As you may have heard, last week Quaker Foods announced that Larry, the plump mascot that has been an icon of the brand for 135 years, has shed a few pounds. The changes are subtle and even hard to see when you compare them side-by-side. Larry’s hair is shorter, neck is thinner and his full rounded face is more slender. In addition to Larry’s makeover, the Quaker logo has been refined—its bold look has a retro flair. The most noticeable change is how Larry and the brand name are housed in a bright red background.

Larry isn’t a fashion victim, or trend setter, it’s just a simple evolution to keep the brand identity relevant and current. Several years ago Betty Crocker went under the knife, the result was a much younger, more contemporary looking woman. She isn’t your mother any more, she now looks like your neighbor. General Mills spent nearly two years researching and designing and testing both Betty and the revised signature spoon. One surprising thing the company found was that the beautiful cake and cooking images featured on their packaging were too perfect. While consumer’s thought the tasty treats were appetizing, they felt like it was not a result they could achieve at home. So, when new packaging images were shot, the perfectly peaked frosting was gone and replace by creamy imperfect swirls. This new “home style” look even features crumbs on the plate.

So, what can Larry and Betty teach us? It’s simple; your brand identity is not a static thing, it needs to change and adapt to your audience over time. In the same way you might revise and rethink a strategic plan. These changes don’t need to be drastic. Remember it’s an evolutionary process that builds on what already has been established. It could be as simple as tweaking the color or refreshing the logomark’s type treatment.

I encourage you to look in the mirror and see if your brand needs a little Botox to stay connected with your audience. When was the last time you evaluated your brand identity? If it hasn’t been during this century, it’s probably time to go under the knife.

We’ve always heard the sayings “it’s the little things in life that mean the most” and “a picture is worth a thousand words .” Both of these sayings direct to quite simple things that mean much more than the item/act alone. For example, these could be the small conveniences in life like heated seats in a car, or even tiny things from day to day that brighten a mood such as a little surprise note on your mouse saying how fun you are today (also related: building up my ego).

How many times have you heard of an idea or seen a new product and your first thought was “I’ve thought of that before!” or “I could have done that!” MANY of these ideas are simple, so simple that you feel dumb you didn’t think of it first. To go even further, many of these “I’ve thought of that” products can even make your life easier.

Example #1: Yanko Design has created an iPhone case playing off the use of elasticity. Check them out, you’ll wish you would have thought of it.

Example #2: A reusable water bottle (you’re welcome, environment) by Vapur that rolls up for easy storage and transportation when not in use.

Daily, I am inspired by the minds of others, the way others think, the knowledge others possess that I can’t fully grasp. On the other hand, I’m proud of the things that come easy to me that others just don’t understand or seem to generalize. These simple products that others have created keep me guessing, and thinking of the next big idea that I can bring to the table. I have yet to come up with my “ah-ha” product/idea, but I assure you I’ll be working on it.

What products do you regret not being the creator of?

Pinterest is honestly my new favorite form of social media right now (no offense, blogging). I mean, think about it – where else can you browse and be flooded with every type of creative inspiration out there? I’m pretty convinced that Pinterest is creating a new form of creative community and it’s making DIY projects that much more tangible.

It’s definitely bringing out the crafty kids in us here at Willow. Without Pinterest, I don’t think we’d ever know just how many people actually own glue guns, enjoy cutting out little pieces of fabric and would use their lunch break to step away from their computers only to continue to use their creativity with a more hands-on approach.

Which leads me to our most recent Pin Buster Project. Only two of us were able to attend the party this time, but it was definitely worth it (even the multiple hot glue gun burns to the finger tips were worth it).

The Project: Pom Pom Bib Necklace
The Participants: Marizka and Sarah
The Results:

If you enjoyed this Pin Buster Project, be sure to check out our last one. Better yet, check out our Pinterest Boards and see what inspires us.

Some might say Pinterest is a craze, obsession, or huge time suck, but it is also a great place to find and explore your creative side. Projects ranging from sewing, cooking, painting, drawing, gift wrapping, decorating, and more all provide creative outlets.

Though we are not all designers, we each are creative in our own way, and it is important that we experiment and step out of our comfort zones. In an effort to explore different creative outlets we’ve decided to dedicate one lunch a week to trying our hand at creative projects – that have nothing to do with our work. Pinterest is where our initial ideas will come from, so we’re calling this craft time “Pin Buster Time” and we’ve already identified 3 projects to try.

Today was project one. A necklace made from t-shirts. We all brought in a t-shirt of any color from home. The proper tools were provided by our very own crafty/do-it-yourself girl Sarah. There were the daring ones who brought in t-shirts in bright colors and the safe ones (and possibly more practical ones) who brought in various shades of gray, because, well, gray goes with everything, right?

In doing this, not only did we discover that DIY projects are not as time-consuming and difficult as we think they are, but we also found that taking time away from our desks to explore new creative outlets is a great way to fill us with new energy to put towards the rest of our day.

If you have any crafty ideas you’d like us to try, let us know, and we’ll add them to our list.

A logo is not a brand. But a logo quite often represents the brand. It is the entry point to all of your products or services. That’s why it’s important that your logo is an accurate representation of your brand positioning, personality and mission.

What should a logo communicate?

• A logo should be simple and easily read without being boring.

• A logo should reflect your brand personality.

• A logo should embody your brand strategy.

• A logo should be flexible and have the ability to work in a variety of applications, from business cards to websites and packaging.

• A logo should look different than other logos.

Since your logo needs to do a lot of work, it needs to be thoughtfully designed. I believe in order to truly see the pure design, and not be influenced by extraneous elements, that all initial logo designs be created in black and white (and maybe shades of gray if necessary). This will allow you to judge the design for it’s unique qualities and emotional appeal.

Once the design is perfected, color can be added. By making this a different step in the process, you eliminate the need to worry both about design and color options. You’ve selected a design, now you’re selecting the color. It’s kind of like building a house—first you build the structure, then you decorate.

Now take a step back, look at your logo and see if it is communicating properly.