Proverb "The truth made simple."

Fortune favors the bold

Our team continues to grow and that means we've got a new interview! Meet Sydney Sykes... intern extraordinaire. Here is the down-low on what she's got going on: 

- First day impressions of the office:

When I first came to the office to interview, I was waiting to speak with Daren and Kendrick Lamar’s newest album was playing as background music. I thought it was really cool that some of my favorite music was their “elevator”/ background music. That and the open space of the office made me feel a lot more comfortable.

- Favorite marketing catchphrase:

Mountain Dew – Do the Dew. I think it’s fun to say.

- I can’t live without my ______.

My dog or Buzzfeed. Equally entertaining.

- It’s 5 pm. You’re a free! What do you like to do outside of the office?

After work I always run with my dog, Bailey (he’s named after the liquor). When I get home I tend to spend the rest of the day cooking, baking, and cleaning up after the mess. This week I made corn muffins and a raspberry tart.

- Secret talents? Strange addictions?

 I run on very little sleep. I’m not sure if that’s a talent or a syndrome.

- One thing you’d like to do before you die:

Graduate. Working abroad is also a major goal. I do keep a constant to-do list, but it mostly consists of things I see online each week—either baking or crafts.

- A takeaway from your time here so far (on advertising/branding/the industry in general)

I really like the fluidity of the branding process, the way each idea fuels the next and one idea can change everything.

- Favorite brand and why?

Altoids. I think the way they keep the brand consistent throughout the packaging is great. Also, considering how many mints there are, Altoids has distinguished itself well.

- Dream job?

One day I want to be a CEO and run a company.

 

Meet our new design intern: Mika Reid

It's always a pleasure to host interns at Proverb. Not only do they change the atmosphere of the office, but they bring in a fresh sense of style and appetite for design and innovation that is often overlooked in a corporate-culture where top-dogs take all. We interviewed Mika Reid, who is currently attending Pratt Institute, to get low down on her 'truth'. 

What does a brand mean to you?

A brand is a series of images or a concept that have come together to be
distinctly recognized under one name or being. Like myself…or like Whole
Foods, Apple and other things like that.

What's your favorite truth quote?

"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."

What is your favorite song?

I don't think I have a favorite song, but the song I have been listening
to on repeat is "Forever" by Haim.

What do you do outside of Proverb?

Outside of Proverb I make time to run, dance, sing, paint, party, do DIY
projects, hang out with friends and any artsy-fartsy thing that comes to
your mind.

What is one thing you want to do before you die?

I would like to complete all the goals that I've set for myself.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see myself relaxing on a rooftop watching the sun set behind the
Brooklyn Bridge.

What is your favorite logo/brand & why?

Apple has to be one of my favorite brands. Over the years they have
continued to simplify their products and designs. I would have to say they
have become one of the masters of presentation. I don't think I will ever
grow tired of their aesthetic.

Whats your calling? 

I would have to say that my calling is teaching. Teaching art & design to
children and teens never gets old for me.

Mind the Art

Riding public transportation may not inspire most of us to pick up a paintbrush, but on the London Underground, artists did just that to celebrate the London Underground system's 150th anniversary. Much like the campaign to feature poetry on London's transport, contemporary artists have submitted designs to grace the trains and platforms of one of the world's most traveled and storied cities.

An article from Fast Company Design features many of the posters to be displayed, as diverse as they are, potentially, off-kilter. We can only hope this type of art installation has a future in other cities, coloring our daily commutes.

Meet the Intern: Alma-Lynn Dupont

Check out our design intern's words of wisdom, as well as her thoughts on Destiny's Child.

 

First day impressions of the office:

- Cool, calm and collected. 

 

Favorite Snoop Lion/Frank Ocean truth quote:

- I still believe in man, a wise one asked me why, cause I don't believe we're wicked, I know that we sin but I do believe we try.

 

I can’t live without my _______.

- Hair product. 

 

It’s 5 pm. You’re a free! What do you like to do outside of the office?

- Study, shower, sleep, repeat. 

 

Secret talents? Strange addictions?

- I played the drums until college, but I was too cool to tell anyone in high school so not many people knew.

 

One thing you’d like to do before you die:

- Pay off my student loans. 

 

A Proverb memory you’ll never forget (or would like to forget):

- Destiny's Child Pandora.

 

A takeaway from your time here (on design/branding/or the industry in general):

- work hard, play hard… Or something like that. 

Building an Audience Through Fan Art

Pinpointing the right audience for a text like an advertisement, television show, or musician is difficult work. What’s even more difficult than that? Finding a community so passionate about a text that they create their own art to honor it. A powerful text has an enthusiastic audience, and that becomes no clearer than when fans create art to salute it.

 via iffchow.typepad.com

Take the returning TV show Arrested Development. The show was praised by critics and a small group of devoted fans when it came to air. But the decidedly unique comedy had trouble finding a wide enough audience to keep it on the air for more than three seasons. What the show’s audience lacked in quantity of viewers, it made up for in enthusiasm. The dedication of its fans helped it get renewed by Netflix for a fourth season, seven years after its last season aired. With this triumphant return to the air, fans have been showing their love for the show by creating their own Arrested Development fan art, ranging from acoustic covers of songs featured on the show to cartoon renderings of scenes. Maybe, then, Arrested Development has a viable audience after all—one that’ll create fine pencil drawings of George Bluth, apparently.

 

Fans can use their visual art skills to contribute to a music project. That’s the goal of The Johnny Cash Project, an art project that strings together artist interpretations of frames from Cash’s “Ain’t No Grave” music video. Both for the experienced and the novice, the project encourages artists to “share your vision of Johnny Cash, as he lives in your mind’s eye.” Cash maintains an enigmatic persona in the music world, and despite being years after his death, has the power to keep an active and creative audience.

Ben & Jerry’s not only loves its fans, but loves to be a fan, as evidenced by their unique naming of their ice cream flavors, not the least of which is an homage to Arrested Development (“I Just Blue Myself” blueberry ice cream). Ben & Jerry’s has shown their creative side by naming flavors after pop culture figures, and perhaps in return, Ben & Jerry’s fans show their love by participating in contests held by the company. Whether it’s a challenge to repurpose B&J’s packaging or to design a t-shirt, Ben & Jerry’s is always looking for ways to interact with their fans. The result is an ardent fan base or brand ambassadors, always in support of the ice cream kings.

 

Whether done on the personal level to show enthusiasm for a TV show, or to show one’s approval for a brand, fan art opens a conversation between the producer and consumer, and paints a better picture of just who the elusive “audience” is.

Meet the Intern: Suzie Conway

Meet our new marketing intern, Suz C!

 

What does a brand mean to you?

- True individuality - being able to separate yourself from the clutter.

Favorite truth quote?

- "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Best artist in the game right now?

- The National - they make a sad song like no other.

What do you do outside of Proverb (... that you can speak of here!)?

- I like to go to concerts, rock climb, seek out cheap eats in Boston, and go to movies at the Coolridge.

What is one thing you want to do before you die?

- Some sort of adrenaline-junkie sport, like bungee jumping, white water rafting or hang-gliding, even though I'd be scared senseless.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

- Probably giving a new city a try, hopefully working at an ad agency. But if I'm not that lucky in the job hunt, I'd be satisfied with finding a job or life pursuit that just makes me happy.

What's one thing you consider truly "innovative."

- Music streaming services like Spotify & Rdio. Unfortunately I'm sure they don't help support artists as much as buying music, but I know that without streaming services, I wouldn't be exposed to nearly the same amount of (legal) music as I am now.

Why marketing?

- I'm always fascinated when an ad  can make a personal connection. The combination of business acumen and creative thinking that gets into a campaign that has that kind of power is the type of work I'd love to be a part of.

Favorite website? Apps? Books?

- Websites: Etsy, Reddit

- Apps: Evernote, honorable mention is the flashlight app. It's a rare app that can help during a blackout.

- Books: To Kill a Mockingbird, Lolita

Youth Design's 10th Anniversary Rally for Change

We’re proud to be a part of Youth Design’s Rally for Change. Celebrating their 10^th anniversary, Youth Design provides summer mentorships to urban students interested in art & design. Founded by Denise Korn in 2003, Youth Design has been creating awareness in urban communities of the many career possibilities that exist in the design field by funding paying internships at prestigious firms. Mentors work with design students to provide learning and work experience, putting students on a path toward a career in art and design. 

For Youth Design’s 10^th anniversary, they will be holding a celebration at Boston’s W Hotel to raise money to continue to provide high-quality internships to tomorrow’s design innovators. For more information about this great program and to RSVP to tomorrow’s event, please visit youthdesign.com.  

David Bowie Takes London

David Bowie is at the height of his Golden Years (ha-ha) with the recent release of his first album in 10 years, The Next Day. A new exhibit dedicated to Bowie at London's Victoria & Albert Museum highlights him in his prime as well as his present-day career. 

Here's a link to the exhibit, titled David Bowie Is. 

“The perfection of art is to conceal art”

Liu Bolin is quickly becoming known as the “disappearing Chinese artist.” His blending into surroundings is metaphorical of the way in which the Chinese government makes many citizens feel – small, insignificant, invisible. What Bolin sees as a political response to Chinese state oppression, advertisers see as an interesting technique to incorporate into their campaigns.

 

 

In the most literal sense, the artist is his art. 

Hashtag History

 

Charlie Sheen famously spread #winning during his whirlwind of a meltdown. Almost everyone knows #fail. And with 50% of this year’s Superbowl ads involving hashtags, brands are really tapping into this trend to build a dialogue with their consumers.
 
But who actually invented the Twitter hashtag?
 
Enter Chris Messina – an open web advocate for Google, and the self-described “hash godfather.” Messina is credited for inventing the Twitter hashtag in August 2007, when he suggested the pound symbol be used to quickly organize groups on Twitter. The concept furiously spread, on and offline.
 
Soon, people were using hashtags to add context and humor behind their messages and day-to-day conversations. Even influencing a couple to name their newborn – a healthy 8 lb Hashtag Jameson – after the symbol.
 
You can thank Messina @chrismessina.