So Alvin posted up yesterday about the NRL Branding Initiative that just rolled out this week. Definitely worth checking out the video if you haven't already.

What we didn't mention was what a difference excellent partners made. Since we focus on Brand Identity, we depend on a solid group of partners to come along side and implement all the other items that a brand needs as it lives and breathes and extends.

The group of partners pulled together to make this entire initiative a reality were no exception. Check out the roster below of partners we worked together with to make the NRL launch possible…

• Toolbox No. 9: awesome interactive web firm. Took the NRL website from good to "wow".
• Reid Davis: tired of reading boring copy? Me too. Apparently so is Reid. A writer amongst copywriters that brought flavor and personality to the message.
• Xzibits, Inc: Bruce is our man over at Xzibits. Took a ton of rough ideas we had for what the conference space could be and found real options for what they should be.
• Alan Hettinger: we first thought, "hey, we need an intro video". Then we realized we didn't just need a video, we needed a story and experience. Enter Alan. His work with motion graphics is awesome. So is the finished product of what he did for NRL [check out the video on the NRL homepage].
• Zoink: we love tshirts. We design them for ourselves all the time. And Zoink has always printed them for us. Their attn to detail is unmatched…tshirt extraordinaires.
• Striking Solutions: we also decided we wanted to have stickers available to conference attendees. We needed a lot of them and needed them fast. Melissa got them to Kansas City in record time and with pizazz.

We'll have more posted up on our website in the weeks ahead with looks at all the NRL work for you to check out…so keep a lookout and stay tuned.

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Anyone else think this rebrand was pointless?

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In case you didn't know, the robots are taking over. This week, Craig and I flew to Kansas City to help launch the National Robotics League brand at the SkillsUSA conference.

We've been hard at work on the NRL for the past few months to finish everything for the conference. (Everything included brochures, business cards, stickers, t-shirts, website and environmental banners and signs). And we thought the hard part was over until we landed and set up the tent in what felt like a hundred degrees (so hot in fact, that the competing robots had difficulties from melting glue).

But when it was all said and done, the result was truly satisfying. Seeing it all come together in web, print and environmental applications was a great feeling — and seeing for the first time in person the skill and dedication of the kids, their mentors and the help of everyone involved was inspiring.

It would be impossible for me to describe the energy and excitement surrounding the NRL exhibit, so see for yourself in the video. Stay tuned for a more in-depth look into the design and process.

National Robotics League from matchstic on Vimeo.

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I often get asked the question, "What types of clients do you work with?" and for a while I struggled with how to answer because we don't look to work within a certain industry or niche. And we don't look to work with a certain size of company.  We've worked with companies in all different types of industries.  We've worked very large companies and companies that only exist in an entrepreneur's mind.

So, what type of clients do we work with?  Courageous clients.  People with a strong vision of what the future can be and the resolve to do what it takes to get there and see it happen. Courage can come in many different forms.  Young people.  Old people.  Big companies. Small organizations.

I recently found this definition of Courage: the ability to act in accordance with one's beliefs, in spite of criticism.

Look out for posts in the future of me telling stories of courageous people that inspire us at Matchstic.

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Designing a logo is a story. It's a tale of drama, adventure, comedy, and sometimes head scratching confusion. Often you finish the journey smoothly, but sometimes you make several stops along the way.

A few years ago we developed the identity for the Tabernacle, arguably one of Atlanta's most popular music venues. It's an old renovated church right in the heart of downtown, across from Olympic park. The outside seems ordinary, but the inside is far from it. Walls of clouds, color, angels, and folk art cover every surface. The Tabernacle is famous in Atlanta and we were proud to help them standout even more.

This is the story of the Tabernacle Logo.

The Tabernacle Tale from matchstic on Vimeo.

Did we end up with your favorite?

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So this is a conversation starter! I found this in a Papermag.com article titled "Rebranding America". Some big name designers and artists weighed in on how they thought America should be redefined. This is a submission from Alex Bogusky, also known for his work with Burger King and recently Microsoft. Here were his comments:

"Che Guevara has become T-shirt shorthand for counterculture — most people in a Che T are oblivious to who he really was and are just celebrating the rebel in us all. In reality, Che went from being a doctor to a murderer in a wrongheaded, desperate attempt to change the world. The Communist Revolution he believed in didn't work — and were he alive today, he would have to face that fact. Knowing that, the question is: Who would Che wear on his T-shirt? Who and what would (or could) he put his faith in?"

Is Obama a rebel's rebel?

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About a year ago I was headed out to a concert with some friends. In order to save time, I volunteered to grab all of us delicious submarine sandwiches from subway before racing off to make the show. As I walked in to a completely desolate store, the sandwich artist stood up from her stool and slugged over towards the beginning of the bar, with a stare that could freeze a charging grizzly dead in its tracks she looked up at me. Having the memory of a 90 year old man, I'd forgotten some of the orders, and rudely disregarded the "No Cellphones" sign and called my fellow concert goers. She quickly rebuked my action with a "What you want?" snarl. I calmly replied, "I'm not exactly sure yet, I'm calling to see what my friends want". She returned a scowl of disapproval, and said slowly and sternly with an extra enunciated tone, "WHAT. DO. YOU. WANT?". Let's just stop right there. Not only was I super hungry and running late, I was now super annoyed and in the face of the rudest moment I'd ever encountered in my tenure of sandwich connoisseurship. I was about to order 14 sandwiches, a significant amount of business for a dying restaurant, and she obviously did not want my bothersome business.

How many times do we treat our clients like this?

Maybe not as extreme as the above example, but in small ungrateful ways, especially in a service based businesses, we can all be guilty. We fail to make the connection between our paychecks and our clients. I've seen this "bothersome- stupid client" attitude in so many agencies, and I hope we never become one of those.

After a brief confrontation, I ended up thanking the "Sandwich Artist" for her time and went next door to Willy's for chimichangas and nachos.

What's the worst customer service based experience you've ever had?

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Garden Gnomes. Seem like a good mascot?

On first glance, no. And yet Travelocity seems to have made a compelling series of ads over the last 5 years with theirs.

Its so unique, it must be an original idea…right?

Actually, no again.

While recently watching the French movie Amélie, I came across something very similar playing a centerpiece to the story. A stolen (and loved) garden gnome was being taken around the world. Each time it arrived at a new destination, a picture of the gnome in front of a landmark would be sent back to the owner (much to his chagrin).

So surely Travelocity must have taken the idea from this lesser-known movie…right?

Wrong again.

It seems the idea actually originates from Austrailia in the 1980s, where according to the Sydney Morning Herald of September 24, 1986: ‘An Eastern suburbs gnome-owner was distressed when she discovered her gnome had been stolen at the weekend. A note was found in its place: "Dear mum, couldn't stand the solitude any longer. Gone off to see the world. Don't be worried, I'll be back soon. Love Bilbo xxx."‘
- Cited from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travelling_gnome_prank

Which brings me to my question: Does it really matter where ideas are generated? If someone small and unheard of comes out with an original idea first, then someone else large and well-known either rips it or happens across the same idea – does it matter that its not truly "original" to the larger, more established group?

Being "original" feels good, but ultimately – isn't it really the person who takes the world by storm with an idea that is the stronger of the two?

Afterall, plenty of folks have come up with ideas, but few acutally reach center stage.

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