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Hello FINE Friend, |
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We’ve spent the past two months doing things and then remembering them to share with you. The lessons we’ve learned, and the ideas inspiring us now, are yours to keep.
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4 Big Takeaways |
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There’s Fertile Soil in Staying True to Brand Roots.
If you’ve earned the right to celebrate your history, don’t forget to do that. Since 1969, Cuvaison has helped preserve the myth of early Napa Valley. Their mission (and their wine) remains true to their roots. It's what inspired a ground-up re-imagining of their legacy within a modern craft context. A new brand strategy, identity, packaging, and website are already drawing accolades from CommArts, The Drum, Packaging of the World, and GDUSA.
Meet Increasing Demand for Craft With a Supply of Authentic Design.
Craft’s intrinsic integrity and impact on society’s culture is of more perceived value than ever (if you don’t fake it). Continuing our series with The Drum, FINE Content Manager Allyson Marrs digs into that topic with designer and educator Mark Fox.
A Little Humor Goes A Long Way in Building Brands.
Today’s upscale audience is captured, engaged, and retained through brand experience. Infusing it with lightness puts the approachability in approachable luxury. As FINE Partner Josh Kelly shares with AdWeek, it’s not about companies being funny; it’s about being human.
It’s Time to Show People How the Sausage is Made.
From cable and digital shows, to building brands, people have a growing fascination with how things get made. Replace the old-fashioned compulsion to plot in secret and unveil perfection with a thoughtful invitation behind-the-scenes. Tesla tweets every assembly line innovation. Bode posts their work-in-process property. FINE previews work snippets. Anchor shows the brewing. Frank Family Vineyards spends a day with you, to name a few. Go ahead. Show people what you’re made of.
13 Micro-Inspirations
- Our staff is 60% women, and we 100% believe in paying them equal (or more) to men, because gender equity standards are just plain good for business.
- The Wall Street Journal features Carmel Partners’ 19 Dutch apartments.
- Treat people like humans…and other lessons in putting culture first.
- Finding CI/CD nirvana using Jenkins.
- Ashes & Diamonds wins again, this time a Summit Creative Award.
- 99 problems but color theory ain’t one.
- Did NYTimes create a special skinny ‘S’ so they could fit ‘EISENHOWER SAYS’ in one-column headlines in the 1950s?
- This auction house uses illustration to bring personality to the sometimes mundane logistics of, like, auctions.
- Is this 1948’s version of a responsive production handoff?
- Send yourself into a trance with these Rorschach satellites.
- What is Radical Candor and why do we need more of it?
- Girl Scouts adds 30 new STEM badges.
- KitchenAid launches its own color of the year, possibly starting a brand trend no one really asked for.
Thanks for reading. Write me anytime. I live on my email.
Your FINE Friend,
Steve
P.S. We're hiring a senior digital designer, digital designer, and digital services manager. |
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