Most people that know me know that I’m not very fond of Christmas. I don’t enjoy the crowds…nor the decorations…or the last minute shopping. And, as much as I like writing notes, I never send Xmas cards. So, it is surprising – even to me – that I am writing this blog entry on Xmas eve.

In many ways this has been a very difficult year. Wars and the economy have taken a toll on people across the globe, and as I sit at my kitchen table, I find myself wondering what we should celebrate.

The word “hope” comes to mind.

Obama won the presidency on a platform of hope and change. And in the process he has inspired me with a sense of optimism for the future. A sentiment, that I believe is shared by many, regardless of political affiliation, or even nationality.

I hope that during this Holiday Season people will take a moment to celebrate each other, and their own individual hopes for the future.

I believe that hope is about possibilities and dreams. Hope is about potential. Hope is about the future. And so, I hope. I hope for peace and for love. I look forward to this evening and tomorrow and to the New Year. I am hopeful for change…but I will also take it upon myself to do what I can to make it happen.

So, I’d like to wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season….and a New Year filled with hope.

Ciao,

Alfredo Muccino

Author: Alfredo
Category: Brands in general

Joe Claus lives in downtown San Jose. He is a photographer residing in Silicon Valley, yet he likes to work with what many considered antiquated equipment…a film camera. For the last few months he has been building a portfolio of portraits of business people that work downtown San Jose. The range of his subjects is vast - both in terms of ethnic background, ages and types of businesses.

As part of this body of work, he shot portraits of Scott Gardner, the President and CEO of Liquid Agency, and his business partner – Alfredo Muccino – the agency’s Chief Creative Officer. The black and white portraits turned out great - and they are part of an exhibition titled “My Neighbors” currently being held at Dr. Martin Luther King Library in San Jose. Click here to find out more.

Alfredo Muccino’s picture was used to promote the event…which was very flattering to Alfredo.

If you’re in town, go see the exhibition. It’s been getting great reviews. Below are both Alfredo and Scott’s photos.

Here’s a link to Joe Claus’ site: www.joeclaus.com

Justin Vandeberghe
Marketing Designer
Liquid Agency | Brand Marketing

Author: Alfredo Muccino
Category: Events

In my last posting I discussed the new Pepsi brand design, and it seems appropriate to follow that dialog with some thoughts about Coca-Cola’s recent brand revamp. As it may have been apparent, I am not a big fan of Pepsi’s latest branding efforts. In my opinion, the new logo is not much of an improvement over the old one, and the packaging seems rather generic and sterile. On the other hand, I am truly impressed with what Coca-Cola just did.

Interestingly, if one looks at the new can by itself, the change is hardly apparent. Yet, when you place the previous can next to the new one, the design modifications one starts to notice are quite nice. Gone are all the little extra design elements, such as the touch of yellow, the multiple layers of swooshes, and the bubble patterns.

The designers have stripped away everything that was not essential and exercised a great deal of restraint in the new design. The typography that identifies the product as “CLASSIC” has been modernized and it is now all in lower case. This simple gesture seems to have an informality that is admirably on brand with the personality I expect of Coca-Cola. It is friendlier and more approachable. In my opinion, the fact that the design refresh is, at first glance, almost unnoticeable is also refreshing. I think this is a very respectful way to treat a classic icon. Yet the changes – once noticed – are definite improvements.

I’m also a fan of the Coca-Cola Zero packaging. The red Coca-Cola logo on the solid black background has an edge to it, yet it seems like a natural extension of the brand. And I love the aluminum bottles. They remind me of the way I felt when I first saw the redesign of the VW beetle by Jay Mays – a modern interpretation of a classic that re-invents the vehicle while making it feel like a natural evolution of the original.

The item that caught my eye and made me look further into the re-design was the ubiquitous white paper cup from fast food restaurants, but this time it featured the red silhouette of the Coca-Cola bottle. One of our designers walked into our office sipping from the cup, and I just loved the way that the straw looked like it was coming from the bottle. This design is fun yet really smart. The simple graphics imbue the paper cup with a sense of nostalgia and playfulness that are perfectly aligned with the brand. Also, I love the design of the delivery trucks. I have not seen these on the streets yet, and can’t wait to see the reaction that people will have when they first see them. I like the fact that the visual is an allegory to the purpose of the truck - which is to deliver Coca-Cola products…and the oversize bottle seems to say “this brand is bigger than life” - and, given that Coca-Cola is considered the most valuable brand in the world, it makes sense. Once again, the design is playful and impactful…yet it is completely appropriate.

It’s nice to see a brand like Coca-Cola exercise the design discipline it did with its latest branding efforts. This work is honest, clean, fresh – and it has lots of personality - and I hope that more brands are inspired by it.

Please feel free to comment!

Alfredo Muccino
Chief Creative Officer
Liquid Agency | Brand Marketing

Author: Alfredo Muccino
Category: Brand Identity, Brand Management, Brand Personality