MARK ZIBERT
ANNA+ELENA BALBUSSO AKQA EXHIBIT DESIGN ANNUAL 51
September/October 2010 Twenty-Four Dollars www.commarts.com
Mark Zibert A by Tiffany Meyers
At an office Christmas party for Toronto-based construction company Metro Mechanical, an employee with a thick Slovenian accent managed to corner 22-year-old Mark Zibert, the boss’s son. “What is this taking pictures thing?” he wanted to know. “You have construction, Mark.”
s Zibert recalls, his Slovenian-born dad, owner of Metro Mechanical, had him working from the time he was walking. In high school, Zibert did an hvac apprenticeship at the company, where he caught zero breaks for being the boss’s kid. If Zibert got there late, his dad sent him home. The expectation was that he’d take over the company. So, no, Zibert didn’t have an Art Dad who built him a basement darkroom. What he gave his son instead turned out to be far more valuable: Zibert’s work ethic is practically legendary. It’s the first thing people mention about him.
He studied applied photography at Toronto’s Sheridan College, where he met fellow student Sandy Pereira, now his wife and herself an award-winning force in photography. After school, Zibert assisted a few photographers. But his big break came early, and in the form of a voicemail on his parents’ answering machine. It was Israel Diaz, senior art director at Cossette at the time, calling with a rhetorical question: Would Zibert be interested in a Nike campaign? “There was such a maturity about his work that I didn’t realize he was only 23,” says Diaz, who is today executive creative director at David & Goliath, Toronto. “When I found out, we were like, is this going to be a bit of a gamble?” His decision to go with Zibert paid off, yielding an award-winning, buzz-generating campaign, not to mention a friendship and working relationship that’s lasted nearly a decade.
In the campaign, which celebrates sportspeople’s injuries as marks of their stamina and strength, each of several athletes shows off a bruise, a gash, a black eye. The copy explains the injury (“Black eye: Elbow under the rim,” for instance) and what each is wearing (“Dri-fit sleeveless top: Nike”). To get it right, Zibert visited the Forensics Science Centre at University of Toronto, studying wound imagery. The campaign got him noticed. And although Zibert’s range (it’s vast) makes it hard to identify a signature style, it helped establish his reputation as a photographer of athletes. He can capture them at optimal moments, every muscle articulated, without sacrificing a sense of looseness overall. Once the work showed up in Communication Arts, the phone started ringing and hasn’t stopped since.
His client roster, with representation from Toronto’s jk Reps and Vaughan Hannigan in New York, includes Adidas, Stella Artois, Pepsi, espn, Electronic Arts, BlackBook, Life magazine and Right To Play, one of Y&R, Toronto’s probono clients that uses sports to enhance child development in areas of disadvantage. Represented in motion by Toronto’s Sons and Daughters and rsa in London and Los Angeles, Zibert, now 33, recently began directing commercials for Arrow Shirts, Infiniti, Employment Ontario, Parkinson Society Canada, Gatorade and Sapporo Beer. He’s collected awards like the Bessies’ Don Award, a Lucie (Print Ad Campaign of
Right: Actor Hayden Christensen featured on the cover of GQ Russia and in Vanity Fair. Erik Mohr, art director; EnRoute, client.
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Packaging
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1 Linda Murphy, designer Deborah Kieselbach, creative director Tyler Jones, writer Toolbox Design (Vancouver, Canada), design firm Whitefish Group, client “When facing a swathe of wine labels, each staring out expectantly, one tends to go a little numb. It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack of needles—harder than you’d think. We’ve seen good folks seize up trying to choose, so to them we throw this lifeline: Shot In The Dark. A memorable name and label, and a wine well worth the risk. Not such a shot in the dark after all.” 2 Chip Sheean, designer/illustrator Jeff Harder, writer chipsheean.com (Los Angeles, CA), design firm Ex Nihilo Vineyards, client “Ex Nihilo is a Latin term meaning ‘creation out of nothing’ which led to a typographic solution for the label.” 3 (series) Kellie Campbell, designer Matthew Remphrey, creative director Parallax Design (Adelaide, Australia), design firm Henry’s Drive Vignerons, client “Henry’s Drive wines are all branded following a postal theme. The Morse Code range pays homage to the first electronic mail system through printing the varietal of each wine on the label in Morse code.” 4 (series) Ryan Hoelting/Josh Robinson/Isvel Rodriguez, designers Isvel Rodriguez, associate creative director Curt Mueller, creative director/writer Ryan Hoelting, illustrator 22squared (Tampa, FL), ad agency Red Brick Brewery, client “Red Brick is a craft beer made by Atlanta Brewing Company in Atlanta, Georgia. We redesigned their packaging and entire visual identity using the tagline ‘Beer From Around Here’ and the concept that all beer from outside the southern states is effectively an import. We simplified the product names, added Southern charm in the copy and incorporated visual cues from Southern industrial products to give the brand a rich cultural story.” 5 Jonathan Gian/Pann Lim, art directors Terence Bong, Obilia, 3-D designer Pann Lim, creative director Terence Bong, Obilia/Jeremy Wong, Nemesis Pictures Pte. Ltd., photographers Kinetic Singapore (Singapore), ad agency Leslie Low, writer/typographer/client “Owning the Humpback Oak Oaksongs is like stepping into the lives of the musicians. The box set is very personal, with thoughtful touches like prints of original lyrics since 1990 and lyric sheets as CD covers, every detail accentuates the human touch to the music box set, where even each music CD is numbered and tagged using the handwriting of the band members.”
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Trademarks 1
1 Brent Couchman, designer Brent Couchman Design (Richardson, TX), design firm Rosalyn Haug, Rosalyn Custom Totes, client
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“All the inspiration I needed for this mark came from Rosalyn herself. I wanted to create something unique and playful for her custom tote bags.” 2 David Drummond/Gail McGowan, designers David Drummond, creative director Salamander Hill Design (Elgin, Canada), design firm Red Squirrel Gallery, client “Red Squirrel is an online art gallery showing painting, pictures and images by Scottish artists.” 3 Neal White, art director/designer Owen Irvin, writer TANK Communications (Chicago, IL), design firm Cognitive Coffee, client
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“Cognitive Coffee is a small, neighborhood coffee house that caters to intellectuals who want more than just a cup of coffee. They host poetry readings, open-mike nights and latte art classes.”
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4 John Tullis, designer Deluxe (Kyle, TX), design firm SR Consulting, client “I was approached by a programmer in Houston to create a logo that spoofed the federal food councils. The National Bacon Coalition is a blog for writers to have a little fun.” 5 Michael Beukema, designer Laura Root, creative director Squires & Company (Dallas, TX), design firm The Park, client “The Park project in Dallas is a five-acre deck park being constructed over the existing Woodall Rodgers Freeway— a natural oasis in the midst of a bustling urban environment.”
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6 Jeff Barfoot/Shay Ometz, art directors Jeff Barfoot, designer BarfootWorldwide (Dallas, TX), design firm Splash & Dash, client
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“Splash & Dash is a biathlon (a swim and run) for kids. We loved the idea immediately, and drew a lot of critters’ fronts and backs to find the combination that communicated quickly and tickled us the most.” 7 Keely Jackman (London, United Kingdom), designer/illustrator Arnaud Berrabia, Two Skinny Homos, client “Two Skinny Homos, is a successful premium catering service formed by French chef Arnaud Berrabia and American Queer Eye Expert Christopher Peyton.” 8 Brady Waggoner, art director Phil Waggoner, creative director Tom Jeffrey, writer HOOK (Charleston, SC), design firm RIOT Outfitters, client “The challenge was to create a logo that leveraged the power of the name RIOT without any negativity. The megaphone was part of the initial sketching since they’re commonly on both sides of a RIOT. It wasn’t until the last hours of work that it was finally shaped into an ‘i’ and an ‘o.’ Plenty of pencil time.”
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1 David Kampa/Jeff Rogers, designers McGarrah Jessee (Austin, TX), ad agency TreeHouse, client
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TreeHouse is a green home-improvement resource. 2 Toby Robin, designer Neighborhood All-Stars (Boise, ID), design firm Story Story Night, client “Story Story Night provides a monthly forum and format for the Boise community to share true stories on a theme. Live on stage. Without notes.”
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3 Tony Diamond/David Parker, art directors Bradford Lawton/Josh Zapata, designers Lindsay Crowell, TX), production manager BradfordLawton, LLC (San Antonio, TX) design firm Impact Ministries, client “Wine to Water is a non-profit wine tasting series to promote the funding and building of water systems in remote areas of Honduras.” 4 Markham Cronin, designer/creative director Markham Unlimited (Coral Gables, FL), design firm Abe’s Market Natural Goods, client
wine to water
“AbesMarket.com is a marketplace for producers of artisanal natural goods. The client challenged us to create a stand alone visual that said ‘Natural Market.’”
raising glasses. raising funds. raising hope.
5 Jay Fletcher, designer J Fletcher Design (Charleston, SC), design firm GreenlitScripts, client
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“GreenlitScripts is a screenwriting and script doctoring service based in New York City that focuses on original features, television, specs and rewrites.” 6 Drew Davies/Joe Sparano/Adam Torpin, designers Oxide Design Co. (Omaha, NE), design firm Cultures East, client “Cultures East provides progressive cultural tours through Southeast Asia. The identity utilizes the metaphor of a person riding an elephant—a mode of travel unique to this area.” 7 Noriko Ohori/Sylvia Vaquer, designers Kurt Munger, creative director Interbrand (San Francisco, CA), design firm Geeknet, client
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“SourceForge Inc. owns some highly trafficked sites for people who love tech. The Geeknet Octobot is inspired by Web site iconography and wire frames. His multiple arms will guide media buyers to where they can get access to Geeknet’s tech-obsessed community.” 8 Brian Owens, designer/creative director O&H Brand Design (Dallas, TX), design firm Carol Vick-Bynum, client “This logo was created to both honor and raise money for East Texas State University designmentor Rob Lawton, known for his phrase, ‘You dig?’ It was presented to Rob at an event honoring him and ‘dig’ apparel proceeds go directly to him.” Communication Arts
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Miscellaneous 1 Adam Giles/Gareth Howat, designers Eugene Byrne, writer Gareth Howat/Jim Sutherland, creative directors Marcus James, Royal Mail, design and editorial director Alastair Pether, Royal Mail, design manager Helen Cumberbatch, Royal Mail, editorial manager Hat-trick Design, design firm Royal Mail (London, United Kingdom), client “This Royal Society stamp issue marks 350 years of progress in science. Founded in 1660, the Society’s Fellows include key figures involved in the growth of modern science. The split-design stamps feature the luminaries’ portraits paired with dramatic and colorful ‘brainstorming’ imagery representing their ideas and achievements. The accompanying pack features background information and quotes for each of the fellows featured, and a timeline of the world’s oldest science academy.” 2 (series) Angus Hyland, art director Fabian Herrmann/Angus Hyland, designers Marion Deuchars, illustrator/typographer Pentagram (London, United Kingdom), design firm Cass Art, client “A brightly colored bag, branded Cass Art Kids, containing an activity book with hand-drawn typography and pencils, was designed to promote a new space dedicated to children’s art materials in Cass Art’s flagship Islington store.” 3 Mike Dempsey, art director Mike Dempsey/Stephanie Jerey, designers Alastair Pether, Royal Mail, design manager Marcus James, Royal Mail, design and editorial director Helen Cumberbatch, Royal Mail, editorial manager Andy Seymour, photographer Clare Shedden, Royal Mail, project manager Studio Dempsey, design firm Royal Mail (London, United Kingdom), client “The album sleeve was the canvas for some of the most imaginative graphic artists in the world. The Classic Album Covers stamp issue celebrates some of the greatest examples by U.K. artists. Each stamp features an album cover that is as culturally significant as the music it represents. Each cover was specially photographed with vinyl; the protruding record creates a unique die-cut. The souvenir sheet mimics a record cover, a superb way to collect the full set arranged in order of album release.” 4 (series) Joerg Becker/Joshua Enck/Donna Piacenza/ Jody Work, designers Studio 1a.m. (Elmhurst, IL), design firm/client “Measure Me Stick transforms a traditional ruler into a playful, modern and educational object. Comprised of 3-color combinations/information displays and integrating both the metric and U.S.-based inch systems, each piece is handmade in Chicago and can be purchased online.” Bamboo construction, non-toxic ink and finish, mounting hardware.
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design
Print is not dead The introduction of every new media forces creatives to redefine what older mediums do best and what their roles are in the overall media mix. Far from stagnating, paper and printing are evolving in many directions.
Trends
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Campaigns combining direct mail and Internet yield up to 25 percent higher response than Internet alone.
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—Direct Marketing Association Insert Council
Ecofont (www.ecofont.com) runs in Microsoft Word and Outlook and reduces ink or toner usage by 25 percent by “shooting” holes into the letters during printing. Custom typefaces can be added. Cheap E-paper displays will soon be everywhere. Nemoptic (www.nemoptic .com) has created electronic shelf labels that are equipped with wireless capabilities and can simultaneously transmit pricing and promotional information throughout a supermarket.
HP ElectroInk White ink for HP Indigo 5000 and 5500 digital presses enables printing on colored, transparent and foil substrates. This example, designed by Minhee Cho of Paper + Cup, is printed on Mohawk Studio Collection white inkcompatible i-Tone paper.
The Paper Life Cycle Project (thepaperlifecycle.org) provides information about the sourcing, production, use and end-of-life of paper.
CA Queries Creatives
What emerging trends do you see for printing on paper? Christian Helms, The Decoder Ring Design Concern, Austin, TX. “I see a push to make the things that we actually print more tactile and unique. I’ve been using multiple processes a lot lately, combining letterpress or offset with thermography or silk-screen printing. Robert Gay, at BBIITT, has been doing a lot of laser engraving on paper, which produces interesting textural results. For environmental projects I’m using a lot of direct-to-substrate flatbed printing to mock-up life-size examples for presentations—it definitely has a bolder impact than a digital mock-up.”
Laura Shore, Mohawk Fine Papers, Inc., South Cohoes, NY. “Although it’s not like the crafty, paper-bag-type papers of the early 1990s, there is a definite shift back toward texture. It goes with the DIY and the ReadyMade aesthetic. People are yearning for a simpler, unplugged life (even as they wait in line for their iPhone 4Gs). When they do print, they want it to matter and textured papers get as far away from the screen as possible. Then they tweet about it.”
Jake Lefebure, Design Army, Washington, DC. “Printing in pixels rather than on paper is a trend that will not end anytime soon. However, I think that a new breed of paper purists is on the rise. There’s always going to be a market for print die-hards who just can’t get enough of that inky smell, and crave the tactile finishes of embossing, stamping and engraving. Not sure I can say it’s a trend since we have been using UV presses and inks for several years, but we’re an ‘Uncoated Shop’ so with UV printing we get excellent results no matter the paper grade.”