Letterhead Fonts

Do you like rare, vintage type? Do you like your rare vintage type in quality executions? I hope you do, or you may be in the wrong place. Or, maybe you can head over to Letterhead Fonts and change your mind.

Shaw Nielsen is in CA

Shaw Nielsen, a Denver illustrator, has made it into the pages of the newest Communication Arts and we say congrats. His style is mirthful and fun, quirky and thoughtful. If you don't know Shaw, check him out here. Love seeing local talent getting national exposure.

When You're a Giant

It's easy when you're a giant, the animation, the range of energy solutions, everything but the copy. Still worth the watch.

HP Open Brief

Very fun idea for D&AD and HP 's Open brief by students Matt Robinson and Tom Wrigglesworth. This is worth the watch.

Finally, My Fingers are Burning

Axe does it again, or at least has the ability to have some fun. Bravo to the cop writer, great look at headlines and tagline that pulls it all together. Ponce, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Sour

I've seen something like this before, or at least the idea, but the illustration style is what really helps this come alive. Ogilvy & Mather, Mumbai, India

Chase Jarvis to ADCD Members: Create, Share, Sustain

Chase Jarvis CURRENT: The Consequences of Creativity from Chase Jarvis on Vimeo.

The video from our Speaker/Judge at the end of May.

I was recently invited to speak to the Art Director's Club of Denver and the ASMP about creativity, and subsequently delivered that keynote two weeks ago. This video is a recording of that talk. Hope it strikes a chord with you.

I had a blast connecting with some of the creative community in Denver/Boulder while I was in town, and it was also a great honor to judge your annual advertising awards show with some rather distinguished ad gurus from around the country. Thanks to the ADCD for being such gracious hosts.

Additionally, the video should be downloadable via my iTunes podcast within the next 24-48 hours.

Big thanks to Chase (and all our Judges) this year.

I heart infographics

Good Magazine—like so many of us—loves infographics. They have a collection of them here, where you can learn about everything from Supreme Court nominees, the credit crisis, Obama's garden and how few fish there are in the sea. (Good occasionally holds contests, so keep an eye out!)

Have you seen your mail lately?

It's filled with postcards from photographers, Val-Pak coupons for window installations, and overdue Xcel bills that---hey, who turned off the lights?

Bad jokes aside, your mail might now have a little 'ol letter from ADCD announcing that (cue the trumpets) your work got into the 2009 ADCD Annual Show. If so, congrats. Hundreds entered, but only several dozen made the cut.

And those several dozen are going into one helluva book. Of course, we'll need digi files (300 dpi and 8"x8", por favor) to the ftp site listed in your letter.

One more thang: go to the show, September 25. Lots of surprises this year. Lots.

The Economist

The Economist has always had some great advertising, or at the very least, they are not afraid to let you think and are pretty sure you can, if you are their target. This however may be my favorite, an very understated point, classy and wonderful. Really dig the metaphor they draw here. AMV.BBDO and directed by Tom Carty.

Children Do

Insights and infographics, great combination if both of them are actually good. Quite possibly making them infosights.
Del Campo Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, Buenos Aires

Vancouver Olympic Games

These are just beautiful. Really looking forward to the full blow out of design for the rest of the games now. But if you need reasons why these are great (and can't do it from looks alone) here is the description:

The Vancouver 2010 official poster represents both the beauty of the Host Region and the spirit of Canada’s Games. Cropped within the shape of a maple leaf, the bold Vancouver 2010 graphics are inspired by Canada’s cultural and environmental diversity as well as the energy and spirit of the Canadian people.

For the first time in history, both the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games official posters are represented in a unified manner; when displayed together, the two halves of the maple leaf join to create a whole.

Created by hand using paint and mixed media prior to digital composition, the techniques employed to produce the original piece of art complement the modern and dynamic style of the Vancouver 2010 graphics.

The Look of the Games graphic elements in the poster were created by members of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) design team, while the concept of the poster and the unique interpretation of these graphics were brought to life by designer Ben Hulse.

You can get your own Giclee prints online here.

Thrillers

I adore these. The simplicity and the knowing that you know, you know? Wonderful reminder that the best ads are most often the simplest. Jung von Matt Spree, Berlin, Germany

Fifty People, One Question

Check out this great video that won a webby for Best Editing in the Online Film & Video category by Fifty People, One Question. By the end of the day what do you wish to happen?

News on the iPhone

Great insight, if not positive. Marcel, Paris, France.

The 2009 Awards

ADCD Annual Award Show Judges from Don Cudney on Vimeo.

Thanks to our friend, Don Cudney, we were able to share a little of the behind the scenes. We will be releasing some of the insights from the judges as we get ready for the Show in September. Keep an eye out and a mouse click away.

Amnesty International

Brilliant. Works by tracking eye movement. Brilliant.

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO

Award Winner of the Denver Film Festival Sita Sings the Blues is back for an encore at the Starz Film Center this Friday! This is a chance to get together to watch some unique animation.

Nina Paley is a comic-strip artist for “The Hots” and “Nina’s Adventures.” She decided to reflect on her personal tragedy in a Hindi-inspired cartoon, and spent the next 5 years single-handedly animating these images on her laptop.

I hope all of you take the time to check it out. It’s an award-winner for a reason!

Sita, the goddess in the Hindi epic The Ramayana, is the devoted wife of Rama, god and prince banished from the throne for 14 years.

Nina, an animator, is a loving wife living in San Francisco with her husband. Just what do an epic goddess and a modern-day woman have in common? Both get dumped!

Animator Nina Paley pulls humor from personal experience with the help of colorful stop-action cutouts, animated shadow puppets, and a Betty-Boop-like portrayal of the goddess Sita, who sings the ‘20s blues with Annette Hanshaw’s voice. It’s a handmade, heartfelt romp that’s original and guaranteed to be the greatest break-up story ever told!

Group discounts!! If 10 or more tickets are bought on a single transaction, it’s only $7.50 each (compared to $9.50).

Shauna Intelisano - Local Photographer

Take a look at her work, there's a good range here.

Evolution of Technology

Client: SATURN Advertising Agency: Scholz&Friends, Berlin, Germany

Indy Art

We are now in the age of do what is fun and wild for you and people will find it. Also known as Viral. Oh, and if you can film it, do. That will add to the frenzy.

I only wish they filmed it with a Digital SLR and in several angles, that would have been even more stunning.

The Future

This is it, this is the future and it is what I believe to be the first sign that our world is about to change. Viseo is soon to launch a series of HDTVs that are internet connectable.

Sure, there are PCs that play TV, there are computers like Apple TV that connect, heck, you can even just connect your PC to your TV. So why is this the future, because it is a new form. Remote/keyboard.

Does it seem to anyone else that Viseo is the first to completely remove the line between TV and Computer. Simple change, a single feature, new possibilities. This one will catch on and it will change Viseo's place as the bargain HDTV.

" Vizio is upping the game by equipping its soon-to-be-released HDTVs with an impressive suite of Internet applications and video streaming sites. So much so, that this portfolio will place them on top of many people’s wish list as these TVs will be better equipped than a TiVo or even Windows Media Server."

Life's Lessons

Red Rabbit from Egmont Mayer on Vimeo.

I do believe that all I need to know I learned from short films. This one is about the things you hide keeping you from living. See, know you know, you are smarter, and it was in a pleasing format.

Mama took the Kodachrome away

Kodak announced today that they will discontinue the most senior of their color slide film: Kodachrome. Kodachrome amounts to less than 1% of the color slide film sold today, but it is a huge majority of the "nice bright colors" of the National Geographic archives and of many photographic collections. Check out a slideshow tribute to Kodachrome (including the photo of "Afghan Girl" on the cover of National Geographic in June 1985 by Steve McCurry) here.

Little Pinkie Campaign, RTA Australia

In Australia the RTA launched a "little pinkie"-campaign including women crooking their little fingers at young men in fast cars (the 'little pinkie' hand gesture infers the men have small penises).

Very Much

This may be my favorite song ever. Video post production is also great. Found it over at Fubiz. Yes it's in French but you don't need to read it, the video is three images down and in English. Have your speakers low, you've been warned.

Stinger

Despite the first time ever release, the video for the cards is great, nothing better than putting something up you can't look away from, card tricks and slight of hand is definitely one of those things. The photography on the site isn't bad either.

Dirty Pleasure

Emphasis on dirty.

One Hot Shop to Watch

Spillt 2009 Summer Reel from Spillt on Vimeo.

These guys are doing some truly amazing work with motion design.
The ‘09 Spillt reel is jam packed with new work, created with tender love and animation goodness. Hope you enjoy and give us a holler for all your motion design/animation needs. We manage everything from concept to final delivery.

The judges for this year's Annual Show loved 'em and we do too.
Check Spillt out here.

Scream Scram, Call for Art

The Scream Scram is a chance for your artwork to be displayed. Illustrators and designers, here is your opportunity to design for a non-profit, 5k annual race held to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and other charities. Your artwork will be displayed on t-shirts, entry forms, in PR materials and on a mobile billboard at the event.

Award Show - Judging Blitz

I want to take a moment to personally thank everyone who took time to help us this weekend with the judging of this year's entries for the Annual Award Show. With close to 450 entries, it was a daunting task, but we had a great team and the judges were awesome and insightful.

If you haven't taken part in this, we should talk about next year. 

So, a round of applause goes out to:

The Judges

Ty Hutchinson, Bryan Jessee, Bart Cleveland and Chase Jarvis

The Volunteers

Leigh Anne Dunbar

Don Cudney

Nick Mucilli

Jay Roth

Tonya Roth

Yvonne Kroenke

E. Y. Spritzer

Russ Markowski

James Pelz

Bryce Boyer

Matt Ingwalson

Craig Korn

Scott Lary

David Pahl

Mark Stevens

Steve Sokolik

Jeffrey Nelson

and RMCAD for use of their wonderful facilities and staff. Thanks everyone, couldn't do it without you.

Chris

Meaning of Life

I was first put-off by the stop motion, but I think they will bring added dimention. This does look to be really good.

The film's first special engagements will show on June 19th at the Landmark Nuart in LA, and the Landmark Sunshine in NYC, with more cities and dates to follow. I'm really looking forward to seeing this new collaboration between director Tatia Rosenthal and writer Etgar Keret. The use of claymation and stop-motion animation juxtoposed with a unique storyline gives me much promise that this will be a memorable film (and best on the big screen).

Check out it's site here.

Fallen Pricesses

Really love this idea from photographer Dina Goldstein.

I began to imagine Disney's perfect Princesses juxtaposed with real issues that were affecting women around me, such as illness, addiction and self-image issues.

Check out more shots at her site.

Chase Jarvis Reminder

A couple times each year I tear myself away from making stuff and blowing it and getting run over by cars for long enough to do a couple keynote talks. One of those times is this Friday in Denver. Open to the general public. Focus is on creativity.

What: Chase Jarvis Keynote Address
Date: Friday, June 12
Time: 6pm gather, 7pm start
Location: Denver Newspaper Auditorium
Details: www.ADCD.com

ALSO wanted to let you know Chase is having an expressly casual Chase Jarvis SOCIAL Thursday 6/11 (tomorrow) in Boulder. All are welcome. Fan him on Facebook or follow me on Twitter to find out time and place.

Lastly, in case you missed 'em, he made some fun of himself and did some laughable (er..dubious) teaser vids for this talk here and here. Low and behold, an ol' pal McNally followed it up with this funny parody.

Hope to see you at one or both.

This Sums It Up

Bad graphic and really long, but on point and very informative. I will continue to see this as an opportunity, as soon as someone can figure out how to use it.

Good Dogs Gone Bad

Prolam Y&R Santiago, Santiago, Chile

S.H.Y.N.E.S.S.

Oooohhh, the bloggers are just gonna love this. Since when did browsers need to advertise?

A Vodka Movie by Zach Galifianakis, Tim and Eric

These have been out a while, but they are genius. I think. "The audience will be talking about your product!", the agency says. Either way, found these while listening to NPR's Talk of the Nation. As I understand it, they were commissioned by Absolut, and Zach had full creative license. Enjoy, or ingest. Either way. They are popular, or at least, when was the last time you were approaching 1 Mllion hits for your video?

Poker, Had to Post

The images are great, the idea is a bit older. Either way, very well executed. DDB, Paris, France

Bug Eyes

Not sure why i haven't seen this before, it seems so simple and clean, not to mention the target of children. I imagine it works very well.

Final Teaser for Chase Jarvis

June 12th, RSVP NOW!

Straw

I believe this to be good advertising, unless you consider completely interrupting someone's experience by advertising bad. Either way the visual seems staged to me for some reason. Fischer Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal

Social Media Venn Design

Finally, laid out in a clear manner of where to place your brand. It's so simple now. Get the T-shirt from Despair for $19.99.

Scenes from a rooftop

Scenes from a rooftop from Paul Johannessen on Vimeo.

This isn't new, but it is pretty. Besides, I couldn't look away, which must mean it is at the very least interesting. I'm just sitting here waiting for someone to put a concept to it instead of it just being pretty to look at. But until then... I'll still enjoy the art.

Tea Time

This is where the future of augmented reality is going, no not bad video, but surprises in packaging. Would have liked to see more of this, better song though.

Give a little more

Simple idea with a wonderful execution. AUFBRUCH, Duesseldorf, Germany

What have you done today?

Ask yourself, what have you done today? Direct? Produced? Animate? Compose? All the above? The Dead Pirates track, Wood, directed by Mcbess & Simon and produced by The Mill. Mcbess, whose real name is Matthieu Bessudo, did not simply co-direct this animated promo with fellow director at The Mill Simon Landrein – he wrote and recorded the track under The Dead Pirates moniker, and he also provided the illustrations for the video too.

Love Hate, The Ever Changing Book

Brilliant concept, implementation. New thinking.

Warmer, Fuzzier: The Refreshed Logo

Sunday, 5/30/09 New York Times by Bill Marsh

The world economy is in mid-swan dive. Wallets are in lockdown. So how does a company get people to feel just a little bit better about buying more stuff? (And perhaps burnish a brand that has taken some public relations lumps?)

Behold the new breed of corporate logo — non-threatening, reassuring, playful, even child-like. Not emblems of distant behemoths, but faces of friends.

Axe

Brilliant, sexist, sure. But when has talking about personal hygiene ever been about anything else.

Island Adventure

This has a lot going for it. Stop Motion, vintage signage, typography. All the right ingredients to help a rainy Monday Morning. Director Chris Gavin

Twelve Hours

New thinking in a highly attractive medium.