It has been called “The Magazine of the Future,” and is one technology that will definitely change the way you see the world.  Recently, advertisers have created what seems to be print advertisement, but when you least expect it, the ad does something unusual:  It moves.  There are several prototypes in malls and subways across the country as well as over seas, but now some have figured out how to take the technology to the next level. What once was a stationary collection of photos and stories, has now become a series of flat flexible screens, which do not malfunction when bent or manipulated.  Thus, a moving publication is created.  Outside Magazine gives us a chance to encounter this technology and see what the magazine of the future might be like.  

Today, you will be bombarded with an almost constant stream of advertisements.  Some estimate the total number of messages designed to grab your attention to equal a mere 250 ads while others believe a more reaistic number is around 3,000 ads per day.  It goes without saying that location plays a pivotal roll.  Guerrilla Marketing is a growing trend being practiced by everyone from Starbucks to the small business owner.  Just as it sounds, Guerrilla Marketing is designed to reap maximum results from minimal resources by the use of creativity, time, and energy rather than large corporate advertising budgets.  As you will see, it is no surprise businesses are creating a buzz from some unusually creative promotion...

As seen below, Mr. Clean tries to communicate their products superior whitening ability by cleaning a city cross walk. This promotion cost almost nothing and is very accessible to consumers who walk or drive by constantly on a daily basis. 

This incredibly creative promotion was created by BBR Saatchi & Saatchi in Tel Aviv, Israel, for Hot Cable TV company.  Roughly 459 feet long and 16 feet high, this billboard was created to promote the stations recently increased programs and to hold its leadership position in the marketplace.  The billboard actually doubles as a huge magnet, where 6,000 celebrity cutouts of various TV and movie stars were attatched, and the public was invited to "Take home the stars."  Within 2 hours, the first round of magnets were completely wiped out, and thus restocked several times.  The exposure the ad generated would be tremendous, it is not every day you encounter a 450 foot long bill board with detachable parts and a bright red background.  The intention of this promotion was not to be a stationary advertisement, but rather a single event with the potential to create a huge buzz among consumers.   

In the graphic design industry, no body's perfect.  Often times there is so much to do spread between multiple projects, but there is still no excuse for letting bad design go to print.  We will begin posting examples of bad design on our blog to show you what NOT to do.  Classic case in point, check out this movie poster for Jonah Hex.  Notice anything about Megan Foxes' waist?  What about Josh Brolin's arm?  

The idea for these post come from a well known blog called photoshopdisasters.com.  There are so many examples of both nationally circulated print material as well as local photoshop blunders that just make you wonder, "What were they thinking?"  

Jessica Thomason comes to McLeod Creative from Sonoma, California where she worked at a Fine Arts Museum doing development, marketing, public relations and event coordination. During her time at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art she promoted various exhibitions featuring the work of Pablo Picasso, Francisco de Goya, Rembrandt Van Rijn, Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg. Jessica was born and raised in Sonoma before moving to Santa Barbara where she graduated from Westmont College with a BA in Communication Studies. During her time at Westmont, Jessica frequently traveled to Guatemala to work on service projects and led fundraising campaigns to raise money for the various projects. Upon completion of her degree, Jessica worked at a health and human services non-profit doing development, marketing and special events. In 2006 she moved to Prague in the Czech Republic where she completed the TEFL certificate and taught business english in various companies. During her time in Europe she traveled extensively and volunteered at various organizations assisting with fundraising projects. Jessica married her husband Scott in September and they recently relocated to Corpus Christi to start their lives together. Jessica is excited to join the team at McLeod Creative and to connect with her new community.

The FTC Guidelines involving the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising has recently been updated after almost 30 years. In short, any "material connections" between advertiser and endorser must be disclosed. This includes any paid advertisers on blogs, websites, online directories, facebook, and all other areas of social media.

Furthermore, any discussion of the product experience must now actually describe what the average customer should expect from using the product. The new regulations take effect December 1st. All violations will be reviewed on a case by case basis, and may be subject to fines. For more info, visit the FTC's press release: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm

In an attempt to break down ideas and processes into lemans terms, commoncraft.com has put together a video series entitled, "In Plain English." This youtube video is part of their series, and aims to defines social media (ie facebook, myspace, etc), how it works, and how companies use it to their benefit.  Pretty interesting stuff, take a look for yourself!

SOCIAL MEDIA CLUB CORPUS CHRISTI

Earlier this year Corpus Christi adopted it's own social media club (SMCCC). SMCCC meets once a month to network, mingle, and discuss varying topics related to social media. Membership is open, and attendance is free. To learn more about Social Media Club Corpus Christi, and find out when upcoming events are, visit the wiki site. 

The newest member of the team, Kent Chrisman, is a recent graduate of Texas A&M Corpus Christi and has a BA in Marketing.  Originally from Houston, he made the move to live on the coast and has not looked back.  Kent is well on his way to becoming an established photographer, and some of his work is beginning to be published throughout the web and can also be found in the 2010 Texas Surf Calendar.  He loves to travel and says that his favorite trip is a yearly pilgrimage to Mexico, traveling with what can fit in his backpack, a surfboard, and camera.

Kent is happy to join the team and looks forward to personal growth while working with McLeod Creative.

At McLeod Creative, staying on the front edge of design and marketing means that we are always researching the latest trends, technologies and marketing tactics. So rather than keep all of this information to ourselves, we thought we’d share this knowledge with our readers. Moving forward the McLeod Creative blog will be updated regularly with a variety of fun, unique and informative entries that will share some insight and some amusing findings that we’ve stumbled upon. We’ll cover a range of topics from design tips to marketing strategies…all of the things that we talk about and work with on a daily basis. And of course, we’ll also provide updates on current projects, accomplishments and general goings-on in and around McLeod Creative. We hope you enjoy!

Paranormal investigators were searching for evidence of ghosts and made contact with “Elizabeth”, a young girl who used to live on the property, when suddenly they all disappeared.  A portal has been opened for evil spirits and we need your help to find the lost investigators!
 
Join us at The Haunted Ritz Theatre (715 N. Chaparral), October 23rd, 24th and 30th from 7:00 p.m. to midnight for haunted tours in search of the investigators.  We’ll also have an 80th anniversary party for The Ritz Theatre on October 31st from 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., featuring live music by The Groove, food, drinks and a costume contest!
 
A $15 donation at the door secures your ticket. Proceeds benefit The Ritz restoration project.

For more information visit www.ccritz.com or call 361-887-6055.  Under 18 must be accompanied by parent or guardian and must complete a waiver form available at www.ccritz.com/events.html
 
Sponsored by CC PATCH, ITMON Productions, Budweiser/L&F Distributing, McLeod Creative, Zarsky Lumber, The Groove, Steamatic of Corpus Christi, Leslie Hitt/Ryan Sanders Baseball & Casey Lain Presents.