Make Your Tagline Your Best Line.

by Jesse Mills on September 10, 2009

I define a tagline as: a clever association of words that convey the value of a company’s product or service in a short & memorable way. I can’t say if they will make or break a brand, but the best ones are catchy enough that they make their brands unforgettable. I went through a few of the taglines past & present that I can never forget:

“There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else there’s Mastercard.” – Mastercard

“The mind is terrible thing to waste.” – United Negro College Fund

“Just do it.” – Nike

  • Share/Bookmark

{ 1 comment }

Designer Symbolism, Rock Star Brand

by Jesse MillsSeptember 8, 2009

jvrock_DV_20090601112846_bepsokebranding

John Varvatos is an American brand that is true to modern innovation and rock n roll sensibilities. This summer they launched a new fragrance entitled, Rock Volume One, that has a scent that is as memorable as your favorite song. I was particularly intrigued by the symbolism and packaging of this product. The bottle includes engraved images of a crown icon, a guitar, the JV logo & The date of the brand’s conception. It’s kind of reminiscent of a cover of CD… The box’s branding is also consistent with music inspired elements and is influenced by a shape of a speaker.  With so much of fragrances having to do with the engagement of sensibilities, they did a great job of capitalizing on not only the scent, but also the tactile (touch & feel) of the product.

  • Share/Bookmark
Read the full article →

Romain Laurent : Commissioned Photography

by Jesse MillsSeptember 4, 2009

I know I said that Romain Laurent’s Tilt Photography is her best work, but in doing so I feel that I might of slighted some of her other remarkable work. So, here they are… commissioned (creative advertising) work samples from Romain Laurent:

romain_laurent_website_123fleurs_bespokebranding

{view larger images}

romain_laurent_website_handybag_bespokebranding

{view larger images}

42-16884720

{view larger images}

One of the hallmarks of a good creative author in any medium is the ability to master diversity in their work. She is able to balance witty consumer product advertisements while also being able to convey heavier messages concerning environmental sustainability. Her work is truly remarkable.

  • Share/Bookmark
Read the full article →

Romain Laurent : Tilt NYC Photography

by Jesse MillsSeptember 3, 2009

Romain Laurent is a remarkable photographer who has commissioned work for the likes of Coca-Cola, Nike & several other notable corporations,  but I think her New York Tilt Photography is one of her best collections to date:

rl_website_tilt04_romainlaurent_bespokebranding

{Large Image}

tilt_1_bespokebranding_romainlaurent

{Large Image}

tilt_4_bespokebrandinf_romainlaurent

{Large Image}

These photographs are simple and stunning all in the same breath. Laurent has a very clever perspective on NYC urban lifestyle.

For the brands that change the angle,

Jesse Mills
Brand Architect
M-Consulting
www.mconsultingfirm.com

Brand Strategy l Brand Design l Brand Development

  • Share/Bookmark
Read the full article →

Change the Way You See Entertainment, LED Contact Lenses

by Jesse MillsSeptember 2, 2009

ieee_arcontactlens_bespokebrandingThere are new developments for a contact lens designed to project screen images directly into your eyeball. Forget about scrunching up to the television to get a closer look… Forget about cleaning the thumbprints from your glasses… These LED lenses bring the image directly in your eyeball.

ieee_arcontactlens2_bespokebranding

This is a very progressive technology and Scientists at the University of Washington are actively conducting tests to measure the physical constraints and safety specifications. Once they gain clearance and pick up a provider to bring this product to market throw away your $5000 LED flat screen television (I’m just joking). However, it will be interesting to see how this developing technology, if brought to market, will effect other screened conventions in a few years.

  • Share/Bookmark
Read the full article →

The Roger Federer Monogram

by Jesse MillsSeptember 1, 2009

roger-federer-wimbeldon-jacket_bespokebrandingInstead of having the traditional logo developed on his signature line for Nike Roger Federer decided to get a bit more personal with a monogram. The monogram he is now sporting on his line actually originated from one that he was using on his own bespoke apparel. In order to forge a more intimate connection with fans through his line he wanted to collaborate with Nike’s consumer apparel design team to create elements of this symbol that can be branded exclusively on his line. In a recent New York Post article he shared, “For me, it’s important that a fan can buy something that is related to me,” he said. “Like in soccer, you buy a shirt and it’s got somebody’s name on the back. That’s kind of a cool thing.”

  • Share/Bookmark
Read the full article →

Commercial Space Travel for Virgin Galactic

by Jesse MillsAugust 31, 2009

Virgin.Galactic.Richard.Branson_bespokebrandingWith Nasa undergoing a number of budget cuts an increasing amount of it’s funding and innovative resources will be coming from non-governmental organizations. One of the  key initiatives these private organizations, mostly comprised of wealthy entrepreneurs and start-ups,  are seeking to implement include developments in manned, commercial space travel. Without having to rely on the governmental expenditures, these private organizations are thought to be more agile in the research and development of such programs and seem set to make a pretty handsome profit.

  • Share/Bookmark
Read the full article →

How Does The Internet Percieve Your Personal Brand?

by Jesse MillsAugust 28, 2009

Personas_BespokeBrandingWe all have some sort of a characterization about ourselves, but how does the worldwide web view us? Based on the information we publish online or others publish about us our online persona is establish. Whether it’s you or it is not you, someone or something is going to come up when you google your first name and last name. In a new website developed by the MIT Media Lab , entitled Personas, they are able to scour the Internet to create the online view of any users identity. They describe their new technology as, “sophisticated natural language processing that creates a portrait of ones aggregated online identity. In short, Personas shows you how the Internet sees you.”

  • Share/Bookmark
Read the full article →

Superhuman, Real Life X-Men

by Jesse MillsAugust 27, 2009

x-men_bespokebrandingWatching this show last night I thought I was watching a real life incarnation of the X-Men. The Superhuman series on the History Channel chronicles real life people that have abilities only typically seen on the silver screen.   The program profiles people that  the power to contort their bodies, hike mount Everest with boxer briefs on (with no frostbite), posses internal magnetism and many other “powers” that I thought were humanly unimaginable until now… The real hook for me was the scientific testing that they put each subject through. Something like this is really hard to write about, because you it is so out-of-this-world you really have to see it for yourself (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o89uOcUG2aE) or

  • Share/Bookmark
Read the full article →

AHH!!! – My Mother’s On Facebook Part:2

by Jesse MillsAugust 26, 2009

This video clip by Verizon does a great job of conveying my last post concerning the increasing social media consumption and engagement among boomers, so I had to do a part 2. Verizon has done a clever job of incorporating humor in a way that doesn’t overshadow their product. Sometimes I watch some of these funny advertisements, but in the midst of laughing so hard I fail to make a true connection with the brand. They were able take a balanced approach by utilizing humor in a way that features functional product benefits and use:

Verizon: Parent\’s Texting Commercial

  • Share/Bookmark
Read the full article →