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Matt’s comment is:
Never heard of this company til now, guess they are one of those "we do everything, just see us nowhere..." or i forget how the other companies slogan is "we don't make anything, we just make everything better." In any event, with 530,000 employees, one of them should've said "we need to make our logo better." for christ's sake, what's going on with the type? what is that triangle in the circle, and why is it not centered? is that the scope on 1 of the killing machines? The article on ABC say's it's supposed to be a Duck? Seriously? haha. the space between life/better, you can drive a truck through that. the leading between the 3 lines... what the heck is going on???
On May.07.2009 at 07:35 AM
shelly’s comment is:
um..its a tv show...
On May.07.2009 at 07:40 AM
Armin’s comment is:
Fake or not (it's fake) the logo animation at the end of the commercial is remarkably good.
On May.07.2009 at 08:03 AM
Sacha’s comment is:
That logo is perfect... you could probably interpret it in 10 different ways and make all of them sound plausible, but in the end it's simply as meaningless as the company's name !
On May.07.2009 at 08:05 AM
Jon’s comment is:
Really? How much did ABC pay you to promote the show? Hopefully enough so you will never have to do this again.
On May.07.2009 at 08:47 AM
john’s comment is:
slow news day, huh?
On May.07.2009 at 09:06 AM
craig shully’s comment is:
funny is tough to do
On May.07.2009 at 09:21 AM
Daniel Bertalotto’s comment is:
It's awesome. The brand promise is the main character of the show.
On May.07.2009 at 09:50 AM
QuePasa’s comment is:
What's with "532,972 and a half" employees. And a half???
On May.07.2009 at 09:55 AM
Armin’s comment is:
> Really? How much did ABC pay you to promote the show? Hopefully enough so you will never have to do this again.
They paid us so much money, Christian just but a new Hummer and I bought the Escalade with thick-ass rims I always wanted.
> slow news day, huh?
If you are not looking at the environment and culture that permeates everyday life, you are short-sighting yourself. Design and branding is everywhere.
And trust me, we have a dozen things in queue and this is as relevant as any of those.
Apologies for the bluntness, but seriously, let's try open up a little, huh?
On May.07.2009 at 10:09 AM
efrencast’s comment is:
"Design and branding is everywhere". I liked that. Well said.
On May.07.2009 at 10:40 AM
Iulian’s comment is:
Veridian Dynamics next to Dharma Corporation merchandise :)) This would have been a good April 1st candidate.
It's nice to see them paying attention to design details that are usually overlooked in such cases.
On May.07.2009 at 10:51 AM
jRod’s comment is:
The "1/2 employee" thing is from this quote:
Our company has 532,972 and 1/2 employees? That's right, we created half an employee as an experiment -- a successful experiment!
On May.07.2009 at 11:28 AM
Andrew Schick’s comment is:
The show is great. In fact I would say that it is as intelligent and well written as 30-Rock or the late and great Arrested Development. It's rare to find good comedy on television right now, but this show definitely qualifies.
On May.07.2009 at 11:32 AM
Chris’s comment is:
I appreciate sarcastic humor -- especially if it's one of the first things I read when I get to the office. Thank you, Armin!
On May.07.2009 at 11:34 AM
Armin’s comment is:
> Thank you, Armin!
Thank Christian! It was his idea.
On May.07.2009 at 11:36 AM
Dan O’s comment is:
I don't get it. Why do so many designers look no further than the end of their noses. It's a good point you make, Armin, that you have to look at EVERYTHING around you.
At a talk she gave a couple of weeks ago, someone (a student) asked Marian Bantjes where she got her inspiration. She was met with a (rightly) indignant but slightly bemused look from Marian, presumably because this girl expected to be given a list of 'golden' sources.
Too many designers aren't looking far enough and confuse inspiration with 'reference'. Go outside. Look at the sky, nature, architecture, books (no, not design books), art, graffiti, what's on the ground, at the local dollar store.
The first comment (from Matt) is symptomatic of what I mean; a knee-jerk reaction, not thought-through, not even questioning what it is or might be or even having a shred of doubt about its provenance. Man, how gullible are you?! Likewise, I sat open-mouthed at the number of imbecilic comments on April 1st surrounding the excellent Verizon scam. Mind-boggling, really, and to be honest, it makes me slightly embarrassed that these people are also designers.
So please, lift your head up every now and then, get out of your incredibly tiny box, and look at something other than beautiful graphic design. You'll be a better designer for it.
(The Veridian thing is great by the way, Armin. Thanks for posting. Please keep it up and expose the fools!)
On May.07.2009 at 02:31 PM
Jonathan’s comment is:
Joke or not... that type is freaking terrible.
On May.07.2009 at 02:55 PM
WarmOtter’s comment is:
I totally see the duck! It's in the "A".
On May.07.2009 at 03:22 PM
Rafal S.’s comment is:
I recently had to go through a so called Introduction to (a Fortune Global 500 company name here) Brand Training. It was full of ridiculous corporate talk that is given such a wonderful parody here. All of the training consisted of surprisingly vague declarations of being great at everything. Just like Veridian Dynamics...
On May.07.2009 at 04:43 PM
Able ’s comment is:
Haha! I thought I stepped into a time machine that landed on April 1, 2010.
This looks great!
Great Scott!
On May.07.2009 at 04:49 PM
Derrick Schultz’s comment is:
There's also Global Dynamics from Fringe...
Gotta wonder how General Dynamics is taking it right now.
On May.07.2009 at 07:01 PM
Marcel Venter’s comment is:
Ha, thanks for posting this one ...enjoy the Hummer
On May.07.2009 at 08:10 PM
john’s comment is:
Apologies for the bluntness, but seriously, let's try open up a little, huh?
With all due respect, perhaps a review of the Stark International logo from Iron Man would be just as appropriate.
"My goodness, did you note how the Stark International logo accentuates the rigid, unrepentant forward looking masculinity of the missile that lands next to Tony in the movie's opening? The subsequent detonation that results in Tony's mortal wounding is appropriate considering the bad kerning between the "N" and "A" letterforms, as well as the poorly considered choice of the forced italic Berthold Akzidenz Grotesk as the logotype."
Please. Reviews of legitimate entertainment branding are fun. Reviews of mock corporations featured on a TV show are just...trivial.
On May.07.2009 at 11:21 PM
john’s comment is:
So please, lift your head up every now and then, get out of your incredibly tiny box, and look at something other than beautiful graphic design. You'll be a better designer for it.
So...we're supposed to get up from in front of the "tiny box" that is our computer and go sit in front of the other "tiny box" that is our television to get inspiration.
Wow. I feel so much more inspired already.
On May.07.2009 at 11:27 PM
Andrew’s comment is:
My favorite fake corporation brand is and will always be:
Globo-Chem
"We Own Everything, So You Don't Have To!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an-WAFUpl7s
On May.07.2009 at 11:37 PM
Andrew’s comment is:
A heads up... that video has some bad language in it. Sorry I forgot the obligatory NSFW prefix.
Also, the skit is from the defunct Mr. Show with David and Bob.
On May.07.2009 at 11:45 PM
Christian Palino’s comment is:
Reviews of mock corporations featured on a TV show are just...trivial.
Why are they trivial – because they don't operate in the real world and pay taxes? This television-based example has many of the brand elements that all the other brands we review have, in some cases even more. And the somewhat conflated language they use for brand positioning and stock image videos are amazingly similar in tone and tenor to those that we see coming out of some of the biggest agencies around the world. I feel that parodies like this play an important role in helping to keep us grounded – and of course are great fun as well. So whether the context is television, comic books or fortune 500s, they likely all have something to offer the discourse.
And while Armin and I don't always agree, I'm with him here, try and open up a little.
On May.08.2009 at 01:02 AM
Tony ’s comment is:
So, what about not paying taxes? This commercial was done when the show was postponed for Mr. Obama's 100-day presser.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpUPW4FL6Mo
On May.08.2009 at 02:37 AM
Rafal S.’s comment is:
Christian Palino:
You have just put my thoughts on this into words!
Veridian Dynamics brand image and language is actually so corporate and real, it hurts.
And I admit it was necessary for me to gain some distance from the work I am doing right now...
Rafal S.’s comment is:
Oh, and one more thing.
I often detest the company headlines...
but I absolutely love this one:
Veridian Dynamics
Food. Yum.
Matt’s comment is:
to Dan O:
Sorry, didn't know we were trying to fool each other here, thought it was May already.
If I thought we were playing games here then I'd think in that mindframe, but I thought this was a serious site, my apologies...
On May.08.2009 at 08:32 AM
Matt’s comment is:
dan, what are you 7?
On May.08.2009 at 08:33 AM
john’s comment is:
I feel that parodies like this play an important role in helping to keep us grounded...So whether the context is television, comic books or fortune 500s, they likely all have something to offer the discourse.
Groovy. Great. Whatever. Then I do indeed expect Stark International, Wayne Enterprises and the Daily Bugle to be up next. And while we're at it, you guys completely missed the very impressive package that Pixar put together for Wall-E's Buy n Large.
My objection is perhaps better stated as being annoyed at the lack of context. This logo is posted as something I'm supposed to take seriously. I am presented with copy that doesn't make sense. I follow links that direct to a TV show I've never heard of. My efforts to discern the relevance of the logo force me to watch videos I don't find particularly funny. It is only then that I realize this is not a "real" company. My expectation of serious consideration is not met. I am annoyed and cranky that my time, frankly, has been wasted.
Yes, asking us to consider the relative merits of a parody identity is fine. But I would argue that as certain standards of consideration have already been articulated for this site, it would be nice if the context in which that consideration is to take place is clear from the beginning.
On May.08.2009 at 09:59 AM
Amanda B’s comment is:
@Andrew
Globochem is my favourite fake corporation too... and there's no better mascot than Pit Pat!
On May.08.2009 at 11:39 AM
Kevin M. Scarbrough’s comment is:
Love it!
On a similar note, the following irks me:
A) If an illustrator creates something for themselves and/or no client, it's called "art" or "self promotion".
B) If a photographer creates something for themselves and/or no client, it's called "art" or "self promotion".
C) If a designer creates something for themselves and/or no client, it is often looked down upon (no matter how groovy it is). Feh to that.
On May.08.2009 at 04:37 PM
Jay’s comment is:
One reason it might be relevant is that every episode they create a new commercial filled with marketing speak showing why their brand is relevant to whatever topic the show is about. Parodying brand marketers seems pretty on topic to me.
My favorite commercial was the one where the narrator talked about how important individuality was to the company. It ended with the quote "Becasue you can't spell INDIVIDUAL without VERIDIAN and U....... and an extra L."
On May.08.2009 at 05:44 PM
Anonymous’s comment is:
Pleasant branding, intriging symbol, and totally worth it to read the comments from people who thought it was real.
On May.09.2009 at 11:59 PM
Cory D’s comment is:
I think 'john' brings up a good point. I have absolutely no problem with posting Wayne Enterprises or Krusty Brand Cereal or anything of that nature, but a little context would be helpful. Also it helps to not come across as an endorsement or commercial, and i don't think thats cynical to think because in this day and age a lot of websites resort to it and i think its fair to want this website to be open about stuff like that.
On May.10.2009 at 01:38 AM
SPatricKD’s comment is:
My objection is perhaps better stated as being annoyed at the lack of context. This logo is posted as something I'm supposed to take seriously.
I think this is a clear example of taking for granted this (awesome) resource on the internet as a service that you have been so complacent with the level of diligence and benefit of the content that is delivered here that you have completely forgotten to think for yourself.
Personally I feel that lately, especially with regards to the internet, there is a level of demanded obviousness that too often creates the vast majority of the redundant mess of the internet, and communication is directed at the lowest common denominator.
When such ways of depicting content are so mandated that they are applied even to needlessly underscore something so harmless as a subtle joke— then there is an incredible breach of appropriateness—and even more heinous—we've become people who can't deliver a joke.
On May.10.2009 at 03:56 AM
john’s comment is:
I think this is a clear example of taking for granted this (awesome) resource on the internet as a service that you have been so complacent with the level of diligence and benefit of the content that is delivered here that you have completely forgotten to think for yourself.
Thank you for reminding me that I'm an idiot. I forget that sometimes.
Perhaps we as designers should remember the first *&^%ing rule of internet design: Don't Make Me Think.
Your accusation that some of us have "forgotten to think for ourselves" overlooks the fundamental fact that web content that delivers best is content that gets straight to the *&^%ing point. You overestimate my (or any other users) willingness to research and perform due diligence.
Bottom line: if someone can't tell a joke properly, don't blame the audience for not laughing.
On May.10.2009 at 01:23 PM
Peter Esher’s comment is:
The very first line of text gave away it was a parody.
Bottom line: If you don't get the joke, it doesn't mean its not funny.
On May.10.2009 at 07:05 PM
Joe’s comment is:
This is actually the first time I've commented, I usually just read and get inspired. But I had to say something. I appreciate completely the comedy of this entry, and actually I watch Better Off Ted (and they better not cancel it cause it's hilarious)- but something about how you presented this wholly as if the company existed sits a little bit like intentional viral marketing to me. Perhaps if you let us know it was a TV show and then maybe talked about the branding of Viridian then I think I wouldn't be so inspired to say something. Just my 2 cents.
On May.11.2009 at 01:15 PM
Pamela’s comment is:
YES! This is a TV show...Better Off Ted. Big fat deal.
What matters here is definitly the design! Both on the branding side AND the advertising side.
While I totally love the corporate logo (clean, cold and sterile), I find their commercial inserts are a beau-ti-ful parody of those silly company commercials that are really about....yup...NOTHING relating to the business. The logo and commercials are a perfect cliché (or stereotype) of the corporate world. What a riot!
I look forward to seeing more. stuff.
On May.11.2009 at 02:47 PM
dMullins’s comment is:
It amazes me sometimes how very little humor some people possess.
Fun stuff. Thanks, Christian.
On May.18.2009 at 09:01 AM
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