T I S I V E M CO dary n e g e l e th
Follow Papa Pastor and his Minions and experience the Legend of Taco Mountain on page 12.
COVER STORY
p.08 25
WAYS TO BECOME
REALLY REALLY RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING 5 12 14
CREATING THE ULTIMATE TACO THE LEGEND OF TACO MOUNTAIN 2012
F.L.A.W.L.E.S.S. AWARDS
18
47 MIND BLOWING CHARTS AND GRAPHS
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“WE ARE DEFINITELY THE SAME TYPE OF DESIGNERS BUT MUCH HAS CHANGED ABOUT OUR APPROACH TO THE WORK WE DO.” built a 7 foot tall mountain called Taco Mountain. See the ad on page 2 and the full story of Legend of Taco Mountain on page 12. First #3: Rebranding
2011 IN REVIEW CLIFTON ALEXADNER
T
wo thousand eleven was an interesting year here at the World Headquarters of Awesome. Probably a year like no other. It was our 8th year in business and a year full of firsts.
First #1: National Tv, three times 1st TV appearance: In late December of 2010 I received a random phone call from a producer of CBS Sunday Morning. And within 3 weeks (Jan 2011) a camera crew, producer and national correspondent Russ Mitchell were in our office, filming a story about business cards and how tactile design can be an effective way to stand out and reach your audience. In all my wisdom and planning for business, national television was not on my radar. But when you have the opportunity for millions of people to be exposed to your brand, you jump at the chance. Needless to say, it was a great experience for us and several of our new clients found us via that TV appearance. 2nd TV Experience: CBS re-ran our business card story in late June, leading to even more exposure. 3rd TV Experience: In late July, Extreme Makeover Home Edition came calling. They were working on a build site near Kansas City, where we call home. They told me that they needed some help designing and building theme elements for an 8 year-old boy’s room. We gladly accepted the challenge and in one week we had designed, built and installed a castle playhouse and other elements. It was a crazy whirlwind of a week. The show aired in November and our castle got some significant screen time. Oh, and Chase’s beard made a cameo. First #2, Sand Castle We participated in the first annual Sand in the City sand castle building competition in Kansas City, hosted by our client Wonderscope Children’s Museum. Our theme was taco-related, of course. We
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EDITORS NOTES
Yep, we rebranded ourselves. After 8 years in business, it was time for a refreshed look and feel. We are definitely the same type of designers but much has changed about our approach to the work we do. We are a branding and design studio, with a firm grasp on marketing and strategy as well. Our new brand, tagline and message have been fine-tuned to better reflect who we are and the work we create. First #4: Road Trip To launch the new and improved REACTOR brand, Chase and I set out on a one week road trip to visit with friends, colleagues and vendors in Des Moines, Chicago and St. Louis. Two highlights of the trip: 1, The incredible inspiration we received by visiting several specialty print vendors and 2, a Cubs game at Wrigley including beers and bacon with a design friend in Wrigleyville. Needless to say, we returned to Kansas City refreshed and renewed, ready to take on the second half of 2011. First #5: Elevate Conference Frontier Airlines had a crazy sale in the fall, and we took full advantage! Myself, Chase (lead designer) and two small business entrepreneurs created a new kind of business conference, and we called it “Elevate”. We booked tickets from Kansas City to Colorado and spent one day in Estes Park, and we filled our adventurous spirits with crazy travel, rock-climbing and mountain adventures. We also filled our business spirits with specific conversations about each others companies, with incredibly inspiring views of the Rocky Mountains. And we were back home the same night! It was a new kind of business conference, and we were the guinea pigs. Ask me about Elevate Conference 2 and hopefully it will be soon. 2011 was an inspiring and changing year for us. 2012 is already projecting to be our best year. We seriously have the most awesome clients, friends and partners.
Flip the page to see OUR personal (and artistic) interpretations of the “ultimate taco�. WH
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Chase’s ultimate taco is the classic hard shell Americano taco. Created solely on the iPad.
Patrick’s ultimate taco consists of all the classic indredients but with so much of them that the taco is impossible to fold, open faced.
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CREATING THE ULTIMATE TACO
Clifton’s ulimate taco is an awesome feat of lego architecture.
Traci’s ultimate taco is mathmatical
Jenn’s ultimate taco comes with an invoice, and a coupon.
Invoice DATE
INVOICE #
01/17/12
0001
BILL TO: The Perfect Taco
P.O. NUMBER
QUANTITY 2 2 2 2 2 2
DESCRIPTION
TERMS
PROJECT
RATE
Soft Shell Cilantro Lime Rice Fajita Peppers & Onions Chicken Mild Salsa Medium Salsa
AMOUNT
0.50 0.33 0.15 0.60 0.10 0.10
1.00 0.66 0.30 1.20 0.20 0.20
-4.22
-4.22
No Dairy Products!! Coupon - 110%
Yum!!
TOTAL
$-0.71
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COVER STORY
25 TWENTY FIVE WAY S T O B E C O M E
REALLY REALLY RIDICULOUSLY RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING
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BECOME REALLY REALLY RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING
PHOTOS BY R OA DWAY STU DI O PR OJ ECT
1 Amplify your colors This year’s #1 secret to becoming really, really, ridiculously good looking. For best results, go fluorescent
2
11
Accessorize your wrist
Old school cell phone
Wear sunglasses
Bring back the coolness of the Motorola StarTac
Most people don’t deserve direct eye contact
3
12
16
Puffy vests
Barely zip your zippers
Home Depot bucket
Protect your gorgeous body with a surplus of goose feathers
This allows for undergarmet styling (and please, no bare chest)
For that “blue collar” look
The wrist is valuable real estate...
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17
Big earrings
Turtlenecks
Why not bring even more attention to your beatuiful face by blinging out your lobes
Make your neck look like a popular sucking target
5
18
Pop your collar
Runway pose
A classic symbol of confidence
Lots and lots of practice
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19
Embrace the jorts
Get an entourage
Denim is good, but frayed denim is better
Good looking people together look even better
7
20
Don’t wear socks
Swoop your hair
Ankle cleavage is hot
Great Clips isn’t cutting it...
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21
Fur for men
Chrome out your specs
Show your domination over your fellow earth dwellers
Giant sunglasses, to deflect bugs away from your pretty face
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13
Snapback hats
22
Hire sick photographers
Lots of rings
Seriously the coolest, especially in fluorescent
Photoshop works wonders
With lots of diamonds
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14
23
Perfect straight face
Groom your peach fuzz
What? Who?
That means you too ladies
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BECOME REALLY REALLY RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING
Wipe off your soles Sprucing up the bottom of your feet is a professional detail
24 Learn karate It makes you seem tough
25 Jump around Flex those calves
The REACTOR crew and some friends participated in the first annual Sand in the City competition to benefit Wonderscope Children’s Museum. We built a giant, 7 foot tall mountain that pays homage to the legendary taco gods. Here is the complete story of their legend.
While the minions were mesmerized by their maracas, evil BBQ gods sent a tender, yet ever so evil, pig to the island to tempt the minions. Granny Guac couldn’t help but taste the succulent BBQ pork, which angered the Taco God. Enraged, he erased the perfect taco recipe from their minds and made it their life-long duty to attempt a re-creation of the once perfect taco. With heaviness in their hearts, Papa Pastor and Granny Guac returned to their tacky cardboard hard taco shell box hut to consider their fate. They were certain that they would never again see KC, their homeland. Their only solace now was in watching their only pet, Fish Taco, swim to and fro in his little bowl. He eyed them lovingly in return.
T
here was once a time, very long ago,
when all tacos were considered perfect. One day, the fickle Taco God tired of the ordinary garden variety local tacos and banished all taco makers to TACO MOUNTAIN, a lost and ancient island where the perfect taco was once an icon. In fact, he was so displeased that he issued this Taco Mountain Declaration. “From this day forward, all tacos that are displeasing to the Taco God will be shipped to local area fast food chains and public school cafeterias.” It seems that in the recent Taste of KC food competition, the Taco God preferred legendary KC BBQ over his own perfect tacos made by his loyal subjects, the taco minions. The local taco minions would be held captive there on the island until the perfect taco could once again be built to tempt the Taco God’s palate and return him to taco sanity from his temporary preference of BBQ. Papa Pastor and Granny Guac, leaders of the minion family, were among the banished taco makers. Unhappy in their new surroundings, they immediately began their quest to find the ultimate taco preparation secrets so they could return to KC, their homeland. But there were distractions everywhere they turned. Each afternoon at 3:27 all minions ceased their perfect taco search activities and skipped along with great fervor (except Cilantro - he saunters) toward the harbor to participate in the traditional group lettuce exercise (you know - the one involving the use of maracas).
Granny Guac
Alas! That’s it! The answer was before them. It was there all along. They must look no further for their perfect taco solution. Fish Taco, their beloved pet, is the only inspiration they will ever need. Their own bodies are adequate, yet somehow plain. But ahhh, their beloved pet, Fish Taco! With eyes like olives, skin the color of 100% real cheese topping, and a flowing tail that resembles the freshest of lettuce leaves (minus maracas), Fish Taco is held together by a perfect set of firm scales, which of course would mimic the shell that holds it all together. Mui bueno! Fade to KC Blues music playing soulfully in the background…
THE TACO GOD IS PLEASED… AT LAST.
Papa Pastor Papa Pastor
Granny Guac Queso
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Queso
Mama Mole
THE LEGEND OF TACO MOUNTAIN
Pico
Cilantro
Carne
Mama Mole
Pico
Cilantro
Nacho
Carne
Nacho
Chimi
Chimi
Jalapeno
Jalapeno
GE
T
IT
NO W*
THE REACTOR
MIXTAPE v.1
*The first 50 people to email us (hello@yourreactor.com) will get a FREE Mixtape. (Please send your name and snail mail address)
Mixed & Mastered for us by ReMIX DJs.
2012
. .L .E.S.S. F.L.AW Aw a rd s
WE LOVE ‘EM AND WE HATE ‘EM. These are the train wrecks
that, for some reason or another, have become ultra famous. Whether they deserve it or not, we’ve picked the biggest losers of 2011 that rose to Super Stardom.
FANCY LITTLE AWARDS WHERE
LOSERS EXPERIENCE
SUPER STARDOM e n d e r Aw a r d R epeat Off
QWIKSTER
Traditionally Netflix became successful by mailing its customers DVDs at the speed of light. But in 2011, Netflix experienced tremendous growth of its online instant play of the titles it featured in the mail. Therefore the company decided to split these two markets into separate companies and thus Qwikster was born. Bad idea. Customers revolted and the company again is just Netflix.
CHARLIE SHEEN
Nobody really knows how to approach him. But one thing is for certain, with all his ups and downs in 2011, Charlie Sheen has solidified his candidacy for the F.L.A.W.L.E.S.S. Award winner of the decade. Congrats WINNING, you really deserve it.
P e o p l e’ s C h o i c e Aw a r d
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Wo r s t G u a r a n t e e A w a r d
JOEL BAUER
Joel Bauer continues to amaze us with his passion for selling himself in 2011. Best known as the “Your business card is crap” guy, he appeared beside us in our CBS Sunday Morning story and was again critical of every single business card in the world, except his own. Confidence seems to be this salesman’s bread and butter. Too much confidence is never a good thing, especially when it’s a die-cut pop-up book of your face. Guaranteed.
REBECCA BLACK
Yo u n g A c h i e v e r A w a r d
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2012 F.L.A.W.L.E.S.S. AWARDS
This seemingly average 14 year old is no exception to the embarrassment of those early adolescent years. But thanks to the power of the internet, Rebecca Black’s wannabe music video was watched more than any other YouTube video in 2011. It’s similar to watching a car crash: horrific, but you can’t seem to look away.
W
i ill
am
Hu n
g L i fet i me A ch ie vem ent Aw a rd
MICHAEL
“THE SITUATION” SORRENTINO
Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino received his claim to fame from the MTV original series Jersey Shore where he and his other meat head boys troll the New Jersey area in search of gyms, tanning salons, and laundromats. Recently Abercrombie & Fitch offered to pay this F.L.A.W.L.E.S.S. Award winner a “substantial” sum of money NOT to wear the company’s clothes. A spokesman for the company explained that “Mr. Sorrentino’s association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image.”
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47 & MIND
BLOWING CHARTS
GRAPHS
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MIND BLOWING CHARTS AND GRAPHS
1:1 1:1
LOST KEY
TO
RATIO RATIO TO
IN OUR OFFICE
LOST KEY
GUMBALL MACHINE
PROFIT
GUMBALL MACHINE
PROFIT
IN OUR OFFICE
WHAT IT TAKES
TO GET INTO OFFICES COMMERCE BANK’S OFFICES BORN FIRST
DIREC PH BOTRO NR FIRST DR
IV E
IV E
LL CA
SE EN LL CA NE HO
R ' S LIC
DIRECTO R P
DR
E ON
R ' S LIC
SE EN
LEFT LEFT
TO GET INTO COMMERCE BANK’S
REACTOR
RIGHT RIGHT
WHAT IT TAKES
REACTOR
BRAIN DYNAMIC BRAIN DYNAMIC
*CLIFTON JENN TRACI TACOS *CLIFTON
CLIFTON CHASE PATRICK SAM CLIFTON
JENN CHASE * USAGE OF BOTH SIDES IS SOMETIMES NECESSARY TRACI PATRICK TACOS SAM
2 FISH2 TANKS IN THE OFFICE FISH TANKS IN THE0 OFFICE FISH 0 FISH
4,383 4,383 FOLDERS FOLDERS CURRENTLY ON OUR SERVER
CURRENTLY ON OUR SERVER
* USAGE OF BOTH SIDES IS SOMETIMES NECESSARY
183 TACOS 183 PER YEAR TACOS
BATHROOM
CHALK LINE LENGTH BATHROOM CHALK LINE LENGTH
KC ALLSTAR BAND
SOUND LEVEL
AT KVC’S ANNUALBAND TREE GALA KC ALLSTAR SOUND LEVEL
AT KVC’S ANNUAL TREE GALA
EATEN AT
PER YEARREAL EL EATEN CAMINO AT BY CLIFTON ALONE EL CAMINO REAL BY CLIFTON ALONE
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TIMETIME TIME TIME TIME
TIME SPENT BUILDING LEGOS TIME SPENT BUILDING LEGOS TIME TIMESPENT SPENTBUILDING BUILDINGLEGOS LEGOS 7 MIN.
240 MIN.
10 MIN.
CHASE 77MIN. MIN.
CLIFTON 240 240MIN. MIN.
PATRICK 1010MIN. MIN.
CHASE CHASE 7 MIN. 7 MIN.
CLIFTON CLIFTON 240240 MIN.MIN.
PATRICK PATRICK 10 MIN.
CHASE CHASE
TV DEBUT:
10 MIN.
CLIFTON PATRICK CLIFTON PATRICK THE ROAD TO BEING REALLY REALLY FAMOUS
TV DEBUT: THE THE ROAD ROAD TOTO BEING BEING REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY FAMOUS FAMOUS THE PRICE IS RIGHT
EXTREME HOME MAKEOVER DEAL OR NO DEAL TV DEBUT: THE ROAD TO BEING REALLY REALLY FAMOUS JUDGE JUDY TV DEBUT: THE ROAD TO BEING REALLY REALLY FAMOUS THE THEPRICE PRICEISISRIGHT RIGHT EXTREME DEAL EXTREMEHOME HOMEMAKEOVER MAKEOVER DOUBLE DARE 2000 DEALORORNO NODEAL DEAL JUDGE JUDGEJUDY JUDY THE THE PRICE IS RIGHT PRICE IS RIGHT DOUBLE DARE 2000 EXTREME HOMEHOME MAKEOVER EXTREME MAKEOVER DEAL OR NO DEAL DOUBLE DARE 2000 DEAL OR NO DEAL JUDGE JUDYJUDY JUDGE
CBS SUNDAY MORNING CBS SUNDAY MORNING DOUBLE DAREDARE 20002000 DOUBLE SUNDAY SUNDAYMORNING MORNING LIFESPAN of ourCBSCBSFISH
LIFESPAN LIFESPAN LIFESPAN
FISH FISH FISH
722 DAYS
12 DAYS
6 DAYS of of our our2 DAYS
2 DAYS
722 722DAYS DAYS
1212DAYS DAYS
66DAYS 22our DAYS our DAYS ofof DAYS
22DAYS DAYS
TACO GOLD FISH #1 GOLD FISH #2 GOLD FISH #3 722722 DAYSDAYS 12 DAYS 2 DAYS 12 DAYS 6 DAYS 6 DAYS 2 DAYS TACO GOLD FISH #1 GOLD FISH #2 GOLD FISH TACO GOLD FISH #1 GOLD FISH #2 GOLD FISH#3 #3 TACOTACO
GOLD FISH #4 2 DAYS 2 DAYS GOLD GOLDFISH FISH#4 #4
GOLDGOLD FISHFISH #1 #1 GOLDGOLD FISHFISH #2 #2 GOLDGOLD FISHFISH #3 #3 GOLDGOLD FISHFISH #4 #4
LIFESPAN LIFESPAN LIFESPAN LIFESPAN
of a of of aa
DRY ERASE MARKER DRY ERASE MARKER DRY DRYERASE ERASEMARKER MARKER
of of a a
1
Oct
2 Nov 11 Oct Oct 3 Dec 22 Nov Nov 3 1 1 Oct Jan Oct 3 3 Dec Dec 2.5 2 Nov Feb Nov 33 2 Jan Jan 2 3 3 Dec Mar Dec 2.5 2.5 Feb Feb 1 3 3 Jan Apr Jan 22 Mar Mar 2.52.5 Feb Feb 11 Apr Apr 2 2 Mar Mar 1 1 Apr Apr
TIM WHITMORE SKI VACATIONS PER MONTH. TIM WHITMORE SKI VACATIONS PER MONTH. TIMTIMWHITMORE WHITMORESKISKIVACATIONS VACATIONSPERPERMONTH. MONTH.
# # ## of
CLIFTON of
of
CARS IN OUR LIFETIME CARS IN OUR LIFETIME CARS CARSININOUR OURLIFETIME LIFETIME
CHASE
CLIFTON CLIFTON CHASE CHASE 3 ofof
JENN
TRACI
PATRICK
JENN JENN
TRACI TRACI
PATRICK PATRICK
CLIFTON CLIFTON CHASE CHASE 5 JENNJENN 33
55
3 3
55
4
SAM
1
SAM 2SAM
11
TRACITRACI PATRICK PATRICK22SAMSAM
44
11 44
14 14 14 1414
ICE MAKER JOB OPENINGS ICE ICE MAKER MAKER JOB JOB OPENINGS ZERO* OPENINGS ICE ICEMAKER MAKERJOB JOB NumberZERO* of jobs available OPENINGS as an “iceOPENINGS worker” in our historic the Number of Numberbuilding, of jobs jobs available available American Ice Company as an “ice worker” as an “ice worker” in in our our building. historic building, the historic building, the Number ofof jobs available Number jobs available American Ice Company American Ice Company asas anan “ice worker” inin our “ice worker” our building. building. *13 tries historic building, the historic building, the American Ice Company American Ice Company *13 building. *13 tries tries building.
ZERO* ZERO*
*13*13 tries tries
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MIND BLOWING CHARTS AND GRAPHS
22
>
EVERY OTHER COLOR
AT REACTOR, WE FREAKING LOVE ORANGE. OF CHARTS
OF CHARTS
47
VS.
SATELLITE RADIO
THIS YEAR WE MADE THE SWITCH FROM SATELLITE TO PANDORA ONE
Approximate number of people who watched us on CBS Sunday Morning on March 6, 2011 and June 26, 2011. That’s a lot of eyeballs!
36
546
>
10,000,000
ACTUAL #
GOAL #
PANDORA ONE
CHAIN
of
COMMAND
CLIFTON
Number of cookies we owe to AC Printing and their staff for dealing with our odd and complicated printing requests
CHASE
PRESTO PIZZAZZ COOK TIME
TRACI
JENN
PATRICK
SAM
REACTO–BART FROZEN PIZZA: 15min RE-HEAT FAJITAS: 10MIN TOAST: 2min
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(LACK OF) COFFEE OVER THE YEARS
EVERY OTHER KIND OF FOOD
AS OUR EMPLOYEE COUNT HAS INCREASED, SO HAS OUR COFFEE COMSUMPTION
MEXICAN FOOD
COFFEE
SAM IS HIRED TRACI IS HIRED
CHASE DISCOVERS ICED COFFEE
8 YEARS WITHOUT COFFEE
TIME
LUNCH OF CHOICE
our guide to
CHASE
HOTSAUCE PATRICK
SPICY
AWESOME SAUCE MADE BY REACTOR
JENN
SKETCHY TABLE SEATING CHART
CLIENT
FLAVOR
TRACI
SAM
Stations 28 Pandora
Clifton
David Grinn
Chase
Tim Whitmore
Traci Ketter
Eric Looney
TACO CONSUMPTION RECORD WH
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MIND BLOWING CHARTS AND GRAPHS
Warren Johnson
OUR EXACTOS, DULLEST
SHARPEST
bert bert LOL LOL LEVELS LEVELS
8:57 AM
CREATIVE CREATIVE
CHUCK NORRIS CHUCK NORRIS DOESN’T BELONG DOESN’T BELONG ON A ON A
GRAPH OR CHART GRAPH OR CHART
10:21 AM
HA HAHA
8:57 AM
HA
11:03 AM
HAHAHAHA 10:21 AM HAHA
1:15 PM
HA
2:37 PM
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA 1:15 PM HA
4:25 PM
HAHAHA 2:37 PM HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
4:40 PM
HAHAHAHA 4:25 PM HAHAHA
11:03 AM
HAHAHAHA
OUR NEIGHBOR BERT IS LIKE OUR VERY OWN LAUGH TRACK. HIS 4:40 LAUGHPMIS LOUD, BUT CONTAGIOUS. & QUITE FREQUENT. HAHAHAHA OUR NEIGHBOR BERT IS LIKE OUR VERY OWN LAUGH TRACK. HIS LAUGH IS LOUD, BUT CONTAGIOUS. & QUITE FREQUENT.
DRINKS MAKE US THATDRINKS
THAT MAKE US AWESOME AWESOME
CLIFTON
DIET CODE RED MOUNTAIN DEW
CHASE
GOOD OLD WATER CLIFTON DIET CODE RED MOUNTAIN DEW
YEAAAAhh KOOL-AID.... OHGOOD PATRICK CHASE OLD WATER BLACK COFFEE EXTRA STRONGKOOL-AID.... SAM OH YEAAAAhh PATRICK
JENN
SODA BLACK COFFEE QUICK TRIP FOUNTAIN EXTRA STRONG SAM
TRACI
EASY VANILLA WHIPFOUNTAIN NOTRIP GRANDE NONFAT SODAEXTRA HOT LOW FOAM LATTE QUICK JENN
TRACI
GRANDE NONFAT NO WHIP EASY VANILLA EXTRA HOT LOW FOAM LATTE
AMOUNT AMOUNT 0 0 OF TIME FOR THIS
OF TIME FOR THIS
36 of 47
CHARTS COMPLETE
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Contributors Clifton Alexander Chase Wilson Samantha Fine Patrick Drake Traci Ketter Jennifer Roe
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CONTRIBUTORS
We were featured on nationwide television 2 times this year! And our work was showcased locally 2 other times. Needless to say our facial hair is pretty famous.
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