There is a false sense that sticking a photo, any photo, on something gives it more value. We have access to billions of photos with the rise of stock photography. Heck, it can be easy and cheap so why not. Let’s step back and take a look at what stock photos are and what photography says about your brand. Stock images are photographs that already exist and are licensed for a specific use. It often replaces the need of hiring a photographer. Stock photos are licensed either as rights managed (RM) or royalty free (RF).

Microsoft Powerpoint and its counterparts are spoken of in hushed whispers among graphic designers.

The fact is people care very much about logos. If you’ve ever read the dialogue around a major company’s rebrand, you’ll quickly realize this. Here’s an example of the firestorm that has been Tennessee’s state government rebrand. And don’t get me started on the rumors of the rumors of the Thunder logo being redone. We all know that was a misstep (it’s ok, I bought the t-shirts too). And contrary to what those comment sections say their 5 year-old probably won’t be able to make a logo that will work for you. The point is, logos are important to people and businesses. They are tasked with the job of representing a company, team, community or initiative in a simple yet unique form. That isn’t an easy nut to crack.

Have you ever built a house without a blueprint or better yet without a foundation? I wouldn’t recommend it. Yet, as an art director, I often feel like that is the task at hand when I don’t have a clear idea of what my client’s brand is.

For the record, I HATE EMAILS. Email campaigns are even worse. They’re boring. Stuck in the past. Nothing has really changed. They use old technology. They play by old rules.

I believe in firsts. First to market. First to break a story. First time to do something. It’s good to be first. During this week of Super Bowl hoopla, I’d like recognize the first commercial to launch a marketing and advertising phenomenon: Apple’s 1984.