Fitness Photos

If you’ve browsed through Migrate Photos, you probably noticed that there weren’t many “people” pictures… Since I have a predilection for macro photography, I usually choose objects, flowers and insects as my subjects. I turned down quite a few requests from people wanting me to take family portraits because I just don’t feel comfortable with that kind of photography. I would end up with slanted close ups of hands, eyes and noses… and I don’t know if people would appreciate my perspective since most of them are very traditional when it comes to family pictures.

When my friend Sonia asked me to take fitness photos of her, I warned her: “I usually don’t photograph people, this is not my thing… and fitness photography is an art in itself that I know nothing about…”, but we decided to do it anyway. Just the two of us and a few pieces of equipment. No make up, no professional lighting, very basic.

Sonia’s body is a piece of art in itself, like a sculpture carefully defined, her muscles create lines and shapes that really inspired me. Here’s a little glimpse at the result.

Sonia Martin, “Fit is The New Sexy”™, is an athlete and fitness instructor.

#photo#emotions#sharing

Those annoying Instagram filters that make all of our pictures have a similar feel, sometimes help you create that one image that’s truly unique and beautiful. This is mine.

Look Magazine – Santa Clarita Edition

Check out your mailbox, a new issue of Look Magazine is out, containing more than 80 ads by Migrate Design!

The Importance of Advertising for Local Businesses

“A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time.” ~ Henry Ford

Can you imagine what would happen if you stopped your clock just to give you more time? You might get the illusion of accomplishing more but ultimately, you would get left behind, especially in a world and era as fast paced as ours.

In today’s economy, business owners are sometimes reluctant to spend money on advertising, not realizing that it is the key to making their business move forward and increase sales.

Here are a few reasons why you should advertise.

- Not everyone knows who you are: Your business might have been established for years or just a few months, but chances are, people don’t know you yet. Families are moving in and out of cities and you need ways to let them know about you.

- Let them know you’re still in business: Just as people move in and out of cities, businesses open and close, especially in today’s economy. Regular advertising will let your customers know that you’re still here to serve them.

- Competition is fierce: You might see competition only as other businesses or products of your type, but really, competition is anything consumers are spending money on. Advertising will help you stand out from the crowd.

- Generate traffic: Steady traffic is the first step towards increasing sales and expanding customer base. Make your potential customers curious about a new product or service and offer them a discount. The more customers through the door, the better chance of a sale and a referral.

- Turn wants into needs: Convince people that they need your service or your product by creating catchy advertising and having a consistent presence, either in local magazines, mailers, billboards…

- Save your customers time and energy: Especially in today’s economy, you need to be there when consumers are ready to purchase. If they have been repeatedly exposed to your message, they won’t have to spend time researching, they will come to you when they need you.

- Keep your image strong: Your business is more likely to be chosen if you have provided a strong, reliable image that sticks in people’s head.  As I mentioned in a previous post, visual identity is key, make sure your advertising follows the trends of the moment.

- Move forward: Advertising is the perfect tool to make you stand out and help you move forward by getting recognition and increasing sales. Don’t see it as a cost but as an investment in your business.

There are many more reasons I could mention, but the bottom line is: advertising is important. It’s like an invitation for your potential customers to come see who you are and what you have to offer.

Contact Migrate Design to discuss the many advertising options available to you and your business.

Absolut Collection

In the early 90′s, I fell in love with the simplicity and cleverness of the Absolut Vodka ad campaign. I became Absolutely obsessed and started my “Absolut Collection”.

Did you know that Absolut vodka has been running essentially the same print advertising campaign for 25 years? All 1,500 of the ads in the campaign feature or make sly reference to Absolut’s distinctive bottle, with the stubby neck and see-through label. All also use variations on the two-word tagline used in the original ad, which shows the bottle with a halo above the words Absolut Perfection.

Over the years, the bottle’s profile has been used to mimic, for example, a ski slope, a polygraph’s printout and the rotund frame of Alfred Hitchcock. There have also been regional variations, including a bottle-shaped swimming pool for the Los Angeles market and a bottle in the shape of New York’s Central Park. In Philadelphia, Absolut ads offered a likeness of Ben Franklin wearing bottle-shaped spectacles.

Contemporary artists such as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring have done ads for Absolut and the company has run ads painted in the style of Rubens and other old masters. Fashion designers Gianni Versace, Helmut Lang, Manolo Blahnik and Anna Molinari have created clothing for ads and promotions; celebrity photographers Herb Ritts and Annie Liebowitz also have taken part. Ads have incorporated album covers from David Bowie, Miles Davis and the Velvet Underground.

Even though this original campaign came to an end in 2006, I’m still eager to grow my collection – a little over 200 prints so far. So if you come across an Absolut ad, think about me !

If you’d like to see more, don’t forget to visit the “Absolut Gallery”

Your Logo, Your Identity.

Why is having a logo so important?

A logo is a symbol or small design used to identify an organization, a business or even an individual, product or service. A logo is what gives you a visual identity and we all know how important it is in today’s world!

Relevant: Wether you want it very obvious or more subtile, your logo needs to relate to your company’s services, products or its name, one way or another.

Representation: Your logo is your image, so whatever you want your potential customers to know about your company, your logo should represent it. Make it look professional, stylish and smart – or fun, grungy and smart.

Memorable: A smart logo is a memorable logo, and by smart I mean simple yet able to deliver a message. It needs to grab people’s attention quickly and stay anchored in their minds.

Color: Choosing the right color is important but once again, less is more and a logo should work in black and white as well as in color.

Identity: So you have the perfect logo… Now what? Use it as your visual identity and spread it. Business cards, flyers, brochures, ads… you name it! The more present your logo is in your community, the more chances people will hire you or buy your products!

So, are logos important? YES! The moment you try to reach people and you want them to remember you or your business, you need a logo. Every business, as small as it might be, should have one.

What if you already have a logo but you’re not happy with it? Even though you shouldn’t change your visual identity too much – just like you wouldn’t change your name – it’s never too late to give it a small makeover. Visual trends change over the years and once your logo is established, it’s okay to change it to make it fit the times better. Pepsi is a good example for this type of design evolution.

Migrate Design can help you create something unique and memorable. Don’t be shy, get your visual identity out there!

Water Works Plumbing is the perfect example of logo makeover! From complicated and outdated, to simple and modern, Migrate Design gave this logo, a fresh new start.

Frostie Bottom Treestands Logo

Thumbtack.com has been a great resource for Migrate Design over the past year. It allowed us to establish new clients all over the United States.

The latest project was the creation of a logo for Frostie Bottom Treestands, located in Claremont, North Carolina.

ARTree 2013 Calendar

As a bud of the ARTree Community Arts Center, Géraldine designed their 2013 calendar.

The calendar showcases the art of children that participated in arts classes from The Newhall Community Center and The Activities Center. With a donation of $5.00 you can enjoy the art of 12 talented artists from our classes this summer and fall. Help support arts education in Santa Clarita by donating $5.00 to a great cause.

The Calendar is available at The Newhall Community Center, The Activities Center and by emailing the ARTree at dichos1@hotmail.com or calling 818 634-4180.

Brochure For Columbian Financial Group

It’s that time of the year! Our longtime client Unique Events is organizing another event for Columbian Financial Group. The destination: The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna, Austria!

Migrate Design rose up to the challenge of creating another brochure for this upscale event.

2013, Here We Come!

I hope you had a wonderful Holiday season. It is now time to start planning for the New Year. One of the ways to grow your business successfully is to incorporate creative designs and graphics into your promotional materials. Migrate Design can help! We have lots of creative ideas and original designs and would love an opportunity to share these with you.

Let us assist you with your promotional needs, and be a part of your marketing strategy, perhaps a memorable new logo to start the New Year. Looking forward to partnering with you and make 2013 your most profitable year ever!

Happy New Year!