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September 1, 2015

Opinion: Google's New Look

Google unveiled a new logo today. And while they chose not to run it past us first, we feel sure that they’re still very curious what our opinions are on the matter. Therefore, I’ve assembled our crack team of rebranding experts to weigh in on the update.
Blair: My first impression is that I like the multi-colored “G” as the icon.
Jon: Because of its simplicity, I kept looking at it to try to notice details, but then I realized that the simplicity is the detail.
Charlie: My first thought was, “It’s about time.” To me, this matches everything they’ve been doing for the past few years – from a UI perspective, from a design perspective…
Scott: So, simple question: Do you like it?
Charlie: Yes.
Blair: Yes.
Jon: I think it serves its purpose.
Scott: Do you feel like this is an innovative mark, or are they following a trend?
Jon: I think they’re following the trend that when a company is successful, they can rely on a mark that’s simple. It’s kind of a power move.
Blair: I think the other things with the logo like the animations, the “G” logo and the little man that turns up the “E” in the video gives it some personality.
Charlie: I think they’re kind of the poster child for a dynamic logo, and they’ve built on that for so many years with animations and games, etc. It’s never been static, and this new typeface fits the playful whimsy that you’d want if your name was Google. Another big part of their new identity is the animated dots and the interaction they create. There’s a robotic response to it, whereas I wouldn’t be surprised if you could soon be talking to your browser.
Scott: Do you think they ripped off Siri with the ‘OK Google’ thing?
Charlie: No, they’ve had that for a while.
Blair: Apple has Siri, but Google is Google. It’s a noun and a verb.
Charlie: I think they started the trend, and their brand embodied it. Now, I think their logo fits that trend that they created. In all honesty, I think Apple followed the trend that Google started a few years ago.
*At this point, Amanda brought cookies and everyone went downstairs. So there it is, Google. Schaefer Advertising approves of your new logo.
**A little while later, Todd came back from a meeting and decided to weigh in.
ToddI associate Google with the thin, serifed, lower-case “G,” so I wouldn’t have updated to a bold, sans-serifed font. Nike didn’t add a wave to their swoosh after 17 years. That’s all I got.

August 5, 2015

Process: Zoo Ball 2014

Project

The Fort Worth Zoo’s largest annual fundraiser, Zoo Ball, attracts some of the biggest names in Fort Worth to support the Zoo’s local and international wildlife conservation and education efforts. 2015 will see the event’s 30th anniversary, and past invitations have included everything from View-Masters with custom slides to flocked, psychedelic blacklight posters. For last year’s invitation, we wanted something new, exciting and different.

The 2014 Zoo Ball theme was “Festival of the Elephants,” an annual festival held in the Indian city of Jaipur during the Holi festival when elephants are elaborately painted to honor the Hindu god, Ganesha. The theme was chosen in part because the Fort Worth Zoo had just welcomed two baby elephants named Belle and Bowie only a few months prior. (If you look closely, you’ll see they made an appearance in the invitation with their mothers.)

We started by researching Indian culture and events as well as typography, textiles and more. With reams of printouts taped up on the walls of our office for inspiration, we were most intrigued by some of the intricately die-cut wedding invitations we found.

Process

At Schaefer, we have a reputation for punishing ourselves – often saying, “Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if…” then scrambling to figure out how to make it happen within the given timeline and budget. For this project, we did it again. Our complex design required us to partner with many more vendors than we typically do, but the end result was worth it.

From paper and printing to foil stamping and laser cutting, each step of the process required multiple press checks and test samples, each of which had to be okayed by the Zoo Ball committee. Thankfully, they loved it, and it was a big hit with attendees. The Zoo even had event decorations produced to match the invitation, including ten-foot panels that were die-cut using the same illustration files.

Results

According to the Zoo, this invitation was their new high-water mark. That’s quite a compliment, but as we get ready to reveal this year’s Zoo Ball invitation, it’s also a slightly intimidating bar that we’ve set for ourselves. Thankfully, we like the pressure.

We have received several awards for the piece, including Best of Show for the 2015 Fort Worth ADDY awards, a national Gold Addy Award and entry into the Graphis Design Annual.


 

Despite the title, this isn’t a parody video of us smashing a printer. But it is a great article from Fort Worth, Texas Magazine on our daily inspiration! (We cleaned up for this, so you at least have to look at the pictures.)

 

Despite the title, this isn’t a parody video of us smashing a printer. But it is a great article from Fort Worth, Texas Magazine on our daily inspiration! (We cleaned up for this, so you at least have to look at the pictures.)
 

July 22, 2015

Meet Sandy

Today, we are introducing our newest team member, Sarah Estes, to you, the internet. You’re welcome. She’s new. She’s a senior account manager. She’s focusing on our technology clients. Let’s see what else we can find out about her.
Schaefer: First off, we already have a Sara here, so is there anything else we can call you?
Sarah Estes: Jon has already started calling me Sandy. That and Sesty, but that doesn’t sound very good.
Schaefer: No it doesn’t. I like Sandy. Would you actually respond to that?
Sarah: Yeah, I already have actually.
Schaefer: Good, it’s settled then. What is the most important thing we should know about you, Sandy?
Sandy: If you can read my face, I’ll never need to say anything. I have a very expressive face.
Schaefer: For another point of view, let’s see what Megan thinks. Megan, tell everyone about Sarah, I mean, Sandy.
Megan: Can I just talk, and you just make it pretty in words? Are you typing that? You should’ve just said “no!” If I had to sum up Sarah, I’d say she’s so spunky that she puts my sassiness to shame, and it makes me seem more normal. And that’s my summary of Sarah. The end.
Schaefer: Any rebuttal, Sandy?
Sandy: You ain’t seen nothing yet. This is really downplaying it.
Schaefer: So what are you like when you’re not downplaying it?
Sandy: Oh, ooo. I think I’m the girl that always shoots it straight. Sometimes it’s a good thing; sometimes it’s a bad thing. I can literally get along with anybody. I don’t judge.
Megan: She loves shoes. And she paints her nails in weird places.
Sandy: Yeah, that’s something I do. I’ve got three bottles of polish on my desk.
Schaefer: You’re not going to try to paint my nails, are you?
Sandy: I mean, I think a black would look good. Just the pinky.
At this point in the interview, I left. So that’s all you get to know about Sandy for now. I think it’s safe to assume she’ll fit in just fine.

June 10, 2015

Party. Animals.

Each year, the Fort Worth Zoo brings together some of the best restaurants and music acts in town for a tasting and music event called Beastro. For this year’s campaign, we boiled it down to the essentials.

June 10, 2015

Paint the town hot pink

We love our neighborhood of Near Southside here in Fort Worth, and we try to be neighborly whenever possible. So when residents started complaining about business patrons parking in front of their houses, we were there to help. See, there’s this perfectly good parking garage just off Magnolia street, but a lot of people didn’t know about it. How do we remedy this? With advertising, of course!

Park-the-garage-web1
Schaefer created the “Park the Garage” campaign using eye-catching street banners to point people in the right direction. We also provided table tents, buck slips and coasters to local businesses to help reinforce the message. With all that hot pink, there was basically no way for upstanding gourmands to miss that great, big, juicy parking garage just waiting for their vehicles.

Today, the garage is in use, the neighbors are happy and there is peace and tranquility in Near Southside once again. All thanks to some well-placed, brightly colored information.

Park-the-garage-web3

June 9, 2015

The Specialist is in

Four years ago, Schaefer was asked to create a spokesman character for TTI, Inc., a $2B electronic components distributer that had just been acquired by Berkshire Hathaway. Thus the Specialist was born, and since then he’s been fighting bad guys and saving production lines both in videos and a comic book series. Both have been very successful within the industry. “TTI – you’re the guys with the Specialist, right?”
Wanting to maintain our momentum but keep things fresh, Schaefer went back to the drawing board to think of a new way to capitalize on The Specialist character’s infinite knowledge of all things electronic.

Now, Schaefer is proud to introduce Ask the Specialist, a new video series that features our intrepid hero answering questions on a wide range of topics – everything from parts and components to relationship advice.

Click the link to see the first episode, and be sure to check back each month for more answers to life’s burning questions.
http://www.ttiinc.com/page/ask-the-specialist

The Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting began with a red lanyard at check-in, private access and the declaration: “We’re making you all reporters today!” from none other than retired ABC News White House Correspondent Ann Compton. As the keynote speaker, she offered objective insight into upcoming campaign media coverage. The Chamber enlisted her 40 years of covering seven presidents and First Families to offer entertainment and nostalgia in an upper-level business audience challenged by regulations and taxes.
Our charge was to create collateral materials that would grant access to the “confidential” White House details regarding business or public policy. We established a political look and feel, with a patriotic color palette and layered “press badges.” In place of a ticket, each of the 700+ business leader attendees received a lanyard and folder of collateral that detailed Chamber activity and relevant articles. Our team even had the honor of meeting the decorated as they received “Off The Record” comments about local business.

The Texas A&M Forest Service was created by the Texas Legislature in 1915 to protect and conserve our state’s trees, forests and related natural resources. Who would’ve guessed that nearly 100 years later, they would ask Schaefer Advertising to build them a website?
Sure, we’re no Washington State, but Texas has trees too, you know. And while we may not realize it, every Texan benefits from the conservation and wildfire protection activities and programs of Texas A&M Forest Service. Two thirds of voters live within 10 miles of wooded area and more than half visit forests or wooded areas multiple times per year.
Our marketing objective was to create awareness of Texas A&M Forest Service as a trusted resource of information pertaining to all things forestry. The website is their core marketing vehicle, so it was critical that it be educational as well as engaging. Click the link and take a look around; it can be the one new thing you learn today.