Muse: Detroit

Often, the best artistic inspiration comes from heartbreak, and Detroit is an incredible muse.

- Colleen Hill, Pixelgawker

House Industries

House Industries
We don’t claim to be the best type designers, illustrators, letterers or graphic artists, but we do a damn good job of combining those disciplines and incorporating the tastiest bits of culture into everything we do.

These guys are awesome. Yep.

Puddingmedia. Gross.

This is just about the most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard.

Mashable: Puddingmedia
In the same way that Gmail matches ads to your email conversations, Pudding Media will match ads to phone conversations.

I don’t see this happening at all, unless they discover a society of people willing to get punched in the face for a dollar.

David Esrati for Congress

Speaking of the internet’s giant role in politics, a great Ad man (of The Next Wave) and colleague in Dayton, Ohio is running for congress. He announced mid-December.

Congress: David Esrati for Congress
I hope that my open campaign, utilizing the Internet and Web 2.0 technology, along with the power of true ideas- can not only power this campaign to win, but that we can bring the disenfranchised and disgusted back into the fold.

And Ernie Schenck, author of The Houdini Solution and big-time Ad man himself, is spreading the word.

David puts it best here:

Ernie Schenck Calls This Advertising?: Esrati For Congress. Or Else.
I’ve used my personal blog to share my ideas for a better future for the last three years- it’s my intention to continue to use this technology to keep in touch with the people I hope to represent.

Hope that gets you started into the web of articles and information encircling his run for office. It’s a new day in politics. A great time for change.

Dare I say … The Next Wave?

Handmade Advertising

Here is a very neat-looking, handmade TV spot for Beringer, a wine company. Publicis & Hal Riney, San Francisco chose the perfect music for the spot. It has a simple, almost “jerky” adolescence about it, which completely works with the childlike paper environment it creates.

I found this commercial because today, I met with Matthew Bunk, of Daniel Brian & Associates. What a fabulous place, (I’m not trying to fluff anyone’s feathers.) We had a good conversation, from which I remembered to check out NOTCOT.com. It’s a really neat site, full of inspiration and lovely, creative things. Like paper vineyard commercials.

Wes Anderson Directs Commercials

I love me some Wes Anderson.

Here is a spot he directed, for AT&T.

Here is a more biographical spot he directed, for American Express.

Before those, he directed a Dasani water commercial with the agency, Anomaly. He’s also directed commercials for Sony and IKEA.

Inspired by American Copywriter.

Daniel Brian & Associates

There is an advertising agency in Rochester, Mi. It’s called Daniel Brian & Associates. Everyday, their people create campaigns and communication materials for clients. What sets them apart?

Their Mission:

1. God is the source of all creativity and the only authority above a client.
2. Love is the only rule. All others were made to be broken.
3. Character is the beginning of all success. For this reason, we will never intentionally lie to a client or for a client.

What? Really?

They are way ahead of most agencies, with such a strong mission (or a mission at all).

If they were a football team, I would be their painted, foam-fingered #1 fan.

curve | detroit

I found a new agency to crush on: check it out!
curve | detroit — advertising · marketing · packaging · design

They’re looking for a graphic design intern, (click if you’re a design rockstar looking for a band).

Berline Advertising

There is an advertising agency called Berline, located at 70E. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

When I looked them up and arrived at my first interview back in January, I found myself at their old location. It was the only address available on the internet.

(In case you’re on your way there now…)

Anyway, when I met Mr. Berline, I asked him why on earth they didn’t have a website. His reply was something like, “We don’t have time to make one, and we’re not worried about it.” I raised my eyebrows.

It’s a busy place…

Every business needs a great website!  People are on the internet… a lot. It’s how everyone finds information, these days. (Yellowpages are dead, really.) I’m sure they will get their site up and running eventually, but wanted to make a point.

Update 10/27/07: They have a site under construction.

Maybe they could just get a WordPress blog, update it every once in a while, and watch their rank rise?