little red cozette

This post is brought to you by…ME.

I have a bone to pick with advertisers and all of their grandiose sponsorships…

The American Cancer Society has trademarked “The Official Sponsor of Birthdays.” Diet Coke is “the proud sponsor of all those lights on.” And P&G is going big by sponsoring moms everywhere.

What happened to sponsorships that actually cost something?  Don’t get me wrong—I’m glad the American Cancer Society has contributed to research that has saved lives, but can anyone can really “sponsor” birthdays? I’m also going to go out on a limb and say that Diet Coke probably isn’t what’s keeping “all those lights on.” Maybe whiskey and Coke or actual cocaine, but not straight up Diet Coke, not all of those lights.  And I bet “moms everywhere” would really appreciate some of those sponsorship dollars from Procter & Gamble to help make their lives easier…not just a PR campaign telling them how great they are.

To me, these “sponsorships” are a total cop out. It seems advertisers have figured out another (arguably unoriginal) way to say something meaningless.  I’d rather see a ba-jillion little league uniforms with Diet Coke or P&G logos than watch their attempts at feel-good sponsorships.  I think we all know the American Cancer Society is doing some good work.  Why not save those expensive media buys and ensure even more birthdays are spent with loved ones?  Or at least come up with something a little more innovative.

Who says office supplies are boring?

Designed by Studio Kluif (Netherlands)
Found on Lovely Package

this is totally brilliant. i would definitely buy this paper.

Coincidence or copycat? You be the judge.

I was walking downtown last week when I noticed a flyer for an upcoming event. Right away, I was caught off guard by its familiarity. I’m sure I got inspiration from somewhere else for my design, but there’s a fine line between inspiration and duplication. There’s no way to know for sure whether this is a copycat design, but perhaps you can be the judge:

Notice the subtle treatment hidden in the color bars (mine has text, “Purple” has a photo). The font choice is also almost identical (mine uses Helvetica, their design appears to have a rounded variation of Helvetica). With the exception of the event’s date, the placement of information is virtually identical considering the events are produced by different entities. Both posters use the same background color. The alignment of most of the information appears to be the same. Given the overall simplicity of the design, I think these coincidences are just a bit too strong to overlook.

After a little sleuthing, it looks like Opsin Creative (the “Purple” poster’s designer) is based in Chicago, but it doesn’t appear to be a full-size agency. It’s possible that the designer is a student at one of the local colleges or the University of Missouri. The venue (the Blue Fugue) is also located in Columbia, so there’s more than one avenue for the design I created to have made its way to the designer.

Maybe I should be flattered? Or not. In the end, it’s another disappointing promotional effort from the Blue Fugue. Usually their posters are full of material I find offensive, the most memorable being the promotion for “bottomless” night which features a woman’s “bottoms” around her ankles. Sign me up for a roofie and a date rape from one of Columbia’s finest.

Sigh.

thanks for the promo!

To my surprise (and delight), I just found this unsolicited promo:

Capturing CoMo Artist Spotlight: Little Red Cozette

I suppose this means I need to get serious about putting some of my stuff on Etsy… stay tuned for more on that (I’m sort of hoping this proclamation will help my follow-through). 

Meanwhile though, I do take requests. For anyone who’s interested in purchasing an existing piece or commissioning a new one, feel free to email me anytime. You can also send @lilredcozette a message via Twitter. 

The latest poster designed by yours truly…

I hope to see you there!

Calling all CoMo crafters!

The women behind the Citizen Jane Film Festival are at it again, and I’ve designed the poster to prove it…

For those who’ve caught the crafting bug (self included), don’t miss the season kick off event for this year’s festival. On Wednesday, September 8 at Ragtag Cinema, CJFF is hosting a screening of the documentary Handmade Nation, Q&A with the filmmaker and DIY projects on the patio. You’ll be the first to know what films will be screened at the 2010 festival (Oct. 15-17) and have the first opportunity to purchase a pass. So whether you’ve been at it for years or you’re new to the world of buttons, thimbles and so much more, there’s something for everyone. Plus, you’ll be supporting women in film in the process.

Wait, men can do laundry after all?

Alas, the day after I wrote the previous post, I saw the newest addition to the campaign for Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets. I couldn’t find the clip online (and it’s not a part of the Purex media library yet… suspicious?), but they decided to go with this angle from my previous post:

Hypothetically speaking, even if women are the only ones responsible for the laundry, wouldn’t we be encouraged by the prospect of a product that makes it easier for male counterparts to join in on the fun? And if we’ve been the only ones doing laundry all these years, don’t you think we’ve figured out how much detergent and fabric softener to use by now? Why not target the laundry loathing dudes out there instead? Maybe we could put an end to the defeat they’ve experienced when they’ve been outmatched by the tricky nature of measuring cups and that daunting extra step of adding a dryer sheet when moving the load from the washer to the dryer. Whew. It’s tough, I know…

So way to go, Purex.  You took the safest route possible in making dudes more comfortable with doing laundry.  Maybe you’ll make some real progress with your next campaign, but I’m not holding my breath.

Real men don’t use Purex: Y chomosome absent in regressive new ad campaign

Yep. It’s 2010, and we’re still subject to ads portraying cleaning as “women’s work.”  What’s even worse, however, is the perpetuation of this stereotype illustrated in Purex’s newest 15-second spot. (View the 15-second spot here.)

In the background, mom is crouched in front of the dryer while her stuffed elephant toting, pink and purple clad, roughly preschool aged daughter tells us she “love love loves” Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets because “they’re easy to use” and “they clean friends good after a picnic.”

What happened to progress? Do we really have to train our little ones to keep perpetuating the stereotype that laundry is for the ladies? Are women really the only people doing laundry? Still?

Hypothetically speaking, even if women are the only ones responsible for the laundry, wouldn’t we be encouraged by the prospect of a product that makes it easier for male counterparts to join in on the fun? And if we’ve been the only ones doing laundry all these years, don’t you think we’ve figured out how much detergent and fabric softener to use by now? Why not target the laundry loathing dudes out there instead? Maybe we could put an end to the defeat they’ve experienced when they’ve been outmatched by the tricky nature of measuring cups and that daunting extra step of adding a dryer sheet when moving the load from the washer to the dryer. Whew. It’s tough, I know…

Regardless of whether women or men - or both - developed this campaign, a few simple adjustments could go a LONG way in changing the regressive tone. Perhaps two kids (two boys… a boy and a girl… two androgynous kids… whatever) could be vying for the chance to drop the laundry sheet in the load.

Personally, I’d be more impressed if two boys or a boy AND a girl had been building mud pies (because girls get messy too) and couldn’t wait to see the Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheet work its magic on their play clothes. As is, that elephant she’s holding looks like new compared to most kids’ playthings. The audience might be more impressed by the product if it cleaned up a serious mess. No one cares how easy it is to use if it doesn’t get rid of the really tough stains.

All in all, the kid is cute, but the message is weak. Laundry may have come a long way with the introduction of these laundry sheets (although somehow I doubt it), but the message is anything but fresh.

Too little, too soon: Sprint’s idea isn’t “first” at all.

Sprint recently announced the launch of their 4G network, and with that announcement came a commercial touting the advance along with their new 4G compatible phone, the EVO. Created by Omnicom’s Goodby Silverstein & Partners, the spot takes viewers through a timeline - or domino effect - of “firsts” until the EVO is revealed.

The first time I watched the spot, I immediately noticed many similarities to Honda’s acclaimed “Cog” spot created in 2003 by Wieden + Kennedy.  Even the opening frames are nearly identical considering they advertise products from entirely different industries; something round is rolling inexplicably toward the rest of the “line” of items which are all strategically placed to create a domino effect.  Honda used actual Accord parts (and a few special effects) while Sprint uses technological advances (and a bunch of special effects).

The backgrounds are also strikingly similar.  Wieden + Kennedy utilized a bare room (probably to avoid counteracting the wind, etc.) divided in two by a chair railing.  Goodby’s spot features an uninterrupted horizon, again dividing the background in half.

Sprint should have left well enough alone.  According to Wikipedia, “Cog” was awarded with more industry awards than any of its predecessors.  If you’re going to reuse an idea, at least wait a full decade before you do so.  Then people might call it an homage instead of drawing other, less honorable conclusions.

At the end of the “Firsts” spot, we’re left with perhaps the most ironic tagline possible:

“First isn’t later, it’s now…”

That’s funny considering “first” was actually in 2003, and Wieden + Kennedy did it way better.  Sorry Sprint, I think I’ll stick with my iPhone.