December 21, 2006
Graphic designers forecast more print sales opportunities in 2007
NEW YORK—The Industry Measure (formerly TrendWatch Graphic Arts) has just released Creative Forecast 2007, a report on the challenges and opportunities for the U.S. graphic design and production industry in the coming year.
According to the report, 36% of ad agencies expect business conditions in the next 12 months to be excellent, better than they have been over the past year.
Look to print collateral as a growing sales source in 2007. According to 66% of all design and production establishments surveyed, collateral print projects were cited as a sales opportunity – this first time this item has topped the sales opportunity list in nearly two years. Even 11% of Web design and development firms cited getting more print media as a sales opportunity. Contact: www.theindustrymeasure.com
Branding agency fights for its own name and wins
VANCOUVER—Small design firm Dossier Creative took on Staples Business Depot after the office supplies behemoth launched a new line of smaller stores in Montreal last year called Dossier.
The family-owned company with 15 employees and sales of approximately $1.5 million sent letters to Staples president Steve Matyas stating trademark infringement as the quick-print shop offers graphic design services as well as office supplies.
According to a story published in The Globe and Mail last week, the fight is over. Staples dropped the Dossier name in favour of Bureau en Gros: atelier de copies et d’impression.
“We are very relieved and grateful that [Staples] did the right thing,” co-owner Ronna Chisholm told the Globe.
However, Staples strategic projects manager George Dawson told the paper that the name change had nothing to do with the trademark dispute. The stores were rebranded to better reflect its role as an office supplies chain. According to the Globe, Staples said it did not believe there was any overlap in the services offered by the two companies.
Dossier Creative disagrees.
“While the economic engine for Staples Dossier may well be printing, and the economic engine for us is graphic design, Staples is marketing graphic design services to drive its printing business, and this is the direct overlap,” Chisholm wrote in a letter to Staples last February.
“Our concern was that it was going to affect our credibility because we are a naming company,” she said in the Globe.
Dossier Creative can breathe a little easier now that it has regained sole use of its name. Contact: www.dossiercreative.com
December 15, 2006
Preview of new Photoshop CS3 ready for download
SAN JOSE—Adobe will release a beta version of the new Adobe Photoshop CS3 today. The beta version will help Adobe customers adjust to new hardware platforms, particularly Apple’s Intel-based systems.
“This is an exciting time for the Mac, and Adobe wanted to ease the move to new Intel-based systems with a preview release of Photoshop CS3,” said Adobe’s Creative Solutions senior vice president John Loiacono, in a released statement. “We didn’t want to leave Windows customers out of the party so the beta is available to everyone in the creative industry’s most passionate user community – no matter what their platform choice.”
Design Edge’s recent poll of Canadian designers and their tools of choice shows that 15.4% of respondents have already converted to the new Intel-based Macs, with 29% planning to do so over the next year.
The poll, which appears in the Jan/Feb issue of Design Edge (currently in the mail), also shows that 97.2% of respondents use Photoshop.
New features available with the beta version of the digital imaging program include a preview of a major upgrade to Adobe Bridge, as well as the new Adobe Device Central, which allows users to design, preview and test content created for use on smaller screens such as mobile phones.
A serial number from either Adobe Photoshop CS2, Adobe Creative Suite 2, Adobe Creative Suite Production Studio, or one of Adobe’s Design, Video or Web bundles is needed in order to access the new CS3 beta.
Adobe Photoshop CS3’s official release is planned for the spring of 2007. The beta version can be downloaded today at http://labs.adobe.com
December 14, 2006
New Montreal office for Cundari
MONTREAL—Toronto-based ad agency Cundari is formally opening its Montreal office this week.
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| Some of Cundari Montreal's new print ads for Teccart Institute |
“We are very excited about opening an office in the midst of the dynamic Montreal ad community,” said Aldo Cundari, chair of Cundari Group, in a released statement. “Expansion into the Quebec market has long been a goal of ours.” Cundari had been looking to buy an agency in Montreal for two years before deciding to open a new office.
Cundari told PubZone.com he sees having a Montreal office as a real asset. He feels there is a lot of business in the city, especially in the pharma and biotechnology sectors.
So it seems, as the new office has already won its first account with Teccart Institute, a technological college in Montreal.
“We were determined to move away from traditional educational campaigns,” said Yannick Robitaille, creative director of Cundari Montreal, formerly of P2P Proximité, of the new project. “We wanted to send a clear message without all the clutter.”
Cundari’s total staff is approximately 120, with two offices in Toronto (Cundari and Cundari SFP) and a new office in Washington, D.C. under the Cundari SFP banner. Contact: www.cundari.com
December 7, 2006
Interactive marketing firm back for a new season
TORONTO—Lifecapture Interactive will once again be working for Niagara-on-the-lake's famed Shaw festival.
The interactive agency, which specializes in online marketing, was awarded the contract for the 2007 season of Shaw after helping boost ticket sales for the theatre festival last year.
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| Lifecapture technology helps boost ticket sales |
"Lifecapture has injected new life into our e-marketing program, which resulted in strong late season ticket sales this season. We have an exciting plan for 2007 and look forward to working with the Lifecaputre team again," said Shaw's dIrector of resource development Jill Planche, in a released statement.
Based on the success of Lifecapture's e-marketing techniques during the 2006 season, a 5% increase in the Shaw Festival's ticket sales has been projected for next year.
Lifecapture president Geoff Whitlock credits its Advanced Tactics Program, which includes high definition video production, 3D, sound, and Flash motion media, for its success with Shaw.
"The Shaw Festival provides Lifecapture with a unique opportunity to fully leverage its Advance Tactics Program to help drive the success of such a culturally significant organizations as the Shaw," Whitlock said in a released statement.
The Shaw Festival, which has an operating budget of $25 million, is the only theatre festival in the world that focuses on the works of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries. Contacts: www.lifecaptureinc.com, www.shawfest.com
Ad agency drives past competition, wins new contract
TORONTO—Discount Car and Rentals has named Taxi 2 as its new advertising agency, ending a formal review process that had the rental company looking at four firms.
"Being a 26-year-old Canadian- and family-owned company, we were drawn to Taxi 2, both for its business model and excellent work," said Discount's national marketing manager Perry Myles, in a released statement. "We feel the team understands our company and what we stand for and, like Discount, is committed to delivering quality and innovation."
Taxi 2 has been put in charge of defining a position strategy for Discount. It will also develop a new ad campaign with the goal of establishing Discount as the leader of car and truck rentals in Canada.
"If you look at the rental business right now, it's pretty commoditized; people are shopping for price primarily," said Taxi 2 vice-president Jeremy Gayton, in a release statement.
The new campaign will focus primarily on television and the internet.
Discount's advertising had previously been handled by Toronto's Sonar Group. Contact: www.taxi.ca
December 1, 2006
Unisource awards best in annual report design
TORONTO—The third annual NUARS (National Unisource Annual Report Show) took place last night at The Carlu, with over 200 guests in attendance. The crowd noshed on hors d’oeuvres and wine while enjoying the music of a lively jazz band.
Of the 18 winning entries, the best of show annual report went to Hangar 18 Creative Group of Toronto. Feu Sacré Design Believers in Montreal took home best of show, corporate brochure. Judge’s choice awards went to Calgary-based WAX, Emdoubleyu Design in Vancouver, and two for orangetango of Montreal.
Other winners include Letterbox Design Group of Vancouver; Atlanta Visual, The Equicom Group, Hahn Smith Design, HM&E Design, Interbrand Canada, Ove Design & Communications, Oxygen Design + Communications, and Soapbox Design Communications, all of Toronto; Identica Branding & Design and Nolin Branding & Design of Montreal; and Ottawa-based Parable Communications. All entries must be printed on Unisource distributed papers.
The NUARS travelling exhibit will display the winning entries in 10 cities across Canada over the coming months. Contact: www.unisourcedesign.ca
Toronto design agency creates comic book with kids
TORONTO—Graphic design firm Freeze DNA helped a class of seventh graders illustrate a comic book as part of a new pilot program put on by the city, along with the Toronto District School Board, Humber College and the Lakeshore Community Partnership.
“This is an opportunity for young people to discover their artistic and writing talents and to develop them in a fun and non-academic manner. It also offers students a chance to be mentored by professionals in the comic book business,” said Toby Fletcher, president of the Lakeshore Community Partnership in a released statement.
A class from Second Street Junior Middle School worked on the comic book after receiving drawing and design lessons from Freeze DNA. A storyboard for the comic was developed as a group, and each student in the class was entrusted with producing one page.
The first issue of the comic book, titled Shazaam!, launched today with a professionally printed copy going to everyone who contributed.
There are plans to expand the new program to include other schools and grade levels.
Originally a design and advertising firm, Freeze DNA began publishing its own comic, entitled Black Ice, in 2000. Since then, Freeze DNA has been organizing comic drawing workshops in schools, museums and the Ontario Science Centre. Contact: www.freeze-dna.com
