The Commercial

I’ve been a fan of Discovery® since I was 5, back when they mostly showed videos of African wildlife, and I don’t mean to knock wildlife videos because they’re the best!

So that being said, I’m sure that any of you that are fans have seen their new commercials, if not check them out. The song struck me as familiar, in the sense that it reminded me of my youth but also because I had heard it before. However I couldn’t remember where so I asked around and it turns out that it is based on an old camp song used by the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

I have to give the commercial 5 Stars. Most importantly it hits their whole product line, in this case shows, and that’s always a good idea. The clips are well chosen and showcase the amazing shots that Discovery is renowned for, the attention to detail is amazing. And like any good advertisement, it sticks in your head like that BB from Christmas of ’94. I digress, the camp song is really catchy as they are supposed to be and paired with the matching clips it not only sticks in your head but you remember it’s about the Discovery channel.

The Logo

The old logo wasn’t bad at all but it was starting to show its age. Black text in logos isn’t really the latest in design trends; it’s very formal and serious. They were well served by limiting themselves to 3 colors, which ensures easy reproduction and clarity at various sizes. The downside: Aside from their recognizable font and globe this logo lacks a single defining trait or shape, which is to say that neither of those elements alone can represent discovery. You need the font, words, and globe.

The new logo is in my opinion beautiful. The font has been updated and looks more modern and clean. They have limited their color palette to just Blue and White. Blue is a universally safe color, there is no culture where blue has a particularly negative connotation, which is why it is used frequently for business media. White at least in a western context is bright and clean. The removal of the bar is a strong choice; they’ve come closer to the essence of their brand without losing anything. The best part: The intersection of the globe and the “D” plays upon the previous incarnation but creates a defining element. If you now see a globe intersecting a “D” from the left it is identifiable as Discovery®.

The Lesson:

• Catchy, pretty commercials have to be identifiable with your brand. People need to be say “hay did you see that [your company] commercial,” not “hey did you see that commercial with [your great idea]?”
• Logos should be designed with print in mind.
• Logos need a defining element.
• When in doubt blue is in. (for now)

A while back I was surfing through some pages about business cards when I came across a clip from American Psycho in which the main character Patrick Bateman is comparing business cards. If you haven’t seen the film or read the book, Bateman is a killer with an MBA and an unfulfilling job in upper management. Despite his lack of interest in his work, he is very imaging conscious and stresses over the approval of his peers. This is a sentiment that many of us in the fields of marketing and design can relate to.

At first glance all of the cards appear unimaginative and corporate standard. The differences come in nuances of background color and typeface. The colors are as similar as bone and egg shell, but one card stands out. While the others differentiate with more fashionable typefaces or raised lettering, Paul Allen’s has a watermark. The watermark doesn’t stand out at a distance but up close it’s something truly special within the confines of the otherwise bland corporate format.

There is a lesson to be learned here about the power of subtlety. A small difference in style or presentation can go miles to set you apart. Appreciation for nuance also says a lot about you a designer or marketing professional, it lets customers know that you will pay attention to them and their project.

Roundup: Small details = Differentiation, Detail orientation speaks volumes