Synergy Creative - empowering entrepreneurs through creative collaboration

An Education In Branding Courtesy of Barack Obama and a few Good Designers

I wanted to share this inspirational resource with you. This is not a political endorsement for Obama, but rather a vote of  admiration for the brilliant branding campaign that catapulted him from obscurity to the White House. The process was chronicled by Scott Thomas and features the work and writings of some of the most influential graphic designers and visual communicators of our time.

It takes you through the process steps of how the now famous Obama identity (the other big "O") was developed, but delivers much more then a lesson in logo design.

I suggest that is like taking a master class in branding, but more entertaining. The visual design is stunning and timeless.  You'll get insight into the strategy of success and the inner workings of a political campaign. Imagine having a presidential candidate as a client? To learn more click on this link.

Building Your Brand By Telling It's Story

I shared this FREE book Believe Me Story Manifesto for Change-Makers and Innovators by Michael Margolis on how to build your brand's story with the students in my Corporate Communications class. I think it clearly explains through the voice of many very successful individuals including Barack Obama; how being a master storyteller can lead to immeasurable success for your brand and for you.

Here is a link to  Download BelieveMeStoryManifesto_ReadandShare

The author writes:" If you are trying to influence, persuade or convince others to believe your message, you need to read this book." Michael Margolis.

The best way I can describe what is meant by brand story is that is a "truth" that is created and later becomes true, because it is accepted and believed by the masses (or your target audience). In other words, when the public agrees with the brand story, it is considered true until someone or something disproves it.

Consider this quote by Seth Godin author: Tribes: We need You to Lead Us: " Great Stories agree with our world view. The best stories don't teach people anything new. Instead, the best stories agree with what the audience already believes and makes the members of the audience feel smart and secure when reminded how right they were in the first place."

I highlighted some of the material I thought explains the author's points but I am sure you will want to read the whole thing. You can visit his website for more resources at Get Storied.com

Here is a link to Download BelieveMeStoryManifesto_ReadandShare

The Sum is Greater...when we bridge the gap.

The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier which was published in early 2000, talks about how when creative professionals and business strategists can have a "meeting of the minds" or bridge the gap, on a given project, brand magic can occur. This is the phenomenon called synergy and has been the mission of Synergy Creative since 1998. I think these visuals from The Brand Gap sum up why synergy is so important to a brands success.

Witness the magic when 1 + 1 = 11

Strategy by its very nature is linear. First we do this, then we do this and then we do that.

Creativity by its very nature is non-linear.
We could do this or we could try this or maybe we should do the other thing???

This is a problem beacuse...

  
and brands are all about trust.

Well said, Mr. Neumeier!

How to Design A Shape Relief Alphabet

Since we are designing custom lettered logos for an athletic shoe company in my Corporate Communications class, I thought some of you might find this short video showing a curiously simple technique to create the illusion of 3-D letters  with just a few strokes of a marker. Check it out.

 

How to Write Shape Relief Alphabet!

How to Custom Design Wordmarks

This week in Corporate Communications we are going to focus on on original wordmark design. In order to explain the process I use, I am showing some examples of my own work and some of the inspiration resources I use. Later this week I posted the entire process in the "Classroom" section of this blog. Below are some examples of my custom wordmark work:

Personal identity for collegue Richard Ybarra

Shag Baby: identity for clothing line

 

Preliminary Design for Creative Posse

For more of my lettering work click here.

 

And now some of the images I photographed for inspiration while in New Orleans. New Orleans is one of few older cities that have made efforts to preserve their buildings and architectural heritage, including the wonderful signage. So for two years I have going there to photograph the signs of New Orleans.

Here is an example of the type of images I shoot for reference. To see more Download Images_no.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does the Lovells Pure Larger Campaign Launch Have Wings

Here is another campaign that I would like my students to consider in terms of fresh identity campaign ideas and the effective use of brand touchpoints. Please compare this campaign in terms of effective communication, memorability and how well you think it connects with the target audience to the same criteria for the twitter campaign video (posted below).

Background:

"Lovells Lager was created by two successful, Australian music industry professionals, with a passion for great tasting beer....hey wanted to take the creative inspiration, craftsmanship and independence, that was the driving force of their music, and channel it into the production of their new beer. Lovells Lager was created on this very premise....Early in the process, we established the idea of disruption, as a way of acknowledging the language and expectations of established beer brands, yet putting a new twist on it. The dragon became an icon to symbolise this concept.

- Reposted from Level 11 blog please view the entire campaign there.

Common Problems with Logo Design

I wanted to pass on this video since it addresses many of the problems that I encounter with student work. Questions like should I use gradients in a logo? Does a part time business need a logo? How to correct inconsistencies and why they appear that way. And finally, does the logo tell a story and is the story right for the product or service?

Setting Your Standards as a Freelancer: A Few Suggestions

I came across this article and I thin k it is worth reading, I hope you enjoy it.

"Having standards is important when you’re trying to find and work with clients on your own.

It's surprisingly tempting not to stick to your standards: a quick project that you wouldn’t normally take can look pretty appealing if you’re having a slow month. But sticking to your guns can be important in more ways than one. If you take that problematic job, not only are you doing something that you don’t want to do, but you’re also likely to hand in work that you know isn’t as good as you could do. Even worse, that sub-standard job can take up the time you need to find higher paying clients, sticking you in a position where you can’t afford to move forward."

Here is the link to the original article:

Setting Your Standards as a Freelancer: A Few Suggestions.