http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog Pithy, quirky, quixotic, insightful idealistic, helpful musings on branding, advertising, marketing, banking, and cyber stuff. Mon, 02 Aug 2010 23:35:34 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I had a blast a couple of weeks ago. Two days of shooting real people for a campaign that launched today. I have always enjoyed working with real people, because they’re … well … real. But there are two inviolable rules you have to follow: 1. Do not ask them to ... http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2010/08/02/directing-non-actors-in-a-commercial/ The old saying is that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And that is sweet, I gotta tell ya. But as often as not, imitation is either unintended or more desperation (we gotta have something by Tuesday) than flattery. That is certainly the case when we flatter other agencies. ... http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2010/06/21/the-sincerest-form-of-flattery-really/ I am not a designer. In fact, I’m barely a writer. But I just got copied on an email from Anne Peck Gibbons on the rules for designing a logo. I think it’s good stuff. 1. Logos are graphic. They are not illustrations--they are best when developed like a branding ... http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2010/06/07/the-seven-rules-of-logo-design/ We were in a meeting recently with some folks who are launching a new logo, for their 86-year-old company. It’s a pretty big deal to them, because they want to send the right message. And they don’t want to send the wrong message. Being a glib, flippant ad guy, I ... http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2010/05/04/why-we-need-logos/ I was in Asheville over the weekend. So was Mr. Obama. Tried to hook up, but it didn’t work out. I did, however have an interesting encounter with the Secret Service. Pretty cool, actually. This was my second experience dealing with the protectors of the President of the United States. A ... http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2010/04/28/secret-service/ Standard outline for preachers. Saw this article. Thought you might like it. ’Nuff said. http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2010/03/03/stand-up-speak-up-shut-up/ When I was an undergraduate, I wrote a short story entitled, “My Grandfather’s Wake,” for a fiction workshop. It wasn’t a great short story, and most of it wasn’t fiction. But it had a pretty good first line, if I do say so myself: The groundhog didn’t see his shadow when ... http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2010/02/04/groundhog-day/ I’ve learned a lot of things from my mentors. When I was four, my grandfather let me help him with his garden. I got to dig with a spade. And, as a side benefit of learning to dig, I learned that you could use certain types of claw hammers as ... http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2010/01/18/mentors/ Word reached me over the Christmas holidays that my Uncle Ducky was frustrated at my infrequent blog posts. Isn’t that just the way it goes. You post and post and post. And you don’t think anyone notices. Then, you get distracted for a few weeks, and you start to hear ... http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2010/01/11/thank-you-uncle-ducky/ It covers something like 80 percent of the Earth, right? It comprises like 60 percent of your body. You can’t live more than three days without drinking some. Water is pretty important. Next to oxygen, it’s the most urgent thing. Last week it was urgent to us for another reason. ... http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2009/12/14/h2o/