I have always enjoyed Andy Warhol’s artwork – I can’t explain it other than the bold blocks of color, rich tapestries of American pop culture. I also love Keith Harring, who had a more political edge than Warhol. My generation now has it’s own artist, a rarity in my opinion. Shepard Fairey started his work just like Harring – creating images to say something about the world, pasting his work on the sides of buildings, on the sides of walk-signals, anywhere really. Most of Fairey’s work, if not all was based on negativity in the world. He’s been arrested for it many times, because, well…it’s against the law.

Now, his story has been flipped on it’s head, because his artwork was based on the hope, and change he saw in Barrack Obama.

Great video “pod-cumentry” on Current TV I saw today, is below. Pass it along. His work can be seen here.

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Many in the identity and graphic design, branding and marketing community have “voted” on the new Pepsi logo. Voted with their critique, that is. Many hate it, some even say it looks like a plumber’s rear. Why did Pepsi do it? It is one of the most recognized symbols in America, so why mess with a classic? Most importantly, what’s the goal and will it work?
Top Pepsi executives Indra Nooyi and Massimo d’Amore evidently demanded a “quantum leap” forward, to transform the brand into a cultural leader. In short, Frank Cooper, Pepsi’s VP-portfolio brands says this:

“We felt like, as we move out of this traditional mass marketing and mass distribution era into today’s culture, there’s an opportunity to bring humanity back, both in terms of the design but also in the way we engage consumers, – By making the logo more dynamic and more alive … [it is] absolutely a huge step in the right direction.”

Trouble is, you can change the logo all you want, but the product is what is purchased. No matter what you do, if that isn’t changed, the logo does nothing, nor does any marketing. See Microsoft and Vista. For Pepsi and Coke, what’s inside the can or bottle is what people choose. I dislike the Mountain Dew logo, always have – but the logo has not made me decide another soda should take its place.

That is Coke and Pepsi’s big issue in these modern times: the ingredients; namely High-Fructose Corn Syrup. (This issue itself is worthy of many pages of words, but today, I’m sticking to the topic at hand.) They say they are trying to be more competitive with the bottled water market. If this is the true meaning behind their new campaign, should they not address the health hazards and defects that it’s main sweetener has in store for it’s consumer?

Coke and Pepsi make soda in other countries with pure cane sugar. Why not in the USA? Because it is cheaper and easier to ship. Good for mass-production. If they really wanted to compete against the water industry, taking this chemical off the table would truely be… “absolutely a huge step in the right direction” no matter what you do with the logo.

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