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SPEEDY MAKES SLEEPY COMEBACK
 
NEW YORK, NY
Speedy Alka-Seltzer, the child star who made more than 200 commercials in the 1950s and 1960s, is making a quiet comeback at the very middle age of 57. The return of the retro icon is spearheaded by BBDO New York, starting with an appearance of the icon in an online game presented on the Alka-Seltzer website that challenges visitors to find the chubby-cheeked mascot in various scenes of people eating and partying, and presumably requiring Alka-Seltzer's assistance. Thus far, the comeback has been muted. In addition to the game, a MySpace profile and a very limited schedule of print advertisements is reportedly in the offing. Speedy's return is said to be consistent with the Alka-Seltzer's strategy of reviving some of its original slogans, and with a broader advertising trend of bringing back famous icons of a simpler time.

ARSENAL DISHES HOLLYWOOD DIRT
 
LOS ANGELES, CA
Executive producer Michele Maples and her new design oriented production company, Arsenal, has completed its first assignment — a six-spot promo campaign for season two of FX Network's show Dirt, starring Courtney Cox. The promos, directed and designed by Emmy-award winner Vonetta Taylor, feature animation and a rotoscoping technique applied to live action footage that gives the campaign a pop art, comic book look. The inspiration was FX's print campaign projecting Cox, who plays the editor of a gossip magazine, as a wonder woman, super hero presiding over Hollywood. The challenge for Arsenal was to bring these single print frames to life without compromising the spirit of the style. The six promos show vignettes of Hollywood stars and celebutants caught in wild behavior. Stephanie Gibbons is Executive Vice President of Marketing and Promotions for FX Networks in Los Angeles.

HEALTH GRAPHICS COMMISSIONED
 
NEW YORK, NY
Ideas On Purpose is leading development and communications design for The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America. The independent non-partisan Commission is focusing on factors outside the health care system and identifying non-medical strategies that can improve the health of Americans. IOP consulted on naming the Commission, and then created a visual brand identity and logo to represent it. Building on the identity, the design firm created a full suite of communications materials including website, reports, a publication system, business forms and electronic communications among many others. IOP will continue its role as design consultant to the Commission throughout its two-year duration.

VIEW GETS COMFORTABLE
 
NEW YORK, NY
Odgis + Company has redesigned VIEW, a new quarterly publication for employees and clients of PriceWaterhouseCoopers.The focus is on timely, relevant and essential issues in business today. It is intended to be inviting and witty to read. Janet Odgis says that the design advances this feeling with use of uncoated stock and a modest size “that add to the feeling of tangible comfort.” The information graphics work to make the content easily digestible, and a combination of photographic images with charts and graphs deliver the messages quickly to the viewer.

STICKERS FOR STUDENTS
 
ALBANY, NY
Geared to prospective students of The College of Saint Rose, the “5 Reasons” brochure uses engaging tactile imagery to introduce the reader to the institution. It is designed for variable data printing so that the nametag on the front cover is personalized. And the brochure includes two pages of kiss-cut stickers that the recipient can use throughout the brochure or on their own personal items. “Who doesn't like stickers?” asks Art Director Mark Hamilton of the Office of Public Relations & Marketing, rhetorically. Additional creative credits go to Graphic Designers Chris Parody and Luigi Benincasa, and Writers Lisa Haley Thomson and Hamilton. Photography is by Gregory Cherin Photography, Chris Parody and Hamilton.

JUST DO INSTORE
 
NEW YORK, NY
HUSH has created several large format image displays for Nike that promote the ability of consumers to customize their footwear. Exhibited in Niketown and NikeID stores throughout the U.S. and Europe, the series of still images deliver the message through two core concepts. In Splash, a blank white shoe stomps into a puddle of colored paints, and in Stitch, a shoe is frozen in time as new layers and colors are sewn into it. HUSH, a directorial collective, is led by co-founders David Schwarz and Erik Karasyk. “We were so psyched to work on this project,” says Schwarz. “It was a great departure from the broadcast or commercial projects we've worked on recently, and allowed the entire studio to stretch their creative muscle.”

CHEN FUSES JAZZ AND JAPANESE
 
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
With thriving roots and loyal audiences across the bay in Oakland, Yoshi's — an historic jazz club that serves Japanese cuisine — is opening a second location in San Francisco's Fillmore District. In conjunction with the expansion, Chen Design Associates was brought on to develop a rebranding effort that includes new identity system, marketing collateral, menu system, private events sales kit, advertising and more. The new 28,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art venue is expected to draw major local, national and international jazz talent. Yoshi's has already hosted legendary jazz greats such as Betty Carter, Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Diana Krall, Branford Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, Harry Connick Jr. and Oscar Peterson among hundreds of others.

PLAYING WITH WHITE SPACE
 
MADISON, WI
Nuchi Toys are known for their simplicity and power to engage the imagination of children. Shine Advertising Co. adopted the same premise for the company's new package design program, relying heavily on a straightforward presentation, a photo showcasing the toy inside, and lots of white space to communicate the essence of the brand. Copy, too, is short, sweet and straightforward. As a result, the packaging stands in stark contrast to the clutter than marks most toy marketing. At Shine, the Creative Director was Mike Kriefski and the Art Director was John Krull.