ZeroHour

Logo created for Florida based computer services company ZeroHour Solutions. It started as a project through friend working there, and turned into a great working relationship and projects for many of their clients.

ZeroHour president Steve Hernek just got married in Key West this past weekend. He asked if I could come up with a piece they could hand out to guests at the wedding. He and his fiance gave me reference material that centered mainly on tattoo designs. Below is the final design for the front of the piece. The center graphic includes a design using the letters of Steve and Amanda’s names. The names of their parents and the wedding party surround the main image.

This was a fun project to create and the bride and groom were open to some pretty out-there ideas during the process.

Fundraiser at Van Goghz Martini Bar

Charlie Schoenherr hosted a fundraiser at St. Louis’ Van Goghz Martini Bar in October to benefit the American Diabetes Association and the local PAWS chapter (Pets Are Wonderful Support). This was the front of the invite postcard. Charlie raised over two thousand dollars with the event, thanks the generosity of friends, the owners of Van Goghz and area business owners who donated merchandise and gift cards to raffle.

Charlie put on the event as part of his work as Mr. Midwest Leather 08, so that and the martini focus of the evening was behind the design.

Shiny objects

Cover of a book created at josebatalla for the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Florida. The book was commisioned by the museum director in partnership with the design director of Tiffany. Partly a “coffee table” art book, partly a historical document for research, it tells the story of Henry Flagler, his connection with Florida and his involvement with the Chicago Columbian Exposition and the Tiffany company.

Working on this project gave me whole new insights into the complexities of the Chicago World Fair, as well as the amazing designs created by the Tiffany artists.

Creative director Jose Batalla. Design by myself and Jose.

Men have their little blue pills…

Package design and marketing for local company selling a natural herbal supplement to enhance the libido. While most products of this sort are usually aimed at men, Heratos is marketed specifically to women. Originally named Libida, we had to come up with a new name when we found a website already using that particular word. The logo image was originally drawn up by client. Below, a few of the POS pieces done for the campaign. Product is sold on radio spots as well as web.

The obvious challenge with such a product is presenting it in a tasteful, yet understandable way. And not using any copyrighted product names. Fortunately everyone seems to know what those ‘little blue pills’ are.

Logo design: josebatalla web & graphic design

One of the first projects I did for Jose Batalla was the design of the agency corporate identity. They say – and rightly so – that designing your own logo is one of the most difficult challenges for a designer. So when I offered to do his, he said go for it. After looking at a project he was doing for a landscaping company, I was inspired by Jose’s style and design sense. That translated into this logo.

Jose went for it immediately, and worked with me on the final version. Or, I should say, versions.

Rabbits and more

Label for Punchline Rabbit Punch. Design & concept Jose Batala and myself. I did the illustrations for the “how to mix” part of the label as well as the copy blurb for each flavor. (Note: due to budget and timing, we had to go with stock for the product photos on the labels.) The final copy for Rabbit was half of what was originally written – we ran into space issues and for some reason it was deemed more important to have the UPC and ingredients than my sparkling verbage. Writing the copy for the different flavors was actually a lot of fun, and the client was up for just about anything. Always a plus in creative work.

Our concept for the packaging: stand out from the competition with novel package shape and a clean and a fresh look that pushes the freshness of the ingredients as well as the fun nature of the brand.

Trivia note: turns out the Margaritta was actually named after a real woman named Margaritta. Go figure.

Freelance work: more beer

Event banner for local brewery, part of a freelance gig last fall at The Spark Agency. I was brought in to art direct and design a corporate sales meeting exhibit with five main sections. I handled part of the project in conjunction with the Sparkies. Creative directors Don Finke and John Fowler. The banner above was for a preliminary meeting in St. Louis. It needed to reflect the overall event without being specific to a particular brand. The company logo graphic was provided by the brewery client.

Below, a layout for part of the exhibit. The display area for Mobility, a vendor of the brewery offering new means for keeping track of inventory and shipping for distributors, thereby increasing profits. These banners were the backdrops for the booth area against the usual black draperies. The vivid color of the banners helped to highlight this section of the exhibit hall from the other corporate divisions. Screened back copy listed the various selling points of using the Mobility system.

New look for a bar and restaurant

Display ad for Club Mirage, a suburban Fort Lauderdale dance club located in a Ramada Inn. The demographic ranges from thirty-somethings in the neighborhood, local happy hour crowds and whoever happened to be staying at the hotel and wanted a drink. We gave this run-of-the-mill bar a sophisticated, jazzed-up image. The cubist-inspired abstract image reflects an upscale and exciting experience for the customer, with a suggestion of the tropical exotic. Shown here is a display ad for the local entertainment papers. Since the club drew local rather than tourist business, the emphasis is on nightlife rather than tropical foliage and beaches.

Toucans is the Ramada’s grill/restaurant, serving breakfast and lunch for guests as well as local businesses. When the restaurant was overhauled with the rest of the hotel, they needed to seriously upgrade the tired image of the place. The logo we designed gives the place an updated, contemporary image and lends itself well to interior graphics, menus and publications. The toucan could be adapted to various color palettes and uses.

My own little sales promotion manifesto

Michelle DeLong, designer and senior art director, explains; “Advertising is getting the consumer to know the product. Sales promotion is getting the consumer to buy it. Now.”

Once considered the illegitimate redheaded stepchild from the other side of the tracks by “real” advertising professionals, sales promotion has grown over the past decades to chew up more and more of the marketing budget. A blending of advertising core principles, on-premise directed messages, promotional stunts, public relations and buy-it-now appeals, sales promotion is more than just a few pieces of pretty point-of-sale.

Two Silver, plus Swimsuit Competition

The word from South Florida: we won two silver Addys for two different corporate identity projects. One for a printing company in Fort Lauderdale, the other a health care business in Miami. Will get images of the winning entries up soon.

Award winning work. All in a day’s work for josebatalla web and graphic design – previous winner of numerous Addys in Palm Beach for work done for the Palm Beach Opera.

Addys

Just talked to Jose – he entered several pieces in the Addys in Lauderdale and apparently we won. For some reason we won’t know how many, or what exactly won, until next week. He can’t make it to the ceremony and it’s a bit of a drive for me (1900 miles, depending on where they have it) so we will have to wait til Tuesday to find out how much they like us, they really like us.

I’m guessing it’s probably the Tiffany book created for The Flagler Museum in Palm Beach. Looking forward to hearing what went on.

Logo design: Patio Haven

This is a corporate identity piece for an upscale patio furnishings and accessories store in South Florida. Created at josebatalla web & graphic design in Fort Lauderdale. Jose Batalla, creative director.

The business is quality, upscale Florida casual furnishings and acessories. We created a look that would stand out from all the other home decor stores popping up across Broward County, Palm Beach and Boca. The logo is made up of three elements – a sun, star and moon – in addition to the typestyle.

How to nail Jello to the wall

Yes, seriously. Go here for details.

Finally someone has solved this puzzle of the ages.

Design by Jose Batalla. Concept & art direction me.

This is an ad for the agency where I worked in South Florida. The original headline was from a self-promotion piece I had produced as a freelancer. Jose liked it so much, he asked to use it for an ad for our company in the Business Professionals Group monthly magazine. The philosophy expressed in the ad is the same idea behind josebatalla web & graphic design: intelligent design that sells the product.

I had used line art illustrations in my original concept. I like Jose’s version much better.

One of the great things about working with Jose is the give-and-take on all our projects. Each of us would give opinions and suggestions on the work being produced. It was a gratifying collaboration.

This was the only publication where we advertised the agency, and that was because Jose was a member of the group. All our business came through press and word-of-mouth.

Postcard redux

Another postcard created for the Island of the Missing Swimsuits book. Inspired by South Florida’s famous Haulover Beach. Located midway between Miami ahd Fort Lauderdale, Haulover got its name from the nearby harbor. Years ago fishermen and boaters would “haul over” their boats from the ocean to the harbor, crossing the strip of sandy beach. Today Haulover Beach is the sole clothing-optional beach in South Florida. Popular with families and tourists, the beach offers all the amenities you would want in sea-side recreation. Plus the chance to get an all-over tan.

Give me a good copywriter…

The famous Greek once said “Give me a long enough lever and I can move the world.”

The famous network executive said “Give me a good prime time slot and I can move the world.”

I believe “Give me a good copywriter and together we can move the product.”

Add a long enough lever and you can also flip the non-dairy creamers into the trash across the room.

Black Square 1; a critical analysis

Toby Shortz Black Square 1 appears to the casual observer as nothing more than a large black square. The title implies this, with a self-depricating humor that is so typical of the artist, who once observed during a conversation with Tina Baldi at Ferruci’s beach house, “Yes, I do like olives.”

The masterful work, currently exhibited at the Retro Metro Diner Gallery (WoHo), may begile with simplicity, but upon examination speaks volumes.

Black Square 1, like his previous work Red Circle 4 and the seminal Yellow Square 7, interpets the space not only on the canvas, but around it in a complete and facinating dialogue of shape, form, politics and cultural affirmation. By squinting sideways at the work, the supposedly black surface becomes so much more as the optic nerves strive for meaning. A meaning that is fraught with concern and danger to the current attitudes of nilhist self-absorption found in so much of the German Post-Impressionist Expressionist work seen today.

Cows With Guns

Yes, more cows. Go figure.

Sing along with Cows With Guns.

There’s a lot of beer in my book

There’s a lot of beer in my book.

I was a senior art director at The Zipatoni Company in St. Louis. One of our largest clients was Miller Brewing Company. I worked on various Miller brands for most of my six years at Zip.

Beer advertising and promotion is not necessarily about the beer itself. (Except when you’re talking Sam Adams.)

Marketing beer is about image. Conveying excitement, drama. It’s about expressing a lifestyle. Camaraderie and the idea that drinking a certain brand will be a major part of fun and excitement with your friends.

Promotions for Miller brands involved skiing, football, hockey, soccer, softball championships, auto racing, Spring Break, holiday festivities and a host of other subjects.

Marketing Miller brands was about selling lifestyle, image and speaking to the target demographic. Not just hops and water.

When prospective employers look at my book and say, “You have a lot of beer in your work. We don’t do beer.” I have to explain. It’s not about beer. It’s about advertising.

Postcard

<>Postcard created for a travel journal project. Image and copy by me.