Logo Montage of Z-100 New York

If you worked in radio in the 80’s, WHTZ/New York was the station that every CHR station (Contemporary Hit Radio) wanted to sound like.

It was where the cool kids hung out. Jingle companies fawned over them tossing them completely new customized and awesome jingles because they knew they’d make their money when every other station in the free world bought them for top dollar. See if these these don’t sound familiar to a market near year where only the frequency and slogan are slightly modified.

My point is once a trend setter, always a trendsetter…until you’re not. Z-100 still turns heads although the 80’s also-ran WPLJ-FM took the lead (and Scott Shannon) away to even things out a bit.

So when Z-100 changes its logo, unlike other radio stations, it matters a bit. You are more like to see those top two logos pop up in other cities around the country – radio as an industry is inventive, once. Then its copy city after that.

So what do you think of the new icon? Or do you have to hear the station to see if it fits?

The playing field is a bit more level today then it was when I was working as a jock but don’t be surprised if you start seeing similar logos to the top two in the graphic above in your market soon. Once a trend setter, always a trendsetter…until you’re not.

Tags: branding, broadcasting, commentary, logo design, marketing, radio by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Technically, you could rightly say: “not a new network”, because The Oprah Winfrey Network has been around a while. But when the billionairese decides to fold up shop on her 25 year old talk show to focus on her network, certainly one can be assured new blood is about to be infused into the broadcast.

So with such an infusion comes a bigger focus on branding which usually means a new logo and there it sits.

As always, remember that a TV logo stays static only on the stationary and that I’m guessing they have loads of movement and animation ideas for this concept.

Your thoughts? You like? You dislike? Did Oprah hit a home run on this logo or did she merely rob a paint store?

Tags: branding, broadcasting, commentary, logo design, marketing, tv by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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On the left - the old-new logo. On the right - the dead logo

OK, see last week Gap Stores changed their logo. If you have any kind of life, you probably didn’t even know this.

That was the story…until the story became how much everyone hated it.

No, I don’t mean didn’t like it, I mean hated it.

Then the company said it was an ‘evolutionary’ logo – not exactly a vote of confidence for the logo design team.

Then the corporate folks said they’d take suggestions from the public.

Then they corporately said “screw it” and they went back to the original logo.

There is probably a huge marketing lesson in there somewhere.

I prefer to believe that it was simply common sense prevailing.

That is all….for now.

Tags: advertising, branding, logo design, marketing by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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I came across this video produced by the design firm Chermayeff & Geismar. It’s really impressive.

It takes some of their most famous logo designs (and there are lots of them) and morphs them into a cool video montage. The video has been around a while but its new to me so maybe its new to you too.

Not only is it entertaining but it’s also effective marketing although by the looks of their clients and their great work, you’d think securing new business isn’t so much a problem.

Tags: animation, branding, logo design, marketing, video by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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The one that started it all, Podcamp Boston, will celebrate its fifth anniversary this Saturday and Sunday, September 25 & 26, 2010 at the Microsoft N.E.R.D. Center (yes, you read that right).

That’s the good news. The bad news is it looks to be sold out and there is a wait list for tickets. So I guess blog posts like these for their event don’t seem so necessary anymore.

Well, good luck to all involved anyway.

Tags: blogs, branding, community, facebook, google, internet, linkedin, marketing, podcampboston, podcasting, social media, social networking, technology, twitter, yahoo, youtube by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Father and son voice actors Donald and Kiefer Sutherland

People ask me alot about how I succeed in my search engine optimization, why I seem to be alot of places on the web and “how do you do that?”

It involves pixie dust and eye of newt, to be sure 😉 but I think a better example would be a recent experience I had that describes it pretty well.

I subscribe to Google Alerts with a bunch of key words – I want to know what those words uncover on the web for me.

One of those terms is voice over talent (because I is one, ya know).

Reading a day’s post headlines in the Google Alerts, I was directed to the blog for the very popular advertising agency, Wieden+Kennedy New York who evidently have the Delta Airlines account. Following its merger with Northwest Airlines, Delta is now the nation’s (or world’s or galaxy’s) biggest airline.

Anyway, the agency has a blog (oooo, is that social media at work? hint) and they did a post about their recent TV spots for Delta. These spots feature the voice over genius of Donald Sutherland.

Damn those Sutherland boys (Donald and Kiefer), I just KNOW that every spot they were picked for, I was the client’s SECOND choice for voice talent. I just know it! You’d think those boys could say no once and a while! 😉

Anyway so I watch the spots and they are magnificent. They are well shot (in black and white no less), well edited, superbly written and the voiceover is as I said genius. You can see them at the end here. I say that not only as a marketing, advertising and voice over professional but also as a frequently flyer and not always on Delta.

So bringing this back to the lesson:

* With a free subscription to Google Alerts to find information that is customized for my likes

* I found a blog post to a major advertising agency’s blog (maybe they could be my client some day – why not?)

* Who produced some amazing TV spots that fill my creative mind with more ideas

* Which also included a wonderful voice over performance that I can also learn from

* And without even any of the parties knowing it (Delta Airlines, Wieden+Kennedy, Donald Sutherland and Kiefer Sutherland) I am telling you (and showing you) about their work which now makes it viral.

* If you share this story with even one more person it makes it more viral

And all of it is social.

Any questions?

Tags: advertising, blogs, branding, commentary, commercials, google, marketing, social media, travel, video, voice actors, voice casting, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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