The following Christmas ornaments are currently for sale at Books From A Rose:

Hello everyone,
and now that the turkey and cranberry is off the Thanksgiving table let me be one of the first, if not the first, to wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Continuing on now with the YouTube Christmas series; I present to you a classic CBS Christmas special from creator Jim Davis and company.  ”Garfield Christmas Special” is both humorous and heartwarming.  Garfield’s owner, Jon, along with Odie the dog and the fat feline himself travel to the family farm to celebrate Christmas. Despite his rural upbringing, Jon and Garfield at first seem like a couple city slickers.  In Garfield’s case it perhaps were the rather large Christmas scraps of food that “Grandma” was feeding him under the table that made the feline feel finally at home; meanwhile Jon was reintroduced to chores.

Really what makes this cartoon a special one is how well it depicts the interaction between family.  True its mostly an animated Hallmark card but there is a moment or two where the cartoon goes beyond mere sentiment of the season and generic family togetherness.  One such example is where “Grandma” seems at peace when rocking in her chair, stroking Garfield, and reminiscing of past Christmases spent with her late husband.  Not really certain why but I find that scene to be more endearing now having seen it for the first time since my grandparents passed away several years ago. There are of course, as well, plenty of funny cartoon gags and light hearted moments.

Garfield Christmas is one of the better Christmas specials out there.  In my book it ranks right up there with Charlie Brown and the Grinch.  Please enjoy the entire show featured in the embedded players below and once again… Merry Christmas.  (You can never say it enough.)

-Matt Thompson  (Also be sure to checkout the first YouTube Christmas installment, “Christmas Comes to Pac-Land“)

Garfield Christmas Part 1

Garfield Christmas Part 2

Garfield Christmas Part 3

Jolly-T’s Christmas Tshirts available at  jolly-tshirts.com or thompsonstshirts.com

Hmm. It’s been a while since I’ve been here. Nice to see you again. Now, I’ve got plenty of stories to tell about my dating escapades (which have all ceased since I’ve met The Dave but I digress) but those will have to wait for something more important and pressing in my life.

Christmas music in November. Before Thanksgiving.

Now, I’m a lover of all things Christmas; Jesus, stars, presents, giving, receiving (wink wink), eating, fighting, ignoring crazy relatives, decorating trees etc. Even the music. I love me some good Christmas music. My favorite Christmas music/album of all time is The Carpenters Christmas Collection. Two CDs of Christmassy goodness led by Karen Carpenter. Her smoky voice comes through the air and into my ear canal in such a sweet non penetrating way…

It was the day after Halloween. My all time worst favorite “Holiday” ever. Please? Like I need a holiday to gorge myself on candy. It’s called “TUESDAY.” I have to go to WalMart because apparently, I don’t deal with enough morons at work that I need to rub elbows with the finest in search of 75% discounted candy. I’ve made it through the door, I’m walking towards the eye care section for my contact solution. So far, I’ve dodged the kid with the sticky chocolate fingers, the Mother with the Tweety Bird shirt on and the Dad wearing more beer on his shirt than probably what he ingested. And that was one family in one aisle. As I’m bending down to reach my Clear Care solutions, I hear it. “Sleigh Bells ring…. are you listening?” How appropriate. No. I am not listening and I hate you Sam Walton. I HATE YOU. WHYYYYYY are they playing Christmas music and it’s not even close to Thanksgiving? I am NO where near stuffing my face and falling asleep on the couch to be able to tolerate this leaping of holidays.

Why is there no respect for a season? Valentine’s Day on January 1st, Fourth of July begins in May, Halloween begins in August, Thanksgiving in September, Christmas — November 1st. Why doesn’t Presidents Day begin in November or April Fools Day in February? And why doesn’t St. Patrick’s Day begin in January? Is that because there’s so much drinking associated with St. Patty’s Day? Personally, I drink more between Thanksgiving, Christmas and NYE than one day of green beer. Between the family gatherings, company Christmas parties and watching the Bears struggle through the season, my liver is feeling more green in the days of oranges, yellows and red than in March. I’m kind of sick of choking on holidays. Really sick of choking on holidays. Stop shoving stuff down my throat. I put enough bad things in my mouth, I don’t need Hallmark shoving me full. And consumerism. Yuck. I’m just going to leave that one right….

There.

By Cole

Being a sports-loving cat can can get you in trouble in Croatia. When a stray cat wandered onto the field of a soccer match (they call it “football”) in Sebenik, the goalie for the visiting Medjimurje Cakovec team, Ivan Banovic, carried it to safety and put it through the fence under the scoreboard.

Then the referee penalized Banovic with a “yellow card” for leaving the field without permission.

I’m wondering what the stupid referee expected the players to do with a cat on the field. Trample it to death, kick it for a goal, or hit it with the soccer ball?

Even though Banovic’s team lost 0-1 to Sebenik, fans cheered for him the rest of the game to register their approval of his kitty kindness.

Maybe some soccer fan can tell me what a yellow card is. Does soccer have different colored cards for different penalties? Do players collect the cards and trade them? Do their uniforms have special pockets to hold the cards while they’re playing?

Instead of throwing flags, just imagine American football referees — I mean real football, with the flattened-out ball that bounces funny — handing out cards to naughty players.

Not to miss a chance for product placement, Hallmark could provide the cards, inscribed with poignant verses reminding players of their neglected mothers and moving them to tears, causing even more time-outs and extending already-interminable games into all-day events.

Referees’ flags would become hankies for weeping tight ends, and teary commiserations would be shared during huddles, which would be renamed “support groups.”

Somehow, I think cards would take all the fun out of the chasing and tackling, although all the male bonding would probably cause a marked increase in butt-fondling.

Today we went to Hallmark to get Christmas ornaments.  Each year, the  children pick out new ones that capture something of recent interest to them, such as the Lollipop Guild, a violinist, Luke Skywalker, Barbie, Harry Potter or Club Penguin. Taken together, the ornaments on the tree tell stories and mark the passage of time.

They made their selection and I took the ornaments to the register.  Working  the register was an unenthused cashier in his mid-thirties who really didn’t like his day or his job or both.  Our conversation went as followed:

“Do you want postage stamps with this?”

“No thank you.”

“Do you have a rewards card with us?”

“Nope.”

“Would you like to open an account and save money with no cost to you?”

“No thanks.”

I turned to get the children and realized that Micah was still holding his ornament in his hand and that I had only paid for four of them and not five.  Rats.  “Let’s try this again.  I forgot one of them.”

I placed the last and final ornament back on the counter to start another transaction.  Would you believe it?  The cashier asked me the same set of questions:

“Do you want postage stamps with this?”

Didn’t we already have this conversation?… “Uh, no.”

“Do you have a rewards card with us?”

You’re joking right….“No, I still don’t.”

“Would you like to open an account with us and save money with no cost to you?”

I can’t believe this…“Again, no thank you.”

I left with my laugh for the day.  I couldn’t decide who he was.  I thought he might be an alien from Men in Black.  Or the modern-day company man who had to keep to the company script even when it wasn’t necessary, and especially then.  Or the most naive literalist who ignores the spirit of any text.  Or Mr. Roboto.  Caleb concluded he was a drone from Star Trek.

Constant reorganization is the hallmark of a dynamic organization.

Anonymous

Băi, vin iarăşi să-ntreb, că încă n-am aflat: ce limba naibii vorbesc traducătorii ăştia care lucrează pentru Hallmark?!

Ultima gogomănie: piersicele. În Medium, adineauri.

Să nu-i împuşti?! Pe bune, acu’…

(Băi, chipeşilor, noi zicem şi scriem piersici. O piersică, două piersici. Scrie şi-n DOOM, pe cuvânt!)

UPDATE:
Pe traducătoare o cheamă Sara Crihan. O piersicuţă, cum ziceam.

Co-Branding, as defined by Philip Kotler, is “Two or more well-known brands combined in an offer”. Co-Branding refers to a situation where a product or service offering holds the brand names of both the participants to influence brand preference and incentivise purchase of the product or service in concern by delivering a perception of the existence of the brand values of both the brands involved to the consumer of the product or service. This essentially tries to incorporate the advantages or brand associations of both the brands involved into one product or service offering.

Co-Branding carries a strong list of advantages, partly relating to brand associations and values, and partly with the product or service offering itself. The former is done to enhance customer experience and influence behaviour, the latter is done to incorporate usage of technology or brand attributes like design, aesthetics et al in the product or service in order to offer an enhanced or augmented product or service. New product launches often depend on Co-Branding for establishing market position by having customer identify new brands and their offerings through an already existing brand. This can often be combined with Synergies offered by particular brands. An example of this would be, although in its nascent stage, the Mahindra-Renault partnership where Mahindra’s expertise in the Indian market was used to develop distribution and service channels, and Renault’s product portfolio is used to produce and design cars. Mahindra benefits through Renault’s expertise in producing sedans and hatchbacks for their future portfolios, and Renault benefits in saving huge dealer development costs and having its current mid-size offering, the Logan, being identified as a cheap to run, frugal and reliable automobile, all values housed by Mahindra brands such as the Scorpio and the Bolero. Image re-enforcement has become another common trend in the marketplace where two complementary brands come together and market their offerings together. A very apt example of this would be Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola, or as they call it, ‘Jack & Coke’. When this campaign was carried out in pubs and bars across the United States, Jack Daniel’s was perceived more as a rugged brand or rednecks, and coke has a wider appeal to the youth. The middle ground was the newly legal adults who had experienced Coke for decades, but hadn’t experienced Jack Daniel’s whiskey. This Co-Branding exercise was carried out to appeal to the market in between the typical Coke and Jack Daniel’s markets, i.e., 21 to 35 year olds. It became such a success that Jack & Coke has become a favourite amongst not only the targeted segments of the market, but also with older, more mature audiences. In a nutshell, Co-Branding essentially has to take into consideration the brand partnership that the customer perceives (purpose, advantages), the common values the brands and its customers share and what the co-branding offering means to the target audiences.

Brand Loyalty, when it comes to Co-Branding, is a tricky business. When a service or product offering is similar to the brand value or image offered by the Co-Branded offering, success is often witnessed. An example of this would be the limited edition Tonino Lamborghini Espresso Machine. Only 1000 units were produced, priced at about $1750. Since the offering appealed directly to the Lamborghini target market, it was sold-out within a matter of days. The buyers were not just Lamborghini car owners, they were also people who admired the Lamborghini brand and couldn’t own the car, so the association created with the espresso machine goes a long way in delivering customer delight, even without owning a Lamborghini is truly astounding. However, this can be often fatal to the image of brands as well. The formerly GM owned SUV cult brand Hummer had launched a mobile phone with a company named ‘Fly’. The product was, for lack of a better phrase, inadequate. Where the Hummer brand stood for rugged looks and go-anywhere attitude, the Fly Hummer phone stood for neither. The phone was perceived by the market as flimsy and basic, whereas the Hummer brand stood for all else. The Co-Branding was a failure where even Hummer car owners were also turned off by the entire exercise.

Famous examples of fairly successful Co-Branding include ICICI and Hindustan Petroleum Credit Cards, Lease-Plan and Mondial assistance, Intel with major computer manufacturers like Hewellet-Packard, Dell etc., Acer-Ferrari Laptops, Asus-Lamborghini Laptops, Puma-Ferrari merchandise, Fiat-Mattel Barbie Fiat 500, TataSky digital Dish TV, The Global Fund (Red) with various brands like Apple, American Express, Dell, Starbucks, Hallmark, Converse etc., Jack Daniel’s and TGI Friday’s with multiple Jack Daniel dishes, and the list goes on and on. However, failures have included British Telecom and AT&T, Mahindra-Renault, Braun-Gillette Body Shavers, Fly Hummer Mobile Phones, and many more.

Co-Branding, hence, is a double edged sword, with each side being sharp enough to cut through titanium. Organisations have to be very careful while co-branding and aiming for success simply because of the fact that a wrong move can result in stupendous disasters that may plague the brands involved for a long period of time where the organisation may end up spending millions to revive the brand.

Got a funny photo and card idea? Check out the “birthday for ladies only” contest HERE: (Nov. 15 deadline)

http://www.hallmarkcontests.com/

I am a pretty darn liberal person/parent. As such I don’t feel the need to censor very much for my kid’s sake. Television has really been one of the only things that his Mother and I (Wow, that makes me feel SO old to say “His Mother and I”) have felt the need to shield him from. At least until now. Sure, down the road we’ll have to start adding more to the ‘blacked-out’ list. Language being one of the next to add. Though I tend to think that toddlers swearing is a pretty cute and funny thing. Especially if they can use the words in context. Take for instance a story from one of my co-workers telling me about a trip to the gym with her husband and son. They take two cars because her husband likes to stay quite a bit longer than she does. So on this particular trip the sweat lodge she drove alone and her son went with her husband. On the way, the kid carrying car was behind the Mom carrying car and her son was trying desperately to get her attention. After a few minutes of him getting more and more upset at his mom for not seeing his frantic attention getting tactics in the car behind her the husband stepped in and informed the boy that she simply could not see or hear him no matter hard he tried. His response to this news “Fucking Mommy!” I mean that is the kind of shit I love. It’s not for everyone, but I personally can’t get enough of it. This story really has nothing to do with the rest of the post. I just think it’s funny.

As I said, the need for censorship in my household until now has been pretty much non-existent. Then I went out into the world yesterday, the 9th day of November and what did I see ALL OVER THE EFFING PLACE? CHRISTMAS! I was slapped in the face with “Merry Christmas” and “Ho, Ho, Freaking Ho” and “Good Effing Tidings”. Are you kidding me? November 9th. Christmas is now a season that Hallmark has successfully lobbied to have placed between autumn and winter. It goes from November 9th to December 30th. This is what I need to censor my son from. Corporate fucking agendas. And moreover, why do the corps feel the need to follow suit with the one in line ahead of them. Just because Hallmark put up their Christmas decorations, does that mean that all the retailers have to set up like a game of domino’s and fall into line? Why not stand up and WAIT. Until it is actually Christmas. I understand that your sales are all down for the year, but come on. As a consumer, the only accomplishment achieved here is that I will wait until the last minute to buy, maybe even until after Christmas, just so you can’t post my sale to your holiday stats. And the worst part of it all, now I’ll have to endure an extra 3 damn weeks of Christmas music getting stuck in my head. And the second I start unconsciously singing “ay ay ay it’s Christmas and I don’t know what to do” my wife will throw me out back with a damp sheet that was only partially cleaned to sleep with. I CAN’T TAKE IT CORPORATE AMERICA! Please just leave us to enjoy our pseudo California autumn in peace without you rushing us along.

I’m sure my kid will think I’m the biggest scrooge that there ever was, when at the beginning of November he’s all “Papa, Papa, know what I want for Christmas this year?” and I’m all “RQ, say one more word about Christmas between now and November day after thanksgivingth (when Christmas has started my whole life until now) and there will be no Christmas.” But that’s just how is going to have to be. Otherwise Hallmark will have won and all of our seasons will have been substituted with corporately sponsored holidays. We will have ‘valentine season’ instead of spring, ‘fourth of July solstice’ parties instead of summer. And Halloween and Christmas will dominate the later part of the year. I just can’t let that happen. So hopefully the damage I cause by being a Christmas season denier will not be too devastating to RQ’s childhood. One day he’ll understand. I will make sure of that.

Partuza, poate nu ştiţi, e un fel de chipeş.
Adică, mă rog, partuza nu-i totuna cu chipeşul, dar chipeşii uneori practică partuze. Cel puţin aşa li se pare traducătorilor de filme.

Azi, Hallmark, o reluare de la “Clara Scheller”: partuză. De la originalul partouse, evident.

Da-ntreb şi eu, ca omu’: voi de câte ori aţi folosit cuvântul ăsta?
Eu, una, niciodată (şi nu, nu pentru c-aş fi fost crescută de maici). Şi nu doar că nu l-am folosit, da’ cre’ că nici nu l-am prea citit.

Şi mă-ntreb: ce limba naibii vorbesc traducătorii ăştia?!

_____

PARTÚZĂ s. f. ședință colectivă de desfrâu (sexual). (< fr. partouse).
http://dexonline.ro/search.php?cuv=partuza
*) Aici am o nedumerire personală: cum ar fi aia o şedinţă individuală de desfrâu sexual?!

PARTOUSE, PARTOUZE, subst. fém.
Pop. Partie de débauche au cours de laquelle les participants (dont le nombre excède généralement quatre), pratiquent l’échange des partenaires et se livrent à des activités sexuelles collectives et simultanées.
http://atilf.atilf.fr/dendien/scripts/tlfiv5/advanced.exe?52;s=2958029580;

Found this card and got such a kick out of the reality of it, that I just had to share:

Russ Ediger, writer

I recently listed an ornament from what I believe to be one of the most underappreciated aspects of Hallmark Keepsake ornaments: the family themed ornaments.  For years Hallmark has produced ornaments that celebrate the milestones in life, first (2nd or 3rd) Christmas’s for children, couples first christmases , graduations, etc.  They also produce ornaments that celebrate family relationships for husband,wife,grandfather, grandmother,granddaughter and grandson.  Since all Keepsake ornaments are just produced for one year, there has been a new array of these delightful ornaments each year. 

First Christmas Together 1988

For some reason, I find a lot of these ornaments in my purchasing trips and just can’t resist some of the delightful and whimsical designs.  While they don’t have the appeal of the Hallmark series or the trends of the day, I believe that they speak to the continuing importance of family relationships and life milestones.  I hope that Hallmark continues to produce these ornaments and I look forward to the new designs in each Dream Book.

All we get as Winona residents is a little thing called “The Winona Mall”….I put that statement in quotes because literally the only stores (that i can remember) that exist in that mall is a tanning salon, a Hallmark, and a Vanity.

ET VOILA!

Vanity is having a fashion show!

This is probably going to be the most exciting thing to come to the Winona mall since it opened….

November 21st!

More info later!

<3 Goodnight!

2 Lots Hallmark Ornaments…Plaster Choirboy

Link to My eBay Store to view and bid.
Link to eBay Store

Link to eBay Store

Link to eBay Store

Here’s what’s pissing me off in the news today:

<Deep intake of breath>

The Calgary Flames skip the H1N1 vaccination queue, ahead of babies and pregnant women.  A team of perfectly healthy men, their families, executives and the team owner all got shots ahead of the at risk groups.  Now, Alberta has stopped giving the vaccines due to a shortage.  The players are saying they didn’t know they shouldn’t have got the shot, that they thought they were following NHL protocol by getting it.

Bullshit.  Everyone knows who the at risk groups are.  These guys get paid millions of dollars to play sports, while people in this country are going hungry or working 2-3 jobs to feed their families.  I know of several moms who aren’t able to get their shot, and their baby is too little to have it, and they’re afraid.  There are health care workers who aren’t employed by the government who can’t get one either.  But a hockey team can get their shots.  Money nor status should have no bearing on getting your needle.  Back of the line, assholes.  Children, pregnant women and the sick need it more.

“Some pregnant women and young children now face a greater risk of very serious disease or even death because millionaire hockey players got a vaccine they did not urgently need”  Brian (Wide Mouth) Mason

I have long thought that there was something amiss with priorities in this world.  I can’t understand why we elevate sports stars, actors and singers to the highest of pedestals.  There are so many people doing wonderful things in this world that deserve accolades and never get them.

Here’s what’s making me smile in the news today:

Hallmark is rolling out a new line of Canadian Hero’s Cards for members of the Armed Forces in a bid to encourage folks to write to soldiers stationed overseas.  The cards are going to be free from November 9th til the 11th at Hallmark Gold Crown stores across Canada.

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/commun/message/addresses-2-eng.asp

The web-site includes a list of addresses, depending on where the card is sent. For example, if writing to Afghanistan, the address should be:

Any Canadian Forces Member

Op Athena

PO Box 5058 Stn Forces

Belleville, ON K8N 5W6

There are also addresses for Sarajevo, Congo, Golan Heights, Haiti and more.

And finally, what’s making me laugh in the news:

An older lioness at New Brunswick’s Magnetic Hill Zoo in Moncton is getting shipped back to a zoo in Seagrave, Ontario after her frustration over the lack of jungle love caused her to attack her intended partner. Zoo officials say Kito’s longtime mate died in February, but a male lion cub they brought in simply didn’t know what to do when Kito went into heat. So he did nothing. Kito has reacted by attacking him, which has left him with wounds to his back, tail and leg.

Ahahahaha she thinks she’s people!

What do you think the single most overpriced everyday item is?

For me, the answer is very clear: greeting cards.

How can people think $4.99 is an acceptable price to pay for a folded piece of paper with some words and pictures printed on it? Even for lesser priced greeting cards that go for $2.49, the markup still has to be at least 1000%. I guess you gotta hand it to the greeting card companies that worked hard to make that price seem reasonable.

Not that I didn’t enjoy opening all the wonderful cards we received for the wedding, but it’s possible I would have enjoyed them just as much if they were hand-made, or even just a piece of cardstock paper folded in half. After all, it’s the personalized hand-written message on the inside that is most meaningful.

I have been known to send weird greeting cards. Once I gave Lauren a Valentine’s card that was made of a bunch of my business cards taped together. I also recently used a folded piece of cardboard for a wedding card with a quick crude drawing on the front.

But the bottom line is I can’t think of any other item that people purchase every day that is more ridiculously priced. Can you?

What a wonderful world… Yes, we had a good Halloween. We always celebrate Halloween. I have never seen it as an evil holiday. I mean come on. Free candy, dress up clothes, happy kids, free candy, exercise, how did this holiday get a bad rap? I mean seriously? I love this holiday. I dress up the kids, send them to the neighbors, who give them enough free chocolate to last me until Christmas and that’s a lot of Chocolate. I won’t need another Reese’s peanut butter cup until spring. Why don’t we do this again for Easter?

#3 had a party. Invited her best bud. He’s such a sweet heart. Him and 15 girls at a party. All the moms were feeling sorry for him, but personally, I think he had it made-the only rooster in the hen house. He had the pick of the litter. Seriously this kid just had to smile and a girl got him pizza, another brought him drink, yet another asked him if he wanted to go trick or treating, she’d carry his bag. I think he knew he had a good thing going. Let’s just hope that one party didn’t ruin him for life.

We ate pizza and apples and candy and the kids ran it off while the mom’s gossiped it off and the guys (Hubby and #1) watched football. It was the perfect party. I couldn’t have planned it better if I tried, thing is I didn’t. I just threw some boxes of pizzas on the counter, poured some caramel on some apples and let the neighbors give the kids candy. I am telling you Halloween is the perfect family holiday. Why do so many people get stressed at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Three words. Sit Down Dinners If we cooked a turkey and then sent the kids door to door for the green been casserole and the rolls and sweet potatoes, we’d all be happier and less stressed come the New Year. I am thinking of starting a new tradition. Door to door holidays. We will all cook and then go door to door with our plates to fill them up at each other’s houses. We won’t know what we are eating until we get home with a plate full of goodies. Dad will have to check the food to make sure it doesn’t contain any evil Thin Mints. If not, then we can partake of it where ever you can find a spot in the living room or front porch. After dinner, you will play tag in the front yard to run off the chocolate cake you got three doors down. No more stress, no more “She never comes to our house for dinner.” No more “They never help me with the dishes.” The holidays will now be a neighborhood affair just like Halloween. All dishes will be individually wrapped. Think I can sell my idea to Hallmark and make a million dollars, because you know I am now unemployed….

Cores são extremamente importantes para passar significados e mensagens das marcas. É provavelmente a forma não verbal mais potente de comunicação que podemos usar como designers. Nossas mentes estão programadas para responder às cores. As mensagens subliminares que recebemos das cores dão vida aos nossos pensamentos. Portanto, é extremamente importante pra nós, designers, usarmos as cores apropriadamente e entender o significado por trás delas.

VERMELHO

Ação, Aventura, Agressividade, Sangue, Perigo, Energia, Amor, Paixão, Força e Vigor.

Red Bull tem duas doses de vermelho na marca e foi uma ótima escolha para uma marca que representa uma bebida energética. A empresa define a bebida como, ” Red Bull vitaliza o corpor e a alma” e ” Red Bull te dá asasss!” As duas frases mostram porque o vermelho foi uma escolha excelente para a marca. O amarelo entra para dar mais vida ao vermelho, formando uma paleta de cor análoga para a marca.

ROSA

Apreciação, Delicadeza, Feminilidade, Floral, Gentil, Inocente, Romântico, Tranquilo.

A cor rosa é muito proeminente na marca da Mattel, Barbie. É a cor utilizada para um brinquedo – boneca – que é vendida para pequenas garotas. A tipografia utilizada complementa a escolha da cor reforça o posicionamento da marca, passando a idéia da escrita de uma menina.

LARANJA

Criatividade, Entusiasmo, Jovial, Diversão.

Laranja foi a escolha perfeita da cor para o Nickelodeon, que tem como público alvo as crianças. O laranja é divertido e jovem, o que reflete na programação do canal. O design por trás da marca do Nickelodeon dá ênfase ao tema jovial com os respingos de tinta e tipografia divertida.

AMARELO

Cuidado, Alegria, Curiosidade, Felicidade, Brincadeiras, Positividade, Acolhedor.

Todos nós conhecemos o Mcdonald’s (principalmente os seus arcos dourados) e o seu slogan “Eu amo tudo isso”. Como o Red Bull, Mcdonald’s usa uma paleta de cor análoga. A diferença é que o Mcdonald’s tem a predominância do amarelo, já que o seu foco são as crianças, alegria e felicidade. O vermelho funciona bem para acentuar o amarelo, evocando a fome.

VERDE

Ambiente, Harmonia, Inexperiência, Cura, Saúde, Tanquilidade, Dinheiro, Renovação, Natureza.

O verde foi uma boa escolha de cor para um canal em que a sua programação foca na natureza e animais. Porém, há muita controvérsia ao redor dessa marca. Independente de gosto, acho que concordamos que os vários tons de verde foram uma boa escolha para o Animal Planet, passando a idéia de florestas, grama e natureza no geral.

AZUL

Autoridade, Calma, Dignidade, Poder, Fidelidade, Segurança, Sucesso.

O azul da IBM representa uma empresa estável e bem estabelecida. Quando Paul Rand redesenhou a marca ele mudou o tipo sólido com 8 barras horizontais que representam “velocidade e dinamismo”. Enquanto a marca não utiliza do seu azul original hoje, ainda é uma cor muito promissória para a marca da empresa.

ROXO

Cerimônia, Fantasia, Justiça, Mistério, Realeza, Sofisticação, Espiritualiade.

A empresa Hallmark usa o slogan “When you care enough to send the very best.” O uso da cor roxo na marca dá ênfase ao slogan da empresa. Passa a idéia de realeza e sofisticação que é reforçado pelo uso da coroa como signo visual.

MARRON

Calma, Terra, Naturalidade, Simplicidade, Utilidade, Profundidade.

UPS usa a cor marrom para se diferenciar da sua concorrência (FedEx). Enquanto a cor é vista por muitos como chata e conservativa, UPS registrou o tom de marrom e o usa com exclusividade. No redesign da marca feito em 2003 houve a adição do amarelo para trazer riqueza e aconchego para a marca.

PRETO

Autoridade, Clássico, Conservativo, Formalidade, Mistério, Tradição.

O marca de James Bond 007 utiliza um preto sólido. A cor escolhida para o clássico da espionagem funciona bem. A cor passa a autoridade, sofisticação e mistério presente nos filmes.

CINZA

Autoridade, Humildade, Respeito, Melancolia, Seriedade, Estabilidade.

A marca da luxuosa Swarovski é cinza. O cinza pode representar a liderança que faz parte do produto que a empresa produz, mas também representa o respeito e autoridade que vem com a história da empresa, que está há mais de 100 anos no mercado.

BRANCO

Inocência, Paz, Pureza, Simplicidade, Verdade.

Enquanto o verde pode ser a cor predominante, a marca do Girl Scouts também usa o negativo para criar a silhueta das duas faces. A combinação das faces e o branco traz pureza e inocência para a marca.

Como vocês puderam ver essas cores podem ser vistas em marcas que a gente conhece. Um designer tem sempre que levar em consideração o significado das cores quando está criando uma marca. Da próxima vez que tiver criando uma marca lembre-se do significado das cores e escolha-as com clareza. Mas lembre-se que a psicologia das cores consiste em laços culturais que podem mudar de acordo com a cabeça e o local do cliente. Portanto não é uma ciência exata e deve ser estudada com cuidado de acordo com o cliente em questão.

Extraído do blog fernandacarvalho.com

This is the blog of a 25-year-old bookmark. I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC) .

Today’s travel notes

In which Wordsworm explores the importance of horror, gore and pumpkins in the American psyche and discovers that there’s a lot to blame the Irish for.

Me and the TC have just got back from California, USA. We drove from San Francisco to LA, through a countryside in the throes of pre-Halloween pumpkinitis. We hit Hollywood just in time to catch the Halloween Horror Night at Universal Studios.

My impressions? To paraphrase Obelix, “These Californians are crazy”. To pacify the TC I’ll add, “But in a good way”.

Travel tip

Don’t turn around. The zombie behind you just may be Irish.

Recommended restaurant

The Hard Rock Café on Universal Citywalk, Hollywood. Good food, bluesy atmosphere, dangling car and wall-hung rock memorabilia. No obvious Irishmen.

The book I’m in

Still Life with Woodpecker, by Tom Robbins. This worm finds the content contrived but passably amusing. From the cover blurb: “[This book] reveals the purpose of the moon… examines the conflict between social activism and romantic individualism… It also deals with the problem of redheads.”

The photos

Me, Peg and the Great Pumpkin. Hey Linus, I found it:

Halloween, horror and pumpkins in California

It was the week before Halloween when we drove down the Californian coast. Pumpkin patches littered the countryside. What is it with pumpkins, ghosts and the American psyche? This worm has done a bit of research. It’s said that the Irish brought the tradition of Halloween and jack o’lanterns with them to the States. Originally, jack o’lanterns were made from the humble turnip. There’s a confused story of a drunken Irish farmer called Jack who couldn’t get in to heaven or hell, so he had to stagger around purgatory for ever after. To light his way, he hacked a hole in a turnip and put a burning coal into it to form a lantern. For some reason best known to themselves, the other villagers decided that if they made their own turnip lanterns, this would scare away Jack and similar undesirables. Well, they were Irish of course.

When the settlers came to the States and discovered the magnificent pumpkins in their new land, they started using pumpkins instead of turnips to make their jack o’lanterns.

This is the picturesque Webb Ranch Pumpkin Patch near Palo Alto:

Halloween horror and pumpkins in California

Not all pumpkins are the same, you know. Only the very best will become worthy jack o’lanterns, fit to ward off the Halloween witches and spirits. When you see one you like, hang on to it with all your might:

Halloween horror and pumpkins in California

Night falls. Mist rises. The Hollywood streets undergo a frightening metamorphosis. Chainsaws thrum. Screams chill the bones. Bones clatter over the screams. It’s Universal Studios Halloween Horror Night:

Halloween horror and pumpkins in California

Oh, for the comforting glow of a pumpkin now:

Halloween horror and pumpkins in California

If you scream, you’re fair game:

Halloween horror and pumpkins in California

There’s no escape:

Halloween horror and pumpkins in California

They’re everywhere:

Halloween horror and pumpkins in California

Some poor souls didn’t make it:

Halloween horror and pumpkins in California

This guy should have tried a pumpkin as a coach:

Halloween horror and pumpkins in California

Dude, you’re just tall:

Halloween horror and pumpkins in California

The only one who could ever reach me was the son of a preacher man:

Halloween horror and pumpkins in California

But day dawns, justice overcomes and pumpkins prevail. Me and a panel from the door of the Santa Barbara Courthouse:

Halloween horror and pumpkins in California

Actually, pumpkins don’t have it all their own way. Me with a soon-to-be-extinct slice of pumpkin pie:

Halloween horror and pumpkins in California

Oh-Oh, spaghetti-o. Linus, I fear the TC ate the Great Pumpkin.

That’s all for today dudes.

Greeting card companies, it’s time to get in the game.

Last night while doing the dreaded weekly grocery shopping, I wanted to pick up two birthday cards. Jewel-Osco, my local grocery store, sells mostly American Greetings cards. There’s a pretty decent selection, but I ran into the same problem I run into regularly throughout the year — almost all the birthday cards were grouped into categories like “Mom,” “Dad,” “Brother,” “Sister,” “Grandmother” and “Grandfather.”

I have a mom, dad, brother and grandmother, but I also come from a nontraditional, non-nuclear family. The cards I wanted to buy were for my sister-in-law and my mom’s girlfriend’s youngest son. I didn’t want to buy a card from the “Sister” section because the card was for my sister-IN-LAW. I didn’t want to buy a card from the “Brother” section because Clark is sort of like a brother, but more like a friend I don’t see very often.

Hallmark has done an OK job of trying to include cards for people who are special to you, but who aren’t biologically or legally related to you. However, it would be great if all the greeting card companies — and people in general — would recognize and honor the fact that the days of the nuclear family are over. When I go to the store to buy my mom’s girlfriend a birthday card, I’d like to have some more options because she’s not technically my mother and she’s not my mother’s male companion. She’s my mom’s girlfriend. I don’t want to spend 20 minutes digging around in the generic card section trying to find something that’s halfway appropriate.

So, greeting card peeps, consider yourselves on notice.

Also, I’d like to know what you think. Do you have issues trying to find appropriate greeting cards for the people close to you? Do you still send greeting cards?