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04 V25 #04
$8.95 | VOL 25, NO 4 | OCTOBER | 2010 [ Canada’s Visual Communications Magazine ]
CONTENTS
September / October / 2010 / Vol. 25 / No. 4 EDITORIAL
DESIGN DECONSTRUCTION
by Hans Kleefeld Cutting through clutter is as easy as 1-2-3.
DESIGN RANT
by Barry Quinn New rebels prepare to change the world.
WEB WATCH
by Ryan Wolman & Keith Prestwich Advice for the graduating class of 2010.
DESIGNING THE FUTURE
by Robert L. Peters, FGDC Designers can play a key role in creating a blueprint for a better tomorrow.
RGD STUDENT AWARDS MAIN FEATURE : ILLUSION OF MOVEMENT
by Kevin Brooker Animation enters a new Golden Age—but without the gold. Canadian studios become leaner, faster and more creative.
GALLERY: CAREER IN MOTION
In stop-motion projects and ad shoots, Simon Duhamel reveals a unique style.
PORTFOLIO: RARING TO GO
by Kevin Brooker Having survived the recession, Rare Method Interactive is prepared to soar.
SPECIAL SECTION: APPLIED ARTS
OUTER LIMITS:
Look in Wonder The role of wonder in design and imagery revealed in a new Marian Bantjes book.
008 010 012 014 014 016 018 020 024
CLIENT SIDE
by Alain Leduc “Small stamps are built on big design ideas.”
HOT TYPE
by Rod McDonald “New online fonts shaped by their bitmaps.”
MISSING WORDS
by Doug Dolan Why RFPs should RIP.
DESIGN UNLIMITED
by Pamela Young Read a book. Save a tree.
028 032 038 046
GDC SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
056
YOUNG BLOOD:
060 064 072
ABC . . .
Designer John Larigakis & photographer Ian Willms.
PORTFOLIO: GLOBAL PERSUASION
by Chris Daniels Independent Canadian agency Cundari strives to become a world creative force.
102
PROJECT: SHOOTING THE TWILIGHT ZONE
103 105
STUDENT AWARDS
178
Philip Jarmain tells the story of an episode of a classic TV series in a single image.
Winners from our 2010 Student Awards, covering design, advertising, interactive, animation, photography and illustration (Index, p. 176).
EDITORIAL
This year’s selection of Student Awards winners provides a glimpse into the future of our industry, reshaped by new talent and technology.
4
PL AY
THE FUTURE STARTS HERE
Each year when we run the winners of our Student Awards, it’s natural to
the impression that many of the ad assignments were for low-probability,
want to look ahead. Reviewing the huge volume of advertising, graphic
low-profitability/high-impact advertisers, such as the wwf. It would be a far
design, interactive, video, animation, photography and illustration entries
better measure of their maturity and creativity to give them assignments
sent from across Canada and the United States, and from as far away as
closer to what could be called ‘real life’—the kind of projects agencies require
Beirut, one begins to detect the shape of the industry in years to come.
to pay the bills.”
To help our distinguished judging panel get the best view of emerging
She added: “On the whole, how well prepared the students are for the work-
talent this year, we decided to let them concentrate on specific areas of
ing life will depend more on their own qualities, like tenacity, stamina and
expertise. In the past, all judges would judge all the entries, which could
drive, rather than talent alone.… And then again, how many of us were really
make for a daunting task, given the rising volume of submissions. So for the
prepared for the working life?”
2010 Applied Arts Student Awards, the advertising judges took care of ads and
The idea of fresh talent and enthusiasm creating a new future is also raised
photography, the design professionals looked after their field and illustration,
in a couple of ways in the issue’s regular content. In his extended essay,
and the interactive judges reviewed the interactive work and loaned a helping
“Designing the Future” (p. 24), Robert L. Peters, principle of Circle Design
hand to advertising.
in Winnipeg, argues that the designers with long-term vision, who embrace
For his part, judge Colin James, associate partner creative at Grip Limited, in Toronto, felt that “the work ranged from extremely polished and intelligent to conceptually weak and poorly executed. Some of the video-based work
globalism and deploy sustainable practices, will play a key role in creating a blueprint for a better tomorrow. “Design shapes culture and it influences societal values,” writes Peters.
really impressed me—students pushing the animation quality to very high
“Designers act variously as surrogate dreamers, initiators, inseminators,
levels. Some great exploration of style and techniques in those categories.”
creators of desire, propagators and propagandists. Never has there been a
While finding much of the advertising work “quite clever,” James was less
greater need for our design professions to dig deep, to exercise whole-brain
impressed by the Website submissions. “Schools seem to have a generalist
(lateral) thinking skills, to understand channels of influence and patterns of
approach to teaching bits of all the disciplines (design, writing, programming,
interconnectivity, to join peer networks, to collaborate with other experts and
animation) and the work shows it,” he said. “I think that with interactive
to leverage the multi-perspective advantages of teamwork.”
work, in particular, the production is so complex and time-consuming that it
Writing a guest column, “The Next Vanguard” (p. 14), Barry Quinn, execu-
would benefit from having small teams of students [from different disciplines]
tive creative director, brand design at Juniper Park in Toronto, feels that the
work on single Websites together.”
new crop of graduating visual communications students will ride the flux of
James concluded: “There were some real standout projects from super-
changing technology and culture to transform the industry. The importance
talented individuals. The very best students are already better than at least half
of design will shift from creating artifacts to developing ideas that “must be
the creatives working in the industry.”
able to morph to accommodate different media, operating systems, devices,
In Victoria, B.C., judge Darren Warner, of dwarner6.com, thought, “The
environments, cultures, etc.… Design thinking will become more important
photography series were very strong, so I judged them as if they were ‘profes-
than design doing. As technology makes the act of creation easier and the
sional work’ versus ‘student work.’” As far as advertising, he explains, “it’s
base level of aesthetics higher, the effectiveness of items will be measured not
not always good enough to hope your work ‘sells itself.’ With a little panache
by how they look but how they work. The design process and the designer’s
an idea can be elevated in competition. The video presentations of several
mind will be the part that can’t be replicated.”
campaign ideas really helped showcase the thought and creativity that went
To see the some fine examples of this new creative thinking in action,
in. Of course a mediocre idea is still mediocre no matter how much flash you
turn to our Student Awards, starting on p.105.
dress it up with.”
›› Peter Giffen, Editor
Joanne Beauregard, CD of Sudler & Hennessey, in Montreal, was “left with
5
CLIENT SIDE
THINKING MATTERS! Design should be a thought-ful, engaging and two-way process. The designer and client must work hand in hand to come up with solutions that are built on strong ideas. - Alain Leduc Experience has taught me that successful design is more than what meets the eye. It begins with rigorous exploration and thinking. As stamp design manager at Canada Post, I work with graphic designers, artists, illustrators, photographers and creative professionals from all parts of the country. The designs I commission, nurture and criticize all have a very specific set of goals to meet. A postage stamp reflects the culture and accomplishments of a country and its people. It plays an important ambassadorial role as part and parcel of our national heritage. As importantly, it reflects the creativity of our designers. A stamp merits the same painstaking attention paid to any design project, not tot mention important consideration for its unique format and international exposure. The “thinking” behind the birth of any project is key. Creating a stamp is an exciting process—or it can be—when the visual content is properly chosen and the creative approach embraces those choices. A successful conclusion will depend on reducing the complexity of the topic into miniature works of eye-catching simplicity. Renowned Swiss design educator Armin Hoffmann taught me years ago “the
constantly check with each other to validate their common understanding
power of simple things to create real impact, conveying the message in
before going ahead, at each step of the design project. I fully expect the cre-
advance of reading a single word.” I admit to looking at design from a unique
ative process to be a two-way relationship between the designer and myself.
perspective. Prior to my current job, I was a practising graphic designer for 30
I encourage designers to embark on a more introspective, thoughtful and
years. Like the designers I now hire, my time was split between seeking out
engaging process with their clients. We rely on designers’ abilities to surprise
clients who would provide the creative challenges I craved and doing what I
us, be intellectually challenging and artistically to the point. These are the
hoped was good, intelligent design. I know the kinds of constraints and pres-
criteria by which I choose the ones with whom I work.
sure that irritate designers, particularly the scarcity of time, which affects quality. I’m finding, too often, the creative process has become the production of
I think Picasso had it right when he said, “Art is knowing what to eliminate.” That’s the creative quality I expect from designers. Not simplistic design, but the ability to take complexity, confusion and, yes, occasionally
endless piles of sketches. With too much rush to design, and without suf-
chaos, and bring back a simple message articulated precisely, creatively, with
ficient value given to thinking, the resulting work is unsatisfactory and the
enough depth to produce a resonance that moves beyond the actual design.
discussions that follow are superficial. I want to know how and why you think
Good design is not a stack of sketches, not a dozen variations on a concept.
you’ve met the objective. Some designers have lost the understanding that
It is curiosity and intelligence. It is a thought-provoking process, generating
design is not the result itself. What matters is the thinking that takes you
ideas and content-based visuals. It is how we get to relevant solutions.
to the result. My frustration mounts when I see little or no prior analysis of
Let’s infuse the design process with adequate thinking. Face it, if we can’t
the subject matter, absence of intellectual focus and designers not keeping in
articulate such thinking prior to the creation of a project, chances are the
close touch with me.
design will not communicate much.
We, in the client world, know there is a problem when designers are too
Admittedly, I have high expectations for designers’ creative thinking and
quick to cast their raw ideas into stone. Too many design attempts end up as
their communication abilities. Trust me, it matters!
showcases for hollow stylistic approaches. Another aspect of the problem is
Alain Leduc is manager of stamp design and production at Canada Post.
some designers’ thinking about the work is not clearly articulated, resulting in confusion. The client can be at fault here, too. So client and designer must 6
7
HOT TYPE
WYS isn’t WYG While designers are excited about having their favourite fonts online, they have to realize that bitmaps can ruin the look of the letters they love. - Rod McDonald The year 2010 will undoubtedly be remembered ESSAY as the year designers finally got to use their favourite typefaces on the Web. More importantly they will know that anyone who visits their site will also see the same typefaces. Good typography on screen has at times seemed an elusive goal and the use of ‘real’ typefaces is a big step in the right direction. Up to now designers really only had two choices when it came to type online. They could use one of the ‘Web safe’ fonts, such as Georgia or Verdana, that come with most operating systems, or they could convert the type to outline and treat it as a graphic image. Now at last designers can render HTML text in almost any typeface with Web fonts that don’t need to be installed on the viewer’s computer. Of course the underlying assumption is that things are going to be better now that we are no longer limited to a few default web-safe fonts. Now I’m as excited as anyone, and, as someone who actually has fonts that
computer fonts because now we could emulate traditional drawing tech-
may benefit from this emerging new market, I’m hardly a disinterested party.
niques. But that still left one major difference between the previous tech-
But I can’t help but wonder just what people think is going to happen when
nologies and the new digital one. Designers could draw letters as they always
all these typefaces hit their screens.
had but they had to be rendered as jagged, pixellized bitmaps on-screen.
We’ve been adapting old designs to new technologies from day one.
With the previous technologies, what you drew was what you got. In the
Gutenberg adapted the German black letter of the scribes to make his
digital world, if the bitmaps don’t work it really doesn’t matter how good
famous 42-line Bible type. A little later punch-cutters such as Nicolas Jenson
your drawings are. That’s why when Matthew Carter designed Verdana and
adapted the Carolingian miniscule (lowercase) to harmonize with the Roman
Georgia he reversed the usual design order. He reasoned that if the bitmaps
capital letters to create the serif typefaces we’re still reading today. But it
are that important then they should govern the design, so he drew them
didn’t take very long before those early punch-cutters realized that letters
first and then ‘wrapped’ the outline around them. He must have been on to
carved in metal had quite different qualities than letters written with a
something because Verdana and Georgia are still among the few typefaces
broad-edged pen. The type cutters soon stopped trying to duplicate the
that really work on-screen.
written letterforms of the scribes and began to develop their own forms that
The world of type design hasn’t changed as much as people think it has,
were truer to the material they used—metal. When in the mid-20th century
in fact most of us are still designing typefaces for print. But once we can see
those same metal typefaces had to be adapted to phototypesetting, the first
those typefaces on screen I don’t think it will be very long before we realize
manufacturers used their old metal patterns to create the new photo fonts.
that most of them don’t really work that well. That’s when we’ll start to see
But, just like the early punch-cutters, they could see that letters made by
typefaces that will be designed for the new technology—typefaces with the
flashing light through film onto photographic paper behaved differently than
bitmaps designed first.
letters printed from a piece of metal pressed into paper. Once again we’re dealing with a new technology, only this one is radically different from the previous ones. Like our predecessors we also began by simply recreating our existing font libraries. Then the development of the PostScript language in the early 1980s made it a little easier to create
8
So by all means enjoy the new Web fonts, but I suggest you resist the temptation to fall in love with any of these typefaces—because there’s a good chance your favourite typeface hasn’t been designed yet.†
9
ESSAY
10
Designers with long-term vision, who embrace globalism and deploy sustainable practices, will play a key role in creating a blueprint for a better tomorrow. - Robert L. Peters We live in uncertain times of tumultuous political, social, ecological and economic instability. We’re told that nearly 50 per cent of global wealth has been destroyed by the “global financial crisis” within the past two years alone. Media reports of potential health pandemics trump the “normal” front-page news of the latest terrorist attacks, counterattacks and “unnatural” disasters seemingly triggered by a rapidly warming planet. Information overload, an overwhelming pace of change, threatened ecosystems, and staggering social imbalances threaten our individual sense of purpose, place and well-being. Around the globe, wealth, health, knowledge and technological progress have never been shared equally—yet the awareness of these gaps between “haves” and “have-nots,” along with a growing discernment of the underlying causes of these global inequities, have never been more apparent. 11
ESSAY
Massive data storage capabilities now outstrip our human ability to access meaningful information and distill knowledge: We are drowning in data.
of our headlights” as we rush headlong into an increasingly unknowable future. An example of our increasing abstraction is vertical specialization—in
Social scientists inform us that the typical “white-collar worker” now
ever-narrower terms of reference—a phenomenon affecting all professions,
encounters more than one million words per week and the average urban
including graphic design. Sadly this tends to bring with it an erosion of the
citizen of the (so-called) “developed” world has more than 16,000 “brand
broader “whole-brain” thinking our species has enjoyed from strategists,
encounters” every day (if you sleep eight hours per day, that means you are
visionaries and luminaries in the past, as well as the wisdom and holistic per-
subjected to about 1,000 brand impressions per hour). In addition, human
spectives that “general practitioners” have traditionally brought to the table.
“targets” are subject to ever more invasive and coercive advertising—in
Technology may have (arguably) made us stronger and faster, but it has not
schools, hospitals, doctors’ offices, movie theatres, airport lounges, scenic
made us wiser.
lookouts, washrooms, elevators, on the Internet, mobile phones, fruit, public garbage cans, on bus wraps and via e-mail. Of the 200 billion e-mails sent
CORPORATISM VS. THE COMMONS
every day, an estimated 90 per cent are spam.
More than half of the world’s top 100 economies are now corporations, as
Are we headed for a merciless state of total brand and advertising saturation? Will we even know if and when we’ve become overwhelmed? The communications revolution of the past decades has redefined tra-
opposed to nations. Ninety-nine of the top 100 companies are headquartered in industrialized nations. Of the nearly 70,000 transnational corporations now operating worldwide, more than three-quarters are based in North
ditional notions of time and space, just as global trade and finance have
America, Europe and Japan. Although the majority of these highly success-
dissolved international borders. Comprehension of how these rapid social and
ful corporations enjoy identities, brands, marketing tools, communications
technological changes (particularly “virtualization”) influence our funda-
and information systems developed by talented designers, there is a growing
mental relationship to community, the physical environment and a “sense of
debate within the worldwide design community about the dual (and often
place” is not well understood. It seems we may be “driving beyond the beam
conflicting) role that the profession plays in both creating wealth and serving
12
society through the sharing of such wealth and the nurturing of culture. A decade ago, Naomi Klein described a growing backlash against unbridled
consumer, worker and environmental protection laws. Largely unfettered by ethical or moral considerations, globalization tends to acquire and exploit the
consumerism in her widely read book, No Logo. “The corporate hunger to
earth’s resources for private gain, concentrate and centralize decision-making
homogenize our communities and monopolize public expression is creating a
power (beyond the reach of the majority of people and democratic processes),
wave of public resistance,” she wrote, documenting the reclaiming of public
create dependency and impose demands of standardization or homogeniza-
spaces and the revolt against corporate power. Many empathized with Klein’s
tion of almost everything on everybody.
attack on “the brand bullies,” and with Joel Balkan’s depiction (in his book
Globalism stands in dramatic contrast to globalization, taking the view-
and film The Corporation) of corporations as “soulless leviathans—uncaring,
point that all people share a single fragile planet (Marshall McLuhan’s “global
impersonal and immoral,” that are “using branding to create unique and
village,” or what Buckminster Fuller referred to as “spaceship earth”) that
attractive personalities for themselves.” It’s hard to dismiss the almost daily
requires careful treatment and mutual respect by all concerned in order to
reports of small-town wars against “big-box retailers” (Wal-Mart, et al.),
survive and thrive. The concept of “Global Commons” is now used to describe
culture jamming, brand busting, and the growth of “hacktivism” and “digi-
the ozone layer, all land and oceans, and the earth’s rich genetic and cul-
lantes,” as an ever-more informed populace joins the fight of “citizenship vs.
tural diversity. Like all ethical beliefs, globalism requires active practice in
consumerism.” Not a new topic, really. Victor Papanek predicted the “Coca-
the day-to-day lives of the broadest possible constituency, with a view to
colonization” and “Disneyfication” of our entire planet a full generation ago
fostering understanding, sharing resources on the basis of sustainability and equity, and coming together for mutual aid in times of need.
GLOBALISM BESTS GLOBALIZATION
Everywhere in our shrinking world we can witness increased homogeniza-
Globalization has been defined as the ever-more-rapid process by which cor-
tion, erosion of indigenous culture, the emergence of non-places (uniform
porations move their money, factories, products and brands around the planet
airports, generic shopping malls), and the advancement of what some theo-
in search of cheap labour, raw materials and governments willing to ignore
rists are calling “serial monotony.” Globalization threatens identity, the very
13
ESSAY
cornerstone of culture, and the key to our understanding of “self.” Culture encompasses language, traditions, beliefs, morals, laws, social behaviour and the art of a community—understanding and protecting its inherent integrity is imperative in avoiding identity crisis and rootlessness. This shrinking world (with widened opportunities for designers in all disciplines) calls for extended vision, a broadened understanding of “the other” and an increased respect for our essential differences. Aware of the advancing threat of monoculture, can the world’s designers help conserve and revive those things that make human culture distinct and unique? Is there still time to avoid losing our sense of who we are, where we’ve come from, where we belong and why these distinctions are so important? Designers, more than most others, are in a position to actually celebrate societal differences, to embrace the vernacular and to help avoid the unhappy melding of unique cultures into a bland global stew. In the face of globalization’s monolithic pressures to conform, I believe that designers with long-term vision, who embrace globalism and deploy sustainable practices, can truly create blueprints for a better future by becoming champions of the unique things that dignify human beings, that make our civilizations meaningful and that make contemporary life worth living. We know that in an age of information and ideas, communication and experience design have incredible strength to mold societal values and to influence thinking—essentially, they are the new currency in today’s virtual world. As a result, designers play an increasingly vital role in empowering better decision-making, creating economic success, shaping communities and forming culture. Designers today have real power. As such, we also bear considerable responsibility for how things are consumed and how change is deployed. It remains then for designers everywhere to envision worldwide solutions, to create integrative synergies and to give form and life to universally equitable ideas. (While this may seem utopian, I envision designers as the ones questioning the status quo, re-examining the practices of past decades to homogenize, monopolize and dominate markets, and initiating change toward lifestyles lived in a more holistic, inclusive, sensitive, eclectic, empowering and sustainable manner.)
DESIGN GIVES FORM TO DREAMS. Need is the father of thought. I would like to think that designing and dreaming have travelled in lockstep since our species began to walk upright. In response to need and with nascent, ascendant dreams in their heads, designers have since earliest times given shape to the tools, environments, messages and experiences that define human existence. 14
Graphic design is finally coming of age. Born in the last century of mother Art and father Commerce (and therefore named “commercial art” in its infancy), graphic design has finally developed a sense of its own identity, along with an understanding of its role and responsibilities relative to society. No longer content with being the whipping boy of marketing, graphic design has evolved into a true profession and has adopted all that comes with professionalism—best practice models, codes of ethics, certification standards and considered criticism. As the developed world has evolved from smokestacks to information-based societies and now an “age of ideas,” the role of design has moved rapidly into the forefront of market economies. Graphic design ignites passion, identifies, informs, clarifies, inspires and enables communication in our interconnected, interdependent, real-time world. Design shapes culture and it influences societal values. Designers act variously as surrogate dreamers, initiators, inseminators, creators of desire, propagators and propagandists. Never has there been a greater need for our design professions to dig deep, to exercise whole-brain (lateral) thinking skills, to understand channels of influence and patterns of interconnectivity, to join peer networks, to collaborate with other experts and to leverage the multi-perspective advantages of teamwork.
SEEING IS BELIEVING Today is the tomorrow that our species dreamed of yesterday. Today is also the past we’ll remember in the future—perhaps with nostalgia, perhaps with remorse. Although “design” shapes most of our modern environments, inputs and experience, the design professions are really only beginning to understand the significant role we play in forming the world around us (consistent with the truism that the meaning of history is rarely apparent to those who shape it). A cautionary note for those of us living in the “developed” world is that over the past few generations we have become disconnected and separated from nature—for the first time in human history we are living by clock and calendar rather than by sun and season. We live in shared and increasingly interwoven stories. The Maori say, “We walk backwards into the future,” recognizing that footprints we leave behind can actually inform forward navigation and future progress. Listening to the narratives of others helps pave paths to better understanding. Knowing our own past (and comparing our paths with those of others) allows us to celebrate achievements, learn from human foibles, redress omissions (often visible only through the lens of history) and correct our course. Today, seeing is believing. We’re told that 85 per cent of what we know nowadays is learned through our eyes. This means that as designers of visual language, we play a crucial role in society. The world needs us—and as information designers in an information age, we find ourselves in a position of considerable responsibility, whether we like it or not. 15
ESSAY
16
A CALL FOR COLLABORATION I have long been a believer in the value of synergism, the strength of
empathy, to nurture tolerance, to resolve conflict, to build respect for diver-
camaraderie to bridge adversity, the vitality of collective processes, and the
sity and “the other,” to expose injustice, defuse violence, promote peace,
solidarity of common goals regarding design and our planet’s mutual future.
break down divisive barriers, counteract patriarchies, oppose hegemonic
I remain convinced that our profession will continue to play a lead role in
empires, alleviate despair, and repudiate fanaticism and fundamentalism of
forming culture, influencing values and shaping the world. I know we can
every kind. We have the power to expose the root causes of inequity, fear,
achieve more, be more effective and act more sustainably by sharing our
despair and rage (the breeding grounds for terrorism). We can visualize long-
ideas, giving voice to collective values and integrating synergies through our
term solutions, and we can use our unique mix of analytical and generative
professional associations and as a part of the global design community. I have
abilities to summon a sustainable response to looming challenges. We can
no doubt that we are capable of doing much more together than separately.
promote harmony, raise the bar for civilization and civility, and above all,
In this vein, I would encourage all designers to use creativity, voice and
advance the characteristics that matter in making us truly “human” beings.
communication skills to make a difference. We can choose to deploy our powerful talents and propaganda tools to further understanding and build
Isn’t that exciting?
Robert L. Peters, FGDC, is a graphic designer and the founding principal of Circle, a design consultancy based in Winnipeg. He is a former president of the Icograda, a foreign feature correspondent for Communication Arts magazine, author of the book Worldwide Identity (Rockport), and a Fellow of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada (GDC). For the past 28 years, Peters has lived in a low-energy passive solar house that he designed and built in the woods of eastern Manitoba. (rlpeters@circle.mb.ca)
17
PORTFOLIO
RARING TO GO Having survived the recession, Rare Method Interactive is poised to take off, with offices in Calgary and Utah, and a strong focus on results-oriented creative work. - Kevin Brooker Canadian agencies span every kind of ownership permutation, from sole proprietors to partnerships, to international conglomerates. But among them, Calgary’s Rare Method Interactive might have the rarest pedigree of all. Not only is this mid-sized, Calgary-based shop the country’s smallest publicly traded agency (TSX: RAM), it even has its own satellite office in the United States. Not even its origins were commonplace. Rare Method emerged in 1997 under former president Roger Jewett, first as a shell company, then a tiny agency devoted to e-mail campaigns. But early on Jewett devised an unusual strategy: Take the company public quickly and grow by relentless acquisition, starting with numerous boutique shops in Calgary.
Then, three years ago, with Alberta business still soaring and revenues
And that’s something Rare Method feels uniquely equipped to de-liver.
approaching $10 million, Rare Method went shopping for a ready-made U.S.
According to Calgary co-creative director David McKean, “Our culture
footprint. Location-wise the agency focused on mid-tier cities like Phoenix,
definitely comes out of being a Web shop. We’re used to showing outcomes
Denver and Las Vegas. In the end, it pounced on Blain Olsen White Gurr, a
immediately, like clicks and site visits. Results come first, and that approach
respected, tech-focused shop in Salt Lake City, Utah, whose clients include
bleeds over to the entire agency. Having the coolest creative was never our
Telcordia Technologies, a remnant of the former U.S. Bell monopoly that now
first priority.”
ranks as the world’s largest telecommunications software company. That cross-border merger yielded a number of success stories before it
Though Calgary remains distant from staple advertising fodder like national brands and product packaging, Rare Method services a diverse portfolio,
slammed into the 2008 recession. Total staff, once near 100, is currently at
including tourism, agriculture, oil and gas companies, and regional retail.
38, two-thirds of whom work in the Calgary head office. Consider it a measure
Having been agency of record for firms as different as Bayer CropScience and
of the company’s elasticity that despite the tumult and having few employees
Moxie’s Classic Grill, it has enjoyed particular success with a sexy rebranding
who pre-date the 2007 merger (longtime president Tom Short left earlier this
of the latter, helping it morph from family diner to swank hangout for young
year, replaced by CEO Marty Park), Rare Method has managed to sustain con-
sophisticates—and go head-to-head with well-established chains, such as
tinuity with a marketing culture in which interactive technologies form the
Earl’s and The Keg.
bedrock, but conventional media are never ignored in the overall package.
In Salt Lake City, chief creative officer Jeff Olsen feels the marriage has
“We like to think that clients come for the interactive, but stay for the
made both shops stronger. “Especially in this economy, it was great for us to
creative strategy,” says Geoff Plewes, director of client services. Whereas the
bolster our interactive strengths. And merging was not as hard as you would
mix was once around 80/20, interactive to traditional, it’s now around 60/40.
think.” Though both offices retain a degree independence, he says, they
But as time goes by, that distinction only blurs. Noting that Rare Method’s
are increasingly collaborative, especially in strategy and business acquisi-
tagline is Strategic Interactive Marketing, Plewes points out that, as every-
tion. “We do tons of Skype video-conferencing, and we shuttle a lot of work
where in the changing industry, “Our clients are becoming less concerned
through a VPN.”
about their media mix and more focused on results.” 18
19
PORTFOLIO
UTAH STATE FAIR, 2005-07
Like many of its kind, this annual fair was losing its most eager-to-spend demographic: urban youth. But thanks to a stroke of serendipity, and some killer creative, this campaign revered that trend in a big way for the fairs 150th anniversary. Playing off the campiness of the film, one of the spots features Napoleon and Pedro show how old-timers had fun before the advent of roller coasters.
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TICKETMASTER, 2007
The famous ticket vednor wanted to let customers know about itds new online service, where customers could not only buy, they also sell or exchange tickets. But these two schlubs obviously hadn’t heard about it. While fans cheered wildly inside, next to prime unused seats, this pair lingered dolefully outside the stadium to the melancholy strains of Roy Orbinson’s “Only the Lonely.”
NORTHLAND VILLAGE, 2005
“The intent was to establish a visual approach unique to Northland, yet still appropriate to their category,” says Calgary co-creative CD David McKean. “Research told us Northland’s shoppers didn’t like shopping and were looking to get in and out quickly. We took those opinions to hear and crafted messages around the ease of the experience. The bags, icons of shopping, were modified to communicate key messages, such as ‘shop faster.”
ALWAYS KIDS, 1999
Rare tapped some local karma in this feel-good piece for a regional non-profit organization of the theme of why kids need heroes. This time it was getting CBS lead NFL play-byplay broadcaster Jim Nantz to do a pro boon voiceover for a 30-second spot. Nantz calls a dramatic quarterback sack play that meshes perfectly with the living room horseplay of father and son in the foreground.
» Shuttling workers, alas, is not quite so straightforward, something Olsen
Another bright spot: The economies of both cities seemt to be rebounding.
says they’re learning to work around. Still, the two cities share much in com-
“We’re definitely seeing a resurgence,” says new CEO Park. “Companies are
mon. “We’re both western towns, fairly young, former Winter Olympic hosts,
getting their marketing budgets back. We’re even growing our teams in both
both roll-up-your-sleeves places, and it’s the same time zone,” he explains.
offices again, and that’s nice.” Add the fact that clients are more disposed
Salt Lake City also comes with a built-in attraction for clients in the United
than ever to think interactively, and Rare Method seems poised for a return
States, especially easterners with mountain envy. With seven of America’s
to growth.
best ski resorts less than a half-hour from the airport, “there’s no shortage of
But new technologies alone won’t get the job done.
executives who want to fly out for a meeting.”
“As everybody rushes to get interactive and social and all that stuff,” Olsen
On the creative side, reports David McKean, “Americans really do bring
reminds us, “we need to make sure that Rare Method is still being interesting
their unique voice to the table. We recently did some work on a Banff
and engaging.”
account and they nailed it with a tagline we would never have come up with:
Kevin Brooker is an Applied Arts Magazine senior writer, based in Calgary (kevinbrooker@mac.com).
‘Banff, the world’s finest national park.’”
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