If you live in Halifax, it’s safe to say you’ve seen Faces magazine around town. It’s everywhere! It’s convenient and fun. It’s a fun way to take a quick look at Halifax nightlife, it’s people and what’s happening in our city. What’s happening right now, you ask? Oh, just our very own Matt Mackay being named Best Designer by a public vote!
Matt is a talented designer whose strong connections with music, pop-culture and the urban community brings a refreshing punch to every project he works on. The people of Halifax have spoken, and they’re singing our tune. Congratulations, Matt Mackay!
Have a look at Matt’s work on his website www.seamz.ca.
The AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia (ACNS), along with the BMO Financial Group, is honored to celebrate the longstanding commitment and dedication of Chester + Company to the cause of supporting people living with HIV/AIDS and promoting prevention programming across Nova Scotia. In honor of their valuable work, we will be presenting the Chester + Company team with an achievement award at the BMO Financial Group Bid for Life Dinner & Auction on March 21st, 2013.
Chester + Company is a strategic brand advertising and design agency in Halifax, and a team of highly skilled, passionate individuals. The company has worked with ACNS for over 8 years and has helped us to align the organizations’ fundraising campaigns and other public initiatives to experience a new level of success. The first campaign they jumped on board with was the Bid for Life event, which came to be known as the BMO Financial Group Bid for Life Dinner & Auction event. The team helped us to launch our first Amazing Challenge event, which is presently in its fourth year. “It’s impossible to place a number on the amount of success that they have brought to our organization,” said Maria Mac Intosh, the Executive Director at ACNS.
The team at Chester + Company has been exceptional to work with, have always provided helpful guidance and have learned about the nuances that are unique to our work to achieve a standard of collaboration we have not experienced in the past.
“As an agency, we really believe in celebrating diversity. That’s why we are so proud of our work with ACNS,” said Chester + Company President, Chester Goluch. “We’re looking forward to strengthening our relationship with this very important organization in the future.”
Please join ACNS in thanking Chester + Company, for more information please go to the ACNS website: www.acns.ns.ca.
The Toyota RAV4 invented the SUV category. Well, the bar just got raised. The new RAV4 is here.
Let’s talk about the look. Gone are the conservative designs of the past. Toyota’s ushered in formed headlights and taillights, with sweeping lines that are reminiscent of the RAV4’s cool cousin, the Highlander.
Remember the spare tire on the back of the car? Gone. It’s now underneath the rear cargo area, allowing for a remote controlled hatchback. Inside, it’s roomy enough for a size XXL to travel in comfort.
Also, say goodbye to the V6 engine. Toyota has replaced it with 2.5L four. An engine that’s more fuel-efficient yet…delivers a powerful cruising experience.
One thing you’ll definitely like: on average, there is more than thousand dollars worth of cool equipment added to the standard list— without any change to the MSRP.
Seeing is believing. So is driving. If I had a driver’s license, you know that’s what I’d be doing. But I don’t—and that’s a whole other story ;)
On this blog, in the past, I’ve written about celebrity branding. The young crop of pop icons, shining in the public eye, are perfect examples of a pretty solid entrepreneurial business plan, and a whole lot of hustle.
Over the weekend more than one of us from Chester + Company were lucky enough to be in Toronto attending the Born This Way Ball. Yes, we were seeing the master of branding herself: Lady GaGa.
Lady GaGa has taken a genius approach with connecting to her fan base. Do you feel like a social misfit? Great! So does GaGa. She refers to her fans as ‘little monsters’ and has dubbed herself ‘Mother Monster,’ which gives fans a familial sense of belonging. Many other stars have followed suit by giving their fans a title. But, let’s be real, we know where that trend started. In another genius move by GaGa, she took the familial feeling to the next level and created littlemonster.com, a social media platform for her fans to connect with her and each other.
Mother Monster has also aligned herself with social causes that compliment her esthetic and her fan base. She speaks out as a strong force with the Anti-Bullying and LGBT Legislation. She also founded the Born This Way Foundation in 2011. Their mission is “to foster a more accepting society, where differences are embraced and individuality is celebrated.”
In the wake of a fans suicide over bullying, GaGa vowed to go as far to speak to President Obama himself about the issue. And she made good on the promise while at a fundraiser.
When it comes to branding, we can learn a lot from Lady GaGa. Let’s have a little recap: Well-defined brand? Check. Create a feeling of community or sense of belonging? Check. Make a clear definition of who your audience is and create a unique user experience. Check. Align with a non-profit organization with the same or similar mission. Check. The proof is in the pudding. Paws up, Monsters!
So who wached the Superbowl? Were you watching for the game, the TV
ads or Beyoncé. Now tell me: Did you catch the 33-minute blackout?
In the age of social media what do people instinctively turn to in a situation like this? Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr or Instagram.
Generally the buzz after the Bowl is all about the great TV ads. This
year it was a different story. Sure there were some amazing TV spots,
but a rather cheeky well-timed Oreo ad that was tweeted during the blackout stole the show.
Other brands quickly followed suit. Audi tweeted an offer of LEDs to the Superdome. Tide could get your stains out, but not your blackout. Oreo’s 16,000 retweets speak for themselves, though. The client and ad agency team was watching the game together and their forward thinking pulled it all together in real-time. Exactly the timing social media users crave.
Is this a sign of a shift in advertising during major television events? Are companies going to jump ship on buying airtime and opt for using social media to effectively reach the masses? The Oacars are in just 19 days, so I guess we’ll see.
