On a recent vacation to Nevada, I was able to tour Hoover Dam. The Dam is testimony to America’s ability to construct monolithic projects in the midst of adverse conditions: perhaps a lesson we need to remember in these recessionary times. Built during the Great Depression, it took less than five years, in a harsh and barren land, to complete the largest dam of its time: arriving two years ahead of schedule AND under budget. Thousands of men moved their families to Black Canyon, finding good paying work on the project at a time when jobs were scarce. Beautiful as well as functional, The Dam was built to last 2000 years. To this day, it provides low-cost hydroelectric power to Nevada, Arizona and California. It is a National Historic Landmark and a memorable trip through the desert and back in time to an era when America, sorely challenged, rose to the occasion. For me, it is also a monument to classic Art Deco design: simple, elegant and proudly machine-age.

As a small tribute…we’ve gathered a few of our Apples together…old and new! Enjoy!!

“WORDS” ( a film by Everynone for Radiolab + NPR )  is, simply put, beautiful. It is a humble tribute to something we all do, everyday, with a seriously powerful message. It reminds us that there is an amazing level of complexity involved in communication and that our “words” can have different meanings entirely. You can watch the 3 minute film HERE.

Tell us your story at: www.rvacreates.com. Come and create your own personalized badge of creative thinking and show your support. What are you and your organization doing to promote creative thinking?

Oh, cool bumper stickers are available (they reflect light!)…just ask.

A stunning collection of architecture, environmental graphic design, interior design, industrial design and more from Shanghai’s World Expo. Click here to see more.

iPad Magazine Art Direction from Brad Colbow on Vimeo.

Needless to say, technology has changed the landscape of marketing and design. We’ve all had to re-evaluate existing brands and rethink new ones, beyond print, beyond web, and beyond social media. So when Jo brought in a great article about Google’s brand last week it really got me thinking. Their logo, which is fairly unremarkable in itself from a design standpoint, has completely bucked brand tradition. Last year, Aol jumped on board and rebranded with a logo that not only changes color, but also changes texture and imagery. So what, or who, is next? All of this was fresh in my mind when I came across this article that uses squid (of all things) to bring up some really interesting ideas on the future of branding and marketing. Good food for thought!

Great photography is such an important part of any finished piece, printed or online.  And usually, we focus on the finished product of our work, the brochures, magazines, and advertisements that we complete for our clients.  However, in recent weeks we’ve been given the opportunity to capture the right photo to speak for our clients. Here are a few photos from behind the view finder of our latest photo shoots  at Randolph Macon College and Carpenter Co.  Finished products coming soon!

Volkswagen and ad agency DDB Stockholm are launching a behavior-change campaign linking positive behaviors with fun. The “Fun Theory Campaign” is an initiative to promote environmentally friendly behaviors and is ultimately about driving environmentally friendly cars. The idea behind the campaign is to demonstrate that acting responsibly can be fun. Several experiments are under way. One converted a staircase in a Stockholm subway station into working piano keys. The result: 66% more people chose the stairs over the escalator. Another uses cartoonlike sound effects to make throwing rubbish into the trash can fun. That bin collected 41 kilograms more trash in one day than did a standard bin nearby. This campaign is a stellar example of advertising at its best: a big idea that can work across all media, including social and viral.

For more information go here. For more pictures go here.