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]]> en Copyright 2010 2010-03-08T16:04:37+00:00 New OK Go Video http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/blog/article/new_ok_go_video/ Check out this amazing new video from OK Go, “This Too Shall Pass.” Using a Rube Goldberg machine, they filmed this all in one shot. Wow. 2010-03-08T16:04:37+00:00 Dave Waite Copywriter buddy Mark Radcliffe featured in short film Lemonade http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/blog/article/copywriter_buddy_mark_radcliffe_featured_in_short_film_lemonade/ Good buddy Mark Radcliffe is one of the characters in Lemonade, a short film about a group of advertising professionals who are laid-off in 2008 by a large NYC ad agency and how that changes their outlooks on life. Worth watching: 2010-02-18T08:18:00+00:00 Dave Waite Eat Naked One Step Closer to Being Published… http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/blog/article/eat_naked_one_step_closer_to_being_published/ Just heard exciting news from Margaret Floyd, an exceptional nutritionist here in LA. She’s getting very close to being under contract for her forthcoming book, Eat Naked, which will explore how eating fresh food that’s whole, organic, unrefined, and often comes unpackaged is a healthier nutritional choice. The book would launch in Spring 2011 and appear in bookstores everywhere. Zookeeper developed the logo, tagline and website late last year. Very, very excited for Margaret. 2010-02-18T00:42:26+00:00 Dave Waite Zookeeper Designs Entertainment Company Logo http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/news/article/zookeeper_designs_entertainment_company_logo/ Hollywood director, writer and producer Jon Polansky enlisted Zookeeper to brand his entertainment company, No H Productions. As a movie director in Los Angeles with a notable last name, Jon sought to place the emphasis on his first name and make his company’s moniker memorable. We created the movie-production company’s logo with a big and bold NO H, and a film spool to be instantly evocative of the industry his business is in. We then splashed it with a vibrant green color to symbolize growth and fun, reflecting the spirit of a production company on the rise. 2010-02-02T00:02:47+00:00 Dave Waite Zookeeper Creates Apparel Monster for Majicco http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/news/article/zookeeper_creates_apparel_monster_for_majicco/ After creating the new name for this Los Angeles-based kids clothing company, we imagined the Apparel Monster. An illustrated creature threaded together with a zipper neck and button head to be imaginative, fun and playful. More whimsical than scary, the Majicco logo serves as the flag for the stylish, European-influenced brand that’s taking a hip and cutting-edge approach with its fashion designs for kids. We customized a classic font, tweaking it to be youthful and infusing it with an attitude of play, with the two o’s combined to symbolize childhood stretching to infinity. The uncommon gold and silver coloring is intended to make an immediate, bold impression.  2010-01-21T18:49:20+00:00 Dave Waite Zookeeper Writes the Copy for Bebe’s PH8 Fashion Brand Launch http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/news/article/zookeeper_writes_the_copy_for_bebes_ph8_fashion_brand_launch/ When fashion brand Bebe launched their new venture, PH8, they enlisted our help to create the new copy for their apparel brand that would replace Bebe Sport in retail locations across North America. Reflecting an uplifting, optimistic feel, the copy told the story of PH8, framing the new brand as a fusion of function and fashion for women embracing an active lifestyle. We wrote the new copy that appeared in their brand guide book, promotional emails, direct mail, call scripts and website. 2009-12-08T21:59:49+00:00 Dave Waite Several New Clients Enlist Zookeeper’s Creative Services http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/news/article/several_new_clients_enlist_zookeepers_creative_services/ We’ve been fortunate to work with several new clients lately. Check out the roster of companies that have enlisted our creative services. 2009-12-08T03:23:39+00:00 Dave Waite New Taglines Added to the Zookeeper Portfolio http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/news/article/new_taglines_added_to_the_zookeeper_portfolio/ A short and sweet tagline is a terrific way to differentiate your business from the competition. Coupled with a strong conceptual logo, a tagline brings extra oomph to your brand.  We’ve recently added a slew of new taglines to our portfolio. 2009-12-08T01:53:29+00:00 Dave Waite Zookeeper Designs the New ScriptPhD Logo http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/news/article/zookeeper_designs_the_new_scriptphd_logo/ Client: ScriptPhD Industry: Entertainment + Media ScriptPhD approached us to help brand a novel-niche consulting business focused on developing creative content that integrates smart science and technology in the entertainment and media industries. The new logo and website introduce a groundbreaking blog that marries science and entertainment in a transformative way. Consisting of writers and guest contributors from a spectrum of artistic and technical backgrounds, ScriptPhD.com provides in-depth coverage of sci-fi movies and television, lectures, panels and conventions, original articles and personal interviews. Zookeeper produced a logo centered on the idea of an element in the periodic table, with the ‘S’ and ‘PhD’ representing the chemical symbol for ScriptPhD and the phone number acting as the Atomic Mass number. The design and color selection of the science-based brand identity symbolizes evolution, growth and reach. ScriptPhD’s blog has emerged as a huge success, with a rabid and growing following. 2009-11-30T16:00:41+00:00 Dave Waite Dock Ellis and the LSD No-No by James Blagden http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/blog/article/dock_ellis_and_the_lsd_no-no_by_james_blagden/ As we all know now, many of our baseball heroes put incredible doses of steroids in their bodies over the years to boost their slugging abilities. But imagine being on an acid trip and pitching? And not just pitching, but throwing a no hitter, the rarest of diamond gems. Dock Ellis did it back in the day and here’s his almost unbelievable story in this brilliantly illustrated video by No Mas and artist James Blagden: 2009-11-20T22:23:51+00:00 Dave Waite Zookeeper Creates New Brand Identity for Changemakers Toolbox http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/news/article/zookeeper_creates_new_brand_identity_for_changemakers_toolbox/ A new consulting business focused helping people or important causes reach a higher level of success, Changemakers Toolbox provides the coaching, training, programs and tools for “changemakers” who want to create the mindset of a leader and make a bigger difference in the world. The Canadian company helps its clients get closer to finding and living out their purpose so they can create more fulfillment in their lives. We created this brand identity to be bright and optimistic, with type that has a fun, unique and inviting feel. The illustrated toolbox comes alive with a bold red and energetic yellow glow, as symbolic images fly upward.  Strong, powerful and full of life, the new logo aims to reach out and invite a wide audience in North America and beyond. 2009-11-19T04:07:14+00:00 Dave Waite Zookeeper Creates New Logo for Eat Naked http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/news/article/zookeeper_creates_new_logo_for_eat_naked/ With an intentionally controversial name, Eat Naked is poised to get attention with a book soon slated for publication and an expansive brand launch. Eating naked is a way of eating that’s delicious, fun, accessible and, best of all, makes you look and feel great naked. Eating naked is eating without the extras. Eating naked is eating fresh food that’s whole, organic, unrefined, and often comes unpackaged. Light, lively and playful, the Eat Naked logo was created to grab attention with a bigger type and an energetic red for ‘Naked,’ designed with the disappearing ‘a’ to hint at the core of the brand’s message. We also consulted on the catchy name and wrote the tagline for the nutrition brand. 2009-11-16T18:01:08+00:00 Dave Waite The Crystal Method’s Releases “Come Back Clean” Video http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/blog/article/the_crystal_methods_releases_come_back_clean_video/ Check out our hockey buddy Kenny Jordan’s new video that just released today, Come Back Clean (Kaskade Radio Edit Version). Kenny teams with Scott Kirkland to form The Crystal Method, one of the best selling electronica bands in the world. Last year, we designed this poster for a fundraiser hosted by The Crystal Method. We also created this “I lost me to The Crystal Method” T-shirt:   2009-10-16T18:31:36+00:00 Dave Waite Smokey the Bear has his paws full http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/blog/article/smokey_the_bear_has_his_paws_full/ Just back from Mulholland Drive, a bit east of Laurel Canyon, checking out the massive forest fires. Overlooking Universal City, the vantage up there of the Station fires is incredible. You could actually see the flames tonight, ripping up the slopes, getting very close to the communications towers on Mt. Wilson which could vaguely be seen in the distance. When I stopped yesterday afternoon, you could just see smoke from there, approximately 18 miles from the closest fires, as the crow flies. The billowing clouds look like massive mushroom clouds – these pictures don’t do justice the size and scope of the clouds. They are enormous. My grandfather was a firefighter in my hometown of Troy, NY, and my grandmother and great aunt used to take me to many fires when I was just a kid. We’d sit there for hours and watch the firefighters do everything they could to douse the flames. Very sad two firemen lost their lives today battling the forest fires. And these fires are a long way from being over… Click on the photos above to enlarge the pictures of the spectacular – and ominous – skies.   2009-08-31T02:44:40+00:00 Dave Waite The Footnotes of Mad Men http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/blog/article/the_footnotes_of_mad_men/ Everyone in the ad world has been talking this week about the return of Mad Men, the hit series on AMC about the advertising world in the 1960s. It’s one of the best shows on TV these days. Our good friend and client Jovana Grbic of ScriptPhD just sent us this link to The Footnotes of Mad Men. It’s a fascinating companion piece to the show. Check it out. 2009-08-20T16:24:15+00:00 Dave Waite Is your Monday being a Monday? Awkward Family Photos dishes up some humor http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/blog/article/is_your_monday_being_a_monday_awkward_family_photos_dishes_up_some_humor/ We all have those family photos that we just loathe. Awful haircuts, fashion miscues and crooked smiles all conspire to make photos that are just downright bad. But this site really takes the cake… Literally hours of fun, AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com has some really, really strange photos of, you guessed it, families. Special thanks to Bob Litt up in the PDX for alerting us to this minefield of humor. 2009-08-17T17:15:33+00:00 Dave Waite Brandweek Article on How Starbucks Became the Top Brand on Facebook http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/blog/article/brandweek_article_on_how_starbucks_became_the_top_brand_on_facebook/ Starbucks has been doing a masterful job in the social media sphere to get their word out and build up a community of loyal followers. And it’s paying off – they’ve racked up 3.7 million fans on Facebook. Read how they’ve done it in this Brandweek article What’s your brand doing to build a community and make an emotional connection with customers?   2009-08-12T16:03:11+00:00 Dave Waite Calvin Harris “I’m Not Alone” Video http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/blog/article/calvin_harris_im_not_alone_video/ Recently met and had coffee with a talented LA designer about collaborating in the future. I noticed on her Facebook profile under info that she says she has slept with the same doll, Dolly, every night, since the day she was born. I forgot to ask her about that. Quite the streak. Funny the emotional connection we make to things. Which leads us to the new Calvin Harris video, the first release off his new album releasing August 17th that I’m pretty excited about. His first album, I Created Disco, was chock full of hits and energy, and seeing him live at the Henry Fonda Musicbox here in Hollywood was one of the highlights of 2008. In this new video, “I’m Not Alone,” Calvin loses his teddy bear as a kid and is hellbent on reanimating his stuffed bear, slicing and dicing models to bring it back to life. Part snuff film, part man-on-a-mission, the vid is pretty hypnotic. Check it out: 2009-08-10T08:37:12+00:00 Dave Waite Zookeeper Designs New Logo for Benson Marketing Group http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/news/article/zookeeper_designs_new_logo_for_benson_marketing_group/ Benson Marketing Group provides custom printing solutions to retail stores across the country, delivering hundreds of unique products that include bags, labels and tags. While focusing on country stores that sell folk art and antiques, Benson Marketing Group sought a new brand identity that would allow them flexibility in the future as they expand their business to serve a wider umbrella of stores, while appealing to a largely female client base. Brainstorming and pondering many possibilities, we wanted to create a logo that symbolized the delight a customer would feel when leaving a store with a new find that was either a gift or a present to themself. Zookeeper created a custom illustration of a ribbon, with a playful swirl, and colored it red to pop with excitement. The sturdy yet approachable Benson sans-serif type was customized and kerned to give a feeling of space, and a darker blue was chosen to convey trust and security. 2009-02-26T20:45:51+00:00 Dave Waite Zookeeper Creates The New Logo for LBK Global http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/news/article/zookeeper_creates_the_new_logo_for_lbk_global/ An emerging entertainment-and-technology consulting company specializing in talent management, new media, business development and strategic initiatives, LBK Global focuses on making connections. Their mission is to identify new trends and assist their clients in building key relationships that lead to long-lasting partnerships, new business and increased revenue. We designed the LBK Global logo to emphasize connections, with the LBK merging with the Global to create excitement.  The logomark’s sharp arrow contrasts with the rounded corners to be futuristic yet friendly, with the gradient drawing distinction between the two words. The brand identity’s mark shows four arrows of connection uniting together, with a plus sign formed in the negative space to symbolize the help and positive increase in revenues that LBK Global can provide to businesses enlisting their services.  2009-02-10T20:46:04+00:00 Dave Waite Zookeeper Relaunches 700-Page Website for Iwata-Medea and Artool http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/news/article/zookeeper_relaunches_700-page_website_for_iwata-medea_and_artool/ In late 2008, we relaunched the website for Iwata-Medea, the world’s leading airbrush product manufacturer. It’s bigger, better and faster than ever. And Artool, creators of the world’s finest airbrush stencils, is fresh out of the oven with its own new website. We created, designed and developed both new sites to run quicker, look smoother and be completely Web 2.0-friendly. Built using XHTML and designed with CSS, the sites are powered by a dynamic content management system that serves up pages faster than ever. More new content, a Flash movie and a new blog from the company president greet visitors on the front page. Iwata-Medea first approached us in 2003 to completely redo their self-described “funhouse of chaos.” The site was built to revolutionize the information available on the web about airbrushes and techniques through its quality, presentation and organization. Designed to be the ultimate destination for all airbrush users, the site’s primary goal was to be comprehensive, yet easy to use. Zookeeper responded by building a site intended to be the ultimate airbrushing destination on the web. The site includes extensive product information on Iwata airbrushes, spray guns and compressors, Medea paints and the full range of Artool offerings, along with expansive sections on resources, uses, tech support, contact information and news about the company. Today the site, with substantial monthly updates, totals more than 700 pages and forms “the backbone of how we communicate with our customers now and in the future.” Visit the Iwata-Medea website. 2008-11-15T20:32:20+00:00 Dave Waite Zookeeper Creates New Website For LA High-End Custom Homebuilder http://www.zookeeper.com/beyourowncreature/news/article/zookeeper_creates_new_website_for_la_high-end_custom_homebuilder/ From acquiring the domain name to launching the site, Zookeeper did it all for Douglas Raub Design + Development, a high-end custom homebuilder in Southern California. After creating their new brand identity and logo, we assembled all the content, including writing the copy, optimizing the site for search engines and directing the photo shoot. We plugged it all into a design that was created to be simple, elegant and exceptionally user-friendly. The site features a Flash portfolio movie and dozens of crisp, breathtaking photos of the firm’s work, imaging the company in the best possible light and positioning them to grow rapidly in the future. Visit the Douglas Raub Design + Development website. 2008-10-01T20:36:18+00:00 Dave Waite