Approaching a month’s time, both men found themselves alone and hairy. They ran to each other for comfort only to remember they were sworn enemies. And in a cruel, dry breeze that bristled their very faces, they were reminded of why.
So, yes, it has been three weeks since Graham of Pear Analytics and I agreed to have a beard-off. Need I remind you why? Because beard-offs are fun. That’s why. What’s at stake? Our physical appearance. Oh. You mean what’s at stake if we lose? Nothing, really. Pride? Pride can be mistaken for nothing sometimes.
Here are some photographs so you can judge the progress:
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We’ve had our second drawing for a winner of a $100 gift card, and let me just say: we really appreciate all of the comments and retweets. You guys really made us feel loved. Like, really.
Once again, we provide video of the drawing for your edification/amusement:
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Wes Wilson was in no way responsible for this video
Congratulations, Zach DeYoung! You are a beacon of envy and hope to all who did not win. Protect yourself, my friend. You’d be surprised of the things people might do for the opportunity to wrestle a free $100 gift card from a cold, dead hand. ENJOY!
We’ve done the first drawing for our contest for a winner of a $100 gift card. We shot a video of the drawing for your enjoyment:
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We just thought we’d send out a little reminder that we’re giving away two $100 gift cards on this here blog. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, please go here.
I’m beginning to suspect that with all the spam out there in social media land, the turnout for this contest has been a bit inhibited, but I can assure you there is no catch or risk in entering to win. We just encourage you guys to stick around and see what our company is about, but no pressure.
I don’t know how many times people have come up to me on the street and said, “Pablo, is that $100 gift card thing legit?” And after I get over the shock of a complete stranger somehow knowing my name, I tell them, “Yes, guy, this thing is totally real and I encourage you to participate. Bye.”
I fancy myself a facilitator of information. And right now I’m facilitating that there are two $100 gift cards for the taking and the having. If you have reservations about spreading the word to your friends because you’re afraid they might think you’re a spammer, tell them, “HEY! I’m no spammer,” and toss your scarf over your shoulder and walk away. You don’t need friends like that anyway. OR just direct them to this blog post and allay their fears. That’s the nice way to handle it, I suppose.
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Today I am very happy to be interviewing not only an extremely talented Logo & Web Designer, but a dear friend as well, my fellow Aussie mate Fabian Marchinko of Brand Simplicity. I have been tweeting with Fabian for almost 6 months now and he is one of the most down-to-earth designers I have ever come across. His brand creating style is also very unique and is most often inspired by nature, a perk of hailing from the Australian continent which abounds in breathtaking natural beauty. Fabian has been developing brands and building websites for almost a decade. Join me as I ask him some personal and some fun questions about where it all began for him and what lies in the future for him and his own brand, Brand Simplicity.
Fabian Marchinko Of Brand Simplicity
Thank You for doing this interview for us. It is an absolute pleasure to have you answer some personal and professional questions for us today.
Who is Fabian Marchinko when he is not being a designer?
Perth has one of the best climates in the world, so I can’t complain too much. I enjoy a quiet life with my girl, kicking back with our 2 dogs Jack and Jill and 2 cats. If Huey’s got his act together, I’ll go for a surf at my local beach and pull into a few. In summer, the pool gets a thrashing and I’ll spark up the BBQ with some close friends.
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If you’ve made it this far and endured that title, you’re a much braver (wo)man than I. Brandstack is holding a contest! It starts today! We’ve also come into a large surplus of exclamation points!
Disclaimer: Mcguire Designs had nothing to do with this image.
So here’s the deal: We’re going to be giving away two $100 gift cards to two lucky Brandstack blog readers.
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I just realized that I haven’t really introduced myself since arriving at Brandstack. Yes, I answered that questionnaire, and I’ve since posted on this blog, but you guys don’t really know who I am.
So let me hip you to what a Pablo G is. Pablo G is defined in the dictionary as a man on a mission. Not a goal-driven quest mission, but rather one of those Pueblan church-looking building thingies where people try to convert heathens. I stand on top of those things. So, naturally, Brandstack, which makes its home in the Alamo city was a good place for me to set up shop.
I was born in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas and am the self-proclaimed whitest Hispanic in the contiguous U.S. (I can’t really keep tabs on what’s going on in Alaska or Hawaii). I am an honors communications graduate of a university here in the city that I’d rather not name because I hate them, but I assure you that I totally know what I’m doing despite them.
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It was decided between Graham of Pear Analytics and myself that we will be having a beard-off.
What’s a beard-off? It’s only the best thing ever. We realized in the office that the both of us are quite formidable facial hair growers, as evidenced by Graham’s Twitter avatar and by my affinity for the film Teen Wolf.
On August 6th, there was a shave restriction put into effect. We will now see who can grow the fullest beard the fastest. Luckily, we had both happened to shave that morning around our goatees so we have a fair start. The winner will get all the free hair they could ever want. The loser will be ground up into a fine paste and fed to himself. Yeah, we haven’t quite worked out all the logistics yet, but when we do… paste!
Most people think growing a beard is really simple. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. There’s a lot of blood and sweat involved — sometimes tears. We’re going to be pushing our bodies to the limits all for your amusement.
The original plan was to have a BEAR-off, on account of the economy. That extra letter was going to really cost us, but we’re all free spirits here, so we let our hair down and went for it. I’m excited. We’ll keep you posted on how it’s going here and on Twitter (also through #beardoff).
Let the best man win.
Beard-Off: Minute 1, Day 1
For those that haven’t heard me chirp, err tweet, on and on about my young ‘ens, I’m a father of three kids under 7. While they always play a major role in my daily duties, I can’t say they’ve ever inspired my love of design. Today that changed. While munching on three bowls of alphabet soup (one of my favorite microwaveable meals), I overheard them talking about how certain letters resemble other things in their lives. You can see that can’t you? The “H” kinda looks like a Gameboy… and the “O” looks like a swimming pool. You get the idea.
Side Note: About this time, I started having flashbacks to creepy alphabet songs with shoddy animation from my childhood… like this one.
Ok, enough of the fun. Here are the logos you came to see, a listed neatly as A to Z (yes, I rhymed):
A – by Wiliam 2009
B – by LOGOPHYX
C – by ECTOMACHINE
D – by gravitart
E – by VikkiV
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Do you have a written identity program in place going forward as you build your brand equity? It’s easy to think of and conceive the need for a graphic identity. But what about your written identity? Is your written identity aligned in the context of your branding strategy?
What comes to mind when you think of your corporate identity? Perhaps it’s your graphic – or visual identity. You know, your colors, logo, typography, and overall graphic look.
But what about your written identity? Do you have a written identity in place? Is your written identity aligned with your branding strategy?
Your written identity communicates your messages – the verbs, nouns and adjectives which illustrate how you are positioned and want to be seen, heard and most of all – written about in the media, in analyst reports and in the blogosphere.
The words you have chosen to describe your company, the industry you are in, or the industry you are helping to create (or disrupt) can also help to drive the very look and feel of the graphic identity you taken on in order to personify the image of your business or organization.
Here are some guidelines to keep in mind as you align your written identity for 2009:
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