and created this video. This falsified exhilarating feeling I received while watching this provides an emotion that I may never get to experience in my lifetime. One can only hope….
Go Cubbies

25. My Website

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 06:16:02 -0500

25. My Website

24. Brand Identification (Revisited)

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 05:41:56 -0500

Not too many posts ago I briefly divulged into how I would identify myself as a brand. Feeling unsatisfied, I decided to try out an exercise I found online. First, describe yourself in under 10 words, then under 5 words, then with 1 single word.

Under 10 words: An enthusiastic, competitive airhead with a minor inferiority complex.

Under 5 words: The Journey > The Destination

1 word: Abstruse

As I anticipated, this proved to me quite difficult and I still felt unsatisfied. I grabbed my friend Ari Kogan, and made a quick questionnaire for both of us. Given the categories, choose the appropriate brand that best describes you. These are not necessarily our favorite brands, but rather ones that would be closest associated to our characteristics/personalities. Here is what we came up with:

Soda:

Travis: Dr. Dynamite (Dr. Pepper knockoff)

Ari: Jones Soda

Beer:

T: Corona w/o Lime

A: Deschutes Cascade Ale

Car:

T: Mazda RX 8

A: Subaru Forester

Clothing Company:

T: Reef

A: Nike

Color:

T: Light Blue

A: Dark Green

Sandwich Shop:

T: Big Town Hero

A: CHeBA Hut

Website:

T: CollegeHumor.com/SportsPickle.com

A: Reddit

Instrument:

T: Trumpet

A: Banjo

Band/Artist:

T: Linkin Park

A: Gorillaz

City:

T: Solana Beach, CA

A: Curitiba, Brazil

Next, through unbiased eyes we looked at the answers to each of these categories and chose to create an overall brand persona for who these “unknown” individuals.

Travis(written by Ari): 20-something year old beach bum. Cut and dry

Ari(written by Travis): This person enjoys traveling, extensively. Having a diverse cultural background has shaped their outgoing, adventurous lifestyle. They are unique in the sense that they do not follow the popular trends of our society, but finds comfort within a group of similar non-conforming activists. Their love for technology allows them to keep evolving and never be satisfied with only the choices presented to them.

After looking at this, I have a much better perspective on what kind of brands are synonymous with myself and even who I am as a person. With this newfound information, I can see how having certain characteristics can influence other people’s objective viewpoints.

I thoroughly enjoyed mixing things up for this post and plan to do more collaborative pieces in the near future.

SPECIAL THANKS TO ARI KOGAN

23. What Happens in Vegas...

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 23:44:46 -0500

You know the old adage: “What Happens in Vegas… Stays in Vegas.”

Since I am currently residing in the famed Sin City for a baseball tournament, I felt it would be important to share my thoughts on the Brand of Las Vegas.

For decades, this city has been a luxurious getaway for adults looking to unwind or get a little crazy. This place literally has it all. So far I have seen a scantily clad clown roller-blading, uncontested views of the surrounding desert, a lion, a tiger, a man dressed as a bear, and enough lightbulbs to make Edison vomit in his grave.

The infamous “What Happens Here…” campaign plays into this unique mindset and does it so subtly, only those with Vegas Stories can share the excitement/embarrassment. It’s a don’t ask, don’t tell/Be who you wanna be adventure. Where, and I advise you to use this cautiously, anything goes…. As long as you follow the Code.

Here are some of the better ones:

And my favorites:

22. Hey Ma! Look What I Did!

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 22:39:15 -0500

Adobe is a powerful beast. They create products that make amateurs, like me, seem like highly paid professionals with the things we can concoct. Their intricate technological developments are accompanied by easy to follow step by step instruction booklets that allow any literate individual to compose anything from beautiful works to well-organized data.

I was assigned the task to design a magazine cover and spread for my Journalism class. After a solid 3 days of hard work and no prior knowledge of Adobe InDesign (the program I used), I was able to accomplish this:

Obviously, this is a very basic layout and my skills are limited. But, with time and a more clear understanding of Adobe products, I am confident I can improve.

Photos used credited to: Sung Park (University of Oregon)

21. It's That Time Of The Year Again...

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 21:31:07 -0500

MARCH MADNESS IS HERE!!!!!

The time when brackets become the single most important things in our lives. Models adorn themselves in the hottest fashionable bracket-wear, famous rapper Big Boi tweets endlessly about his admiration for brackets, the lovable comedian Kevin Hart does an improv on the seemingly endless trend, and the simple pattern becomes embedded within every aspect of pop culture we can fit within a 2 minute promo.

Maybe not — but a fan can dream, can’t he?

College Basketball enthusiasts will drool over the idea of branding the “bracket” within our everyday lives. The intensity of the trend may seem redundant due to the current Linsanity that is taking the media world by storm. However, since many fans take their brackets so seriously, their world may as well be trademarked by the new world order of the March Madness Bracket.

20. Sabermetrics

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 22:16:00 -0500

Major League Baseball’s image today is one of the most controversial in the history of the sport. A large factor to this slow downward spiral is the fact that Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) have become so prevalent that many fans, even players and coaches alike, view its abuse as cheating. Period.

PEDs and other factors such as a barely significant All-star game and a growing longing for better role models in the sport have proven that the MLB is in dire need of a PR makeover.

The recent blockbuster Moneyball has provided unprecedented insight into the world of underground baseball statistics, sabermetrics. A Kansan janitor created this ingenious analysis of baseball in 1977 by the name of Bill James. He and his buddies created new and more accurate baseball stats to measure the actual worth of a player to his team. Since RBIs and ERAs can be deceiving on measuring how valuable a player is, stats like Runs Created = [(Hits + Walks)*(Total Bases)]/(At-Bats + Walks) show a more in-depth look into how players can create opportunities for their team.

For example, “In 1942, Johnny Pesky had 620 at-bats, 205 hits, 42 walks, and 258 total bases; using the formula, he created 96 runs for his team. Dick Stuart in 1960 had 532 at-bats with 160 at-bats, 34 walks, and 309 total bases for 106 runs created. The conclusion is that Stuart in 1960 was a slightly better hitter than Pesky in 1942 since he created a few more runs for his team.” (Source: Albert)

There have been hundreds of new statistics created that, if bought into, can produce efficiency in ways that conventional team-building will not. This innovative mindset can help corral many no-name ballplayers into the starting lineups of MLB teams, creating a new group of underdogs for fans to get to know. These underdogs, in theory, will also understand the concept of sabermetrics. They will also understand the reason for implementing a the concept into the MLB, for the obvious reasons of winning as many games as possible and moving past the “old” era of juiced baseball, in theory. These underdogs will stray far from the old ways of cheating to inflate numbers and become ideal role-models for young ballplayers across the globe to love and adore. Thus, creating a new and promising image for the MLB to leech onto for the future and regain its once former glory. In theory, of course.

Sure, modern science science pretty much guarantees that PEDs will eventually become undetectable and may end up changing the sport forever, but hopefully with the continuing support of sabermetrics the sport can regain its former glory in the eyes of Americans and worldwide fans.

"19. Banksy On Advertising People are taking the piss out of you everyday. They butt into your life,..."

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 04:31:00 -0500

“

19. Banksy On Advertising

People are taking the piss out of you everyday. They butt into your life, take a cheap shot at you and then disappear. They leer at you from tall buildings and make you feel small. They make flippant comments from buses that imply you’re not sexy enough and that all the fun is happening somewhere else. They are on TV making your girlfriend feel inadequate. They have access to the most sophisticated technology the world has ever seen and they bully you with it. They are The Advertisers and they are laughing at you.

You, however, are forbidden to touch them. Trademarks, intellectual property rights and copyright law mean advertisers can say what they like wherever they like with total impunity.

Fuck that. Any advert in a public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It’s yours to take, re-arrange and re-use. You can do whatever you like with it. Asking for permission is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head.

You owe the companies nothing. Less than nothing, you especially don’t owe them any courtesy. They owe you. They have re-arranged the world to put themselves in front of you. They never asked for your permission, don’t even start asking for theirs.

- Banksy

”

- http://thefoxisblack.com/2012/02/29/banksy-on-advertising/

18. Movember

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 03:59:04 -0500

Last November, my friends and I participating in raising a whopping $24.50 for prostate cancer by growing upper-lip warmers.

According to Movember’s website:

“Once registered at www.movember.com, men start Movember 1st clean shaven. For the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Movember Mo Bros raise funds by seeking out sponsorship for their Mo-growing efforts.

Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November. Through their actions and words they raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health.

At the end of the month, Mo Bros and Mo Sistas celebrate their gallantry and valor by either throwing their own Movember party or attending one of the infamous Gala Partés held around the world by Movember, for Movember.”

Their ads are tremendously hilarious and creative. This video is one of my personal favorites.

17. College Rules

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 02:16:16 -0500

Sex, Drugs, and Alcohol…. and the occasional thesis paper.

This is what most young high school minds see when they envision the world of higher education. At least, that’s what I thought it was. A large contribution to this theory stemmed from stereotypical National Lampoon Movies such as American Pie: Beta House, Van Wilder, and my personal favorite Animal House. Obviously, if one were to live up to these Hollywood ideals they would be kicked out faster than you could say “Double Secret Probation.”

So far in my College career, I have definitely had my fair share of all-nighters - educational and recreational. Through the years, I have come to realize that due to our fresh, vulnerable minds many companies appeal directly to us either as a major demographic or as guinea pigs for their potential products/campaigns. Several large companies who I have personally had the privilege to experience are Red Bull, Axe, Clif Bar, Monster Energy Drinks, Joose, and Trojan Condoms. Their methods consist of a plethora of free samples, fun hands on activities and demonstrations, and sponsoring of local campus events.

From there, reviews of the products and analytics are used to further develop and critique the company’s message they sell to the masses. And more times than not, this strategy proves to be highly successful.

Which has got me thinking about how College campuses may be more progressive to trends that spark up among the nation.

For example, my freshman year was when I first experienced the musical phenomenon known as Dubstep. College freshman across the nation ate this musical genre up and soon it spread to stereo systems across the nation, and even embedding itself into some popular songs on the radio.

Before that, the white college aged rapper whose musical styles were softer and less aggressive than the popular Gangsta hip-hop. The Dean’s List and Mac Miller are two examples of this. Eventually taking over the airwaves.

Other products following the same trend: Snuggie, Internet Memes, and this shit.

I am honored to be apart of a generation that utilizes social networking to such a high degree that as a result, products and fads become trendy due to our persistence and high-volume of posts. Maybe, one day, we could use this power for good.

And stop popularizing things like this guy:

http://youtu.be/JEcj2xi9Ctc

16. Gatorade Commercial Listen to the first minute of this...

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 02:32:00 -0500

16. Gatorade Commercial

Listen to the first minute of this song.

Now, while you are listening imagine a montage of professional and amateur athletes doin’ their thing and hydrating efficiently with Gatorade - complete with colored sweat beads and all.

Why hasn’t anyone taken the time to make this commercial happen? Not a clue. But I’m about 3 weeks away from making it happen because this song is epic on many levels.

Also, this is how you DO NOT use this song in a commercial » FAIL.

15. Rodents on Guitar This video is weird. And oddly similar to...

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 02:08:00 -0500

15. Rodents on Guitar

This video is weird. And oddly similar to the coup de grace of bad commercials: The Quizno Rats.

But, compared to the Quizno commercial, the Orkin one seems clever and even enjoyable to some degree.

14. Freaky. Normally, I’m not a fan of advertisements that...

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:31:50 -0500

14. Freaky.

Normally, I’m not a fan of advertisements that are designed to make the viewer feel uncomfortable. And after watching this commercial several times, I still don’t know how I feel about it.

Pros: The product is awesome. My friend purchased a pack of these Helpful aids and I have since purchased a few for myself. Their simplistic approach rivals their competitors “More, Bigger, Extra, Super” campaigns. And with today’s growing concern about what additives we are constantly taking in, I feel it appeals to the movement of creating a more user-friendly world of medicine.

Cons: The use of stop motion animation plus the creepy background music rubs me the wrong way. Similar to what I feel when a circus clown makes awkwardly long eye contact with me. The video could be designed to make the user feel unwelcome and concerned due to the nonsense they are portraying. But, I feel like they could’ve clarified their product at the end a little better as being the alternative to their gluttonous competitors.

The Grey Area: I loved their visuals of the stereotypical gibberish speaking doctor, but the lady covered in paint definitely will haunt my dreams for a while. The enlarged pill was a necessary and effective touch, but I still don’t understand the point of shoving it into your stomach’s rosy red lips…. and why is it chewing?

“Some things we do just because we want to,” says Nathan Frank, the art director for this commercial. “It’s to make ourselves happy. That’s why this brand exists.”

…Sketch.

13. Motivational Commercial Idea

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 04:38:00 -0500

DISCLAIMER***This is a very vague and ill-prepared post with massive potential***

I swear I always come up with my best ideas in the shower. Not sure if this is one of those, but I’ll write down what I got while it’s fresh in my brain.

30 second commercial spot. Go.

Opening scene: Long dark hallway. With a barely visible light at the end of it. Gritty filter. Camera slowly zooming in towards light. Narrator begins speaking.

“You told me I was too small.”

Quick split-second cut scene to narrator performing dribbling drills. Back to hallway, object is visible at end of hallway under dimly lit area.

“You told me I wasn’t good enough.”

Quick cut scene. A little bit longer than the last one. More workout clips. Back to closer view of hallway.

“You told me I wasn’t strong enough…”

Quick cut scene with more workouts. Back to object which is now visible as a man sitting in a chair, with his head down.

“…not fast enough…”

Cut scene with more workouts. Back to closer view of man.

…not big enough.”

Weight lifting cut scene. Man stands up and walks to the middle of a basketball court.

“You told me I wasn’t skilled or talented enough. Well, guess what?”

Cut scene to imposing stance of narrator, showing face. (Jeremy Lin?)

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

Showing highlights or success.

“What’s your story?”

NIKE LOGO w/ slogan: NEVER SETTLE.

#NeverSettle

Inspiration for this post is credited to one of my favorite motivation videos/speeches of all time. How Bad Do You Want It?

12. The (Me) Brand

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 04:06:24 -0500

What are the qualities/attributes that make up the Travis Reed brand? It’s time to stroke my own ego and find out!

Did that sound dirty? ~~No.~~ Yes.

Am I too lazy to think of something else and change it? Absolutely.

So, last night I was out drinking in Eugene - the underwater city - and found myself walking to a party along High Street. I instantly knew when I arrived at High Street because there are no existing street signs anywhere to be found.

I walked into the house and found myself engulfed in girls who, despite the torrential flooding, were wearing skirts that stopped right below the curvature of their backside. I will never understand why this phenomenon occurs, but I will gladly accept it is one of life’s great mysteries.

I happened to be wearing nothing out of the ordinary in my opinion. It was cold and wet like always so I threw on American Eagle blue jeans, an American Eagle flannel accompanied by a generic brand white-T underneath, and my Club Baseball team’s home game fitted hat facing forward. One of my long time girl friends greeted and hugged me as I returned the gesture. She asked me why I had decided to dress so strange tonight. I wasn’t sure how to answer the question since I felt my outfit was appropriate. Just then, she grabbed my hat, turned it backwards, stood back and admired her work as if she had transformed me into a respectable human being from whatever hideous form I was in before.

“There! Now you look like Travis Reed!”

Apparently, I can be simplified into a backwards hat. This got me thinking…

What is the Travis Reed brand? How am I perceived by others, especially by my closest friends? They represent my most loyal consumers, coming back for more despite whatever imperfections I may possess. What am I selling that they’re buying? What does my brand image look like?

This?

Look at that scrub.

It’s gotta be my personality or something.

11. Simplicity

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 22:11:00 -0500

11. Simplicity:

Last night during my nightly searching through the vast universe of the Internet, I came across a list of clever logos by some independent artists. These 60 designs are clean, simple and gorgeous. Each design takes a word or a brand name and utilizes the use of imagery for definition of what the word(s) mean.
This relates to the argument of using fonts that relates directly to the symbolism of the word vs. simple but powerful fonts (ex: Helvetica) to represent your brand.
Several logos that left me tingling all over were Sew Perfect, Pendulum, Killed Productions, Pencil, and Horror Films.

10. OMFG Peppers! We are in a new age as consumers. In order to...

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:31:00 -0500

10. OMFG Peppers!

We are in a new age as consumers. In order to grab our full attention advertisements have to be more outrageous than every before. That’s when the Shock Value comes in handy - the use of graphic imaging and blatant profanity are cheap, yet effective ways to guide consumers’ eyes towards an advertisement.

When used inappropriately, this technique becomes the equivalent of faking that you were hit by a pitch in baseball just to get on base. As seen here, and here. Bush League.

However, when used correctly the result can be perceived as hilarious. As seen by the Pepper advertisement that I have included for your viewing pleasure.

9. Wear Sunscreen

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:57:00 -0500

Hey, You.

Are there times where life gets tough? So tough, in fact, that You feel as if the entire weight of the world is on your shoulders?

Sure, People may tell You that everybody feels that way at times. But, You are convinced that this is something completely different.

Those people may or may not be right. Truth is: Life goes on.

You are in a rut. You need inspiration - a way to get yourself out of this hole. Well, my friend, You are in luck. This video might just be the inspiration that You need.

Listen carefully. Watch closely. Breathe deeply.

Everything is going to be all right.

Feel better? I hope so.

This video has helped get me through some dark times and I wish its healing magic on you, as well.

The origin of this well-articulated speech comes from Mary Schmich, who wrote this breathtaking column on June 1, 1997. The purity and truthfulness in her words relates directly to the reader on such a personal level that one would assume the article was written entirely for them.

Some pull quotes that send shivers down my spine and directly into my cerebrum:

“Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth”

“Get to know your parents. You never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to you siblings. They’re your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.”

“Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded.”

“Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum.”

Remember: Life goes on. Keep your chin up, and carry on. You will get through it.

Trust me.

8. Kobe Bryant - The Black Mamba

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:37:03 -0500

This past Christmas Break, shoe fanatics alike were given an innovative, flashy gift courtesy of Nike and Kobe Bryant.

I am a subscriber to EastBay Magazine and in the recent January/February Edition, I turned to this work of art:

If you are have any sort creativity lodged away in the confines of your soul, you will realize the extreme awesomeness of this design. Kobe Bryant aka The Black Mamba is arguably one of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball. His nickname describes the pure tenacity and deadliness of his game. This full page advertisement utilizes that nickname in a seamless and surprisingly natural appearing way.

The shoe is innovative in its own right. According Foot Locker’s website, the shoe comes with 2 interchangeable inserts: Attack Fast and Attack Strong.

The Attack Fast is designed for quick strikes; “when the game demands that you react fast and move quickly.” Including ultra-lightweight support from the sleak, yet durable Flywire.

The Attack Strong is aimed towards intense physicality so you can play “stronger and harder.” Including hi-top ankle support with full-length Cushion midsole.

The perfect combination of speed and power.

Just like the Black Mamba.