BACK TO MAIN SITE

Hot of the Press. Nicole Schmidgall and Brent Sellers just mailed out their Save the Date Postcards. Check your mailbox to see if you were invited! If not, sorry about your luck but we hope you like the design of the cards!

Obviously, if you haven’t caught on yet, we don’t really do things “NORMAL” around here at CE Design Co. We are all about breaking rules and pushing the limits, especially when it comes to branding and advertising. So, because we are such rebels, we have decided to dedicate a category on our blog to what we will refer to as “RISKY” Advertising and Design. Be it a billboard, print ad, tv commercial, magazine cover or any other form of communication or design, we plan to highlight these risk takers as they come across our daily path. We would love for you to chime in too. When you see something RISKY, let us know. Send us a pict or upload it to our FB page (Risky FB Page). We want to showcase pieces that really push the limits, and that actually work because of it.

The first risk is right here. Seen at Publix Southgate, in Lakeland, Florida on the magazine rack. Who would leave this much space on a magazine cover. Why would you not completely pack as many words on as possible. These people at Newsweek are CRAZY.

Let’s face it… everyone today loves to gossip. People can’t wait to tweet about this or facebook about that. All people have to talk about anymore is what this person did or what that person didn’t do. In today’s culture, client referral programs are essential for making sure that your current customer spreads the word about your services in a positive way. They don’t always have to be the standard, boring, refer a friend type of deal, but they do need to have structure and you do need to have a plan. You need to give your current customer some sort of justification for spending their time talking about you. One way to make this happen is by having a creative and professional package that really allows for that wow. Keep it cost efficient. Keep it personalized to what you do. And most importantly, Keep it Cool. The more creative they are the more memorable they will be and the more buzz they will create.

Take a look at the client referral program we just created for Keith DeLoach at PFG Financial Advisors. Not only does it fully encompass his brand image but it is creative, with an underlying theme that two is always better than one. Overall we paired that with a coffee theme and we feel like Keith is completely getting a good bang for his buck.

Once Again, we need your opinion and we know you all love giving it! Let us know which one is your favorite. The logo is being designed for a mental health and yoga studio slated to open in Plant City in 2012. Once you vote, call us, we will send you a penny.

Basically I owe my life to one of my first bosses, Gary Bernloher of Florida Trend. He not only gave me the confidence that I needed to fly, but he taught me one of the most important keys to good design… KERNING. Kerning is the space between the letters when words are typed out. If a graphic designer doesn’t know what kerning is, they can’t work for CE Design Co. That’s the first question in the interview process. Kerning must be adjusted to achieve design that looks professional. Check out the next logo you see. If there’s unequal space between the letters, or a big gap between the “V” and the “O”, you can probably bet that baby was designed on 99designs.com. Logos and headlines are probably the two most important things that you have watch your kerning on.

One website puts it like this: The term kerning refers to adjusting the space between two letters. You have the ability to alter the space between letter pairs, making minute adjustments until your type looks just right.

That’s our lesson for today… so go ahead and get your KERN on.

Coming back to the office yesterday, I came across this innovative way of thinking that was implemented by what is clearly a very classy and sophisticated fruit stand. If you are from the Central Florida area, you would have to live under a rock not to have heard of “Winters & Yonkers”. These two guys have billboards, radio ads and commercials all over the place. Apparently the marketing company they are using definitely knows how to spread the word, but what they might lack is the follow up. Brand Management is not only about the way your logo is used, but also about how your advertising materials are distributed or for this matter, disposed of. I would like to think that the guys just trying to help out the little fruit stand across from the location of their billboard, but I am having a hard time convincing myself of that… I guess they might really have to get  aggressive.

About 3 months ago, armed with a box of pink donuts and high hopes, we approached Fred’s Market about being the marketing and advertising firm that they turned to on a regular basis. That might have been one of the most convincing box of donuts east of the Mississippi because since that day, we have stopped seeing green beans and turnip greens. We’ve created a new logo and identity campaign for their upcoming curbside takeout program. We’ve cleaned up their menus through skillful graphic design and organized typography. We have equipped them with an advertising campaign that highlights three of the most valuable characteristics from their company. Summed up… we’ve had a blast. It has been the perfect summer project. Above you will see a sampling of what we created. We’ve enjoyed jumpin’ in and gettin’ dirty… putting a twist on their current materials and bringing them up to speed with the look that they desired all along. We’ve given them a rustic, down-home, farm fed feeling that conveys the emotions you feel when you sit down with your family and dig into a big bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy. So strap on your boots and head on over… Fred’s waiting for ya.

Today is the day. Postmarked ontime!! The birds are taking flight and we will see if they have enough impact on the judges of the Sappi Ideas That Matter Grant. We will see if we were able to pull off receiving just under $50,000 to give the birds just a little boost. Here’s a description of what that project will entail if granted the funds:

Description of the Proposed Project:
The goal for Birds of Hope (BOH) is to provide brand management through the development of supporting brand materials, while helping to organize and enhance the overall image. Through the items requested, we would like to help BOH ease day to day operations, expand their already thriving product base, and cohesively work with a common goal of raising more funds.

One: Provide BOH with a Professional Brand Image through design and printing of a stationery package; organization, copywriting, and printing of a media kit; packaging for the current products; organization and printing of a merchandising kit; an online advertising budget; and bumper stickers. All items will aide in spreading the word about BOH.

Two: Launch of an Apparel Line. We would like to introduce an apparel line that compliments the newly created brand image. The launch of this new line will help create more income for BOH to donate to various non profit organizations. The newly created apparel line will include popular fits and also clearly communicate the message of hope through creative and witty design. The overall goal of the apparel line is to raise awareness while raising funds.

Three: Informative Ecommerce Website. The newly developed website will not only present an organized and informative front online for BOH, but it will act as a portal for business. The new site will include everything listed above for ease of operation.

Currently: CE Design Co. has developed a logo and website, as well as a few other pieces of supporting brand material for BOH. We have, however, been limited in terms of funds spent on photography, copywriting and printing. We feel if you are able to provide us with the grant to develop the materials listed above, BOH will be able to soar even higher than they already have.

Keep your fingers crossed and say alittle prayer… we sure hope that these birds will fly high!

Be sure to check out their website at www.BirdsOfHope.org or find them on FB!

Don’t worry… it’s not her mouse arm, but our sad little Sonya is down to one arm. Over the weekend she thought it would be a great branding move to represent CE Design Co. by wearing a hot pink branded cast everywhere she went. You should see all the attention she is getting! We will start suggesting this marketing move to all of our clients. Nope really she walked into her kitchen and tripped, catching herself with a wrist that just couldn’t hold up against the blow. Even though we prefer to think that she really just wanted to wear our brand on her sleeve, we wish her a speedy recovery in getting that cast removed. And you better believe that even though she’s only working with one arm, she shinin’ brighter than most others out there designin’.

Here again is another look at one of the things we love at CE Design Co. – Typography. This is something we gave you a sneek peak at a few weeks ago but are now able to unveil the piece in its full glory. Gotta love it… right? This was created for Johnson’s BBQ in Plant City, Florida. It’s a finger lickin’ good BBQ joint that serves up everything from pulled pork to fried pickles! Sometimes the south is good. As Brother Jimmy’s says “Put some south in your mouth”, this time with a side of typography.