The Basics of Typography

Paul Rand a famous graphic designer was quoted saying “Typography is an art. Good typography is Art.”

Typography is defined as the art or process of setting and arranging type for printing. However typography is used in so much more than just the printing process, it is any visual form of type. Web designs, e-blasts, and TV commercials all use the art of typography.

Type should never be neglected. In advertising, type can make or break a design. If type isn’t aligned properly, or if there are gaps and spacing issues it can completely throw off the project. One letter out of place can prevent the natural flow of a design. The human mind wants things to be orderly and patterned. When people see imperfections their eyes automatically navigate towards it. Good designers can use this principle to their advantage. Sometimes they will purposely put a letter or word out of place to help it get noticed.

Many businesses try to tell their whole story in their advertisements. They should remember to keep copy simple and to the point. It is difficult to make type look good is when there is an abundance of copy and only a little space to work with. A message doesn’t have to be a book to be effective – A picture is worth a thousand words. Copy should be simple, creative, strong, and have a powerful impact.

The following are some basic elements of typography.

Alignment – Left, Center, Right, or Justified

Typeface – Roman, Italic, Bold, light, Condensed, E x t e n d e d

Tracking – Kerning and Letter-spacing.

• Kerning is the adding or removing the space between 2 letters.
• Letter-spacing is the adding or removing of space between all the letters.

Leading – The white space between lines

The Importance of Taglines in Branding

What are taglines?

Taglines are a simple but powerful message that communicates your mission, goals, distinct qualities, and so much more. They should be simple enough to remember but powerful enough to communicate and direct emotion.  They can come in the form of questions, statements, or exclamations.

Unlike logos, taglines can easily be changed and updated as your company’s goals and products change. Updating taglines doesn’t hurt companies; instead it usually helps companies stay up to date, fresh, and focused.

There are some basic elements and guidelines (there are no rules) to creating great taglines. Taglines should be:

• Short, simple, and to the point
• Creative and original
• Express positive emotion
• Humorous – make them laugh!
• Persuasive and memorable

Look at the following taglines:

Just Do It.
You’re in good hands with Allstate. ^®
Got Milk? ^®
Flick my Bic. ^®
Have it your way. ^®
A diamond is forever. ^®
It keeps going, and going, and going… ^®
The power of dreams. ^®
Nothing runs like a Deere. ^®
They’re g-r-r-r-eat! ^®
Every kiss begins with Kay ^®
i’m lovin’ it ^®

You probably recognize most of these Taglines. These are just a few of the thousands of taglines you will see or hear everyday. Since the onset of radio and commercial television corporate taglines are prevalent in our everyday life. Companies are constantly trying to develop creative and catchy ideas. The more catchy the tagline the more chance it is going to get stuck in a potential client head.

The Importance of Your Logo in Branding

Establishing an image (branding) is essential to starting and succeeding in business. Developing a logo is one of the first important steps to branding. A logo is the graphic representation of a company and the services it offers. There is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. A logo should be able to speak volumes. It should convey the company’s identity, worth, and value.

A logo is always designed to appeal to your target demographic.  Elements such as style, color, font, theme, rhythm, repetition, etc. should be considered. For example, a garden center, marketing to older women, might consider a graphic representation of a non-descript plant, utilizing an elegant style with colors that appeal to women.

Once a logo has been developed and decided upon, it should stay consistent throughout all ads, packaging and branding. Because logos are meant to promote immediate recognition, frequently redesigning logos is harmful to a company’s image.  When people see a well-known logo such as NIKE, Coke, Pepsi, etc., they automatically recognize these companies, and although many of them have revised and perfected their logos through time, the general look of the logo has remained intact.

At Ad Cetera we create logos that are unique, stylish, and refined. We work hand in hand with the client through the design process, creating several different concepts. From first draft to finished product, we revise the design to fit the client’s needs.

What is Branding in Advertising?

Branding is the entire identity of a company. It differentiates a company’s products and/or services from other companies, and should be based on USPs (unique selling propositions).

Branding is a science; it is unique for every company, just like every person’s genetic makeup is unique. DNA is composed of just four different nucleic acids, but the way they are utilized makes each person’s qualities distinctly different. That analogy may seem like a stretch, but it’s actually not. With branding, although the same colors, shapes, fonts, etc. are used by all, the combination of these tools creates an identity for a company that is completely its own.

Every aspect of advertising and marketing is a facet of branding. Branding consists of the following and so much more – logo, tagline, business cards, letterhead, collateral, website, radio jingles e-blasts, commercials, videos, billboards, posters, packaging – you name it, branding must be consistent AND unique to each company.  Branding is the entire creative process from implementation to execution. Think about one of your favorite products or services. How does that product or service make you “feel”? The emotions, thoughts, or perceptions that are connected to each product, service AND the company as a whole comprise the brand.

When considering branding, think about what you want to convey to your clients. Develop your message and remember to stay consistent.

In Advertising, The Client Is Always Right…Even When You’re Convinced They’re Wrong.

In the business world, we all know that the client is “always right”. However, to what extent should you  willingly agree with everything the client says? In the advertising field, the answer to that question is “It just depends.”  Most clients are not marketing and advertising professionals.  That’s why they hired you. On the other hand, it’s their money and they can do with it as they see fit.

Ad agencies spend much of their life in a constant state of learning. They spend years perfecting advertising using the highest standards, while still keeping their campaigns unique. Since many clients are not in the creative field, they have not spent much time learning about advertising.  Because of this, clients hire ad agencies to create their business branding and marketing campaigns. They implicitly trust their agency to get their business noticed in a cluttered advertising world.

However, this “perfect world” for advertisers is not always possible. Not all clients are willing to trust the professionals that they hire. Many clients control the design and marketing process. They suggest graphical touches such as large red starbursts that say “SALE,” neon purple banners that say “SPECIAL,” and perhaps a random photo of a kitten because it looks cute. This is all well and good except when it’s an ad for…let’s say shoes, not cat food.

As an advertising agency, we are not here to be YES people. We are here to advise. But we are definitely NOT here to argue. We can only push the envelope so far. If you’re so convicted that you’re right to the point of risking losing the client, you might as well go ahead and kiss that client “Goodbye.” And think about this: Do you REALLY know everything? Clients don’t get where they are by being stupid. The client/agency relationship is a partnership. Sometimes we have to swallow our pride, abandon our vision and let the client take the wheel. Sometimes clients’ ideas actually work even though we are convinced they won’t. And believe it or not, sometimes kittens on ads can pack in a crowd at that shoe store.  Who knew?

Service Mark (SM) Trouble

By Bonica Brown

I had been working on sending out an HTML Email blast for a client. In this Eblast they needed to have their name followed by a service mark(℠). This is when the trouble started.

A service mark (SM) is a superscripted symbol used in the U.S. to show that the preceding name is a trademark for a service. The ® symbol replaces the service mark once it has been federally registered with the U.S Patent office.

With some Googling I found the Unicode for the (SM) – U+2120.  Looking further I found the HTML code for (SM) is – & #8480;. That looked simple enough, and I put the code into the Eblast. However, after testing, I soon discovered that not all systems are able to recognize the HTML element for (SM).

One of the reasons for this is that every computer is installed with a variety of fonts, and although most are universal, not all of those fonts carry the (SM) symbol. (Most contain ® and ™ but (SM) is not as common.) Another problem is that every Internet browser reads HTML coding a little differently.

With more Googling I found other designers had this issue. Some tried to use CSS styles to make the font smaller and superscript it. They had issues with the (SM) being too pixilated. Or when they tried to open it in other browsers such as IE they got (SM)’s that would superscript it into a tiny font that aligned to the middle of their normal text!

In the end I discovered that it was nearly impossible to have a HTML superscripted (SM) symbol show up for everybody who received the Eblast. I converted the (SM) to an image, thus solving the problem of it not showing up (unless of course they don’t have the option to view images on the email).

Public and Media Invited to Dallas’ Fall TV Premier Party

Alliance for Women in Media – Dallas/Ft. Worth Chapter Sponsors Annual Event

Dallas, Texas – July 22, 2011 – The Alliance for Women in Media – Dallas/Ft. Worth Chapter, a non-profit organization devoted to advancing the impact of women in electronic media, announced today the hosting of this year’s Fall TV Premier Party on Thursday, July 28 at the Granada Theater on Greenville, in Dallas.

The much-anticipated event will feature live presentations and raffle prizes, along with high-impact video trailers of upcoming shows, behind-the-scenes footage and “inside information” rarely seen. Attendees will learn which shows have been cancelled, which have been renewed and what new concepts are being launched in the fall.

This year marks the first time the event is open to the public. The Fall TV Premier Party has been a tradition for decades, but has previously been limited to industry professionals. This change is the result of overwhelming interest in the event from all walks of life.

Stacie Martin, AWM President, describes the event as “non-stop entertainment and exclusive ‘first peak’ opportunities that will captivate industry professionals and anyone who’s an avid or even casual TV viewer.” She continued, “We are especially excited about opening up the event to the public for the first time. The Fall TV Premier Party has been a fantastic tradition in our industry and we’re confident the public will have a great time!”

The Fall TV Premier Party will begin at 5:30PM, Thursday, July 28, and will end at approximately 8:00PM. The event will take place at the Granada Theater at 3524 Greenville Avenue in Dallas.

Tickets are $10 for students, $25 for AWM members and $35 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased online at www.allwomeninmedia-dfw.org or at the door, with a $5 convenience fee.

To learn more about the event or The Alliance for Women in Media, visit allwomeninmedia-dfw.org.

About The Alliance for Women in Media
The Alliance for Women in Media leverages the promise, passion and power of women in all forms of media. Formerly known as American Women in Radio & Television, AWM is the longest‐established professional association dedicated to advancing women in media and entertainment, and will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2011. The Alliance for Women in Media carries forth its mission by educating, advocating and acting as a resource to its members and the industry at large via inspired thought leadership that illuminates areas of societal need.

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No Excuses…

by Carol Thompson

Even though their songs were sometimes dark, e.g. “Man in the Box,” I am still a fan of the now defunct band “Alice in Chains.” One of my favorites is “No Excuses.” It’s a departure from many of the grunge “whiner” songs of the 90s that blame everyone else for their negative self-images or circumstances. Whine, whine, whine. I’m glad that particular music genre seems to be a thing of the past, at least for now.

Okay, so it sounds like this article is going to be about rock ‘n roll. As I can’t think of a segue that doesn’t sound cheesy, let me just say that it’s not; it’s about excuses. I learned early on in this business that when it comes to mistakes – even ones that are not your fault – there are no excuses, only solutions. From three different perspectives, i.e. employer, agency and client, no one knows this better than I do.

In today’s economy, you either excel or you fail. You either provide the finest products and services possible or you can kiss your business “goodbye.” And you either man up and take the blame for anything that goes wrong or you become a whiner and lose your client. Granted, with Murphy’s Law, there will always be mistakes, but there should never be excuses. Clients don’t want to hear them and I don’t want to hear them from either employees or vendors.

Speaking of vendors, let me give you some examples of common excuses I often hear:

1. “Our equipment broke down. We’ll have it up and running soon and when we do, we’ll make you first priority.” (This after several attempts to find out why the project isn’t complete.)

2. “It wasn’t my fault! So and so did this or that and it caused that or this.” (Great, thanks for wasting your time and mine. So what’s your point????)

3. And my all-time favorite: “I’m sorry I didn’t get to that sooner, Carol. I was doing a big project for XYZ Company and stayed up half the night trying to finish it.” (I’m not as important as XYZ Company. Good to know! I feel so special now!!!)

There are a million excuses, and many of them may be justified. But excuses are irrelevant. You can briefly give me reasons…then tell me how you plan to solve the problem.

I won’t go into excuses from an employer perspective. I’ve heard them all, and I listen and try to understand. But at the end of the day, just tell me how you’re going to make it right. I’m fairly certain that we’re all on board with this philosophy now, and we act accordingly.

From an agency perspective, either I take full responsibility or my client begins to question whether we’re the right agency for them after all. At Ad Cetera, we truly strive to provide the highest standards of excellence in terms of both service and quality. Yes, that sounds like a mission statement, but it IS our mission. Anything less is unacceptable. There’s really only one perspective, and that is to solve the problem, not excuse it.

Taglines, Revisited…

by Carol Thompson

Recently I presented a new tagline to a room full of people. Everyone loved it, including one individual. Let’s call her Persimmon. Why? I don’t know; she kind of reminds me of a persimmon. So Persimmon liked my tagline. What she absolutely HATED was that it had both a comma and a period She loudly exclaimed, “Taglines never have punctuation!”  I said that I’ve never heard that rule in my entire career. She then even more loudly exclaimed, “I think I  know what I’m talking about! I do this for a living!”  Rather than explain that I also do this for a living, I simply Googled famous taglines on my computer, and told her that I was looking at a whole page full of them with punctuation. She continued to loudly exclaim that taglines never have punctuation. As I’m accustomed to situations that can lead to potential conflict (but never comfortable with them), I just let it go. Had I participated….well,  you know how those things go. I don’t need to elaborate on the “what ifs” in this case.

However, since she’s no longer here to erroneously set me straight in front of a room full of people, I’m going to give you just a few examples:  For starters, “Just Do It.”  And of course there’s “You’re in Good Hands with Allstate.” How about this one? “Got Milk?” I could go on and on, but the bottom line is, when it comes to taglines there a few hard and fast rules  but NOT many. And no punctuation isn’t one of them.

In fact, as I mentioned in a previous post,  Geico breaks a major rule with its “Fifteen Minutes Could Save You Fifteen Percent or More on Car Insurance.”  The rule is that a tagline should be seven words long, tops. I LOVE Geico commercials. I love how creative they are. I love that they have multiple campaigns running at once. And I really love that almost everything they do breaks all the rules. But I digress.

Hard and fast rules of taglines are as follows:

1.       Use emotionally-charged words. This especially holds true if you’re creating a tagline for a nonprofit. Of course, you can always imply emotion like Allstate does. Being in good hands = security, one of the most basic of emotions.

2.       Focus on benefits to the consumer. In other words, YOU is a great word to keep in mind when you’re creating a tagline. That doesn’t mean you can’t tout your organization.  Often that’s the only way to separate yourself from the competition. But do it in a way that clearly demonstrates a direct benefit to your target market.

3.       Keep it short and sweet. To reiterate, Geico broke this rule quite successfully…but not many companies can get away with that one. Therefore, I think the “seven words or less” rule is a good one.

So when do you use punctuation in taglines? Well, common sense would dictate that if a tagline calls for punctuation in the middle of the sentence, you use it – just like I did in this one. If it’s a question, use a question mark at the end. If you are trying to make a definitive statement, use a period at the end. I personally like periods at the end of taglines, but it depends on the situation. To me, periods are definitive.

One punctuation mark I would stay clear of unless absolutely necessary is an exclamation point. Back to Nike. What if they had said “Just Do It!” Then the tagline takes on a whole new meaning such as “Just do it, you moron!!!”  The subtlety of a period in this case just adds to the brilliance of the tagline. Without a period, it doesn’t look complete or definitive – “Just Do It”   That doesn’t work for me.

Even if there were clear-cut rules, advertising in the new millennium is all about breaking the rules. I recently read an extremely good article on taglines. The reporter interviewed top creatives in the business.  They all concurred with the above, but also advised to not be limited by these rules. Don’t be afraid to be unique. Understand that there’s risk in doing so but if it works, as Nike says “Just Do It.”

I mean who would have thought we’d have jean day every day of the week at this company ten years ago? Certainly not me. I wore suits to work every day back then. Thank goodness rules are made to be broken!

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He Knows Jack…and Much, Much More.

by Carol Thompson

Ever heard the expression “Jack of all trades and master of none?” I’ve known a lot of people like that. I’ve also known a lot of people who claim to be masters of everything and don’t know “jack” about anything. If there was ever a personified antithesis to the above, he is Trapper Collova.  By title, Trapper is “Director of Client Marketing.” By action, Trapper is Director of Client Marketing, Creative Genius, Programmer, Designer, Breakfast Provider and much more.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m jealous of Trapper. I wish I could do everything. I guess much of that talent requires a willingness to learn everything, which I don’t possess. I’m doing good to keep up with my own job of running a business and writing copy.  But Trapper will take on any task and not just meet expectations, but far exceed them. As his colleague and friend, I may be jealous of him, but I’m also very proud of him.
 

I must admit, it is sometimes a little uncomfortable trying to explain the name “Trapper” to people, however. I’ll say “Let me check with Trapper, my Director of Client Marketing.” The usual response is, “Trapper???” My usual answer is, “Yes, Trapper is his nickname. His real name is Travis.” Trapper doesn’t trap anything. He doesn’t hunt anything. He never used to be an actor on MASH or any other shows with characters named “Trapper.” But I now digress. 

Trapper is a key team player, a huge asset to our company and a great friend.  I hope he never feels “trapped” at Ad Cetera, but I hope he decides to stay for many years to come.