This year, instead of just listing the best five ads in no particular order, I’m giving out ‘awards’. Would love to hear your thoughts – what do you agree on? What did I get wrong?

Most pre-game buzz:

Most relevant link to (potential) current events:

Most talked about during the game:

Most clever use of media:

Best ad:

Whether it’s a rebranding project at the agency, or a brand that I come in contact with during my daily life, I have a lot of trouble disconnecting and not thinking about how these brands are managed. I admire brands that are able to stay true to themselves in the real world. And sometimes, when I see a brand making a few missteps, I can’t help thinking about how it could be managed a little better.

One brand that is part of my everyday life, you’ll find it on my nightstand or in my bag, is Shape magazine. I’ve been a Shape reader for a few years now; and through the years they’ve done a lot right–including having a pretty nice visual presentation of their content. I mean, it’s no Dwell, but it’s readable, seems to fit with the content in the mag and feels true to who Shape’s been.

Last November, Shape’s longstanding editor-in-chief, Valerie Latona, left the magazine and Tara Kraft took her place. Ms. Kraft has a solid history in magazines; within a few months of her arrival, it was obvious that Shape was changing visually. Under Ms. Kraft’s leadership, Shape has changed their magazine-wide typefaces (one of which is now a rather dramatic serif font), incorporated different shapes and swipes on their cover, and even seems to have slightly changed their logo type treatment (look at that first S in Shape for clues to this change.)

Compare the November 2010 issues with the May 2011 issue:

November 2010                                         May 2011

Now, I know that any brand, including Shape, is made up of many different parts. While a visual representation of the brand is a vital component to ‘who’ the brand is, a brand is more than just its visuals. It’s a feeling. It’s a story. It’s something that makes you want to belong. It’s that thing that makes you want to pay more money for one product (or service) over another.

I’ve got to say – I don’t love the way that Ms. Kraft has been managing the visual aspects of Shape’s brand. Was there a need to give the magazine a bit of a face-lift? Maybe. Do I think that the face-lift it got is true to its brand? Not really. To me, it’s making the brand a little less current, maybe even talking to a slightly different demographic. Mostly, it just doesn’t FEEL like Shape anymore.

THREE THINGS TO NOTE:
1) Brand Management:
It’s interesting how in magazines the editor-in-chief can play such a large role in the management of a brand. I mean, who doesn’t think of Anna Wintour when you hear Vogue? And do you remember the sense of anticipation when Tina Brown took over Newsweek. So I ask, is an editor-in-chief really just a brand manager?

2) Nerdy Typography:
Also, Tina Brown’s Newsweek seems to be using a slightly-similar-to-Shape serif typeface on its redesigned cover. Is this a new trend in magazine design?

Before                                                    After

3) And most importantly:
Should we even be talking about brand managers as people who are employed by the brand? Who tells a brand’s story? Is it someone who interacts with the brand through digital media in a blog post like this one?

Some argue that the spots were the best ever, others say that many fell flat (Skechers with Kim Kardashian – what a mess!). I think a few memorable spots did a great job of delivering the message to the viewer in a funny or touching way.

Here’s my Top Five – not necessarily in order:

Bridgestone: “Reply All”

Coca-Cola: “Borders”

Hyundai: “Anachronistic City”

Bridgestone: “Carma”

VW: “The Force”

If YouTube views count, The Force wins by a landslide.

And Kudos to The Richards Group for two spots in my top five!

So, which was your favorite?

Over the last couple of months, I’ve seen this ad for the Nissan Juke quite a few times. Does it make me want to go out and buy a Juke? Not really. But there is one thing about the ad that I find striking.

When you think car commercial, what comes to mind? Driving on a winding mountain road. Fast, hard stops up to an orange cone. Hairpin turns. Crash test dummies. Pulling a heavy object over rocky terrain. One fancy car outshining other fancy cars in some type of safety survey. Maybe even, if it’s the holidays, a brand new car with a huge red bow in a driveway.

Regardless of the setting, the car is always the super hero. It’s the thing that’s drool-worthy. It’s the rockstar in the spot.

But that’s not the case in this spot by TWBA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles. To me, it’s clear that the star of this spot is the actor. The car is secondary. The car makes the man shine. (This is even more obvious in the :30 version of this spot, which I couldn’t find online.)

It’s a nice change of pace. Too many of the same, old car ads have made us focus only on the car, instead of on what the car can do for us. Isn’t advertising supposed to make us feel good about our purchase, or the purchase we’re considering making? Doesn’t showing the benefit of the car do a better job of making me feel good, then just showing the car doing the things it’s supposed to do?

Or, does the fact that this ad doesn’t make me want to go buy a Juke, mean it’s a failure?

What do you think?

It’s not the first time I hear this. I mean, according to the media some staple is dying everyday. First Wired Magazine claims the Web is Dead. Stephen Hawking claims God isn’t needed to create the universe and now the press release is defunct.

Is the press release is dead? No. Is it the only way the media gets the information? Not anymore. Citizen journalism isn’t going anywhere and traditional media need to look for other sources of information and leads to stay “relevant” in today’s ever changing media market. Not only are reporters getting your pitches via press releases, but they are checking out YouTube, facebook, Twitter and popular website such as HARO (Help a Reporter Out). So you better have your bases covered.

The purpose of a press release is still as applicable today as it was decades ago. It is a useful tool to announce something new or pitch an idea. But like everything else the press release needs to change to remain relevant. Does that mean it needs to be shorter? Sure. Do I need to post it on Twitter? Why not.  The purpose is the same, just that the tools are different.

Just as the public will not completely abandon html for smart phone apps, press releases will be around for a while.

What do you think?

Guest Post: Cynthia Gutierrez-White, PR and Media Relations, Marketing Professional; Regional Director of Communications and Marketing for American Red Cross; Amazing Woman.

July 12: Summer Flowers

July 13:  Diversity of Food – Bourbon (Adams Morgan)

July 14: Celebrating Bastille Day with French-Americans

July 15: $20 bus fare to NYC

July 16: American Pride – Capitol Building

July 17: Sundays at Georgetown Waterfront (Thanks for the suggestion @Zonozi)

See, here’s the thing, I do believe in personal branding; and furthermore, I believe in my personal brand.

Let me be clear, I completely agree with Alicia when she says:
The best brands are predictable, consistent and repetitious. They’re rigidly managed. That’s what makes them successful. People are complex, conflicted and contradictory. That’s what makes us human.

But, here is where we may differ. I believe that a personal brand is complexly intertwined with the human behind it. In other words, my personal brand needs me to exist. However, I, the human being behind the brand, do not need it. I choose to be part of it.

To me, this means that I do rigidly manage Lauren the brand. I am cautious in the things that I do and say in relation to it. I do have specific color guidelines and fonts that represent the LGF brand. I do strive to maintain an even and consistent tone in my communication from the brand (including blog posts, the twitter feed, etc.). I do carefully consider the partnerships and the companies with which I align the brand.

On the other hand, Lauren the human being, doesn’t have any of those limitations. The me that you meet at that fun event, or the me that shows up to work with a head full of great ideas, or the me that has a hard day because that me screwed something up – that me is just me. I’m complex and conflicted and I’m definitely not managing the minutiae of me.

We can look at other examples of people and their personal brands. Take, for example, Seth Godin. I’m sure that when Seth is hanging out in the privacy of his home, he’s just Seth. But he also is a part of a highly respected personal brand – one that is closely observed and thought-out and very successful. Like me, Seth exists without his brand. But his brand would not exist without him.

What do you think?

Sao Paolo-based design group, Africa, has won the competition for design of the World Cup 2014 Brazil logo.

I must say, I’m a fan. Maybe I’m still knee-deep in World Cup Fever, but I really think that the 2014 logo captures the feelings of community and hope that I loved about the 2010 World Cup. I like the tribute to the trophy (which almost seems like a mandatory in the design), I like the way the hands create the soccer ball. Of course, being Brazilians, they used only the colors of their home country – but, perhaps I’m just used to the rainbow of colors reflected in the 2010 World Cup which resembled the multi-colored South African flag. The one glaring drawback in this design are the copyright symbols shoved along the side of the icon – just weird and horsey.

It’s a shame we have to wait four years to see what other goodness Brazil will offer soccer fans. I’m looking forward to it!

July 5: Fireworks over the Potomac

July 6: Great Architecture – Juxtaposition of old and new (photo thanks to Jono Fisher)

July 7: Roosevelt Island

July 8:  A town full of overachievers

July 9: Diversity of Food – Granville Moore’s

July 10: Crape Myrtles in bloom