Go Fatoe Go!

Fatoe is the portfolio site of the ridiculously talented Mike Orduna. He has been on my radar for some time now and I typically have something of his pinned up on my style board when I need to convey a cool, hip street vibe. His illustration work is fantastic and has a loose gestural energy to it that looks as though it's an animated piece that's ready to lift off of the page and magically render right before your eyes. Additionally, it looks like he has been quite busy as an interactive art director. A double threat and no doubt a very busy creative. Check it out!

Ex Nihilo

Just completed this label for Jeff Harder of Ex Nihilo Vineyards out of the BC. The term Ex Nihilo is Latin for "Out of Nothing". A typographical solve that communicates exactly that. Hope it's a big hit.

Union Bank's new identity

Recently received a message from the president of Union Bank announcing the launch of their new logomark. In a letter issued to customers last month, Union Bank President and CEO Masa Tanaka explained:

“With the change in our name, it was necessary to update our logo, and this gave us a wonderful opportunity to develop a look that underscored the values that we hold close.”

“The most important among these values is a singular dedication to serving your financial needs, which we have very boldly illustrated by adopting a dominant U in our new look. We hope you will always consider it your personal invitation to let us provide your financial solutions.”
— Press Release

My personal take on this new logo is that it's a departure from a bold and solid communication to a kinder and softer look that is trying to communicate that they are truly focused on you the individual. I am sure that Union Bank paid Landor and Associates, more than the GNP for Brazil to create the mark and the standards manual that went along with it, but I am not impressed with the mark.

This softer, rounder approach is a trend that seems to be catching fire and it's more and more common to see large companies adopt a warm, fuzzy approach to their identity hoping to catch some the "green" breeze that seems to be blowing through corporate america.

We just went through one of the most horrific financial periods of this generation and the last thing I want to see is my bank's logo softening up and looking like the local flower shop that specializes in tulips . Personally, I want to see my financial institution evoke a strong confidence that let's me know everything related to the financial meltdown is a thing of the past and we can look to a solid and bright future together without having to "hug it out" visually.

Just my two cents...

A Sketch from the Sketchbook

One thing that helps me as a creative is always having a sketchbook on my person. It's a habit I've had since grade school and it's interesting to see the entries evolve as a connective visual timeline. It seems that even though I am creating on the computer more than ever - the basic need to put pencil to paper and work out the concept remains the same. The scans from this particular sketchbook are really interesting in that I was caught in a rain storm and the entire book was soaking wet. When it dried, the pages had an uneven roll and curl that made the whole thing seem almost better because of the water damage.

OUT OF TIME from Андрей Скурьят DREE on Vimeo.

I have often thought of the human body as one of the greatest and most powerful inspiration for art. It's been drawn, painted, sculpted, filmed, etc. etc. Take a look at what several youths from the Ukraine, a case of Jolt Cola and lots of free time at the playground can produce. Jaw dropping amazing what they are able to do and worth taking a look.

Lance Rides on Art in the Tour de France

This year's tour is over and after a three year break, Lance Armstrong came in a solid third place. Many of us are excited about the comeback and look forward to what 2010 may hold for Lance and his teammates. For this years race, Trek, Nike, Lance Armstrong and some of the best artists alive today have teamed up together to create STAGES, a rolling art exhibit with Lance's Trek bikes used as the canvas. Shepard Fairy, Kaws, Kenny Scharf, Marc Newson, Yoshitomo Nara and Damien Hirst have all participated and the bikes will be auctioned off to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Pictured above is a bike designed by Damien Hirst in which he used real butterflies to apply to the bike frame. Sounds crazy, looks amazing.

MJ takes his leave

Can a person be a brand? This week we said goodbye to one of our own here in Los Angeles. Say what you will about the man, but he led quite a colorful life full of twists and turns and always had the ability to make us take notice. Recently, he was about to make a comeback by launching a huge tour with 50 shows in London, just to kick it off. Even though many of us did not fully embrace his antics or lifestyle - throw on a "Thriller" cd and see what happens to the energy in the room.

Somehow, secretly we were all rooting for the Michael we used to know and hoped to see again. If you look at MJ "the brand", it speaks volumes about what we as a collective will forgive if the brand is built on a solid gold foundation and goes sideways. Even though the current experience doesn't quite match our earlier takeaway, we look at the brand through a forgiving lens based on what was delivered previously. The bigger the initial payoff for us, the more forgiving we become.


GM is another brand that comes to mind that had America, if not the world, enthralled with it's product and image, but, eventually ran out of "brand credibility" to be a brand to be trusted. There is indeed a limit to what we will endure from a broken brand. Even though we still love the brand, it's like that crazy uncle that always shows up late to Thanksgiving, throws up on the couch and passes out. Love the guy, but from a cautious distance.

So, with a heavy heart and a single gloved hand we wave a fond goodbye to MJ as he rides of into the sunset on a circus elephant. Adios MJ and godspeed.