Howard Wakefield and Peter Saville originally founded Parris Wakefield in 2002. It was then called Saville Parris Wakefield until this year when Peter Saville left to work on his own projects. Despite his absence, which was no doubt a big blow, Parris Wakefield are continuing to output some beautiful design work.
Alright, so it goes something like this, two very talented guys sponsored by a software company travel around making local commercials nominated by other locals through their website. The results speak for themselves. I have to be honest, I think I have watched a few of these about 20 times today and they never get old. How do you score a gig like this? Jealousy. Be sure to watch some of the behind the scenes action. The ‘making-of’ is almost funnier than the final product. The spots above are among my personal favorites but there are a few more gems waiting to be discovered here.
There are some brilliant ideas happening in the portfolio of Ji Lee which probably explains his employment history for places like Google Creative Lab, Droga 5 and Saatchi and Saatchi.
You can find an inspiring archive of advertising and design work created by Erik Nitsche here. The archive has been lovingly added to and maintained by BustBright over the past four years or so. Inspiring work.
Infamous design super hero Stefan Sagmeister suggests you might want to take some time off to recharge those creative batteries and help get those inspirational juices flowing through the system once again. The only thing is, we live and work in a dog eat dog, money by the minute (billable hours anyone?) society that sucks creativity dry like a ravenous vampire. We take less time off in America than any other country on this entire planet. I am taking two weeks off next week for the first time in 2 years. I can’t imagine in my wildest dreams even considering taking off an entire year.
Thanks for the advice Stefan, but until the system gives a little, I don’t see many of us that aren’t already independently wealthy taking off an entire year. Not unless you want to lose your job and your mortgage. It’s not that I don’t agree, it’s just that I also live in this country called America where I work as an Art Director and designer and exist in a reality where never before in all of history has time been more equivacol to money. My vacation usually consists of a beer at the end of a long day. Until perceptions and norms seriously shift, or until the working public has just finally had enough, I don’t see employers bending much on allowing time off for employees that are burned. That is exactly why you see so very many people burning themselves right out of the ad business. Sometimes the well just dries up after it’s been over tapped day in and day out.
I definitely support his argument, I just don’t know who the hell, other than independent small business owners with a penchant for risk and an enjoyment for bucking trends, could realistically try something like giving both themselves and their employees a real amount of time off to recharge. I think time will tell, in this system that is quite literally killing all of us with stress that he is probably right.
Wow, this stings a little. I am laughing…hahahahah…oh…whoa…ahh…hmm…
Now I am crying.
Lemonade is an upcoming documentary that will hit a lot of us very close to home. I have been laid off twice so far in this industry and the second time I wasn’t sure I could rebound from. I am back in it now, and in it deep but a lot of people are on the outs in the current recession. Lemonade is a documentary about a few of those 70,000 people in the advertising industry who have been handed a pink slip and gone out to discover who they really are and do what they really should have been doing.
I have read about this program and expressed my interest in helping and/or contributing as it is here close to home. I was hoping to teach a class this fall for CU’s advertising program, but was unable to commit since I am taking a long vacation in Europe. Fall is also usually when things ramp up for me both at my job as an Art Director at Cactus and with my work for Changethethought. I am hoping maybe I can teach in the spring of this upcoming year.
Nevertheless, this looks like it could be a really good program and there are some really intelligent people involved in making it happen. I was asked to help spread the word since this is a great contribution to our advertising and design community here in Denver/Boulder. Here is what I received as a description in my inbox:
“Opening in Boulder, Colorado this August is Boulder Digital Works (bdw.colorado.edu), which is a digital program that will teach the integration of technology, business, and creative fields. This is a unique program that is the first of its kind in America. BDW has and is working with: Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Society of Digital Agencies (SoDA), Hyper Island, Modernista, IDEO, Goodby, AKQA, Google, Microsoft, EA, Facebook, Amazon, Hulu, R/GA, Twitter including FL2, The Foundry Group, Spiremedia, Effective UI-whom will recruit from BDW. At BDW business people will experiment with the technology side, creatives will embrace the business end and technologists will pitch ideas.”
London creative agency, MultiAdaptor has updated with a smart and attractive website featuring a portfolio of equally smart and attractive work.
Creative Agency, Dixon Baxi has updated with a shiny new website packed full of really extraordinary examples of design.
Trevor Conrad is originally from Seattle, but currently lives in Savannah GA where he is pursuing an MFA in Graphic Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Trevor is a longtime lurker on the blog who often leaves comments on the blog and isn’t afraid to give an honest opinion. He has some smart work in his book to partner his smart comments.
There is a large cache of trendy low-fi photography in the portfolio of Valerie Phillips. She has captured imagery for some big-named client and publications.
There are some drop dead gorgeous fashion and beauty shots in the photography portfolio of Phil Poynter at the Art Department.
I am thoroughly enjoying the curated advertising layouts and fashion photographs in the Flickr pages of ‘Edit Freak’ who claims that ‘this is for all the pics I edit’.
This will surely be the news of the day in the ad/creative circles. CP+B has launched a new and apparently still ‘beta‘ version of their website. The concept is very similar to Modernista’s site whereas content is being fed from all over the net about Crispin into the site. It’s still an interesting idea and maybe more relavant to the giant press-making machine that is Crispin but the execution is really lacking. I know everyone wants to jump on the hate train with CP+B because they are so absolutely amazing but it’s purely logistical. The site just looks ugly and unpolished. If you want to go clean, just do what Weiden and Kennedy did with their recent ‘London‘ website. You can still make a site attractive using type and color. Logistics or not, Crispin is the undisputable heavyweight of the ad world at the moment. I don’t think that is up for argument here, it’s just their site is blah.
I’m always blown away by the work of Dave Hill, and with a brand spanking new website – and lots and lots of fresh new work – I’ll be spending most of my afternoon wiping drool from my chin! My favorite thing about Dave Hill is his willingness to disclose his best kept secrets to his fans with plenty of behind-the-scenes footage. It’s a really great way for photography enthusiasts to study lighting position and proper equipment usage!
Next week on Wednesday June 24th, the official Bike to Work day here in Colorado, Denver-based advertising agency Cactus (for whom I work as an Art Director) is throwing its inaugural Bike From Work Bash . I can personally guarantee a seriously kick ass throwdown the likes of which will be stuff of legend forever recorded in the mythical annals of Denver lore. You have to seize any available opportunity to use the word ‘annals’.
There will be Illegal Pete’s burritos, Breckenridge beer, Amp energy drinks (and Amp Energy girls), a live DJ (my good friend Tom Metz), bike stunts by Yellow Designs, bike valet service from Bike Denver along with security provided by the Denver Roller Dolls. I also designed the materials for the event, although it was a collective effort with my Creative Director Norm Shearer, Art Director Matt Chiabotti and Copywriter Lee Perlman (he’s the crazy guy in the helmet in the video above). Consequently, Indyink will have have larger 2-color screenprinted Bike from Work posters available at the event as well. As far of the event overall is involved, it was a big team of us at Cactus who put our heads together to pull this off and we poured the love in all the way to the top.
There will be also be a ‘Revenge of the Nerds-style’ tricycle relay race. The race is being hosted by Ad2 Denver and will benefit Wish for Wheels, a non-profit organization dedicated to supplying bikes for kindergarten students. Relay teams will consist of 5 members and the cost per entry is $100. There will be prizes given to teams with the most creative uniforms and tricycles. Maybe a team of luchadores?
You really can’t miss. There is going to be stunts, food, drinks, pretty people, money going to charity and you can rub elbows with the local creative and advertising people. I will be there for the duration of the party helping set up and break down (I am in it to win it). So, if we have yet to meet, stop by and say hello. It’s going to be a lot of fun.
The mayor said he wasn’t coming but that’s just an added reason to turn the volume all the way up to 11. Especially after turning down the best invitation ever.
Moodley Brand Identity is responsible for a large and inspiring body of just flat-out good graphic design work.
