Award-winning branding, rebranding and package design
How brands outshine, outlast and outperform their competition
In today’s business and cultural climate, it’s probably the #1 brand mistake that everyone is overlooking. Don’t self-sabotage your brilliant brand with a strategy like this You may want your brand to be loved. You may hope for your brand to not be hated. But brands today have leaned toward a middle-ground of vanilla-hell that’s left …
Tommy John launched in 2008 with the world’s first patented undershirt with a stay-tucked guarantee and has since expanded into underwear, socks, casual wear and performance gear. In 2016, actor/comedian Kevin Hart invested in Tommy John, the disruptive, irreverent, and somewhat restless underwear line. (After all, when you’re entering a populated space with lots of …
The podcast is becoming today’s personal radio station. A podcast is portable. They don’t take up much room. You can interrupt them when you need to, you don’t have to take them out for a walk at odd times of the day to “take care of business,” and they don’t get upset. So think how …
Gary Vaynerchuk. If you don’t know who this 4X NY Times bestselling author is, you need to get out more. With 2.9 million followers on Instagram, 1.1 million followers on YouTube, and 1.6 million followers on Twitter, Gary is an unstoppable force of nature. Gary even has the street cred of having personally tweeted me …
They’re 3 words that kill any brand. Nobody Deserves Anything. Now, Embrace the Hustle. (If you have only one minute, scroll down to watch new video. Otherwise, read this. It will add value to watching the video below.) Our culture (and business) has become infected with a debilitating disease. It’s called “Entitle-tosis” and it’s spreading …
Here’s what NY Times best-selling author and Sales Expert Grant Cardone had to say, “Steve Griggs is New York’s finest landscape designer, second to none.” It’s true. Steve Griggs is as New York as it gets with a client list that includes everyone from hardworking New Yorkers and their families to international celebrities and VIPS …
Carpool Standup. After 11,000 views on YouTube, I felt it was responsibility to share what happened next. This is not for the weak-willed person, so tread with caution. To catch you up to speed, at the end of the first of this video series, Ted’s blood sugar was dropping—fast—so we had to rush in “the paramedics” to …
Disrupt. It’s a word that means “to interrupt the normal operation of.” Well, what if that “normal” no longer met its initial objective? What if it merely went about its usual without ever questioning its model? Companies like Apple, Tesla, Nike and Dyson would never have come into existence. Normal. What a Concept. We’ve seen …
Sometimes, a rebrand comes along that’s a true honor to take part in. In this case, the opportunity arose when we were chosen to rebrand the United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Philadelphia (the UCP being one of the most recognized health nonprofits in the U.S.). A National Organization is Born Born as a national organization in …
Brands have problems. They wrestle with being authentic and real while trying to emulate those brands that have already blazed a trail. Or they try to gain traction while ignoring cultural trends that show them a path to acceptance. Or they try to be original by copying another brand “in an original way.” (Please don’t …
Growing up in NYC, I remember seeing him on TV getting interviewed, shooting verbal challenges that were equal parts poetry, smack talk, performance art, humor and a laser-sharp wit. Muhammad Ali was bigger than life. As a teenager, it was his use of words that left an impression on me: they were as lethal a …
Geniuses use everyday items in unexpected ways, transforming ordinary items into something extraordinary. Something as ordinary as language — that medium we use to connect with others everyday — is elevated to convey ideas, to establish rapport, to inspire and generate energy. So, I decided to write a series of articles on the power of …
“The one who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The one who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been before.” Albert Einstein Authenticity. It’s best when it’s real. When reorienting a brand and clarifying their core reason for being, companies are too often …
2014 (setting 2015 up for crushing it) was a remarkable year with many milestones (last week, I sent out “My Holiday Elfie” which if you missed, you can check out here). 2015 Highlights It was a year when Forbes.com did an interview on me about the two types of brands (a book is being worked …
If you appreciate words as a tool, or write, or use the language in any way to deliver a stronger, more memorable message, keep reading. Legalize Marinara While much is written per day, few blocks of text thrill the reader or succeed in generating a real buzz. Candidly, most are boring crap, resulting in my …
“No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” Robin Williams Robin Williams was a master of the spoken word, taking unlikely words/meanings/concepts and pairing them together to unleash new views and ideas to inspire and amuse us all. With his recent passing, I was, like many, shocked by his sudden …
When did Typography Get Sexy? Who would watch a paper-letter animation video about the history of fonts and typography? Well, over 840,000 people. Not only that, over 17,990 viewers “liked” it. It’s the product of a talented young designer from Canada named Ben Barrett-Forrest. The video is made up of: 291 Paper Letters 2,454 Photographs, …
When they said, “See the guy in the back,” I wondered what the hell I had just gotten myself into…. A Little Coke Goes a Long Way Minding my own business, I was innocently walking down the street yesterday morning when I saw the above sign. I immediately popped out my iPhone and shot this …
At 40 seconds, you’ll never see this word the same way again. At 1:21, you’ll see a lodge like you’ve never seen one before (without ever seeing a picture of the lodge). At 1:45, you’ll watch a word say more in one second than an entire wing of the Library of Congress. And the last …
(This is the 9th installment in celebration of the power of words and language. To see the whole series, links are at the bottom of this article.) I stopped in my tracks. I. Couldn’t. Move. Of all places, it happened in my local health food store. I saw a package and, being an avid package …
Words. Love them or hate them. They’re here to stay. This series started out about a year ago, from one video that inspired me intensely. Words to me are like ingredients in a recipe. In the hands of a master chef, ordinary food becomes a masterpiece of deliciousness than in the hands of someone less …
Less than nine months ago, something unprecedented occurred. It was a simple video. With a simple message. Delivered by a 9-year-old boy with a remarkable (and awesome) spirit. Twenty-eight-million+ views later, this young lad (now 10-years old) has become an international source of inspiration to millions. (I know I’ve watched it at least 8 times and …
Inspiring others to action. Selling. Persuading. Breaking down walls. Converting. Results that words can (and should) achieve. This series, “The Power of Words,” started out as a one-off inspired by my ongoing love affair with words, language and their power to change the minds of people through new understandings. I also care (a lot) about …
It was one of the most talked about commercials of this year’s Super Bowl. I was so moved by it that days later I had an inspiration which has now become a video. A video which features the amazing voice of legendary impressionist Jim Meskimen, with 45 separate images to emulate the incredible Super Bowl …
They sell.They alienate.They make friends.They anger enemies.They make some homeless.They make others millionaires. That’s the power of words. “Hey moron!” Insulting. But those words did get your attention. “I love you.” Aaaaah… The most powerful language trio ever to perform on the stage called life. The Right Words Sell. A lot. These powerful tools in …
