Many years ago, I asked designers and illustrators to send me an example of their very early work that they were still proud to have done. Paul Rand mounted this advertisement (below) on a board without any indication of when or where it was created, although it was possibly done in the early 1940s for the William Weintraub agency where Rand was art director. Presumably it was written by William Bernbach before he founded Doyle Dane Bernbach. It was a novel way to produce a want-ad for an executive ad salesman for an unnamed national magazine during the pre-Mad Men days.
“He should be neither too young to have proved his ability to hang up an enviable record … nor should he be so old that gloating over past achievements, no matter how spectacular, clutters up his mind,” reads the copy. “Therefore, he will possess wide contacts at important agencies and among the executives of standout advertisers. He will know so-and-so and such-and-such at all the right places … but he will have to know them in the right way, and be able to prove it, to measure up to the full stature of the job we hope to fill.”
I asked Rand whether the slug at the bottom of the right column was a precursor of his mark for NeXT computers. “No,” he said.
Logo Design and Branding: Expert GuideIn “Logo Design and Branding: A New Approach to Better Logo Design and Branding for Designers and Managers,” Dr. Bill Haig explains the process of applying credibility principles to a company’s logo, branding and advertising to create an image that has both longevity and value. Moreover, he explains exactly how to do it—and proves that with some planning and an understanding of the process, any designer can create a logo that truly sells.
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About Steven Heller
Steven Heller is the co-chair of the SVA MFA Designer /Designer as Author + Entrepreneur program, writes frequently for Wired and Design Observer. He is also the author of over 170 books on design and visual culture. He received the 1999 AIGA Medal and is the 2011 recipient of the Smithsonian National Design Award.View all posts by Steven Heller →