A brilliant logo is one that speaks for itself.

If used effectively, a brand or company logo can speak a thousand words, evoke a hundred feelings, and get right up in your grill without uttering a single teensy word. That's power.

What we often don't realise is that it takes oodles of time, resources and $$$ just to get it right. And what may look like a few words or scribbles stuck together, often has a lot more to it - subtle, almost subliminal messaging that you might have missed the first time.

Okay so I'm sure this one won't fly straight over your head, but just in case ...

The design cleverly uses negative spaces and monotones to fit all 8 little fishies into a compact space. Like a very pretty can of sardines really.

What looks like a simple symbolic logo, is actually a "Bee" and a "B" all rolled into one.

It's not rocket science, but ties everything together quite nicely.

This famous logo is extremely clean and simple but this arrow might not look like more than a smile to you.

But here is the real concept behind it ... the arrow is a simple device to let consumers know that amazon.com has everything "from a to z" and yes of course it also represents the smile brought to the customer's face.

Who knew a squiggly line could say so much! 

This logo is a prime example of how text can be creatively manipulated and distorted to create a completely different shape to reinforce its meaning while maintaining readability and creating impact.

And how damn bad-ass does that beast look.

This yummy little treat of a logo has a few elements in play ...

A stereotypical image of a piece of wrapped candy, bearing perfect resemblance to a little girl's head (back when pigtails were in) and of course the word "candy" forming the rest of her rascal-like face.

Oh, and that tooth.

Much like the Bison, this logo for Cattleyard Promotions is made up of images within an image.

Being a music related business, it makes sense to stuff a cow full of musical instruments, which is what they did of course.

Who knew that a few wind & stringed instruments (and a couple of maracas) could fit so nicely in there.

Pretty rad actually.

This logo is too good to be ignored.

Look closely and you'll see that the typeface uses the number 8 to create each letter ... it's like 8 just exploded all over the show and left a whole bunch of little broken 8's in a convenient position.

Cheeky thing.

You've seen this a thousand times, but draw your attention for a moment to the sneaky little arrow formed between the letters "E" and "X" ...

Very simply, the arrow conveys speed, direction and reliability of the courier service.

I mean, how much more simple yet effective can you get?

This one's pretty obvious.

It's like the androgynous, slightly-less-scary second cousin of the Scream mask.

Clever eh?!

I love this one ... 

The message here is conveyed with subtle, gentle imagery. Single piano keys shaped to look like a line of trees, shaped to look like a piano keyboard.

Creativety at it's best.

The ice-cream powerhouse doesn't disappoint with their logo ...

If you didn't know before how many scrumptious flavours Baskin Robbins have, now you do ... clever numerical play on words (or letters rather).

Most people have never really noticed Toblerone's unique logo while munching away.

The Swiss Alps image is pretty obvious, but to give you a quick history lesson, Toblerone originated in Bern, Switzerland - a city whose name is rumoured to mean "City Of Bears".

Which is why there's a giant grizzly attacking that defenseless little image of the Alps.

Go on, show all your friends.

There's a girl doing yoga - she's very bendy.

And all of a sudden ... "whoa, is that a map of Australia she's holding?"

Yup, you would be correct.

[source : Graphic Design Blog]

Sliced bread. What a frikkin' great idea! Wish I had thought of that! 

Turns out that it took about 15 years for sliced bread to even make the shopping lists in the United States ... want to know why?

The art of spreading ideas has a lot more to it than you think. 

Seth Godin (entrepreneur, author and marketing guru) has a thing or two to say about spreading ideas, traditional marketing and how "... in a world of too many options and too little time, our obvious choice is to just ignore the ordinary stuff." 

In this TED talk (we love TED!) he also spells out why, when it comes to getting our attention, bad or bizarre ideas are often more successful than boring ones.

So next time you think you have a big idea ... make it BIGGER!

Remember that time before we owned cellular telephonic devices or personal computers, when one would venture out on a day-trip to the shopping mall, spend the day browsing merchandise and would often chat to a shop assistant to find out more information about the item/garment at hand before making a purchase with your Bob-T bank card? Me neither.

Nowadays it's a few convenient clicks from one's smartphone or iPad, and Joshua Door's your uncle!

Life is all about convenience, and now brands have to fight even harder for your precious time and attention. Somehow (even without leaving your jacuzzi) we are stilll engaged at every turn with innovative ways to build (and sustain!) that valuable consumer-brand connection.

Enter the QR CODE.

This sneaky little bugger is just one of the more popular trends competing with traditional methods of consumer engagement. Whether it becomes a long-standing strategy remains to be seen ... but while the iron is hot, they be striking! Not only do QR codes allow brands traction with a younger, technologically-minded market, but they facilitate innovative advertising and a more holistic approach to marketing (both online and offline).

Allow us to demonstrate .......

1. DESIGNER DOTS

More recently, as increasing numbers of people catch on to the potential benefits of QR codes, brands have been attempting to stand out from the crowd; producing some incredibly creative 'designer' QR codes.

This QR code was used in the promotional campaign for True Blood :

And Starbucks didn't want to feel left out of course :

Heinekin's concept also perfectly captures the essence of the brand, as well as incorporating the brand colours and guidelines :

This cheeky QR code from Louis Vuitton is a superb example of how the codes can be incorporated into a brand :

2. JIVE TALKIN'

For Vancouver punk band Jive Talk, album packaging can be just as entertaining as the music it contains. Their CD booklet transforms into an augmented reality playground, featuring cartoon performances and singing faces ... not exactly sex, drugs and rock 'n roll ... but we'll take it!

3. MIX TAPE REVIVAL

Remember the time and effort you devoted to crafting the perfect mix tape for that special someone back in high school? A lost art these days! Spotify, a free music streaming program, partnered with UK agency Stupid to create Playlist Cards – greeting cards designed with unique QR codes that send your recipient directly to a playlist you've compiled especially for them. Ag oulik man!

4. PIMP YOUR RESUME

The job-hunt pretty much sucks. But wait! There is a way of making a better impression than most by tossing that boring, monotonous, New Times Roman CV in the trash, and making yourself look awesome in the process. HIRED!

5. GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN

Now this is rad! On June the 16th of this year, Paris based tattoo artist K.A.R.L. realised the first ever animated tattoo. Streamed live on Facebook, users shared his thoughts and influenced the tattoo .... and the result is awesome! A bit scary though that this could revolutionise the art of the tattoo ... if so, let's hope QR codes stick around, otherwise there are gonna be some sad okes walking around in a few years with kak looking dots all over 'em. And living alone in a room full of cats.

If you're bored this weekend (there are only Twilight reruns on TV anyway) why not make your very own QR code? It's pretty straightforward and of course there are code generators which will do all the work for you. HERE'S HOW.

Need to download a QR reader to your smartphone? HERE'S HOW.

And on that note .......

Remember back in school when a 'kick me' sticker somehow made it's way on to the back of your t-shirt? (how it got there is still a mystery, obviously) but it sure as heck made an impression when, by the end of the day, you looked and felt like a sad, mexican piñata ...

The use of stickers has long been an easy, innovative way to attract attention, and an extremely cost-effective way to create a lasting impression ... and a bruised butt-cheek.

In the advertising game, many companies (whose only form of advertising is stickers) have seen an increase in business by as much as 550%! Hells bells! The great thing about these stickers is that you can stick 'em just about anywhere, and make them look like just about anything, which is probably one of the main reasons why they have become so popular ..... 

FOOD TRAY FUN

These rad adventure stickers were placed on meal trays on-board selected Malaysia Airlines flights making the captive audience "feel" their next holiday, pretty neat. Just don't look down!

SUMO MILK

Life-sized stickers of a sumo wrestler were placed on doors in Bangkok to demonstrate that Meiji milk makes you stronger (and without having to wear an adult diaper obviously)

GRAB A DOP

Creative beer mug stickers were installed behind doors of restaurants and shops as a part of Tyskie beer advertising campaign. Thirsty?

SURFS UP

Cool surfboard shaped floor stickers were placed on moving walkways to promote Demolicion extreme sport magazine. I would definitely visit the mall in my wetsuit just to ride that thing properly ...

APPLE (HARD)CORE

This impactful sticker was placed on the storefront window to promote the power of iPod HiFi ... perhaps the real reason for the London riots??

DOGS LIFE

Stickers with Pedigree dog food were placed in front of supermarkets and pet stores ... the hounds were not chuffed about that one!

MANHOLE MESSAGE

Creative sticker with a message: "Thousands are held prisoners for their beliefs in places worse than this. Write until you free them all." - for Amnesty International. (I'd feel awkward walking over that in a skirt. Just saying)

BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED

Stickers of half covered Duracell battery compartments were placed at the start of escalators in major shopping malls, just in case you were wondering how they worked .... 

SKI ANYONE?

While people were waiting to board their flights, strategic floor stickers gave them an impression of what their next vacation could be like ... 

OUT OF AFRICA

These stickers were placed on the windshield of parked cars to make the visitor imagine what it would feel like to be so close to a wild animal on Safari ... 

LAYS

Passersby in Chicago's Jackson Tunnel were greeted with an overhead installation of potatoes breaking through the ceiling tiles, along with a clever message: "Our potatoes are grown closer than you may think."

ANTI-SMOKING

Eerie looking stickers were places on cars and around smoking areas, so that people would think that if they smoked they would eventually end up looking like the creepy little girl from The Ring.

EGG HEADS

A selection of odd faces were printed on transparent stickers and then stuck to the eggs to promote the Wilkinson Quattro Titanium razors. Dunno about you, but I'd feel pretty bad making an omelette out of those. 

FOLGERS COFFEE

Stickers with a top shot of a coffee mug were placed on top of steaming manholes in New York. Just add the coffee aroma and boom! Cheque please.

TATTOO TOILET

Dermagraphic Tattoo's placed stickers of tattoos in various bathroom and changing room mirrors so that people could line the tattoos up in the mirror to give the impression that they were actually on their skin, in order to promote their mission to "try before you buy a tattoo". Pretty sharp!

It's becoming clearer in this day and age that advertising adds value to a product by changing our perception, rather than the product itself...

Like eating a granadilla lolly at the beach in the midst of a hot summer ... we know it's not worth the whole R15, but we're damn well prepared to buy one 'cause all the cool kids are doing it, and it gives us that fluffy, fresh summery feeling that we've been waiting for all year!

Ad man, Rory Sutherland, makes the daring yet accurate assertion that a change in perceived value can be just as satisfying as what we consider real value - and his conclusion has interesting consequences for how we look at life in general.

Feel free to stop what you're doing and nod in agreement .....

.... now all we need to do is have a word with the folks who run the Gautrain.

From unlikely beginnings as a classics teacher to his current job as Vice Chairman of Ogilvy Group, Rory Sutherland has created his own brand of the Cinderella story.

He joined Ogilvy & Mather's planning department in 1988, and became a junior copywriter, working on Microsoft's account in its pre-Windows days. An early fan of the Internet, he was among the first in the traditional ad world to see the potential in these relatively unknown technologies.

An immediate understanding of the possibilities of digital technology and the Internet powered Sutherland's meteoric rise. He continues to provide insight into advertising in the age of the Internet and social media through his blog at Campaign's Brand Republic site, his column "The Wiki Man" at The Spectator and his busy Twitter account.

"Rory is the original advocate of '360-degree branding,' a persuasive and charismatic speaker and has a tremendous knack for making ideas come to life in an easily digestible way. He has been walking the walk longer than anyone." ~ Gary Leih, Ogilvy Group Chairman

INSPIRED.....

Happy Friday everyone, make it count!

For those who catch busses to and fro ('cause petrol prices are a b*tch!) you will agree that a BUS STOP is usually not the most appealing place to hang out (not that I'm against the fresh, breezy smell of urine to kick-start the day) ...

But since people do spend a decent amount of time at these spots, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that you have a captive audience at your disposal at any given time throughout the day. 

So what do you get when you give a handful of bus stops to a bunch of caffeine-induced AD execs?

Magic ...

1. REAL HIP HOP

Nothing better when you're having a bad hair day .....

2. GUARANA ANTARCTICA

A good way to improve your ball skills before work ...

3. CHRISTOPHER & DANA REEVE FOUNDATION

Makes you think dunnit?

4. IKEA

Standing man not so keen on sitting on the frilly couch, but he's still checking out the lovely floral print.  

5. COCA-COLA New Grip Bottle

For when you're wearing your good jersey.

6. ETV Football World Cup

Or was it a drive-by?

7. 3M SECURITY GLASS

Everyone thinks they're MacGyver, and I bet a few people tried ...

8. RUBBISH SINCE MONDAY

Maybe they should put a bin in the area, just saying...

9. STAR WARS LIGHTSABERS

But does it make the rad whooosh sound?

10. QUIKSILVER RAMP

Love watching people fall on their faces while I wait for the bus.

11. CARIBOU COFFEE Oven Bus Stop

Hansel & Gretel's worst nightmare ...

12. SCIENCE ALBERTA : Invisibility

Eat your cloak Harry Potter!

13. JE*S JEANS – No Need to Bend Anymore

Warning : do not attempt to read this if you work in the plumbing business. Please.

If you want someone to remember you, you could give them a good roundhouse kick in the teeth (with both legs at the same time obviously) ...

 OR you could just have a really cool, really clever business card and no teeth need to be lost.

Did You Know? Business cards were originally fancy cards that woman would wear on their wrists. They had her name, address and who her father was ... along with were she was born. (you know, in case she wandered)

Even the most creative business card design cannot guarantee your business success, however it is one of those very first things that make a very long lasting impression. So, make the best use of it, and never limit your imagination to a rectangle! A bit of interactivity never hurt anyone either.

Take note .....

1. Clapperboard Business Card

Unfortunately it doesn't make the cool sound, but still.

2. Tok&Stok: Toy Chair Business Card

Warning : do not attempt to sit on business card chair. It would just be awkward.

3. Personal Business Card

Making people look funny since ... the dawn of time ...

4. Sandra Martins Makeup: Business Card

So you can pretend that some chick gave you her digits at the bar. Man points.

5. Hair Dresser Business Cards

Because Troll Dolls are sooooo 1959.

6. La Cambre Architecture: Business card

They build cool stuff.

7. Mais Pilates Studio: Wake Up Your Body

What happens when you put two of these together...?

8. Y+ Yoga Center: Straw

I'd like to see you try ....

9. Bombay Bakery

One has to hope one gets a card from the fresh batch!

10. Ninja Business Card

Chuck, is that you?

11. Broke Bike Alley

At least they didn't call themselves Broke Bike Mountain.

... better than a kick in the teeth, yes? That's what we thought.

Charlize Theron is not the only star to roll out of Benoni. Percy Tucker is older, wiser and has been in the entertainment biz a lot longer than most of our local schlebs.

In fact, from his early years he has devoted his life to nurturing and furthering the live arts and entertainment in South Africa which has set international standards in the way reservation services (i.e Ticketing) have been marketed and managed.

If you haven't guessed it yet, Percy Tucker is the founder of COMPUTICKET, and in August 1971 - exactly 40 years ago - they opened their doors.

Computicket became the first successful advance booking & ticketing operation of its kind ... in the world nogal!

The introduction of a centralised computer system changed forever how the marketing of entertainment would in future be done world-wide. It took at least 10 years for other countries to introduce similar systems (put that in your pipe and smoke it NASA!) Percy Tucker has been extensively honoured nationally and internationally for his pioneering mind and efforts.

A little closer to home, we're pretty proud of that fact that our Grootbaas (that's BrandsRock speak for 'CEO') Mike Joubert had the privilege of working for Computicket as Marketing Development Director in the early 90's, and under Percy's stewardship led the change from Computicket's mainframes onto Windows NT based servers, and introduced the first telephone/credit card booking system in SA back in 1994! High-fives to you captain!

Among the many accolades, the concept of 'Computicket' was among the Top 10 Great South African Inventions Exhibitions held in Cape Town and the 'Computer Week' honoured Mr Tucker as the first business visionary in SA to recognise an opportunity arising from Networking Technology. He has also been awarded the 'Marketing Man of the Year' Award as well as 3 Lifetime Achievement awards from 'Fleur de Cap', Theatre Managements of South Africa and a Vita Award. He was awarded the Paul Harris Rotarian Fellowship Award for outstanding service to the community.

Now that's what we call passion!

It's most definitely Percy's unique combination of passionate commitment to the arts with his commercial vision, business acumen and marketing skills that has brought him recognition, love and respect that he never sought, and a richly fulfilling life which he treasures. Percy was and is still widely respected as a true visionary and a man of unflinching integrity, the latter borne out by the fact that most of his professional relationships with entertainers and promotors were founded and managed with a handshake and his word. A true renaissance man.

Since his official retirement in 1994, Percy has published his autobiography-cum-history of the South African theatre, Just the Ticket! and he remains actively involved in the entertainment industry as advisor, lecturer, board member and researcher. He also continues to travel the world, ever alert to new horizons.

In celebrating 40 incredible years of dedication and success, BrandsRock would like to tip our hats to Percy Tucker, as well as to all the folks at Computicket who helped make the service what it is today ... without it we probably wouldn't be able to rock out to our favourite local and international music & showbiz icons the way we so love to do (like, every weekend!).

WE SALUTE YOU!