Real Bizarre

        Sometimes marketing can get kind of bizarre. 

Image courtesy of This man.

        Now, most companies tended to play it safe nowadays,  but back then things could get really weird in how they presented the product. Granted, that is depending if the ad actually represented the product, and didn't leave you asking what you just witnessed. From ridiculous and naughty scenes like the one above, to the more accidentally terrifying, and then to the plain misleading.

       However, a part of me wishes that we still had this type of insanity in marketing. I'm not saying we should be going absolutely crazy and film babies committing war crimes, but at least come up with something memorable. As it was once described to me, 'think inside the box before coming up with the out of the box ideas'. To me, there is nothing more entertaining than controlled chaos; just tying all of the outrageous events together in a neat little package. Yes, I understand that it isn't everybody's cup of tea, but I think even then you could pull something from it.

     Another thing you could get out of these oddities was always a nice style to strive for. Uneven fonts, a mix of bright and subtle colors, unique music backing, etc. Again, it's a shame that while most advertising has taken to being safe, going out there with the ideas has left the table. There has to be a good middle ground somewhere. With that being said, thank you for reading, and stay tuned!

Looking Good

      What do you want your final product to look like? Perhaps you are trying to create a vivid landscape of trees and lakes? Perhaps it's a gloomy skeleton, that shows signs of decay and rot? What do you think will look good to you depends on what you define as 'good'. Good as can be, good enough, good for nothing, it's all up to you as the creator! So, please read on, and find out what you think is 'good'.

      It goes without saying that you want to put effort into whatever you make. The quality you insert into any production will always shine through, and  customers will be aware of that. For example, when making an animation, you want poses and proportions to be consistent; if a character who's supposed to be the shortest can wind up grabbing a larger character with one arm, and no explanation is given, people will notice. Then of course you have bad video quality, audio quality, grammar quality,  and so much more to handle. Sure, there might be people who can look past one or two of these flaws, but very rarely look past all of them .

       The second thing to consider is, 'does this look good in context?' Say you're making a cutesy children show, and one of the characters is an unsettling flesh demon; chances are, no matter how well they're animated, or presented, it will make children upset. Context is everything when designing, be it for twists, colors, meaning, etc.  So long as you know your general context, and can spin off from it correctly,  you'll be golden!

     While what looks good, and what doesn't is up for debate, there's a certain level of skill and understanding one must apply when making their projects. If you can't at least work on charming your audience, then you won't wind up with many positive feedback. So, with that being said, thank you for reading. Hopefully this article looks 'good' enough for you, and stay tuned.

Speech Class

                   So it's been awhile since I've talked about my classes. At least since the start of the year. I'm sure judging from the title, you're wondering why I'm even talking about this one? It's speech, words, vocality, what does that have to do with Graphic Design? Well, mostly it has to do with getting yourself out there. Blogs, good work, and applications aren't enough. You need to make yourself presentable.

           What do I mean by this? Well, I am a normally shy person. I have trouble putting myself out there, I don't like to talk, and I'm generally scared of other people. Usually, when I see someone else walking on my side of the street, I will do what I can to leave. Bee it then around, go to the other side, or just hide until they leave. As you can imagine, this isn't healthy, and it's clear my confidence is lacking. So in order to improve my confidence, I need to take this class.

             Not only that, but I stumble on my words sometimes. If I am to convince a potential client I'm ready, I need to be a better speaker.  So a speech, whether it be two minutes or two hours, can be important for graphic design. It's the thing that helps you find friends and clients. It's what helps you develop good relationships. Not to mention, if you were to just talk to an audience, having one prepared will make you look good.

               So once again, thank you for reading! Hopefully after this class is over, I'll be making better blogs as well. However until then, comment below, tell me what I should improve on, and stay tunded!

Confidence is like a tree.

Public Figures

         So, this should go without saying, but don't be a jerk. I know that's generalizing things, but my point is, your image matters. Sure, you might not care what people think about you, but you'd be surprised at how much this affects. Namely, when you're in public, and representing a brand. If by chance you're a person who acts rude, then the brand can let you go. That ladies and gentlemen, is my topic for this week.

          Now, I understand that not every complaint to someone's character is valid. In fact, it's easy for most people to tell which are valid, and which aren't. My point is, even if you're a freelancer, the design business wants to make sure they aren't hiring someone rude or lazy. You have to keep up an image of yourself that tells clients 'yes, I can do the job!' Honestly, this isn't that hard to do, or at least it shouldn't be.

           Now that being said, I think there are public figures who are to important to a brand. The ones where, no matter how much they screw up, have put way too much in the business. One example is Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo. Not only has the man created two of the company's most famous franchises, but he's also been the one taking charge of new ideas, and trying out new features. That being said, there's a lot of fair critique against him. Namely, he's had a habit of butting into games in development, and just interfering when not needed. That being said though, he's already put too much time and energy to leave the company, and I can understand hating it when you're hired to... Oversee papers and not create.

Image from Wikipedia

             Even then though, with as high as some people are in a company, they can't just do what they want. Being a public icon, whether fictional or real, takes a lot of self-maintenance. Thankfully though  it can pay off ing you know what to do. Thank you once again for reading ladies and gentlemen. Make sure to comment down below, and stay tuned.

 

Video-Game Marketing

       So, earlier today while I was doing my online class, my teacher said  a videogame doesn't market anything. Now, I'm not hating on him, but that line did get me thinking. Can videogames be used for marketing? To the casual observer, probably not, but if you look closer... They just might. For one thing, they market themselves in advertisements, which is so obvious  it probably doesn't count


      Let's go deeper though, since I believe a videogame can market something bigger. The studio and companies that make them. Think about it, good games could land a team more work. Consistent work output will  help keep them afloat. A company that publishes great pieces will in turn expand.

    Going further, I've seen games that can be tied with toys, clothes, comics, all sorts of touchpoints. So with that being said, I think it's safe to say they do have marketing potential. Especially when you have a mascot or engine you want to put out.
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