Filed under: Click Optimize
It’s time to meet another member of your marketing team, this time from Click Optimize’s creative end.
Name: Andy Waldrop
Title: Art Director & Head Web Designer
On Twitter: @andy_waldrop
Hometown: Hillsborough, NC. Been in Raleigh-Durham, NC for 6 years now.
Education: Degree in Communications and Advertising, with a Marketing minor, from Appalachian State
Favorite blogs: Web Designer Depot and Techi
Favorite music to listen to while working: When designing, the Black Keys’ “Brothers.” When writing something, Andy McKee.
When not working at Click Optimize, what are you up to? Grilling, golfing, guitaring, spending time with my wife Amanda, skiing
Favorite local spot: The Station/The Southern Rail in Carrboro, NC
Favorite book: Into the Wild
Favorite movie: Motorcycle Diaries
Favorite food: Tom Yum Chili Oil Noodle Soup
Favorite gadget: iPod touch and gargantuan iMac
Best part of your job: Coming up with new ideas for clients and businesses and seeing them work. I like coming up with the design, but seeing it at work is even better.
One piece of design advice you’d like to give clients: Don’t try to do to much with your website. Clear communication is best — it’s important to know who your clients are and find the best way to reach them in a short amount of time.
Some of Andy’s favorite website designs:
For trickery: http://pomegranatephone.com/
For clean ecommerce: http://shoeguru.ca/
For branding: http://mailchimp.com
Favorite example of a successful marketing campaign: Nike World Cup commercial
Filed under: Branding
I’ve been enjoying watching the clever bit of sometimes subtle and sometimes overt alignment that Pepsi has been practicing with regard to riding on Obama’s coattails. Did you catch it?
I have to imagine that when the Obama camp debuted its logo that folks in the legal department at PepsiCo scoffed and that the marketing department cheered. Pepsi as a brand had to be pleased that the two logos shared more than a little in common. The Obama camp benefited from having a logo that seemed familiar and had positive associations. Pepsi also grabbed some momentum at being associated with such a historic, popular and youth-driven campaign. Pepsi has seemingly taken the next logical step and made the two logos look even more identical with a new redesign.
In a recent ad entitled “Word Play/Yes You Can” the alignment was as explicit as possible. The commercial featured emulation of the “Yes We Can” motto from the Obama campaign, the flashing of messages such as HOPE and ALL FOR ONE and a soulful tune in the background. Fixing one’s corporate wagon to a star such as a popular president who is awash in media who gush over his every move is a smart yet risky move. The latest Obama adulation from Pepsi came during the Super Bowl where they aired an ad that featured ardent Obama supporter and recording artist Will.i.am. For those unfamiliar with him you might remember the anthem he penned after Obama’s original “Yes We Can” speech.
From a corporate perspective this juxtaposition of president and beverage isn’t as far-fetched as it might seem. PepsiCo has an impressive history of promoting minorities to leadership positions within its organization. Perhaps that’s part of the story Pepsi wants to tell? That as an organization they had a role to play in advancing equality in this country. Or perhaps their aim is to share the enthusiasm of the moment with a new “Pepsi Generation.” Does it cheapen a great moment in history by attaching crass consumerism to it? I’m not sure. All I know is that I’m thirsty. Does anybody have a Pepsi?
See more the of the ads described above here: Pepsi’s YouTube Channel
Posted on October 19th, 2010 by Hannah
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