Didn’t expect to write two posts today, but more coolness came along that I couldn’t resist. Today’s Google Doodle is just too fun.
In honor of (what would have been) guitar legend Les Paul‘s 96th birthday, you can actually “strum” the strings. Of course, you won’t be able to play that Leo Kottke song like my brother did a few posts back, or recreate a Les Paul lick, but what a cute bit of ingenuity!
“The word spectacular would be an understatement.”
These were the words of Cupertino Councilman Orrin Mahoney after hearing Steve Jobs’ presentation about plans for a new Apple Headquarters.
As an appreciator of everything Apple, this is exciting news. But regardless of your own personal relationship with “everything Apple”, this will be a stunning architectural feat in its own right.
For example, by moving the parking underground, the grounds will lose the asphalt and double the number of trees, including the addition of an apricot orchard. The campus will be efficient, beautiful and of course, state-of-the-art.
Another example of coolness-meets-practicality. Gotta love that!
Brand makeovers are all the rage. And as a designer, I often see the value. But honestly, in this case I’m missing the point.
You wonder sometimes what drives a change like this,” when it ain’t broke”… unless it is. Or somebody with clout says it needs to happen, and it becomes more about what’s on the cover than what’s inside. Hmmm.
Not that the new label isn’t a good one. Thankfully it doesn’t kill the brand by overly modernizing, and I admit the cleaner look is attractive. I just don’t know why they bothered. The old label was just … so … Jack Daniels. Classic JD, forever, the way it was…. until now. Cleaned up and more refined. (Only Jack Daniel’s isn’t supposed to be refined, as I recall?)
new
old
I have to admit though, that reading some of the articles about it were pretty interesting. For example, I never knew that Jack is brewed in a dry county. That’s a little crazy.
As for the label, they got rid of a lot of the text, including fun details like the population count of 361 (so what if it wasn’t accurate? ~ it was an interesting historical tidbit). Gone is the folksy description of how they achieve the rich flavor. They’ve also removed the claim that Jack Daniel’s is America’s oldest distillery, and they took off the name of Lem Motlow.
Now as I’ve learned, Motlow inherited the distillery when his Uncle Jack died in 1911. Motlow promptly put his name on the bottle and kept the company alive throughout the dark days of prohibition and through the controversy arising after he drunkenly shot a man dead while riding aboard a train in 1924.
This is great stuff. But maybe legends are passe’ now.
Even Jack Daniel’s portrait boasts a new name: apparently his real name was Jasper Newton. Okay, that’s cool to know, but since he’s been called Jack since 1866, I wonder what he’d have to say about that.
Oh well, the deed is done, but the vote is out. The label is still very black, and I assume the whiskey is still quality Tennessee sour mash, and at the end of the day, no one will really care that the label got a facelift. Of course, they wouldn’t have cared if it hadn’t, either.
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Afterthought: If no one cares either way, and the company isn’t suffering, maybe they did it … under the guise of updating and being more “honest” (ie, population, possibility that JD might not be the oldest distillery, etc.)… but really and simply, just for the heck of it?
“52 weeks of peace” has gone to press… stay tuned!!!
Beautifully interpreted by the very gifted David Saxton …
Actually, I love them. Adore them.
Complex, soft, immaculately designed ~ and so free-spirited! A living work of art, and all I have to do is admire them. Aren’t they just exquisite?
“Spring unlocks the flowers to paint the laughing soil.”
~ Bishop Reginald Heber
I’m not a big soda drinker. (“pop” for you midwesterners)
But the other day while filling up at the gas station, enjoying the first sunny day in forever, I realized it was downright hot outside. As I reveled in the solar warmth, the green green trees and blue blue skies, my eyes wandered over to a lonely looking soda machine. And quite suddenly, I was struck with desire. I wanted a soda. I just really wanted one.
So I got change from the attendant, put my shiny coins in the slot, and wa-la! ~ down tumbled a beautiful, cold bottle of Coke.
Yes, definitely a Coke. Because to me, if you’re gonna have a soda (or a “pop”), it should be “the real thing”. I might even want to teach the world to sing… in perfect harmony….
You probably get my point… Coke has real brand recognition. It’s strong. So much so that I remember their ads from 20 years ago, maybe more. They’ve made (and continue to make) an impression.
So, you say, yea, well, they’re big guns. They’re a big deal with a big name and big budgets and a big audience. What does Coca-Cola’s great advertising have to do with a small business or an entrepreneur?
A lot.
Take away the “big name” and all the trappings that go with it and you’ve essentially got what branding is all about: Consistency and integrity.
Coke’s example is this: a steady graphic look since its inception, modernizing with the times, but never losing its core visual ~ AND a steady message that’s upbeat, positive and rings of authenticity. By keeping both their look and their message consistent, they maintain the vital quality of integrity.
Branding isn’t just a logo. It’s not just a website. It’s not a twitter account. It IS everything you or your business presents to the public.
Every word and every image in every medium and circumstance speaks on your behalf. These are your “brand”. They represent you in person, and when you can’t be there (which is most of the time), they represent a virtual reflection.
So if you have 3 different websites with 3 different looks, if you have people with different voices handling your social media, if your visuals look clean and sharp in one place and sloppy in another, you will confuse your audience. And confusing your audience is not something to take lightly in a world where so much is vying for people’s attention.
So, yes, your brand, your “identity”, is a big deal. Keep it consistent and let it walk, and talk, with integrity. More on integrity and authenticity in “part two”… For the time being, let’s just say, make it the real thing.
proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.
Thank you ~ for your bravery, your love, your principled, unselfish courage ~ from the wells of our hearts, with a gratitude that knows no bounds.
“Who kept the faith and fought the fight; The glory theirs, the duty ours.” ~Wallace Bruce
“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
What a fabulous treat to have stumbled upon… Philosophy, books and film in tribute and reverent reflection of the great Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Emerson’s writings have been a mainstay of inspiration to me since my early teens. So I was really pleased to see the always interesting BrainPickings site acknowledging Emerson’s 208th birthday with a terrific post about his life, work and timeless value, including a link to a new publication of Emerson’s famous Self-Reliance by Seth Godin’s Domino Project.
Also included, the marvelous documentary film “Emerson: The Ideal in America” by David Beardsley. I have to tell you, it makes my spirit glad to spread this information. I hope it’ll inspire you to revisit some of the works of one of the world’s truly great thinkers.
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All that rain, and I forgot to walk in the garden. Lifted my head today and saw what the rain did… or I should say, what it couldn’t stop.
Scraggly and unkempt. Small. Skinny. Brilliant.
Bob Dylan’s piercing blue eyes defy his understated presence; his talent for song defines him.
In some ways, Dylan is an acquired taste. So rough around the edges, but so genuinely gifted. You like him or you don’t, but you always admire.
Looming larger than life during the 60’s folk music revolution, his scratchy, often off-key voice reconfigured our concept of singer-songwriter. His words resonating with millions, he always seemed a bit reticent on stage. Like he had someplace he’d rather be. Not a big smiler.
But we love his realness, his mind, his lyrics.
Some call him the greatest poet of our time. And when the poetry lines up with a simple acoustic tune, something close to magical happens. He’s every bit as remarkable as they say.
Philosopher, poet, revolutionary, freedom-lover, troubadour, balladeer, prolific songwriter, living legend. Who would have thought Bob Dylan would be anything but forever young? But then again, he‘s had a lot of work to do, and we’re glad he’s stuck around.
Happy Birthday to one of the very best.
proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.
Here’s an easy one to get your noodle around. Because, seriously, doesn’t everyone in the world like pasta? When you think about it (though it actually doesn’t take much thought…), a steaming bowl of spaghetti with sauce and parmesan, a green garden salad and some fresh, piping hot garlic bread has to be one of the best meals ever invented.
The thing about pasta is that it’s simple. There’s nothing convoluted about it, and there’s nothing “bad” about it. It’s easy, yummy and comes in all kinds of clever shapes. Which is really the hardest part: choosing between fettuccine, vermicelli, linguini, cappellini, cavatini, farfalle, fusilli, gemelli, manicotti, rigatoni, penne, ziti, rotelle, lasagne, tortellini, macaroni, etc. (Of course, I’ve learned from Italian friends that all pastas are called macaroni.)
In the end, it doesn’t matter which you pick. They’re all tasty, all satisfying, and they’re all in the “comfort food” department … which in my book is all positive.
Buon appetito!
ps: for the fact-minded, scientific health benefits of pasta can be found here and here.
The book cover I’m wrapping up for author Sam Moffie has an interesting story on the back relating to Kurt Vonnegut. Hearing Vonnegut’s name triggered the memory that he was not only a successful author, but an artist as well ~ making him fit snugly into my “creative duet” series.
Dubbed “America’s greatest satirist” back in the late 60’s, Vonnegut’s best-selling, and most powerful novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, is pretty much considered classic literature at this point. His novels are dark, complex, persuasive, and controversial.
I can’t say that his art strays far from that description, either. There’s no hint of romantic artistic fancy here, but a continuation of the Vonnegut mind, a unifying sense of something off-beat that intimates deeper meanings despite a deceptive simplicity. His art is as unconventional, and almost as successful, as his writing.
Vonnegut stepped into the graphic arts with illustrations for Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions, his favorite tool being a felt-tip pen. Later he developed a greater passion in art for its own sake, creating silk-screen prints, which I find have an intriguing, “Picasso-esque” feel. And a kind of cool tidbit of note is that his 2004 album cover art created for (the band) Phish is included as part of a traveling exhibit for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Vonnegut’s career as novelist and essayist spanned nearly 6 decades. He died in 2007 at the age of 84.
(More art prints and more about Mr. Vonnegut can be found at vonnegut.com. There is also a lengthy, informational page at Wikipedia)
There’s been a lot of east coast rain lately. We’re yearning for warmth and sunshine; we’re ready for barefooted, sun-kissed, blueberry-pickin’, toss-a-frisbee weather.
Of course, some of you are beyond the “oh, gee, I sure wish it would stop raining” phase, and more in the “get the damn water out of my basement” category. But the way I see it, since there’s nothing we can do about the weather, why get our shorts in a twist?
Good things about rain: It makes things greener. (And hey, you can pretend you’re living in Scotland, surrounded by hills of heather.) It lets you get more work done without the temptation to go outside and play. It’s soothing for sleep. You can dance in it. You can sing too, and splash things, and watch water droplets make shapes on windows.
But if you’re still not convinced, here are a few quotes that (since you can’t change the rain) might change your mood.
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Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby. ~ Langston Hughes
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Don’t threaten me with love, baby. Let’s just go walking in the rain. ~ Billie Holiday
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It always rains on tents. Rainstorms will travel thousands of miles, against prevailing winds for the opportunity to rain on a tent. ~ Dave Barry
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Don’t knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn’t start a conversation if it didn’t change once in a while. ~ Kin Hubbard
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Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet. ~ Roger Miller
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And of course:
And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow. ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton
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It’s not so bad, the rain.
proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.
“People who look through keyholes are apt to get the idea that most things are keyhole shaped.” ~ Author Unknown
So much of life is about our point of view. Are you so close to something that you miss the bigger picture? Or do you soar above, taking in a broad view, missing the details?
Is your view softened by “rose-colored glasses” or do you see only the hard, harsh angles? When you walk, do you look up, look down, look straight ahead?
Are you near-sighted? Far-sighted? Do you look back, look forward? Do you see what’s right in front of you? Do you consider situations from all sides?
Our perspectives change, of course. But like all thought, we can direct that perspective towards the best possible light.
