Chicago Brander

03/03/2015

http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/vince-vaughn-and-costars-pose-idiotic-stock-photos-you-can-have-free-163239

Stock photos have a bad rap. They're campy and cheesy and the butt of plenty of jokes. But what's great about them is they're often the catalyst for promotions or gags—sort of a comedic blank slate. Enter the new Vince Vaughn movie Unfinished Business, which comes out Friday.

02/02/2015

Some cool new templates for you to try - I was looking for a sharp one especially for website wireframes, so I'm hoping the one featured here is as good to execute as it looks.

With countless design briefs to handle, and so little time on hands, we have rounded up 10 useful templates to help designers save time, while...

01/18/2015

It's not the cheapest app out there at $15, but Duet may be worth looking into for maximizing your second screen.

Ever since the iPad first came out, people have wanted to use their Apple tablets as a second computer monitor, but most of the software that makes that possible transfers data over Wi-Fi — introducing lag and inconsistency. A new app called Duet Display will turn your iPad into an external screen f…

01/15/2015

Creative Directors: Your writer and designer are not mind readers. Do not give them crap feedback that consists only of "I don't think it's there yet" and expect them to come back with something better. Be specific. Offer suggestions. Do your job.

11/25/2014

If you're afraid that you used one of these insane stock photos in your advertising, don't worry. I'm 99.9999% positive you didn't (and if you did, then you didn't ask me).

This week's "Uh, what? No, seriously, what?" comes to us from those perpetuators of pizza propaganda, Totino's Pizza.

10/03/2014

So much about Yahoo isn't because they have a yodel or Marissa Mayer or because Marissa Mayer has a certain vacation policy that's unique. The challenges for them run deeper. Their content is often horrible and repeats the same type of stories over and over again. Perhaps luring a Katie Couric and others is a big splash, but Katie can't write everything we see - seriously, how many more stories about "how I paid off my $100,000 debt in 3 months" and Kardashian news are needed? How many times does a Yahoo email need to be hacked so they'll take security more seriously?

Meanwhile, Gmail is finding unique ways to help organize your email into categories that make your daily life more efficient so you can distinguish what's most important to you. Which happens to be connected to a slew of other Google tools for home and business.

These are deeper internal content and technology issues that can't be solved by an agency coming up with a new font for a logo.

Yahoo has reached out to agencies to create a major ad push, Ad Age has learned.

10/02/2014

"Walt, do you have a second business card?"

The "Double Lives" collection promotes MOO's new square business card, which appears to be perfect for meth makers and superheroes.

10/01/2014

It's not that big beer is dying as much as craft beer has found a way to expand its niche into bigger communities. It's not just about the tiny group of purists that meet once a month to share rare brews but a much bigger audience that can get the good stuff on tap.

The hidden element that isn't discussed as much in this article is distribution. Craft beers here in Chicago like Two Brothers Brewing Company are finding their way into bars, restaurants and retail stores whereas a few years ago it seemed to be a much bigger challenge to break through in general. But I'd never expect the big guys to go away anytime soon either - Bud's distribution and influence on retailers is still King. Plus, many people don't realize how many brands fall under Budweiser besides Bud and Bud Light, such as Goose Island.

Top Brewers Search For Strategies to Avoid 'Inexorable Decline' of Major Brands

09/04/2014

Fonts are important. What they look like when blown up even more so.

Always take a few hundred steps back and see how your billboard looks from a distance.

08/18/2014

Conservative industries like insurance think they can't tell emotional stories. That's fear talking from one person within either the Marketing Dept or the agency. Not some rule anyone needs to follow. Thai Life Insurance sure doesn't.

Life in Thailand is pretty meaningful, judging by the heartrending commercials the country produces.

08/15/2014

Commandment #11: Thou Shalt Not Have Complicated Content Management Systems That Nobody But The Programmer Knows How To Use.

08/10/2014

I fell culprit to the last step - closing the laptop and going right to bed. Guess I need more of a buffer between!

A bedtime routine might sound like something that's only necessary for the grade-school set, but following a nightly schedule can greatly improve the sleep of the biggest of kids adults, too. Sleep experts recommend establishing a bedtime routine,...