The Blauugh

Read a very interesting post this morning by way of the design blog Brand New in regards to the new identity of The Cornell Lab of Ornithology which was designed by Pentagram partner (and rockstar designer) Michael Beruit. The design is fine, whatever. The point of contention comes from the fact that the icon is basically copied from the artwork of artist Charley Harper an artist that Beruit admits to admiring.

It’s a very interesting question, exactly at what point is something in the design and art world considered trademark and artwork infringement? Google “logos that look the same” and you’ll come up with 100s of hits but what about logos that look like illustrations? It’s more than anything an interesting philosophical and legal question that, as more and more work gets produced, we may see more and more.

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Just to set the story straight we are R2 Graphic Design & Advertising Inc. dba R Squared. You can call us r2 for short but don’t call us r2 squared - that’s just redundant and wrong. Most people figure the R2 stands for Rick Richardson - but just to complicate things my real name is Barton Deane Richardson, where the Rick come from I will never know, other than to avoid confusion at family gatherings (Grandfather - Uncle and then me - all Barton - Bart or Bartie.) Anyways this has very little to do with anything other than I thought it a good lead in to my next Blaugh.

Heat Index: Today’s sports nicknames stink - by Doug Haller - Jul. 15, 2009 - AZ Republic

You know, with all the new media out there, you’d think the nickname business would be experiencing a renaissance of sorts. Sadly, pitifully, that’s not the case.

How bad is it? Amaré Stoudemire decided not long ago that he wanted a new, fresher nickname. The Suns forward decided on Sun Tzu, and you can bet the Suns are just giddy over the marketing aspects of such a moniker.

Let’s face it: Today’s nicknames stink. Somehow we’ve gone from Magic, Sweetness and Charlie Hustle to Black Mamba, The Big Shaqtus and The Machine. It shows an amazing lack of creativity that should insult fans everywhere.

Seeking answers, The Heat Index contacted Louis Phillips, an essayist from New York City who long ago co-authored “The Complete Book of Sports
Nicknames.” How powerful can a nickname be? Phillips is convinced that former Red Sox pitcher Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd would not have played 10 seasons without such a colorful nickname. In other words, Boyd’s name trumped his game, which probably is true.

Several reasons that have contributed to this dying art. “First, the shift from print media to television,” he wrote. “Nicknames in print have staying power. TV nicknames have a ‘made-up, spur-of-the-moment’ fleeting essence.

“Also the shift away from reading literature affected the quality of sports writing in America. The great sportswriters such as Ring Lardner, Grantland Rice and Red Barber were literary men, and they wrote well. It takes imagination to come up with a nickname such as ‘The Four Horsemen.’ ”

Phillips also mentioned political correctness and free agency. But we’re convinced great nicknames have declined simply because no guidelines exist to help those involved.

In that regard, we’re here to help:

Rule 1: No player is allowed to give himself a nickname or is authorized to change an existing nickname. Henceforth, this shall be known as the Stoudemire Rule.

Rule 2: Initials do not a nickname make. Therefore, TO does not suffice for Terrell Owens, just as LB, as popular as it is in the Valley, doesn’t work for Leandro Barbosa. Come on, do you think Barack Obama answers to BO inside the White House? Not a chance.

Rule 3: Syllables do not a nickname make. This eliminates BoMel, TMac, ManRam, DWade, ARod, CoJack, JRich, JUp, JKidd, JRoll and JWill.

Rule 4: Baseball’s tendency to attach a “y” or “ie” to a surname makes a clubhouse intimate, but it should not be viewed as an acceptable form of nicknaming. This no doubt will send shockwaves throughout the industry. Just look at the Diamondbacks, a team with Byrnsie, Webby, Lopey, Gutie, Schoeney, Quallsy and Gibby.

You’d think Chad Tracy would be thrilled since his surname actually ends in “y,” but no. In Tracy’s case the “y” is inexplicably dropped, and he’s known simply as Trace. Makes no sense.

Rule 5: Nicknames must be memorable; another reason Stoudemire’s Sun Tzu will flop. The Heat Index has been writing these rules for an hour now and has had to look up Sun Tzu every time. Keep it simple, along the lines of Air Jordan, Dr. J and Bear Bryant.

Rule 6: Rhyming is encouraged. Stan the Man, Wilt the Stilt, The Italian Stallion, Mean Joe Greene, The Round Mound of Rebound. These have staying power because they are easily remembered.

Rule 7: On the same note, alliteration is your friend. Pistol Pete, Hammerin’ Hank, Joltin’ Joe and The Splendid Splinter all roll off the tongue.

Rule 8: Nicknames must have little problem fitting into daily conversation. Example: How many times have you heard a co-worker ask, ‘Hey, did anyone see The Machine last night? That guy is awesome!” But once upon a time, it wasn’t uncommon to hear that The Iceman lit up the Knicks or that The Wizard of Oz made an amazing play at short.

By the way, to emphasize our point: Were you even aware that “The Machine” is the nickname for baseball’s best player, Albert Pujols?

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Now this guy is the way to sell to clients. Tell them their stuff is crap, very nice. The best part is that you know this guy totally believes what he’s telling us, and the fact that he’s so proud of his laminated resume/children’s book/business card.

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Check out our friend The New Foundation’s new website in their goal in furthering their efforts to continue making positive improvements in the community. Of course we love it because it was done by yours truly, R Squared!

Check it out and see the great things they have to offer!

thenewfoundation.org

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I thought all of you creatives and non-creatives alike would appreciate this. ‘Someguy,’ the creator of this social experiment, actually came to ASU this past semester to talk about how this came to be. He explains it best, “The 1000 Journals Project is an ongoing collaborative experiment attempting to follow 1000 journals throughout their travels. The goal is to provide a method for interaction and shared creativity among friends and strangers.” Basically, if you find a journal you add to it and pass it on, like an anonymous chain-letter. There’s something about being anonymous that allows people to be honest; the entries are just that. Check it out on www.1000journals.com

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People, please, when you’re designing a logo or naming a company, pay attention to the acronym. How many of these have to make the rounds on the internet before attention is paid to this detail?

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