Sitting in the small Philadelphia suburb of Merion, PA, now closed for relocation, lies the world-renown stockpile of impressionist, post-impressionist, and modernist masterpieces, formally collected through the Barnes Foundation. Amassed by the late Dr. Albert Barnes, he began the collection with earnings in professional holdings from antiseptic development in the early 1900s. Twenty-two years later, he established the Barnes Foundation with the mission to “promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts.” Being somewhat of a recluse from the art company in Philadelphia, I say recluse in the most neutral way possible…fierce combatant of the entitled, establishment of the big city is another way to cut it, the collection caused quite a stir over the past decade, with debate over what to do with the priceless collection after the good Doctor’s death in 1951, chronicled thoroughly in the documentary The Art of the Steal (4 stars on the Steve Semanchik video rating system).

After much heated debate, political positioning, and more legal-eeze than dots on a Seurat painting, the collection is to be move to a brand new facility in the heart of down town Philadelphia, caddy-corner to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Along with this new facility, the foundation also updated their identity with materials created by, the always impressive, Abbott Miller and Pentagram. The new logo mimics the symmetrical layout of paintings within the collection’s various installations. Just as the space merges everyday objects such as furniture and knick-knacks with impressionist masterpieces, type, space, color, and alignment are balanced in the new logo to create an experience much like seeing the collection in person. Working alongside the foundation, planners, architects, and builders, Pentagram was also able to assist in wayfinding efforts, environmental design, and other key museum pieces to create a truly cohesive experience.

The new Barnes identity is a good representation of the exhibit experience. It’s balanced and structured, but still shows variety and character, with differentiations in space and shape. The positive and negative spaces created by the reversed out type reinforce the notion of individual works hung in a gallery, each one painstakingly arranged to best utilize the arrangement. The bright orange offers a bold, modern outlook, much like that of its inspiration, Matisse’s Joy of Life. My overall opinion is that Pentagram did a great job, but what, was every graphic designer in Philadelphia busy during this rebranding? A lot of the fluff from city officials during the debates on the collection’s move, was that this collection made Philadelphia an art destination like no other on earth. Couldn’t the same be applied to the design, the environment and the web. In essence, get your own art-controversy NYC…

Endnote: I first heard of the Barnes Foundation through the aforementioned documentary and I instantly gravitated toward Dr. Barnes. He seemed grizzled, spiteful, and somewhat stubborn, much like I see myself getting once I hit that ripe old age. But at the same time, he knew what he wanted, and how to get it, as well as being an AMAZING judge of talent. He bought, now priceless, impressionist art, while the Establishment was calling it garbage. He stood by his conventions, and didn’t let anyone push him around. I was saddened when I heard the collection would be moving…

In past ad campaigns the literal Captain Morgan was either not present, or a more cartoony iteration of the character, which played into the less sophisticated, more party atmosphere of the beverage. An overnight sensation, the campaign grew on the back of the Captain’s easily replicated pose of raising one leg atop a rum barrel (even though most replicants use imaginary ones). ‘Got a Little Captain in You’ became the rallying cry for those making this pose in ridiculous situations. It gained so much popularity that the NFL instituted a ban on the impression due to the frequency of its use during touchdown celebrations.

With new marketing efforts, the partying Captain has evolved into a suave, debonair man-about-town … think of the Dos Equis ‘Most Interesting Man on Earth’, but for hard liquor … and he’s a pirate. Calm and level-headed, this liquor leader diffuses the most chaotic of situations, in the most respectful of manner. Pending bombardment by British naval fleet? Solved with somersault dive from the deck, so picture-perfect that a French judge would have a hard time not holding up the 10 card.

“Our consumers continue to evolve and expand their interests, we recognized that Captain Morgan himself needed to evolve with them,” Brand Director, Tom Herbst. While the Captain may have dialed back his party-hardy lifestyle, his escapades still land him with realistic decisions and situations, much like Captain Morgan consumers. “Each spot showcases a new side of the Captain and reinforces … that even today, they can live like the Captain lived.”

In order to bring to life the 17th Century Pirateer, Daigeo utilized the creative minds at international super-group, and NY Cosmos supporters, Anomaly. They also called upon Academy Award-winning Director, Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech, to craft the briny deep atmosphere of the first commercial spot.

The new Captain identity illustrates a maturity of the brand, and, though I don’t drink it, (we had some rough years, and went through an ugly divorce) I’m really happy with their direction. With anything pirate themed, it’s easy to fall into cliche traps, especially when you’re dealing in alcohol. The more refined persona tailors itself to a more refined consumer (one looking for a drink, rather than one looking to get wasted), and aligns itself with other Daigeo brands.

Here’s to you Captain Morgan, I salute you, sir.

Endnote: While we are on the topic pirate themed alcohols, I’d like to jump ship (pardon the pun) to one of Captain Morgan’s smaller-scale competitors. I heard of Kraken Black Spiced Rum in a Comm Arts Design annual, and if you’re a fan of consumer packaging, then I recommend picking up a bottle, even if you’re not a fan of spiced rum.

Key Components:
•  finger-rings on the bottle, always a selling point for Steve Semanchik, and
•   a spectacular illustration of the mythic Krakken on the label.

All the members of TS would like to thank the past, present and future members of the United States Armed Forces … you are truly Triple Strength.

Endnote: (Above) Cover art for Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA. RIP The Big Man, Clarence Clemons

In his time at TS, Micah has already been an indispensable part of many of TS’s biggest projects. Working on the front- and back-end development of sites such as thecaap.org and cpyb.org, his pitch black office churns out css and site layouts that’ll make a Designer, like myself’s, head spin. Offering knowledge and expertise far beyond his years, Micah presents ideas and solutions to effectively create sites that not only look great, but are technologically cutting-edge and working to perfection. Speaking from experience, I can say that if there’s ever a question about interfaces or a particular functionality technique, it is assured that Micah will offer a number of options, each with a list of pros and cons, as well as his recommendation and why it should be so. It’s always a pleasure to work so closely with a developer that is so passionate and dedicated to the success of each project. We were finally able to lure Micah into a full-time position and we are confident he will help clients and TS alike, to grow and prosper in the future. If you’d like to see more of Micah’s outstanding development prowess, just give the TS office a call and start up a project with us, I’m sure he’d jump at the opportunity.

How incredible it is to see the growth recognized by the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet over the years. It’s amazing to think that some of the finest ballet performers in the country were, at one time, students at CPYB studios in Carlisle, PA. Just as the school has grown — originally conducting classes in the auditorium at Carlisle High School, to its current 10-studio facility that’s instructed over 20,000 students — so too must their identity.

A brand overhaul was in order to re-align how CPYB viewed themselves with how they were perceived by peers. The former identity didn’t fully express the excitement, dedication, and skill put forth every day by the faculty, staff, and student body. Fresh off a redesigned logo, color palette, and standards guidelines, Triple Strength began the extensive process of interpreting CPYB’s fresh look in a visually-striking, functionally-sound web presence that would announce to dance and ballet companies around the globe that the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet was taking center stage as a premier institution for learning and development.

The Concepts
Starting out with a handful of concepts, we narrowed the list to three primary layouts, each with their own strengths and style.

Concept 1

Using dark background colors, Concept 1 featured elements that worked to build a hierarchy of information based on a bright playful color scheme, which drew from CPYB’s freshly updated palette. The site layout optimized search engine features with main content areas dedicated to news and events, which would drive up numbers for unique and returning visits.

Concept 1 also made use of a detailed grid system that replicated CPYB’s focus on perfection and rigorous attention to detail. Spacing, alignment, weight and balance were key components to pulling off the effect. This layout such as this adds a structured quality to the site, recalling CPYB as a trusted and established institution.

Concept 2

The second concept focused more on the student visitor’s perspective of the site. Using imagery that showcased human interaction, whether it be a teacher helping students with technique, performers celebrating their first on-stage experience with loved ones, or some playful time between classes, a large primary image area was meant to draw kids to the program. One of CPYB’s biggest accomplishments was the successful establishment of coed classes. As other schools often lack the numbers to match male and female dancers, CPYB realized this capability and was now able to advertise it to potential dancers. The site would tout that accomplishment.

Concept 2′s design also further enabled users to take an interactive approach. Using different style sheets, at the click of a button visitors would be able to adjust the color scheme of the entire site, giving each user a new experience with each visit.

Concept 3

The final concept looked to mimic the on-stage experience in layout and design, with the key element being CPYB’s extensive catalog of event photography. The easiest way to illustrate CPYB’s top-notch performances was to put them front and center.

Again utilizing a black background, images bleed into the margins of the webpage, creating a stark contrast between performers and page boundaries. The design was meant to recreate an actual theater performance. The lights lower, and the dancers appear from dimly lit wings to create a whimsical experience for the audience to enjoy. Now … imagine that with javascript and css styling.

Review and Production
After meeting again with our clients to gather their feedback and which layout they were drawn to the most, we learned Concepts 1 and 3 seemed to be the crowd favorites, but neither one was a show-stopper (pun intended). We took the strongest elements of the two and began to mesh a stronger, more specialized layout. Merging the large format images of Concept 3 with the SEO-friendly content of Concept 1, the new site was ready to begin the transition for development.

While the introductory work had begun on the homepage, layouts were created for sub-level page templates. Pages were assigned a template according to their depth in the directory. Each main landing page, navigable from the primary navbar, was given Template A. Pages below that were assigned Template B, and below that, Template C. With each lower template, the ratio of image to content decreased. Homepage = 85% image to 15% text, whereas Template C is primarily text, with supplementary images for explanatory purposes.

CPYB was then connected to the TS custom content management system (CMS). This allows CPYB staff and faculty to update and maintain content, images, and other materials with little knowledge of programming. Styles and layout functionality are also programmed into the CMS, keeping pages consistent across the site.

To handle the ballet’s videos, the YouTube API is used as a secondary content management system. With the use of this trusted video management software, the site runs faster by hosting large video files on separate servers, gains greater SEO visibility, and saves money on development costs.

Another cost-cutting measure was to develop a public, and access-only calendar, driven through Google Calendars. Much like the YouTube API, this technique uses a free, dynamic, real-time solution for calendaring software. The API also integrates seamlessly, so the front-end matches the look and design of the rest of the site.

With the new cpyb.org now live, the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s brand reinvention is complete. A sum of all the parts — from logo, to color palette, to website — the new CPYB symbolizes energy, sophistication, and fun.

The Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet has seen tremendous increases in attendance and overall awareness since its start in 1955. Today’s organization now has an identity that matches its true spirit — standing center stage among other highly reputable dance companies across the country and abroad.

If you spend as much time as I do driving, road signs and highway markers often fly by at increased speeds without so much as a glance. Interstate, the typeface most closely related to that of highway signage, tends to fade into the landscape as attention can be diverted else where. With its recent adoption by TS for internal and client work, no matter how fast I get to the office, I’m surrounded by the font and it’s many faces and weights. With its growing popularity, I’m waiting for an Interstate film to replace Helvetica as the typography documentary to see.

Interstate is a neo-grotesque typeface, designed by Tobias Frere-Jones, to model closely after the font the US Federal Highway Administration developed in 1949 for road signage. It is also used in Canada, Mexico, The Netherlands, and elsewhere because of its readability at a distance and high speeds. When not applied to signage, Interstate is also used as display font for headings, call-outs and other featured content in publications and branding.

With the recent redesign of the TS brand, Interstate was chosen to replace Helvetica and Weidemann, as our studio fonts of choice. The past identity began to feel dated, and Interstate offered a modern alternative, with a number of faces to accompany. The font is strong enough to stand alone, so many applications are derived from typographic word art where the focus is on message.

Clients such as NSVRC and the Institute for Strategic Management Inc. have also been brought into the fold with Interstate being one of, if not the, primary typeface. For the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, Interstate pairs with Trajan to balance modern sans serif with a classic serif typeface. With the text-heavy nature of NSVRC publications, Interstate is used in the majority of copy to produce utmost readability in body and focal attention to callouts with bold and other heavier faces. In the case of the Institute for Strategic Management, everything from the logo and brochure, to web site headers and video production elements are all handled with Interstate. The brand is built upon the technical and modern applications of the font and showcases the state-of-the-art techniques ISM utilizes.

With its modern characteristics and contemporary style, it’s hard not to appreciate Interstate for it ability to represent action and progress. Companies and institutions looking to replicate these ideas often employee Interstate somewhere in their identity system. This has been just a tiny sample and there are countless to explore, but, at the very least, this may get you to focus a little longer on the next exit sign you pass.

Some other examples of Interstate

I was perusing my local grocery store yesterday, on my tri-weekly food adventure, when I found some very interesting packaging, screaming at me from the overstocked shelves. What I saw, scattered around the aisles was the recent trend with consumer products of using ‘retro’ or ‘Throwback’ boxes and containers. Calling back from one of their first, or an original package designs, you won’t find any photoshopped perspiration, or seemingly computer generated character illustrations. Advertised as ‘Refreshingly Retro,’ this is the first time I can recall that I agree with some Pepsi marketing. The clean simple look is an oasis on the eyes, in the wasteland of overly generic, consumer-tested, mish-mash that is the supermarket landscape.

Companies using these throwbacks are primarily the big dogs of consumerism, and usually sell sugary products to kids. Canola Oil with a really illustrated nameplate and cool character mascot may entice me to buy it, but no 6 year old is going to leave the store crying because mommy didn’t get her favorite brand. Pepsi Co, the Hershey Company and General Mills have all embraced their past. These companies have stood the test of time, and kudos to them for having a past worth recalling. I’m sure there’d be more vintage boxes on the shelves if more companies had the same lasting power and brand recognition. Though I don’t consume a lot of the products I saw, I’ll buy a 12 pack of Mountain Dew and have it sit in my apartment gathering dust, just so I have a copy of Willy the ‘Mountain Man’ sipping from a moonshine-esque jug, yelling Ya-hoo, Mountain Dew.

Obviously the line-drawing mascot characters and hand-done typography are my favorite part of these vintage layouts. It’s just another example of how impressed I am with the by-gone era, when designers consistently used hand-done elements. Gradients… HA: blend layers… please;  dimensionality… get serious; all these packages need are a concept, and a creative hand.

Here’s to you ’60s Cap N’ Crunch!

This little imaginary exercise actually occurred. Not to the US, but to our neighbors across the pond, Great Britain. Deep in the midst of the World War II the British Ministry of Information was given the task of implementing a campaign to raise public morale and quell paranoia from the Nazis. What they came up with were a series of bold, minimalist posters with slogans such as ‘Your Courage, Your Cheefulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory‘ emblazoned on them. There were three posters in the set, the first two (Your Courage…, and Freedom is in Peril) were mass produced and hung everywhere from storefronts to office buildings. The third of which, was more a contingency plan than a morale booster.

In case of German invasion, the MOI created the infamous Keep Calm and Carry On poster. What’s interesting about the poster is how it says so much by using so little. Being an American, I’ve grown to recognize propaganda posters as overly illustrated masterpieces with heroic Americans offering encouraging words about how you-too could assist your country. Rosie the Riveter and Uncle Sam are the images I most associate with the war effort. The English version however, is drastically different. Just the five word phrase and an illustration of the Crown of King George VI. It says a lot because it crosses all boundaries. It’s brilliant simplicity can apply to anyone, in any situation. Where American posters may have told you to buy war bonds, the MOI posters are more passive and give no actual direction. Rather than being inspired to make a change, Brits were asked to simply ‘keep on, keepin’ on’ (to borrow a Dylan lyric), as they always had. You can almost envision a proper English family sitting down for tea, while storm troops goose-step past their window. It’s an solid affirmation of the stiff upper lip sentimentality that the British carried throughout WWII.

The posters were printed in bulk, but never given out to the general public. After the war, they were pulped and completely forgotten about. It was believed that only a handful were left in the British archives. When in 2000 a copy was found in a bookstore and then reproduced for the masses. It has now become a pop culture icon and can be seen on everything from t shirts to coffee mugs. People can find solace in the comforting message, like warm water for your spirit…

As everyone knows, professional sports are a multi-billion dollar enterprise. Teams such as the New York Yankees, the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers are more valuable than some countries, and they show no sign of slowing growth. But now, it’s not only the teams that are growing their brand, but the players as well. They’ve turned the name on the back of their jersey into a true identity.

Primarily a money-play, majority revenues that would traditionally go to their team, now goes in their own pocket. It also opens up the possibility for different business ventures that might not be there if they stay true to league-licensed apparel. Take Michael Jordan, for instance. He’s the patron saint of sports moguls. It’s one thing to advertise for Adidas or Nike, but it’s an entirely different animal to tell the world’s largest shoe company that you want your own department. Shoes, cologne, apparel, Jordan broke the barrier of athletes selling sporting goods. It opened the door to sports icons creating everything from rap albums and wrist watches to iphone apps and interactive games (I’m looking at you OchoCinco).

Recently, the monogram has become the norm among athletes. Unlike the Jordan silhouette, more modern logos are primarily a set of initials creatively mixed with a player’s number. From a design standpoint, they’re usually nothing to write home about. The style of monogram is usually deemed by the nature of the sport. For example, a tennis or golf identity will tend to look more ‘upscale’ than that of a football or basketball identity because of the market they’re trying to attract. So in the future, when you head to your favorite sporting event, don’t bother with jerseys or team shirts, that’s soooo 1980. Get yourself some TB12 gear and lace up your Starburys, because, apparently in 2011, team is now spelled with an ‘I’ and a ‘$’.

Endnote: Answers :: 1. Allen Iversion  2. Tom Brady   3. Michael Jordan  4. Stephon Marbury  5. Tiger Woods  6. Roger Federer  7. Shaquille O’Neal  8. Pete Sampras  9. Lebron James :: These are some of the best known identities currently, but below is my favorite, circa 1999 …