Below the Line

Pink wash

I've already discussed the trend for stylized Mad Men-inspired typography. But what's an agency creative to do if the target audience is women? Oh I know - paint it pink.

Avon:

Bare Escentuals:

Where have all the Mad Men gone?

If, like many people in marketing and advertising, you are a fan of Mad Men, you may bemoan the fact that season four won't start until around July. Perhaps this has been playing on the subconscious of agency creatives, who can't seem to get enough of that Mad Men typography.

Here is the Mad Men logo and an intro to one of their online video clips:

This tagline from Kentucky Fried Chicken looks awfully similar:

 

Here is CNN's take on the trend:

Font face-off: Italian farm vs AT&T

I received two direct mail solicitations on the same day using "handwritten" fonts -- a tried and true direct marketing tactic. Who do you think used the tactic better, AT&T or a small Italian farm that most people have never heard of?

AT&T's offer arrived in a plain-looking legal-sized envelope (a.k.a. "DL" envelope). The font they selected could pass as actually handwritten, but the non-personalized address to "Valued California Resident" surely tips off most recipients that it was a marketing solicitation rather than a letter from a friend.

Inside is a flyer that simulates a bad photocopy with "handwritten" notes in blue from the unknown sender who states "Why wait? I'm calling today!". On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd rate this DM piece as pathetic.

The other DM piece I received came from Frattoria La Vialla as an insert in Management Today magazine. There's no mistaking this four-color piece as actually handwritten, but the use of the font perfectly fits the piece. (Note: the image quality has unfortunately been reduced by my scanner.)