1970 Saul Bass pitch to Bell Systems. I've edited it down it length. It's still rather long but well worth it. Gives a great glimpse at the thinking behind branding and how a brand is deployed.

This is a quick video developed for the initial presentation of the Terra Rising identity for the client. We believed that this direction was so strong, we only presented one option and developed a short video around it, illustrating the strength and meaning of the mark.

Click to open larger image.

This is a great presentation from Seth Godin on "Standing Out." He uses "corporate speak" to deliver the message, but don't get distracted by that. The ideas and concepts in this video apply to any and all organizations. As you gear up for the new year and new ways of connecting with your community, think about the ideas presented in this video. Specifically, think about whether your organization is remarkable (something worth remarking about). If a person comes across your website, brochure, sunday morning service, signage, etc. will they say "Check this out" to their friends or simply move on unaffected? 2012 is a great time to start fresh, start standing out and start making an impact. Don't worry, you won't need to incorporate a purple cow to do so...

Doing the Right Thing (DTRT) is a six part exploration of ethics. Brand Army has recently partnered with the Chuck Colson Center to work with their family of brands, including this one, to strengthen their presence both on and offline. The DTRT initiative is especially intriguing since we're all wading/struggling through the affects of the gradual and, not-so-gradual, removal of God and ethics from our culture. 

So how do you know that it’s time to rebrand? What warning signs might you look for? Here is a list of
twelve common indicators that your church's brand may no longer be doing its job.

Below is a recently completed Identity Overview guide for Plant NC. It's actually a guide provided to all the clients we work with when designing their logo and identity system. It includes an overview of all the elements associated with their logo, as well as a CD inserted in the back which includes all the electronic files. 

We actually weren't brought on to design the Plant NC logo, but rather assist them in tweaking it a bit, exploring new brand design pieces and putting together their identity system and brand guidelines. 

At Brand Army, our focus is two-parts: brand creative and brand strategy/management. Sometimes organizations just need some help with their existing brand—reigning it in and/or organizing it a bit. We work with them to get everything under control.

This is a great commercial—it has both a strong concept and high-impact visuals. Also, I can see it translating well into a print campaign. Even more impressive is the imagery drives 90% of this spot. Only about 3 sentences are voiced at the end.

Interestingly, there is a parallel between electric cars and church advertising. Both are trying to convince their audiences to at least explore a shift in their lifestyle—explore electric-powered transportation, explore Jesus-centered living. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these two audiences are hard to convince— "I like my gasoline", "I'm fine living my own way."

In any case, I'm not suggesting tearing out pages from the Nissan handbook to reach people for Christ. However, I encourage you to pay attention to how Fortune 500 companies are trying to convince you to do something—their messaging, their visuals, their creative concepts. Yeah, some advertising can be manipulative and/or focus just on sex or "the grass is greener over here." But some advertising, like this commercial, can use a great concept and strong creative to encourage viewers to think differently about something. Is your church thinking differently about how your encouraging your community to think differently? If you're unsure, let's talk >