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The NFL and the color pink

If you’ve watched any professional football in October you might have noticed large swaths of a color that usually doesn’t make it onto the gridiron – pink. See, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The NFL and the American Cancer Society teamed up on a campaign called A Crucial Catch to raise money for breast…

There’s nothing wrong with making your brand a little more human

There’s got to be some lessons in the fall from grace of heroes like Lance Armstrong. One is that we seem to like our heroes imperfect. You could argue that the higher you go the bigger the fall, but somehow it doesn’t seem to work that way when you are a little bigger than life….

Strained family ties in aisle five

  • About: Naming

Every time you buy one brand over any of the others you’re making a choice, whether you’re conscious of it or not. Sometimes it’s an easy choice. Other times, it might feel like there’s something for everyone’s tastes but your own. Some go with what’s tried and true while others are always looking for what’s…

Named by the internet

  • About: Naming

The internet is like the ocean: vast, beautiful, and full of terrifying creatures that want to eat you alive. Mtn Dew learned this the hard way last month when it launched “Dub The Dew,” a campaign letting people vote for the name of its new apple-flavored soda. Expecting something short and sweet, the company was…

Foreign National: why the best Americana comes from overseas

It pisses me off to no end that American heritage brands are doing much cooler stuff overseas. Filson has Red Label in Japan, Carhartt has Work In Progress in Europe. Red Wing and Converse have imprints in Japan that are doing much nicer stuff than their American motherships. Now, it’s a familiar story for foreign…

Peanut Chews reunited with Goldenberg’s

The question of authenticity is a puzzling one when it comes to branding. Case in point, my favorite candy bar, Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews. It all goes back to David Goldenberg, a Romanian immigrant whose unheralded role in World War I is now coming to light. His Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews, developed at his plant in Philadelphia,…

Are you for real?

I have car insurance. I bought it from a man who we’ll call ‘Bill’ in Oakland, because my uncle said he was a swell guy. Recently I needed Bill’s phone number so I looked him up online. I was greeted with his striking good looks and some strange achievements: Crystal Excellence Agency Golden Triangle Agency…

Conspiracy theory: J.D. Power and Associates is way more powerful than we think

I got a really interesting piece of junk mail. No, I didn’t win a chance to win a million dollars. I’m not pre-qualified for a limited-time offer. I wasn’t even entered for a chance to set sail for luxury on a Celebrity cruise. I received a piece of junkmail addressed to me by myself. It’s…

Am I tasting dirt?

Oenophiles are people who know a lot about wine. They can recognize flavors like gooseberry, lychee, and dirt. They rely on their discerning palates to judge wines. But that’s not always the whole story. Sometimes they lead themselves to believe that a wine is extra delicious just because it has a foreign or unusual name….

July 24: General Assembly branding seminar taught by Eli Altman

Failure to Communicate: The ten biggest branding mistakes startups make and how to avoid them. Taught by Eli Altman, Director of Strategy, A Hundred Monkeys Tuesday, July 24th from 6:30 – 8pm Class Description: Most startups are guilty of gross negligence when it comes to branding. This class is for anyone who wants their company to have a cool,…

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