Their branding does not match their demographics!

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Whenever I would Google Paste Magazine and follow through to their website I would immediately do a double take to make sure I was at the right place.

They are “Signs of Life in Music, Film & Culture” as well as “The best new music, movies, tv, games and books” but what I see is Michael’s craft store or Johann Fabrics. If it weren’t for the Apple Nano advertisement I might “X” out before making sure I was in the right place.

Paste is a monthly, spectacularly written and conceived consumer print magazine. Paste looks for what we call “Signs of Life in Music, Film & Culture” and shines our spotlight on them. This means the best of a wide variety of music, from indie rock and Americana to hip-hop and jazz. We also cover movies, books, games and other media that appeals to the discriminating entertainment consumer. Each issue is packaged with a full-length music sampler (CD or download), packed with at least 20 tracks picked by our editors. We treat each Paste Sampler as a mixtape for our listeners, with all the personal care and attention that implies. Tracks are not sold, but editorially selected because someone on staff passionately likes the music. In October 2009, we added an audiobook sampler. And we even have a quarterly DVD sampler of music videos and short films.

Paste is about the artists, the craftsmanship, and the substance of the art and entertainment that feeds our minds and spirits, that make us laugh, move our feet or explore the human condition. Paste is not about artists’ bodies, hipster trends, arty artifice or celebrity gossip. (To read a manifesto of sorts from two of our founders, see the editorial for our 5th-anniversary issue, “Can Rock Save the World?”) Paste has been called the best American music magazine by the Wall Street Journal and has been nominated in two consecutive years for General Excellence in the National Magazine Awards (the magazine industry’s Oscars). The Chicago Tribune included us on their “50 Best Magazines” list (right behind The New Yorker), and we were named “Magazine of the Year” for three consecutive years at the PLUG Independent Music Awards.

In their about they are trying to keep it relatively generic and open to all music lovers but their articles will resonate stronger with a 20 something crowd. I get that their color scheme is going for the earthy look (Not sure if the homepage always has the rainbow esque banner or if that is for the Apple ad, either way it doesn’t fit) but the colors they have chosen are skewing towards dated. From what I have seen, their print edition has not fallen in the trap. If they want to keep the earthy vibe then why not follow what their Sampler print page does:

Current colors, clean lines and san sarif.

Rebranding can’t be done in a blog post, but Paste Magazine could do with an updated image.

But just as my love for Walmart grew, I too began an agency crush on The Martin Agency. Their Walmart commercials have a perfect balance between sentiment and humor like this past Christmas’ collection.

But what really captured my heart was when I found out they they are behind the FreeCreditReport.com commercials. I love those commercials. They are quirky and catchy but most of all when they get stuck in my head, I’m not annoyed!

If you have some minutes, look at their website. They are endearing and entertaining.

We want to fill our building to the brim with the most talented people in the industry, and we are always looking to meet experienced, senior-level professionals in all disciplines. And it goes without saying (but we’ll say it anyway) that attracting interactive specialists is one of our highest priorities.

You don’t need to have a degree in advertising. You don’t need an MBA or PhD. You don’t need to tell us that you were editor of your high school yearbook in 1994 (but by all means let us know if you were voted “Most Likely to Succeed” or “Best Looking”).

You do need curiosity and energy. Dedication and integrity. Enthusiasm. Originality. And a big healthy serving of joy.

We want you because your unique background and perspective allow you to speak to the broad audiences we reach. We want you because you listen to the challenges of clients and coworkers and instinctively become part of the solution. We want you because you are intelligent, inspiring, and refreshing.

And it wouldn’t hurt to get some fresh talent on the agency dodgeball team, so if you’re especially scrappy or have a great arm, make sure to include that too.

Can’t wait to meet you.

Crush on, my friends, crush on.

PS. Another favorite:

From my experience working with some of the leaders in Dwight, Bentel & Hall Communications I knew they were wanting a more professional look.  Nothing too serious, but an image that could translate more smoothly to business cards, websites, and a brand.  I, like many others in the group, came up with three ideas.

1. Logo 1: My initial concepting started with wanting to create a brand that had collegiate tones. Which brought me to the typeface that is commonly used on Letterman’s jackets.  Logos prior to this used more of that type but it was too overpowering. Instead, I designated one letter to stand as the logo and paired it with a modern yet basic type.

2. Logo 2: When designing with DB&H’s brand all of our creatives really played with using the actual letters to create a contorted unique logo.  I at first wasn’t too hot on the idea but now satisfied with our logo, I too took a play at it. Similar to the first where I wanted to use a modern yet basic type.

3. Logo 3: Very similar to logo 2, I felt as though the “a” was too hidden and would get missed entirely.  But changing the colors and create a new “a” out of the “c”, “s”, and “a” it took on a new character.

Conclusion of logo design… Although none are rocketscience, they could extend across mediums and didn’t have to be centered around this idea of a “Spartan”.