28 Jun 11

Bringing packaging back to the future

It’s okay to be nostalgic about certain things: an influential time in your life or music that prompts an old memory. And, yes, the shoulder pads. They really did look good on you.

One thing I don’t feel nostalgic about is consumer goods packaging. While retro designs may appeal to some people, they seem disconnected from the current product to me.

When Pepsi re-introduced a limited-edition line of sodas containing real sugar (not corn syrup) they resurrected their previous packaging. Does this confuse the consumer?

With an overwhelming number of choices available for products like shampoo, cereal, deodorant, soda, laundry detergent, you name it, is retro packaging really going to inspire in me thoughts about the good old days and compel me to buy the product? Not likely. For me it just confuses the issue.

Package design should represent product attributes, business goals, the retail environment and target audience and function for the long-term. Over time, shoppers come to trust certain brands and associate them with their distinguishing visual characteristics. It’s easy to identify Tide’s bright orange color, and everyone is familiar with the Quaker of Quaker Oats.

Brands and packaging should evolve to reflect, participate in and contribute to current trends and tastes. Below are examples of big brands we think have done a great job maintaining their original equity while evolving to accommodate contemporary shoppers.

Pepto Bismol 1960s and today; Mr. Clean 1960s and today.

Comet Cleanser 1960s and today; Quaker Oats 1950s and today.

Tide 1946 and today; Noxzema 1940s and today.

Liska Designer Katie Schweitzer contributed to this post.

Retro packaging photos courtesy of Flickr: Museum of American Packaging Set.



 

by Steve Liska | Brands , Design , Media , Packaging | 2 comments
15 Jun 11

Born in the UK. Now in the USA!

Stefanie Keenan Photography

With the debut of their U.S. collection at Ron Robinson at Fred Segal this past Saturday in L.A., our client Sub70 has introduced a new line of golf lifestyle apparel to the next generation of golfers. It is bold and fashion focused and it edges the sport beyond its traditional conservative standard.

We have worked with Sub70 from the start to create branded materials for this initial line that is targeting a young, hip, sporty buyer. Efforts include: designing a new logo and developing new language, marketing materials and a website.

Congratulations, Sub70!

Stefanie Keenan Photography

Stefanie Keenan Photography

by Kim Fry | Brands , Clients , Design , Packaging , Photography | No comments
24 May 11

And for our next 30 years …


It’s easy to forget the massive amount of work a design firm can produce over a 30-year time frame.

We moved our office a year ago and were forced to go through cartons and cartons of old samples. Prior to that, we were too busy doing the actual work to take time to recognize what we’d created over the years. It was fascinating to remember each project and think that most of them still work really well.

We started cataloging all of the samples as we packed them away and decided to compile some into a book called Liska Projects.

So, 318 pages and a year later – it represents 30 years of opportunities and relationships we’ve had, and continue to have, with so many great clients, designers and creative partners.

Active Graphics, now UniqueActive, has worked with us from the beginning, so it made sense that they would print it. They did a beautiful job.

Now back to working on the next 30 years.

by Steve Liska | Books , Brands , Chicago , Clients , Design , Media | 1 comment
18 May 11

Incest and carabiners

The idea for a blog entry (for me) usually starts with something extremely stupid or annoying from the world of advertising.

I will bring these dumb, strange, off brand examples of communication into our Monday staff meeting and rail about their inherent stupidity while questioning how so many college educated professionals can be involved with approving, producing and paying for this crap.

Everyone reminds me to be positive on our company blog, so here goes:

I recently received a catalog from Moosejaw – an outdoor retailer I bought a kayak from a few years ago. This direct marketing tool is an extremely interesting example of adding a back story to sell outdoor camping equipment. Along with the novel unrelated innuendo about tattoos and prison names, there is a photo feature of women (referred to as whores) in wigs and bathing suits – playing out a Victorian love story. They also show tents and climbing gear.

Actual caption reads: This is Isabella. Total whore. I think she likes me.

The design challenge is always how to communicate quickly, clearly and with the appropriate brand essence. Infusing the catalog with an inappropriate, poorly produced, badly styled, dumber than dumb story line written by 12-year-old boys who are about to start tweeting about boobies – must be marketing genius.

This catalog has really helped me understand my feelings and loyalty to this company and that’s what it’s all about. Right?

Actual caption reads: Alright, now I am thinking Titus might have game. I might have to tell the girls he banged his cousin. Sorry for saying game. And banged.

by Steve Liska | Design | 1 comment
06 May 11

City Branding: Las Vegas got it right

I never thought I would be praising Las Vegas on a professional level, but among the city, state and country branding/marketing campaigns I’ve seen lately – Sin City shines.

We can live, work, visit, or do business almost anywhere. As a result, destinations must compete on a global scale for our attention, respect and dollars. The places that succeed communicate a strong identity and distinct characteristics. They stand out. They have a strong brand.

But how do you sum up something so broad as a city, state or country? How do you convey the essence of Egypt? Or, Sarasota?

We know what to expect – good or bad – from Las Vegas: glitz, gaudiness, gambling, gluttony, etc. The city promotes these things consistently. And it works because the experience confirms expectations.

Marketing attempts for most places are bland, generic and interchangeable. For the tourism audience, they typically involve couples walking on the beach, eating a meal or shopping. For the business audience, an assembly line with ethnically appropriate, sincere workers is usually shown.

If everything is portrayed as safe, sweet and nice, nothing is a unique, honest experience. The world is not as generic as implied in these ads (unless you take the tour bus).

Cities, countries, continents: be brave, be clear, be honest and see the links below.

Also, rest assured that what really happens in Vegas…

Recommended reading on city and place branding:
Branding Your City – CEOs for Cities
Nation Branding
Don’t Do This at Home

by Steve Liska | Brands , Design , Media , Travel | No comments
22 Apr 11

Hello Gwyneth!

Go to Spokeo.com and type in your name. Information you deem private – a map and photo of your house, contact details, personal wealth – is available for $2.95!

Spokeo and other data mining companies (Pipl, Intelius, Radaris, PeopleSmart, 123people) tap into public information made available by phone directories, social networks, marketing surveys, mailing lists, government census reports, real estate data and business websites. Ultimately, there is not much wrong with these sites – all of the information they show is already available on the web – these companies just pull it all together.

What’s interesting and annoying is that much of the aggregated information is incorrect or out of date. If your Spokeo profile makes you uncomfortable, you can remove it. But since Spokeo is one of many data sites that, by default, create a profile for anyone with a web presence, you may not find all the sites that have your profile as efficiently as they find you. Of course removing your profile won’t remove your information from the public realm. That requires a pile of patience – or hiring a reputation service.

As designers of websites and other online experiences, we are definitely seeing a trend in our clients toward less aggressive personal data gathering and a greater desire for web analytics.

Property tax records, your driver’s license record, your birth record and in some states even your voting record are all public. Apple and Google devices store data on users’ location; this information is periodically collected by the companies. So do they have a right to share this information with Spokeo, etc.? Or should we be able to exercise control over our own data?

Personal control of one’s information is important for many reasons (safety, job security, personal freedom) but public records are…well, public. But the balance between privacy and technology will become more elusive as new information is posted and social networks grow.

My advice? Be aware of what information is available about you. Manage your privacy. And, while you’re at it, send a note to Gwyneth.

by Steve Liska | Design , Media | No comments
11 Apr 11

jcpenney: The wisdom of crowds?

What's the difference: jcpenney of today vs. JCPenney of yesterday

jcpenney (now all lowercase!) is in the news again. In February, the retail giant rolled out a new brand identity. Visually speaking the new identity is fine, if not a little boring. What isn’t fine is the way jcpenney went about creating a new logo – they held a contest.

jcpenney invited employees, design agencies and two art schools to submit designs for a logo. The winning design by Luke Langhus, a third-year graphic design student at the University of Cincinnati, was chosen from more than 200 submissions.

The problem? A brand redesign should not be a beauty contest. The danger of design contests is that they end up solving a visual challenge rather than creating a solution that addresses business goals, competitive advantage and a brand’s core attributes. There are also limits to what can be achieved by collaborating with a crowd rather than engaging a dedicated design firm. One of the roles of a designer is to help a client think through their problem and outline their objectives. Without this critical step at the onset, project goals are blurred and communication solutions lack direction.

While Luke Langhus may be a great designer, there is more to brand identity than a logo. A brand is a personification of an organization or its products and services – it stands for what a company is, what it does and what audiences experience. Any changes made to a brand’s identity require a strategic solution tied to a company’s goals and aspirations. Starbucks is evolving their visual brand because their offering is evolving. The Gap changed their logo for the sake of change – and encountered a huge backlash.

Without the support of research, strategic direction or methodology a visual design has no depth. Maybe jcpenney supplied each designer with ample information. Maybe not. One thing is sure – if you ask for surface level design, you tend to get surface level meaning.

An evolution of a logo represents an evolution of a brand. But I doubt that most consumers will realize that the jcpenney logo changed. Can no perceived change represent change?

by Steve Liska | Brands , Design | 6 comments
22 Mar 11

Photographing Clucky is not a crime…for now: Felony charges for farm photos. Oink!

©THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE U.S. Closely confined pigs at a factory farm operation. The image is a frame grab from a video shot undercover by the Humane Society.

A Florida state senator has introduced a bill to make photographing a farm without the owner’s consent a felony. In Iowa, similar legislation has passed out of the House of Representatives. (Source: PDNOnline)

Why would taking a picture of a farm be criminal? Well, when a farm operates as a factory, farmers don’t want documentation of the not-so-nice crowded conditions.  And if farmers are making campaign contributions…

Supporters claim the bill will protect farmers from animal rights activists who may go undercover as farm employees to document the conditions and and/or manipulate images to create extra sensational campaign materials.

This law would be ridiculous on so many levels and completely undermines first amendment rights. Will tourists be thrown in jail for taking a family photo against a nice landscape? Does the state consider farm photos on par with child pornography – the only photographs that are currently illegal to possess in the United States?

You have to give it to the farmers for doing what they can to control the messages about their industry. However, controlling  a message usually involves telling the truth and answering questions. In this case, people will only wonder what is happening at these farms that is being hidden. Well at least we can write about this (for now).

by Katherine Bucar | Design , Media , Photography | 1 comment
18 Mar 11

Zumthor = “changed ethos”

A great article in the New York Times Magazine reviews the work of the architect Peter Zumthor and his unconventional approach to selecting a project.

The relationship of client to artist/designer is always an interesting one. Typically, people hire you to do what you are known for. Then there are meeting and reviews. Other people begin to weigh-in. Roadblocks arise.  Constraints constrain. The process works, but takes longer than expected.

Zumthor has figured it out. The way he works, slowly perfecting, refining and adjusting, can cause problems for a client. So, he has resisted projects, rejected others. He doesn’t market; he chooses his clients and projects carefully. He practices his craft, produces immaculate work and gets recognized. He has found a balance between what he wants to accomplish and what can be done and the ability to do it without arrogance.

“It’s less about rendering a service and even less about implementing ideas of other people. I need a close contact to the client whoever it is and a commitment of the client to go out and do a process together. I want to do the best for him. I need his respect and his patience. I want to work with a sophisticated person who’s interested in a good building and not in my name.” – Peter Zumthor, from an interview with Chicago Tribune Architect Critic, Blair Kamin

For years Liska has designed the website for the Pritzker Architecture Prize. And, we were particularly excited to work on the site in 2009, when Zumthor was recognized. But, it took reading the New York Times article to fully understand Zumthor’s methodology, revere for craft, rigorous approach, uncompromising attitude and ability to be hired for what he envisions.

Good reads on Peter Zumthor
The Ascension of Peter Zumthor: article
The Ascension of Peter Zumthor: slide show
Read Blair Kamin’s interview with Peter Zumthor

by Steve Liska | Architecture , Clients , Design , Photography | No comments
15 Feb 11

Going against Google is not a smart move

SEO is big news: A half a million results about this story in a quarter second.

We design a lot of websites and our clients are always asking, rightfully so, about how to get traffic to their site. So, when the New York Times revealed how JC Penney shot to the top of Google results, we paid attention.

For the past few months JC Penney was the No. 1 search result for many of the products they sell. If you searched for “dresses” JC Penney came up. Searches for “skinny jeans,” “furniture” or even a brand name like “Samsonite carry on luggage” revealed JC Penney as the top result. Brilliant marketing? Awesome SEO tactics? Try again. According to the Times article, more than 2,000 paid links on thousands (often abandoned) websites artificially raised JC Penney’s organic search rank.

Buying links is not illegal, but it and any other “black hat” SEO schemes are against Google’s rules – and if a site is caught, Google’s wrath is severe. In JC Penney’s case, Google has “manually” reduced the company’s search ranking, effectively banishing it from search results. Back in February 2006, Google penalized BMW Germany for influencing search result by kicking the site out of the Google index. Ouch.

I’m a Google fan. But, it’s humbling to think about how much power the company yields. A dip in search results could cripple a company. So, play it safe, and play by their SEO rules. There are tons of great tips available on ways to increase your SEO organically – and Google is okay with that. Check out this article from mashable on SEO for blogs or this informative post. (But remember, getting someone to your site is one thing, keeping people coming back for more requires good content and design.)

It’s also interesting to think about what this investigation has done to the JC Penney brand. I assume that most people are with me: we like, use and trust Google. So, what will consumers think of a company that was publically chastised by our hero search engine? What does this all say about the company’s character? It can’t be great, but don’t start selling your JC Penney stock yet – I have a feeling JC Penney’s search rank is probably on the rise from the number of quality “real” links that developed from the NY Times story.

Highly recommended: New York Times Story, “Dirty Little Secrets of Search”

by Katherine Bucar | Brands , Design , Media | 3 comments
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