So, the old joke among graphic designers goes something like this:
Q: How many designers does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Why does it need to be a light bulb?
You get the idea. There's always another way to look at a problem and we, as designers, tend to look at the problem, or the very question of the problem, as a complex series of issues needing to be addressed — in fact, are perhaps best addressed — by development of a new logo, an entirely new visual language supported by extensive (yet deceptively simple-to-use!) 'Brand and Identity Guidelines' documentation. And assuming that the budget is there, all is to be case-bound in a hand-wrapped bespoke enclosure, blind-embossed with clear foil. Cha-ching.
Recently, I read Rock On: An Office Power Ballad, penned by frequent McSweeney's contributor Dan Kennedy. Earlier in the week, I had heard Kennedy pimping the new effort with Terry Gross. Within seconds, I was audibly chortling in the car, by myself, as I attempted to steer my way to a client meeting I wasn't particularly eager to attend. Beyond his tales of the ironies of pop/country queen Jewel hawking personal razors for perhaps the year's biggest ad spend, Kennedy provided another take on the light bulb riddle:
Q: How many of the likes of us (in this case, record execs, but anyone charged with 'branding') does it take to change a light bulb?
A: First of all, before we change anything, is the light bulb really burned out? Maybe we just need to breathe some life into it; repackage it, maybe the light bulb could do a duet with somebody (Sheryl Crow? Tim McGraw?) in hopes of getting some crossover appeal, maybe it could be in a beer commercial, maybe we could get it out on the road with a brighter light bulb. The other thing to think about is that this summer, Honda is rolling out a 100 Million dollar campaign for a new car aimed at thirty-somethings who consider themselves adventurous/spontaneous but can't really afford something like a luxury S.U.V. and it might be a perfect campaign to tie this light bulb into, at least it would be the perfect demographic, in terms of age.
Also, and this is just an idea: what if we found out what video games are being released in the third quarter...
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