Quality-based rates for ad space?

Time reported that the “average amount paid to NBC for a 30-second commercial in the Super Bowl” this year was a whopping $3.5 million. And while I am definitely frustrated that this money wasn’t spent in a manner with more dynamic benefits (just ask the branding and web strategy firm btrax for some examples), I’m also frustrated that the commercials weren’t better designed.

As Stuart Elliott of the New York Times reported (Feb 5, 2012):

“Too many commercials fell back on tactics that were too familiar from a plethora of Super Bowl spots: anthropomorphic animals, second-class celebrities, slapstick violence and riding the coattails of popular culture. Risk-taking, rule-breaking ideas were as hard to find among the more than 50 commercials as good taste in a GoDaddy ad.”

So, February 18′s daily design idea is why not charge for ad space based on quality of ad?

photo of billboards in Times Square from 2003, by Flickr user ElvertBarnes

I know that quality is subjective, and that this idea would be difficult (if not impossible) to implement, but just imagine how great it could be. Consumers would experience better quality advertising. Agencies and their clients would have more incentive to make design quality a top priority. Smaller agencies and clients with small budgets would have a greater chance at exposure. And anyone profiting from the sale of ad space would still find high bidders from clients who could afford to pay for the exposure, but either couldn’t or wouldn’t pay for the higher quality design services.

What do you think?

Peters and Hansen ring in BBDO Minneapolis’ 80th.

BBDO Minneapolis recently celebrated 80 years, which puts there inception right in the middle of prohibition. To help the interactive ad agency celebrate, Allan Peters (art director/designer) and Eric Hansen (copywriter) put together a fantastic prohibition-themed suite of materials:

More images here. This fantastic collection of print discovered via designworklife.

December 16′s daily design idea is sass works!

An invitation to smash (or at least try).

An installation by David Belt officially opened to an invite-only guest list today. I’m guessing the biggest reason it’s not public (as of yet) is that it’s potentially dangerous in addition to being incredibly fun. The installation is cleverly called Glassphemy!, and it provides a structure for people to chuck glass bottles (often in the direction of exterior viewers) that then smash into small glass pieces. “The purpose behind all this cathartic mayhem?” writes Paul Hiebert for Flavorpill, “To make recycling cool.” Belt’s goal is to turn the broken glass into recycled material for a tbd project with his company MacroSea.

The reason this installation is so alluring is that it asks participants to intentionally break glass, which means breaking the rules. A similar strategy was recently employed in Vancouver in 3M’s bus stop “poster” for safety glass.

May 20′s daily design idea is just like being the “cool mom”, letting people break rules can be an excellent way to engage them in your design.

The British can be so cheeky!

In London, four naked men and women recently took to their morning commutes with only shoes and strategically placed handbags or briefcases. The nudes traveled on escalators and rode the tube as though their lack of suitable attire was completely normal. The stunt caught tube goers attention very effectively as part of a campaign to publicize a new British mini-series entitled The Naked Office, which debuted the following night.

Unlike pre-produced 2D advertising, performers are able to dramatize a message in a way that can significantly increase attention and interest. Also referred to as ‘street theater’ or ‘performance advertising’ (depending on your context),  these pieces are returning to the traditions of magicians, storytellers, puppeteers, acrobats, and mimes. Fundamentally the naked commuters in London were people trained to mesmerize crowds in order to communicate a specific idea. Of course, live performances themselves are limited because they are only viewed by a select number of people, but they are excellent catalysts for word-of-mouth communication and viral advertising which dramatically extends the potential audience.

May 19′s daily design idea is try propagating your messages by using people as performers.

UPDATE: Another great example of performance advertising! Check out Improv Everywhere’s latest mission, performed in collaboration with NYPL, to raise awareness about New York City Library’s perilous state in the face of potentially record-breaking budget cuts.

3×3 with Quentin Regos.

Quentin is: a designer, a contributor to Daily Design Idea, and a Maven.

What do you design?
I’ve spread myself pretty thin doing a variety of projects over the past 9 years. My best summary is that I art direct entertainment and cultural experiences. I’d like to avoid talking about specific products like a logo, poster, album cover, visual identity, band performance, web site widget. I’d much rather tell you about the users, viewers, packed audiences, and their smiles, laughs, full tummies, hookups, non-stop headbangs. That’s really what I’m designing when I work.

Jellybean Fiasco plays at Webster Hall Studio, April 1 2010
Music Management, Concert, Entertainment Industry (Rock Music)

How do you design?
My focus is on observations and processes. It is human nature to respond to our needs; it is the designer’s job to be solving for those needs before you even know you have them. It’s not that designers have to be all knowing, but they need to be aware of what’s organically happening. Rather than retroactively posing an idea to the problem, a good designer sees it all coming. The problem should only be one factor in dictating the final solution.

Midtown Comics: Krash!
Art Director, Outdoor Advertising, Entertainment Industry (Comics)

Why do you design?
I can’t help myself. I’m the guy that has friends from everywhere, from the jocks to the nerds, from restaurateurs to touring hard rock heavy metal bands, and so on. I design through and for my relationships and enjoy connecting others with new information. I’m someone that Malcom Gladwell would call a Maven. In the Tipping Point, Gladwell quotes Mark Alpert as saying, “A Maven is someone who wants to solve other people’s problems, generally by solving his own.”

Quentin at a picnic with friends at Fort Greene Park, Labor Day Weekend 2009
Photo by Maritsa Patrinos

May 14′s daily design idea is be more like Quentin: share and trade what you know.

Find Quentin at QuentinRegos.com.
Learn more about 3×3 interviews at Daily Design Idea.

Physical pixels.

I’ve been riding a wave of street art love since seeing Banksy’s Exit Through the Gift Shop (which opened on the 16th in New York City and California, and drops in several more US cities over the next few weeks). Pixelated street art, similar to the early work of Invader, has become especially interesting to me since it both honors and rejects digital. This art is non-digital in form, yet it remains decidedly removed from the worlds of mosaic or pointillist painting. I’d also argue that the viewer needs to have been exposed to digital art to get the intended joy and/or feelings of nostalgia out of these pieces.

Patrick Jean of Onemoreprod recently made a really impressive short movie called PIXELS, where 8-bit video game-like creatures take over New York City. Jason Eppink has spurred on an amazing “unauthorized on-going video art performance collaboration” with his creation of the DIY Pixelator, which transforms the MTA’s public video ads into something a little less literal.  Then there’s always the more classic approach to street art:

taken by Annamarie Tendler in the East Village

April 16′s daily design idea is imagine that your world is pixelated, and design something based on that imagery.

Dangling the carrot, for the greater good.

Carrotmob is a worldwide activist group that organizes consumers to reward businesses that are socially responsible. Last year, they also implemented a great promotional campaign for Antwerp, Belgium: a giant carrot. You can even see how they made, and then installed, the carrot.

promotional carrot, by beshart design entertainment

April 14′s daily design idea is think of something else you could add to a tree to transform its meaning. You can get some more inspiration from the big eyes used by Filthy Luker.