when a new client comes to us through a word-of-mouth referral, we can almost always rest easy that it’s going to be a person who is — well, let’s face it, it’s usually somebody who we just want to hang out with.

Nicole fits that description. we had tons of fun developing her brand with her. she came to us with a decided name for her wine: girl. dog. truck., but she also came concerned that any logo designs might tended toward too-sweet and too-literal for her taste. as in: “yup, there’s the girl, the dog AND the truck.”

we assured her we could find the balance. we listened to her tales of cross-country road trips, strained suspensions, her ever-present German Shepherd companion, and long nights on the crush pad in a headlamp. and we were armed with the stories we need to build a brand that reflected its owner.

the initial design drafts we sketched pulled in elements like vintage maps, the compass rose & route lines, but the ideas on paper fell flat. they lacked the luster of the road trip, the spark of travel, the passion and eagerness of this winemaker. we backed up in our process and sketched micro-elements from her travels and her wine making process at a solar-powered facility to try to capture the spirit of who she is and what she does. we landed on a dirty, road-worn tire track.

and bingo. a brand was born.

next we applied the logo to her business card and wine labels. what we love about this brand is that it not only captures something of the essence of the woman behind the brand, but it also has an undeniable truth in the wine industry, which appears so shiny and refined from the outside and yet is made up of strings of days of gritty work. when the grit of the tire tread is applied to a wine label design that’s making good use of clean, modern type and clear definition of space, what appears gritty is now refined. it’s a brand that cleans up real nice.

to read more about girl. dog. truck. and what makes this brand (and winemaker) so special, check out her website we created for her.

and next time you’ve got the urge to become a road warrior, stock up on some Cab Sauv or Russian River Zin. this stuff’s legit. purchase her wines directly from the g.d.t. website or at Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa. you can also find it on restaurant wine lists in Northern California and Los Angeles.

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a

“During the contentious midterm elections, President Obama accused Republicans of “standing, watching us, sippin’ on a Slurpee” while Democrats did all the work. Post-election, and in a better mood, Obama joked about hosting a Slurpee Summit at the White House with incoming Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner. 7-Eleven took this as a product endorsement from the most powerful man in the world and ran with it with all the marketing power it could muster. The convenience-store franchise tapped agency FreshWorks to create the Slurpee Unity Tour. Trucks bearing the campaign logo, picturing an elephant and a donkey sharing a Slurpee cup, made their way across America giving out samples, including a special Purple for the People Slurpee, made from a mix of the red and blue frozen treats.”

gawd we love snarky and smart marketing. like the recent ad campaign for 7-Eleven slurpees for example. nice job FreshWorks.

the above excerpt and image come from a fantastic article–10 Lessons in Marketing Brilliance–in the February issue of Entrepreneur Magazine. the writer references ten marketing campaigns and the out-of-the-box approach behind each of them. take good notes because a concept can be applied to any budget.

we love getting creative about marketing. holler at us if you are want to sit at our brainstorming table and get your brilliance on.

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h

we think Onepager could be a nifty little tool for new or tiny businesses.

pop-up shop? food truck? knitting workshop? embarrassing bachelor party photos? the possibilities are endless.

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a

it’s that time of year to talk color. Pantone has announced the 2012 color of the year is TANGERINE TANGO! sounds pretty good for where we’re sitting.

the 2011 Pantone color of the year: honeysuckle was soft and gentle but this year it appears that Pantone is taking things up a notch. spirits are high so far in 2012 and why not have that be illustrated throughout the year in color trends.

here is further info from the Pantone website into their vision for how Tangerine Tango can fit into all aspects of everyday life. take note.

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The color of the year selection is a very thoughtful process. To arrive at the selection, Pantone quite literally combs the world looking for color influences. This can include the entertainment industry and films that are in production, traveling art collections, hot new artists, popular travel destinations and other socio-economic conditions. Influences may also stem from technology, availability of new textures and effects that impact color, and even upcoming sports events that capture worldwide attention. 

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute® “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

Over the past several years, orange has grown in popularity and acceptance among designers and consumers alike. A provocative attention-getter, Tangerine Tango is especially appealing in men’s and women’s fashion. Fashion designers are incorporating this attractive orange into their spring collections. A fun, lively take on a traditional autumnal hue, Tangerine Tango will surely carry through to fall fashion as well.

A winner in cosmetics because of its versatility, Tangerine Tango is a bit exotic, but in a very friendly, non-threatening way. Add a sultry flair to lips, cheeks and nails with Tangerine Tango. An unexpected eye shadow color, Tangerine Tango is a complementary opposite that flatters blue or green eyes. When paired with brown eyes, it brings out an amber cast.

Energize interior spaces with Tangerine Tango patterned home accessories. Pillows, bedspreads and tabletop accessories in this high-impact hue add spice to any room. Or incorporate Tangerine Tango appliances and personal electronics for an unexpected pop of color. Looking for an inexpensive way to perk up your home? Paint a wall in Tangerine Tango for a dynamic burst of energy in the kitchen, entryway or hallway.

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if you want to see our suggested color palette in action take a peek back at an artist we featured on the blog last year. this woman knows vivacious and magnetic, Francoise Nielly.

we hope to see you all sporting some Tangerine Tango at some point this year. we dare you.

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h

a peeling and shedding of the things we picked up in the past year that we need to let go of. so we start again. from the beginning — a familiar place to start — and move forward armed with the knowledge acquired from the past year.

ever notice how kids who are learning the alphabet get stuck and have to start again from A?! there is a comfort in revisiting the foundation of who we are and what we do. a great way to assess your business each year is to review your mission statement and the definition of your business to make sure your current path is still aligned with the foundation originally created.

twenty twelve is in motion and the consensus around town is that it’s gonna be a good one. we’re excited by all the positive energy and passion we have already witnessed in our office in the first week of this new year.

twenty eleven was busy and exciting at notion HQ and we learned a lot. thanks to the wonder of word of mouth via our incredible existing client base and our friends and readers, we added these and other new businesses to our ever-growing happy little family of clients. yay!

Affronti Food + Wine Bar
Akoia Day Spa
California Power Yoga
Circumference Imports
DirectionFive Health
girl.dog.truck. wines
Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce/HYPE
Hostage Wines
JM Legal
La Costa Lotta Wines
Looking Glass
Matthew Carden Photographer
Michele’s Apothecary
Moustache Baked Goods
Patty James
Ruben, Poster & Associates
Savvy Production + Events
Sophie’s Five Acres
WheelHouse Fabrication
Wine Country Estate & Design
Zin Restaurant

we have many exciting things to share and to show you in the coming year so stick with us.

also, in an effort to help foster new businesses [cue hearts in our eyes] we are helping to ignite HYPE, Healdsburg Young Professionals & Entrepreneurs, through the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce. The first event is tonight from 5:30 to 7 at Downtown Wines, a super hip tasting room with delicious wines. this town needs some fired up young folk! who’s with us?!

happy new year!

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h + a

yes, this palette has been around for a while now. so consider it an update: we’re STILL into it. taken in NYC way back when it snowed there that one time.

free downloadable gift tags just in time for your holiday gifties! notion:creative has, once again, opted to forgo gift-giving among office personnel (that’s myself & Heather), but that won’t stop us from slapping these fun, vintagey tags on some things around our office.

This stapler is TO Heather. FROM Aly. (she seems to collect them.)

And this set of logo drafts is FOR Heather’s review. FROM Aly, xoxo!

and don’t forget about our 2010 and 2009 gift tags, which are still good for the giving.

happy holiday season!

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a

super sweet small objects. for stuffing in stockings or gifting to hostesses or for no good reason at all.

1. talisman beechwood kitchen tools

2. MAGNO wood radio – medium by Singgih Kartono

3. superior servers ladies & gentlemen

4. alexander – steel cufflinks

5. credit card lightbulb

6. the meh. flask

7. a collection a day book by Lisa Congdon

vintagey finds from the outer realms of the internet:

1. any art by Hollie Chastain

2. vintage chicken feeder pendant light

3. vintage Danish modern Ekco stainless Eterna Canoe flatware via eBay

4. vintage dictionary art print — 8×10

5. vintage eye charts: letters

6. WAS recycled billboard mini satchel

7. vintage porch glider

8. vintage floor lamp

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a

i hate to sound like a broken record year after year but there are just certain things worth mentioning more than once. the lesters store is one of those things. this aesthetically pleasing art/found object, gallery/store has set up shop in geyserville for the holidays! so go on and let go of all your gift giving woes because the fantastic ladies of the lesters store can help. take a peek at their website to preview the artists and finds they’ll be featuring.

» their pop-up store can be visited from now until Dec 28, daily from noon to 7pm.

Perdita Productions
21025 Geyserville Avenue
Geyserville, Ca

catch their next event on Saturday, December 10th from 6 to 9pm with live music, gifts, and light refreshments.

and if you need more than one reason to head up to geyserville, then here you go: diavola pizzeria…pizza [gf + reg] that tastes so good when it hits your lips.

see you there.

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h