Today is James Brown’s birthday. He was born in 1933 into some seriously rough circumstances, but he had a gift. I recently heard some of the Godfather’s work on a vintage Grundig player console from the early sixties. The warm, big sound of those old tubes paired with the crackle of the vinyl is quite the combination. The album, which I can’t take off the turntable, is “James Brown plays James Brown,” a collection of JB tunes where Mr.Dynamite basically solos on organ for the entire record. No singing, just getting down on the keys. You always heard that The Hardest Working Man in Showbusiness could play anything, but I’d never heard a record where he was dedicated to playing and not singing. And it’s remarkable. Soul Brother Number One could do anything. Our hats are off, once again, to Augusta, Georgia’s favorite son.

http://www.jottodotcom.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimitri/sets/72157594501654742/

Last Saturday was a record-breaking performance for wierhouse at the Addys. All told, the team brought home 15 Gold, 14 Silver, 1 Bronze, Best in Show Print for our Sky City posters (above), and 2 Special Judge’s Citations for RBW Logistics’ “A Glimpse into the Future” and Pendleton King’s Bark Park logo. That’s a whole lot of hardware for one year’s worth of work. But, like we always say, we try really hard. The judges, from Macon, Greenville, and Atlanta, were impressed with the overall quality of the work coming out of Augusta, and we were, too. Lower entry cost got a lot of people who wouldn’t otherwise participate in the ring, and we got to see  a lot of inspiring stuff. We’re excited to have 15 pieces going to the Regional competition, where, last year, we brought home 3 Silver, competing against the likes of BBDO, J.Walter Thompson, and a bunch of other huge agencies. Wish us luck.

Here at wierhouse, we appreciate a fresh perspective. Looking at problems, design, or challenges from different angles is key to resolving them. Recently, I got to fly across the pond to Costa del Sol in España, where I had never been. To the uninitiated American, the way of life, the architecture, the flora and the fauna, is all different. And being out of your comfort zone and exposed to a new (but, actually, centuries old) way of living is a great way to change the way you think about your own situation. Staying sharp creatively is about shaking routine, and to me, nothing can fill up the tank like travel.

And we couldn’t be happier. Let’s give a big wierhouse welcome to Stephanie Johnston. Coming from the world of corporate finance and ad-sales, she’s an administrative powerhouse. She’s here to do what she does best: organizing, planning, and staying on top of how the whole thing runs, so that we can do what we do best.

Design is all around us. Everything we come in contact with has at some point had someone designing it and giving thought as to how it should function. Cars, buildings, phones, computers, even the packaging for your gum, are all the products of a design process. In Marty Neumeier’s The Designful Company, the author continues his mission (set into motion by Zag and The Brand Gap) to “incite business revolution by unleashing the power of design thinking.” It’s an interesting read and deviates slightly from the marketing-based thought in his two previous “whiteboard” books into how to build companies from a design standpoint. Not how to market one, but how to build one. As we grow, we’re constantly looking for ways to elegantly solve the most mundane problems that arise in the most boring aspects of the business: what’s a better way to approach billing, scheduling, administration, etc., etc? Getting some creativity and improved function at this base level allows it to flow out into everything, giving you a better product, less headaches, and a better place to work at the end of the day. Give small things a lot of thought. It’ll make the bigger even better.

I don’t know why, but I’ve always been intrigued by the Sherwin Williams logo. For one, it hasn’t changed in like 60 years. And two, it’s got a really strangely placed tag line, dead-center in the mark. I can’t think of any other logo that has the same treatment. Sure, plenty of logos include tag lines (for the record, I disapprove) either beside or below the typography or icon but none quite like this.

Then, I realized that it wasn’t the graphic placement of the tag line that stuck with me. It was the TONE of the line itself. “Cover the Earth”. Good lord that is ambitious. And kind of metal. From a personal perspective, I love the foot-on-the-gas, take no prisoners, destroy everything in your path sentiment of it, even though I’m pretty sure Henry Sherwin and Edward Williams were really nice guys. Every time I see this logo, I’m compelled to say “Cover the Earth” in my best Vader and throw up the horns.

All that said, it’s the perfect statement for the company. It’s a mission statement (again, disapprove), vision statement (double disapprove) and company mantra all wrapped up in three succinct words. It’s simple, unexpected, and sticky.

That’s our new tagline for Brandon Wilde (see post below). We learned a lot thru the coarse of this project. Like, don’t schedule a photo shoot in the dining area DURING lunch. Chances are, you’re setting up at someone’s regular table and they certainly don’t want to be inconvenienced by some punk kid ad guys and their photographer. But more importantly we learned a lot about a demographic that we’ve never worked with before. Truly inspiring. We used all-resident models for the shoot and had a blast.

Our “Community without Compromise” tag line is an all-encompassing thought that carries over in each medium for their new campaign (print, television, radio, collateral materials, and web). Brandon Wilde is indeed unique, and hard to describe. It’s a place that provides whatever level of life care you need, but more importantly it’s a place you make your home.

We recently redesigned and launched a new user-friendly site, take a look: http://www.brandonwilde.com

Check these guys out. We just wrapped a day long shoot for Brandon Wilde, a truly one-of-a-kind retirement community here in Augusta, Georgia. Our job has been a challenging one, because we’ve been charged with trying to convey both the quality of their community and the character of its residents. The fact of the matter is the good folks out at Brandon Wilde defy any sort of categorization, save for the most admirable. The people that call it home are awe-inspiring. Our day was spent interacting with some of the most witty, self-effacing, and accomplished people we’ve ever met. Unbelievable attitudes, great humor, and proof that you’re as young as you feel.