Usually I’ve not subscribed to the theory that if all the other kids are doing it, I should be doing it too.

As examples I never smoked, drank or did drugs. I’m not better than anyone who does those things (although I think its a rare case where I may be considered smarter) but I just never felt the need to fit in socially with such crutches. My obnoxious personality has always seen me through.

But lately as I have been studying Twitter, I did develop a case of wallpaper envy. You see for some reason (and for the life of me I cannot figure out why this happened) I clicked on CC Chapman’s Twitter home page and saw his very attractive wallpaper that he obviously created (you have to sign in to see it).

It occurred to me that this might be yet another example of a fad or trend that I had been completely oblivious to so I checked Chris Brogan’s, Leesa Barnes’ and Christopher S. Penn’s pages.

Yup, fancy, cool, well branded wallpapers on all of them.

I was yet again late for lunch; I had missed the bus, I was an east coaster working on Central time. Action had to be taken.

Well I slogged through about 20 me-made designs that technically and artistically looked like crap (clearly all the aforementioned have Macs) before I yelled “uncle” and called Ann Hackett over at aHa designs to bail me out of my pathetic state. She did.

OK, so I’m “me too” on this one. But doesn’t the page look subtle and smashing? Why, it’s Twitterific!

Tags: advertising, branding, commentary, marketing, social media, social networking, twitter by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
1 Comment »

If you hadn’t heard, Pepsi (my primary drink of choice) is going through a rebranding process.

The change, across all the soda’s brands, was leaked last week. If you caught my post on Twitter, I forewarned you.

There’s been a boatload of money thrown at this change, believe it.

It’s um, not good.

Now while I don’t care for the re-design, I do heart how they are tying in the digital world to promote it. This is a good use of public relations and social media. And no I am no offended that as a life long dedicated Pepsi drinker I didn’t get this Pepsi Care package. I know my place in the social media world (2nd from the bottom) and I’m cool with it.

Oh and Pepsi, who also owns Tropicana Orange Juice, is completely re-branding that line as well (this I like a bit better). Look for the new designs on a store shelf near you soon.

Full details from Brand New on Pepsi and Tropicana.

UPDATE:
Here is a video highlighting the old looks and the new looks. The side by side comparisons make the new design look even worse to me.

Tags: advertising, branding, commentary, logo design, social media by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
1 Comment »

I’ve never been to London but I know the logo for London’s Underground. With a tip of the popular audio’connell baseball cap to designboom for the head’s up, the logo (whose shape turns out to have a proper name: roundel) was the work of the late arts and crafts calligrapher Edward Johnston in 1917. Architect Charles Holden began incorporating Johnson’s sign design within the distinctive underground stations Holden designed from the 1920s.

This is a great example of why I love the internet, blogs and RSS. I wasn’t thinking about any of this before I read it this morning but now I am so pleased that I know it.

Yes, I am a geek but you don’t have to point it out to me 😉

Tags: branding, commentary, logo design, marketing by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
1 Comment »

I was on Google tonight and came across a web site tonight, of reasonable design, offering voice overs for under $100 and quick turnaround.

Competition is fine but low-ballers like this individual and his compatriots disgust me because I think it cheapens our industry and further confuses potential clients on price.

Searching further on the site I see this person (whom I do not know) is actually within a couple of hours drive of me and has a number of misspellings on his site.

In spite of my disgust I find myself beginning to type an email explaining his misspellings because it looks unprofessional.

Then I stop.

While at first it seemed like the right thing to do, I decided that someone whose business model I do not at all respect does not deserve professional assistance from me as I might normally do for someone in the industry I consider a peer.

I may have become an elitist voice over talent. Not elite, elitist.

Doesn’t he have a right to run his business as she sees fit? Maybe she’s got small children to feed.

But deep discount voice over pricing is wrong and I know this down to my very core.

Should I have helped this person with an email about the errors I easily found or should I have walked away, like I did, because I think his business model is a bad one?

I need clear direction on this. I may ignore your advice in the end based on pure Irish stubbornness but for the moment I know I should listen.

Please state your case below. Thanks.

Tags: branding, commentary, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
13 Comments »

The periodic table of elements is a staple of most high school educated Americans. Likely the rest of the world has learned about the table in kindergarten.

But I have not every seen the table segue into the branding and marketing arenas until now.

Kudos to Kolbrener USA for this very creative and insightful take on their periodic table of marketing and branding.

Scroll around, you may get answers to marketing definitions you were embarrassed to ask about.

Tags: advertising, branding, marketing by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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