Subscribe by RSSPortland Swing Fest Poster
Published on February 20th, 2008 || 4 Excellent Comments
For the past six months, I have been working on a side project marketing for the Portland Lindy Exchange. This is an event that happens every other year and swing dancers from all over the country and beyond come to Portland for a weekend jam-packed with dancing opportunities. It has been a challenging and fun project for me. I designed promotional shirts, flyers, web banners and the event shirts. I have been busy posting about the event on swing forums across the country and rallying others to do the same. The list goes on and on.
We are currently in the final stretch. The event is happening March 7-9. With just over two weeks to go, I am switching the focus from national advertising to local advertising. Now is the time to generate new interest in Portland and the surrounding area.
We have come up with a secondary name for the event for this purpose. People who have never tried swing dancing will have no idea what a lindy exchange is. Therefore, to advertise in the Portland community, we are calling the event Swing Fest. We are highlighting the 11 bands that are scheduled to play and the great venues we have lined up. Here’s the poster I put together:
What do you think? I will put together the rest of the exchange materials and post them soon. You will notice this poster looks nothing like the other exchange materials. A different target market called for a different approach to advertising.
If you live nearby, you should check out the event. You do not have to know how to swing dance already, lessons are offered each night before the bands take the stage. You do not have to sign up for the entire weekend either, pick a night and join us.
Color Correcting Photos
Published on January 29th, 2008 || 2 Excellent Comments
I took photography in high school and love to play around with my camera, but my photography skills need a bit of help. Maybe I need to invest in some photography classes or maybe I could use some photography equipment. Nevertheless, I enjoy taking photos and rely on my Photoshop skills to make up for […]
Defending Your Artwork
Published on January 23rd, 2008 || 2 Excellent Comments
After pouring time and energy into designing a project for a client the last thing you want them to say is, “This is not at all what I was expecting, can you show me something completely different?” I hope that, by the time you have reached this stage of the process, it is clear what […]
Let them dance!
Published on January 16th, 2008 || 4 Excellent Comments
I have not written anything here in a while because I have been using my free time to work on our new marketing campaign for ELLA. Recently, our dance group got together and formed a plan for generating some new interest in swing dancing. We realize that the swing craze of the nineties is ancient […]
Marketing Your Brand: Part 3
Published on December 19th, 2007 || Leave Your Thoughts
By now, you might see a common theme: service is the key to marketing your brand. These days, people record their favorite TV shows and fast-forward through the commercials. They have Adblock and popup blockers in their web browsers. Many have even switched to satellite radio or listen to their iPod to avoid the annoying […]
Marketing Your Brand: Part 2
Published on December 17th, 2007 || Leave Your Thoughts
Let me reiterate, your logo is a symbol of your brand–it does not define your brand. With that in mind, how do you help people associate your logo with meaning? With who you are? In Part 1 of this series, I talked about standing out in a positive way. Drawing attention to your brand name […]
Marketing Your Brand: Part 1
Published on December 7th, 2007 || Leave Your Thoughts
A brand is so much more than a logo. It includes everything that represents an organization and the opinions people form about it. Working closely with marketing professionals for the last five years and learning through my own trial and error, I have obtained some knowledge that you might find useful when marketing your own […]
bioTrekker Logo Design Sketches
Published on December 4th, 2007 || 12 Excellent Comments
When Ty Adams was getting ready to launch his bioTrekker campaign, he approached me for a logo. He wanted something with a clean look that represented sustainable energy and travel. His plan was to live and work in a diesel motorhome adorned with the bioTrekker logo while traveling the country to expand awareness of sustainable […]
What’s Your Favorite Color?
Published on November 29th, 2007 || 3 Excellent Comments
I am curious. What is your favorite color? Is there a specific shade you prefer? Why do you like it?
I love color. I love the way it makes me feel. I love reading about color symbolism and color psychology. I love studying the physics of color and how our eyes see it. I love coming […]
Adding Gold To Your Logo, YIKES!
Published on November 15th, 2007 || 9 Excellent Comments
No, this is not a tutorial. As a designer, I am concerned about what the general masses are learning about “design.” Free clipart. Free fonts. Free “design” software. Ugh, it is no wonder I constantly find myself cringing.
I recently attended a “Photoshop CS3 Power Tour” by Kelby Training. Overall, the seminar was useful — CS3 […]