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Let's Talk About Stuff.
Our Blog
Our goal in posting our blogs is three fold: To introduce timely industry news that is relevant to our clients; to post items we find interesting and entertaining, and finally, to give you a glimpse of TSW US “Behind the Curtain”. We take the business aspects of what we are doing very seriously, but we like to have fun, hopefully that shines through here.
Our Blog is a puzzle being assembled. Sometimes the individual pieces of the puzzle don’t look like the whole picture once completed – You have to keep adding pieces one at a time to make the image clear. We hope you keep coming back to see how the TSW US puzzle takes shape.
Art Tuesday Artists Business Cards
It is Art Tuesday at Elarbee Media, and today we are posing a question. "How do artists see themselves?"
Often when you meet the artist behind a piece of work, it can be very surprising. They can be larger than life or surprisingly reserved despite what they will reveal through their craft.
Most intriguing is how they present themselves in their marketing. We think the business card for S.D. Meadows not only captures the spirit of the Art produced, but gives you a glimpse at the character of the man.
This is the best business card we have seen in quite a while (and we design a lot of them). It captures the character of the artist, but allows him to transact business as well.
Power of Imagery - Rorschach Plate VI
In our Power of Imagery segment we have been posting images of our Rorschach plates. We have a beautiful vintage collection here in the office.
in print advertising, there is little that is more important than an image. Ad copy is important, messaging is crucial, but you have to get the attention of the consumer before you can try to sell them the product.
Plate VI in the Rorschach test is an attention grabber. Black and white with one strong central image, It would make a great ad layout with all of the white space.
Sentimental Sunday - Sunday Comics and Silly Putty
We often feel nostalgic at Elarbee Media, so we thought we would introduce a theme called Sentimental Sunday. Today we are focusing on the Sunday comics.
It doesn't seem like so long ago when the Sunday Comics were one of the key features of a kid's weekend; Saturday morning cartoons, and Sunday comics. They are good for everything from wrapping presents to creating a superb transfer on your Silly Putty.
As an adult, they offer both Art and wit in a single forum. What is their relevance today though? With newspaper readership declining or migrating online, where will the Sunday Comics be in the mix for the future?.
Often, when concepts are transferred to an online format, they become more pervasive, but less relevant, It will be sad to lose the wry humor, creativity and artistic talent the comics represent.
And,,,Silly Putty doesn't work on a computer screen.
Cocktail Friday Lone Star Bottle Cap #181
It is Cocktail Friday at Elarbee Media and we are posting Lone Star Beer's bottle cap brain teaser #181. Why? Because we drink a lot of Lone Star, and we have a lot of bottle caps to go through.
Seriously though, we love the Lone Star bottle caps because they create engagement. Pictures get posted and tagged by the faithful, and are even sold as Art on Etsy.
When pictures of the inside of your beer brand's bottle caps are considered "Art", you have built a successful grassroots campaign. Cheers Lone Star!
Throwback Thursday Chanel No 5
It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and we want to highlight this 1972 perfume ad from Chanel. It is so simple and elegant it could almost be from any era. In comparison to other ads of the period, it seems so subtle. That is the reserve that Chanel has employed so consistently to maintain brand integrity.
Wit & Wisdom Wednesday - Riding Ahead of the Herd
If you're riding ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there. -- Old West Proverb
It is Wit & Wisdom Wednesday at Elarbee Media. We love this Old West Proverb, and think it is perfectly applicable for business. Competition drives us to innovate and push forward to make sure we are the "front-runner" in our industry. Is that really wise?
Taking the lead means putting yourself out there and taking all the risk. Often watching the testing other peer companies are doing allows you to garner critical knowledge on what is performing and what is not. Watching and tracking does not require a significant investment from your own coffers.
If you are the leader, look back over your shoulder to see who is following your lead, and what edits they are making to refine your process. It is often easier to edit effectively than it is to create.
Art Tuesday Nicolin and Suggestive Art
It is Art Tuesday at Elarbee Media, and this week we are featuring one of brighter pieces. This signed print is by Charlotte Nicolin, a Swedish born artist that we know from Montreal. Her art focuses on nature and the marine world. This picture is titled "The Kiss" , not to be confused with the Gutsav Klimt masterpiece.
It is playful, colorful and suggestive. We can't help thinking Rorschach, The provocative nature of the picture is not subtle, but it is offset by the addition of the kissing frogs.
Modern advertising campaigns tend to lack subtlety all together offering no offset, Does that lead to more engagement or better recall?
Tombstones for Media
Parent’s Pediatrician Pack is the latest media to die off. In a feature we call Tombstones for Media, we highlight the demise of print media channels, and offer options for replacing the circulation. Parent’s Pediatrician Pack carried offers to the Parents of young children with the implied endorsement of the health care provider distributing the information. Our strongest recommendation for replacing this circulation is American Baby’s co-op envelope offerings.
Online Ad Blocking Trend
A new study by PageFair and Adobe has found a staggering growth in the number of Ad blocking users. Ad blocking refers to various software programs which block known online advertisement servers. The study found Ad blocking usage in the United States grew by 48% during the past year, increasing to 45 million users during Q2 2015. Ad blocking in Europe grew by 35% to 77 million users. The estimated global revenue loss due to Ad blocking software will surpass $21 billion in 2015.
Study Link: http://downloads.pagefair.com/reports/2015_report-the_cost_of_ad_blocking.pdf
Cocktail Friday the White Bat
It is cocktail Friday at Elarbee Media, and we are rounding out this week's bat theme with a White Bat Cocktail. To make a White Bat, you will need the following ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Bacardi white Rum
1/2 oz Kahlua coffee liqueur
1 1/2 oz milk
3 oz Coca-Cola
Instructions:
1) Build all ingredients in a glass over ice
2) Stir and serve
Cheers!