Author Archives: dk

Turn me on

I’m not a big fan on design contests. They are usually abusive of entrants, the results unsatisfying for just about everyone: There are lots of losers, only one winner and the judges often wish they’d never agreed to participate.
Bad PR for all.
But THIS year’s NYC Condom package design contest has resulted in a [...]

No you can’t

Hiram Monserrate, New York state senator who is running for office in a special election after being expelled by his colleagues (including fellow democrats) for assaulting his girlfriend, just doesn’t get it.
You can’t beat up women AND you can’t steal logos and slogans, especially from a sitting president.
Monserrate’s defense – anyone can see [...]

Spreading the TEDxcellent branding

TED is a information/communication phenomena the venue for which blossomed in the last few years from an elitist Monterey, California conference to include a vast level playing field – a broadband audience of hundreds of millions.
TED Talks broadcasts TED Conference segments online to the world – sharing often personal, always excellent 18 minute presentations [...]

Signs of the times #3

Uncle Sam is the money man.

Signs of the times #2

Is any comment necessary? I don’t think so.

Signs of the times

Talk about bad branding! It’s hard to know what to think about this company. Is this condemned building really the offices of Russo Realty? Or is it one of the houses they are proudly offering up? They also do taxes! What a find.
I went by this site in a mixed use area on my [...]

Un-branding Starbucks

July 25th was the opening of Starbucks big experiment: un-branding. Their new store in Seattle – the 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea – is reminiscent of the original Starbucks down the street. Why are they doing this? One of the big disadvantages of having a megabrand is managing expectations which are megabig: the inevitable limitations [...]

Clean is the new green – for coal at least

Clean is a better brand word for people than green. Green is a little too granola. Who can argue with clean? The Obama people think clean coal is good for America. But is coal green? What do you think? No way according to Robert F Kennedy Jr. who represents Riverkeeper who says, “Clean coal is [...]

Re-naming the flu

Interesting how pigs got such a bad rap so quickly with this new flu. And Mexico (now they wonder if it indeed started there and whether it has anything to do with pigs). Now, its down to meaningless numbers and letters H1N1 – to keep the pork industry from taking the heat. The Wall Street [...]

What were they thinking?

She has a beautiful voice. from the mainstream perspective, she is a visual mess. She is proud of herself and she has a dream as she expressed to a vast audience of mostly women and Britian’s Got Talent’s three judges, with great dignity. But she is a visual mess. And the Brits have their [...]