From Concept to Completion. Creative Advertising and Graphic Design Services.
Celebrate the Day
Today, July 31, 2014 is Jump for Jelly Beans Day. Jelly beans have evolved from an ancient confection called ‘Turkish Delight,’ which was one of the earliest forms of hard candy. According to PunchBowl.com, our modern day jelly bean gained popularity during the American Civil War, when a candy company marketed jelly beans as the perfect treat to send to soldiers, and soon everyone was hooked. President Ronald Reagan served jelly beans at his inauguration!
Business Tips and Trends
The AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) is a professional organization for design, organized in 1914. They currently have 22,000 members throughout 66 chapters across the US. It’s a pretty reliable organization and they publish several books and magazines for our industry. They also have published a great book for those who need to hire design firms, called “A Client’s Guide to Design: How to get the Most out of the Process.” What we found interesting and wanted to pass on to you were the ‘top 10 questions’ you should ask a design firm when interviewing them to represent you. Here are the questions…
At Cheep-Cheep we will answer any of your questions. If you find yourself wondering whether all of this is really necessary, AIGA says to ask yourself how seriously you want to compete in the marketplace. Because that is exactly what a good design firm will help you do.
Advertising that Works!
In the early days of flying, airline companies were regulated by the federal government until the 1970’s when deregulation was passed by Congress through the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. This was in an effort to address the desire for inexpensive transatlantic flights and lower airfares.
Today, because of deregulation, there is not the same glamour to flying as it was during the golden age of flying in the 1960’s and now there is growing competition. American Airlines decides to compete with Delta and United by focusing on those glamour days through ad campaigns showing a flash back from 1953 juxtaposed by a present day image. Their ads say “In 1953, we invented transcontinental service. Today, we reinvent it.” The ads go on to say in smaller type, “Enjoy refinement and exclusivity more often found on private jets, both on the ground and aboard the only true first class from coast to coast. Only on American. The legend is back.”
All of this is in an effort to capture a larger market share of business travelers for premium flights than Delta or United. We believe this targeted campaign is “Advertising that Works!”
Celebrate the Day
On July 24, 1948 Looney Tune’s Marvin the Martian made his debut on the Bugs Bunny show in the episode Haredevil Hare. Marvin’s character is a soft-spoken, villainous, and funny Martian that cleverly tries to outwit Bugs Bunny. He was also drawn to resemble the Roman god Mars with his Roman helmet and skirt. Mel Blanc was the original voice for Marvin from 1948-1986. Furthermore, he got a sidekick that was the K-9 dog.
Celebrate the anniversary of the creation of Marvin the Martian by watching some Looney Tunes episodes featuring this funny cartoon character!
Business Tips and Trends
Brand loyalty and customer retention is an important aspect to business and a focus to marketing objectives. Below are some tips on how to build brand loyalty for your business.
Tell a Story
Give your brand a personality and values that are relatable to people. This begins with a demographic analysis of your customer base and understanding what their personalities and values are like as well. Also, make sure your story connects with your product, services and prices. Telling a story with your brand contributes to the experience your customers have with your brand.
Be Insightful to Customer Needs
Listen and focus on what they want. It’s not about you and not about selling but delivery of their needs and providing value to the customer.
Deliver on the Promise
Create happiness every step of the way for your customers by delivering on promises and commitments you make in your business relationships.
Consistency is Key
Deliver the same message and performance from brand’s top to bottom. This reaffirms your trust and credibility to your audience.
Make it Personal
Your customers aren’t statistics but relationships that you build. Make each experience for each customer a personalized one.
Advertising that Works!
Which of us hasn’t been subjected to picking a product based off of it’s packaging alone? I know I have! I especially like tea and will sometimes buy my tea because of the packaging.
Tea has been a tradition that dates back to the times of the Native Americans and before the Boston Tea Party. Canadian designer Sophie Pepin used this concept in her TEAPEE Amerindian Herbal Teas collateral design. Small details from how the packaging is opened by a perforated tear at the bottom of the teepee to the wooden poles that hold it up are brilliantly executed, highly creative, and playful. If I saw this on the shelf, I’d definitely pick it up which is what makes it “Advertising that Works!”
Image Source: http://packaginguqam.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/teapee-sophie-pepin.html
Celebrate the Day
Okay, you’re probably wondering “what’s Yellow Pig Day?” Well, once upon a time back in the 1960’s two Princeton University math students were assigned the monumental task of analyzing the number 17. Through the nuttiness of this assignment the pair formed the concept of the “mythical yellow pig.” This mythical creature has seventeen toes, seventeen teeth, seventeen eye lashes, and so on.
Yellow Pig Day today is celebrated by many of the mathematics majors across the U.S. How do they celebrate? They celebrate with Yellow Pig Cake, Yellow Pig carols and they take place on the 17th of July.
Let your imagination run wild with Yellow Pig Day!
Business Tips and Trends
1…2…3…4…5!
This is the five-second rule for good web design. First impressions should be clear, concise and to the point. Your value proposition should be clear to your audience on your website and address their needs immediately. If they don’t see content that is compelling to them, then they will leave your website.
Command Your Audience
What do you want your users to do when they first visit your website? Would you like them to call you? Request a quote? Work with you? It could be anything so long as they understand what you’re asking them to do with your call-to-action.
Content Rules the Land
Do not let your content go by the way side otherwise your audience will see outdated content. Be bold, keep it fresh, keep it real and show them your company is active in creating new content. (Note: This also helps your organic search engine optimization!)
Navigating the Road
Moving from page to page in a website should be simple. Don’t litter your site with dead ends, 404 errors, or dead links. Navigation for your website should be smooth sailing!
R.I.P. Flash Websites
Flash websites used to be all the rage until customer bases starting growing via mobile devices. Most mobile devices don’t support flash or the website is painstakingly slow. Avoid flash and stick to the basics.
The Typography Tuxedo
Sometimes, we get bombarded by so many banners flashing, blinking, glaring at us through the computer screen that we can’t even digest the information that the site is trying to communicate. “Respect text contrast.” Take your typography skills out and let it go classic with black on white. It has and still is the most effective way to present type. With the right amount of contrast on your site, it will make all the difference.
Advertising that Works!
This is the wonderful campaign for the New York Lottery. The advertising agency DDB, of New York created the advertisement and illustrated by Ray Oranges. What we like about these ads is they are simple. It helps you dream, daydream, imagine winning the lottery in hopes of a simpler life. It may not be what you think about after winning a large sum of money, but it is just is an example of “not worrying” about money. There are more ads in the series with simple drawings and non-sense questions, and it works. These are what we like to call, “Advertising That Works!”
Why do people say “tuna fish” when they don’t say “chicken bird”?
If you run fully clothed across a nude beach, is it still considered streaking?
Celebrate the Day
Today, July 10, 2014 is National Piña Colada Day! Did you know that piña coladas originated in San Juan, Puerto Rico? Piña coladas means “strained pineapple” in Spanish. A traditional recipe for this drink calls for pineapple juice, light rum, and coconut cream or milk, poured over crushed ice. We suggest you garnish it with a cherry and pineapple wedge, top it with a mini umbrella, and celebrate the day!
Photo taken from thefoodieaffair.com
Hunter-McMain 