For the first time in history, Americans don’t believe their children will enjoy a better life. This is bad news for business. The currency that sustains brands, businesses and governments is trust – and it’s never been in shorter supply. If the American consumer wrote a letter to management, it would go like this: [...]

If you were asked ‘What’s your favorite piece of graphic design”, how would you answer? Steven Heller’s newest book, I HEART DESIGN, provides the answer from a bunch of typographers, teachers, scholars, writers and, well…designers. Steven invited me to join in. Many designers in this book chose exotic, beautiful, little known but brilliant artifacts. Me? [...]

In 1919, Alex Osborn joined with Bruce Fairchild Barton and Roy Sarles Durstine to form the BDO advertising agency. He was largely responsible for the 1928 merger of BDO (Barton, Durstine & Osborn) with the George Batten Company to create BBDO. After years of success and having survived the Great Depression, BBDO underwent a crisis [...]

It’s on! So now we’re figuring out the logistics to bring the remarkable exhibit “Graphic Intervention: 25 Years of International AIDS Awareness Posters 1985–2010” to The Art Directors Club Gallery this June. It’s a cohesive selection of 153 amazing posters presenting an overview of diverse creative strategies employed by many countries working within their own [...]

Last week Arianna Huffington wrote so powerfully about the influence of mythic archetypes in modern American politics that I am shamelessly re-posting much of her thinking here. It clarifies why story is more potent than information. Her whole essay is on Huffpo – which I suggest checking out. Sarah Palin, “Mama Grizzlies,” Carl Jung, and the [...]

In 2007 we started our firm with The Martin Agency and with the support of Mike Hughes, its President and Chief Creative Officer. Our partnership has been an extraordinarily productive journey on both sides. We’ve done terrific work together, including the design of the Microsoft Store and the launch of The Alliance for Climate Protection [...]