A Tribute to Old Logos
Call ‘em vintage, retro or just plain old, I’m talking about logos that have worn out their welcome. Designs of the times, they’re no longer deemed hip or representative. A few get updated, like Apple computer’s current monochrome logo that … Continue reading 
DAAKE combines with Children’s Hospital & Medical Center for Healthcare awards
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center won two Best of Show awards at the 2009 Healthleaders Media Marketing Awards, as well as a platinum and a gold award at the 2009 MARCOM awards for pieces DAAKE designed. Among the winners were … Continue reading
No One Cares About You
No one cares about you — on the internet, that is — according to Seth Godin. Experience his dynamic perspective on what drives interest on the web.
Why Great Ads Get Noticed
If every daytime sky was cloudy and gray, would we bother looking up? If every house was built the same, would there be any pride in ownership? If everyone was beautiful, would anyone be beautiful? It’s the same reasoning behind … Continue reading
Gamers Today, Consumers Tomorrow
My nephew invited me to play a video game the other day, and I was amazed. I’ve seen him and others play before, but I’d never picked up a controller myself and went head to head. The command they have … Continue reading
Marketing the Ridiculous
Whenever I’m on a plane, I can’t help but look through SkyMall magazine. Not because I’m interested in shopping. For me, it’s a somewhat grown up version of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Page after page, the products get more … Continue reading
The Curious Nature of Design
Ever watch the kids at a children’s museum? Their exuberance and energy flow in equal proportions to another valuable trait: curiosity. They rush everywhere, exploring every facet of the exhibits, acting out their fantasies and creating new ones. Ideas bubble … Continue reading
Mining Great Ideas
You’re thumbing through a magazine or watching television and you come across an advertisement that is so stunningly bad, so far from the mark that you stop and ask, “What were they thinking?” Maybe it was the best idea they … Continue reading
Don’t Make Your Customers Find You
One of the many things I enjoy most about this time of year is the abundance of locally-grown vegetables available at the city’s many roadside stands. I appreciate that I can stop at lunch or on the way home and … Continue reading
Branding is an Asset
Earlier this year, when Microsoft offered to buy Yahoo! for $47.5 billion, it wasn’t because the Internet giant had a fleet of aircraft or thousands of acres of real estate filled with warehouses or blocks of Manhattan skyscrapers. Those are … Continue reading
Designing an Image that Lasts
When his father died forcing his mother to enter the workforce to support the family, a six-year-old boy began caring and cooking for his younger siblings. As he grew older, the young man held several jobs but never strayed far … Continue reading
Designing for the Now
Our society has become focused on immediate results and gratification. We know what we want, and we want it now. Instant text messaging. Rapid weight loss. High-speed Internet. So much is “Flash” this and “Quick” that. If you’re the fourth … Continue reading
Being Safe and Sorry
My wife and I like to go out for the evening. We explore new places, eat at different restaurants and visit unique shops and galleries. Not every new place we go is a hit. We’ve had some bad meals and … Continue reading
Recognizing the Keepers
A visit to the apple orchards near Nebraska City in the fall can be a fascinating experience. As the harvest comes in, the apples are sorted by machine and by hand according to variety, size and grade. The very best … Continue reading
Thinking Outside the Mind
In journalism, editorial bias can’t simply be denied, it must be overcome. Because they’re human, journalists will have personal beliefs and preconceptions. But, to be truly impartial, they must check their bias at the door when interviewing a source or … Continue reading
Marketing Budgets and Virtual Agencies
Emily Thornton Calvo, for HealthLeaders Media
says, “In this economy, healthcare marketers are watching their budgets more closely than ever. Hospitals endure rising costs, pressure to increase access, and let’s face it, they’d rather spend money on the latest CT … Continue reading
Blogging Your Way to New Sales
In 1922, German artist Paul Klee used watercolor, ink and oil to create his classic work, “Twittering Machine.” The painting depicts “twittering” birds atop a hand-cranked “machine.” Today, America could be referred to as a “Twittering machine.” Each day, more … Continue reading
DAAKE Helps Healthcare Clients Win More Than 20 Advertising/Marketing Awards, Including Judge’s Choice and Best of Show
Three of DAAKE’s healthcare clients won 13 Aster Awards and nine Healthcare Marketing Awards for DAAKE-designed pieces. Winning entries included Annual Reports, Billboards, Newsletters, Logo Design/Stationery, Print Advertising Campaigns, Magazine Design, Professional Recruitment and Special Event Marketing. A Judge’s Choice … Continue reading
Why Should I Read Details Magazine?
The average 30 minute sitcom is comprised of 22 minutes of content (or signal) and 8 minutes of noise (or advertising). That’s 73% show and 27% dough (ahem, for the network). I bet Details realizes how little op/ed content they … Continue reading
Selling to ‘the Next Generation’ of Consumers
When you see the new Pepsi brands – from different tastes to the amazing cans that change artwork with every 12-pack you buy – do you wonder why they would tinker with something that always appeared to be working? What … Continue reading
New Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Identity
DAAKE partnered with Children’s Hospital & Medical Center to develop and design their new identity, new name and a new brand highlighting their expertise, growth, and more than 60 years of service to children.
DAAKE wins three ADDY awards
The 16th Annual Nebraska Addy Awards, the industry’s largest and most represented competition, honored DAAKE with three Addys for their 2008 work with Omaha Print and The Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center.
Continuity Across an Integrated Campaign
There is an underlying, almost invisible vocabulary associated with the design of an integrated campaign. Difficult to detect, cumbersome to explain but nonetheless present. This dialect usually holds the common parts (and uncommon parts) together into a cohesive group. It … Continue reading
Marketing in a Recession
Business today reflects our volatile economic environment. And while we don’t want to appear presumptuous, our years of marketing communications experience give us a perspective we’d like to share. We hope you’ll find it worth considering. Pare expenses, but spare … Continue reading
Super Bowl Zeitgeist
Zeitgeist, or “the taste and outlook characteristic of a period or generation” is usually reflected in the design around us. From shoes, to packaging, to tv commercials and products – DESIGN – swims in the prevailing stream of art, culture, … Continue reading
One Letter Gatorade Print Ad
So I’m reading Rolling Stone the other day and happen upon the new G ads from Gatorade. These ads prove, to me anyway, that advertising doesn’t have to tell you the whole story, half the story or any story at … Continue reading
DAAKE’s Work Featured in HealthCare Advertising Review
Our recent Children’s Hospital ad campaign, produced in collaboration with Bendtsen and Company, is featured in the July/August edition of HealthCare Advertising Review.
Viral Marketing
Internet videos pop up everywhere and we all watch them from time to time. They get passed around through e-mail, MySpace, Facebook, and of course you can find them on YouTube. If they catch on and go Viral, they have … Continue reading
Reinventing the Milk Jug?
Perhaps some of you have noticed the newly designed milk jug at your local stores? This boxy new design was made with cost in mind. The case-less milk jugs save on space which means more efficient transportation, fresher milk, and … Continue reading
Would You Like to Biggie Size That Brand?
The other day I was sitting in a McDonald’s drive-thru when I noticed a sign on the wall inside that said, “The dictionary is the only place where SUCCESS comes before WORK.” Believe it or not, the same cheap slogan … Continue reading
Fly Through the Checkout
The Motorola Sparrow RFID, conceived for the problem of retail point-of-purchase pileup, combines a scanner, point-of-sale system, communication device, and credit card reader into one mobile hand-held object. This device, which consumers would carry around with them while they shop, … Continue reading
Omaha Press Club Awards DAAKE
The Omaha Press Club has awarded DAAKE and The Nebraska Medical Center first place for best layout and design of OneThousandOne magazine.
Motion in the Midwest
Ever notice entertainment seems to be getting a bit more entertaining? I suppose there are many different facets that deserve credit, but one in particular has been stealing the spotlight. I am referring to Motion Graphics. Motion has not only … Continue reading
Take Away the Sword
What sword? Remember the swooshy logo phase? Now we’re ending the stock photo phase, and we’re at the high point of the “eclectic, organic graphic overlay” phase… When was the last time a commercial, ad or collateral piece was entirely … Continue reading
It Is Easy Being Green
Every time I take the trash out, I imagine my neighbors doing the same, then the city, then state, then country, then world – and think… wow, where does it all go? Where does something go when you throw it … Continue reading
It is Black and White
How important is color to you in the potato chip aisle of your local supermarket? Do you use it to find the chips you’re looking for? Do you see the blue of Ruffles before you can read Ruffles? If Doritos … Continue reading
DAAKE Wins Neenah Paper Silver Award
Neenah Paper has awarded DAAKE a National Silver Award in the text and cover competition for its Rose Theater invitation.
DAAKE Welcomes Susan Cannella
Cannella will work as an account executive for DAAKE’s clients – ensuring the highest level of service, while developing and executing the firm’s public relations and marketing efforts.
DAAKE Wins ADDY Gold
The 14th Annual Nebraska Addy Awards, the industry’s largest and most represented competition, honored DAAKE with a gold for it’s Congratulator invite. For those of you who attended our anniversary party – you’ve seen it. However, we have some left, … Continue reading
DAAKE Sponsors Web Usability Session
DAAKE was invited to sponsor a web usability session at this year’s national NACCDO/PAN Conference in San Francisco.
DAAKE Celebrates 5 Years
Thank you to all our treasured clients and partners who came to our anniversary party Thursday. We’re still polishing off the meatballs and kabobs.
DAAKE.com Picked by HOW
HOW magazine was so taken with our site that they have listed it as one of their Web site’s “Top 10″ sites for the month of may.
