1980’s Schnucks…

1980’s Schnucks…
10/4/09

I as prowling Ffffound.com tonight and stumbled on something really familiar. Maybe familiar isn’t the right word… nostalgic?

Check out this photo of Schnucks, circa 1980.

I wrote the other day about the pool I swam at growing up. Well, the pool was often preceded or followed by a trip with my mom to get groceries. I see this photo and I can smell the store. The bakery, produce and even the cleaning supplies.

Lots of things interesting about this time in history. First of all the style is awesome. That sort of Star Warsian modernism with the strange but constant addition of American Flags and Ferns. Most know how I love my orange, not the fruit, but the color, and this period was not stingy when it came to the swatch.

Something else to note, for all those who wonder why global warming “snuck up” on us or why BPA and the over abundance of plastics in our society is so predominant, take a look at the options for bagging your groceries as of 1980. Paper or…. Paper?

Anyway, thought it was a cool shot or a piece of my history, and probably yours as well. The next time I walk into Culinaria in Downtown STL (the newest in Schnucks design) I am going got take special notice of anything that carried over. I do think their logo is orange. Good call!

Want to see more 80’s vintage stuff (ads, products, photos) check out this Flickr page. That’s where the original photo came from as well.

Doctor Goes Insane… Ads Become Awesome

Doctor Goes Insane… Ads Become Awesome
08/25/09

I was sent this article today from Ad Freak by Scott Lichtenauer. He and I tend to really appreciate the life that insanity breeds. The erratic behavior, crazy antics and complete lack of remorse for one’s actions often result in the most amazing life experiences.

Under those guidelines, Scott has done a lot more “living” than I have, but the St. Louis doctor that this article, and its source from The Riverfront Times, discusses has most people beat.

Apparently when this Dr. Kalk cracked he went by the book. Total loss of hygiene, delusions of grandeur, destructive behavior and a complete disregard for financial restraint. In his case, he spent a reported $50,000 on advertising (In RFT primarily). This is during a time when his practice was losing $90,000 a year, according to the article.

But, like a phoenix, out of the ashes comes some of the most amazing things. Check out the ads he was running.

Good for him.

I hope Dr. Kalk is getting better. The article reports he has recently been arrested for crimes he may have commited while bat shit crazy, but more than likely they won’t hold up in court.

You really should read the entire article though. It’s an incredible story of the fall of what appeared to be a promising life of a normal and friendly individual.

My favorite quote has got to be this, said of Dr. Kalk by a burned friend, business partner and the son of a mafia hit man,

“I don’t have much of a social life. The friends I got I can count on one hand and with fingers left over … I really liked Alex. If it had been anyone else, they’d be dead.”

Fun work

Martin Luther King Tribute
06/1/10

I wanted to attempt this style  in February, and being Black History Month I chose the Rev. as my muse.

His face is made up of the words of his epic Lincoln Memorial “I have a dream…” speech.

Take a look. I am having it framed as I type.

Smoking Goat Branding
04/1/10

I like beer.

Beer high in flavor, alcohol and price. I brew at home, but wouldn’t consider myself very good at this point. I’m working on it.

We have friends in Louisiana who I would consider really good. I designed some branding for their forthcoming brewery down there.

The Smoking Goat will hopefully be amazing, especially if I get some good beer out of the deal.

Have a look. Then drink a beer and have a look again. Continue this process until the logo looks awesome.

New Poster
02/4/10

This is a poster I made for my buddy Dustin.

A classic quote from him as we drove by Effingham, IL’s infamous and huge cross.

I thought it would look good in his new apartment.

Sheltered Perceptions
01/6/10

I recently got the chance to work on a project for the Humane Society. Given the fact that every time I walk into an animal shelter I have to be talked down from taking home every animal in the place, I was happy to help in anyway I could.

With the majority of pet buying in the United States coming from breeders, mall pet shops and unfortunately mills, animal shelters (specifically the Humane Society) are left overflowing with pets that need loving homes. They are running into a perception problem however, and many misconceptions about shelter pets are accepted as fact, and often repeated as such.

To get past this, we decided to take the problem head on, and address the most common misconceptions individually.

Here is where we landed:

Lauren and Dan sit’n in a tree…
01/5/10

My good friend Lauren is getting married in July, and though I am extremely jealous of her fiance Dan (don’t tell my wife), I made their save the date cards.

I use VistaPrint to print these types of things. Though the quality suffers, and the rumor is that they are destroying local community printers nationwide, for the price they can’t be beat. Check them out next time you want to customize your own holiday card or invitation.

Here’s how Lauren’s STDs turned out: