Art and Design in the Montreal metro
I bet New Yorkers can’t believe their eyes (or ears) when they first encounter the Montreal metro… AESTHETICS Every station is designed by a different architect, and each one is home to giant works of art, from walls of stained glass to exquisite modern tile patterns. (View a quick photo line-up of the many different […]
Signage in Montreal
Montreal has some of the most artsy storefront signs in the world. Not content with the usual 2 dimensional retail signs, they add on these massive 3-D sculptures that extend out into the street, looming over you like modern gargoyles, only much friendlier. In the winter, they gather snow and icicles; in the summer, pigeons. […]
Professional blogs: what works, what doesn’t
So if you’re going to put the effort into writing a blog, you want people to read it, right? And hopefully come back for more. So, what works? New ideas. Humor. News. Controversy. Personality. Opinions. What doesn’t work? Conventional ideas. Cut-and-paste’s from a brochure or ad or anything that reads as if it’s been approved […]
But is it memorable, darling?
So I went to the Montreal Fine Arts Museum yesterday to see the “American Streamlined Design: The World of Tomorrow” exhibit. The focus was the 1930’s and how the “streamlined” aesthetic still influences products today (e.g. nike shoes, motorcycles). It was mostly industrial design and furniture. Lots of bullet-shaped objects, especially car accessories (tail-lights and […]
Worst ad ever
I saw this ad for a plastic surgeon on the New York subway and – after my eyeballs had stopped bleeding – I took a photo for purposes of criminal analysis. (Click the thumbnail image and you’ll see the whole ghastly thing.) Can you count the number of grievous visual assaults? Let’s begin: 1) The […]
Maverick Marketing: Part 3
Now that we’ve examined what’s getting through, let’s look at how it’s getting through. Community involvement. No, I don’t mean sponsoring Little League (though that might prove strategic). That’s a community based on location. I’m talking about being actively involved in a community of shared interest that is not necessarily bound by geography. For example, […]
Maverick Marketing: Part 2
Okay, so if we’re all getting very good at tuning out traditional advertising, what’s getting through? 1) Authenticity. Anything with the ring of truth. Why? It stands out from all the hype. It sounds like reality. It sounds like a source you can trust, like a friend. Also anything that sounds unscripted, imperfect, and a […]
Maverick Marketing: Part 1
I know, it’s been awhile, but I’ve been busy, people. Don’t believe me? I had my cable TV turned off last month because I don’t have time to watch TV. That‘s busy. So what the hell have I been doing? Besides walking Oscar the Terror, I mean, terrier? Reading. A lot of books about marketing. […]
On Hiring A Designer
People often express anxiety at the thought of hiring a designer to create a logo, web site or other sales tools… “How do I know what I want?”, “what if I don’t like it?”, “it’s going to cost the earth” etc. So, here, dear reader, is my best advice, gleaned from 10 years of working […]