PSE Creativity Watch

[SwampD]

Or, maybe it's just a B, ya know, for Buffalo, and the hilt of a sabre, arranged in a way that the artist thought looked kinda cool.

i did not hate it.

[LTS]

17 hours ago, josie said:

I follow loads of sports creatives- it just seems a sort of shuffle backwards in comparison to some of the other stuff I'm seeing out there. 

I do think about it- it's my living. Sorry. Different point of view. I just hope a better team brings exciting stuff in all aspects. 

I realize you follow it.  I welcome your point of view.  My response was only meant to point out that I don't see many sports teams doing anything that monumental so I give the Sabres an average grade relative to their peers, that's all.

 

[Eleven]

12 minutes ago, LTS said:

I realize you follow it.  I welcome your point of view.  My response was only meant to point out that I don't see many sports teams doing anything that monumental so I give the Sabres an average grade relative to their peers, that's all.

 

From some of the stuff that Josie retweets, I'd say the Sabres are a little behind.

[josie]

31 minutes ago, Eleven said:

From some of the stuff that Josie retweets, I'd say the Sabres are a little behind.

From a hockey point of view they're a wee bit behind, but not horribly so. Honestly, the most creative community is soccer. Holy crap, there are so many passionate artists out there trying so many different things- and I realize that is partly due to the international aspect of that particular sport. I'd say in America, college football is leading the way with new/experimental graphics. Doesn't mean I like a lot of it, but I recognize the innovation and brain storms that are coming out of those organizations. What the Sabres are doing now has been a staple style amongst various college athletics collateral/new media for a few years now. 

 

Side note- design's in an interesting place right now. The super flat design/clean/sans serif everything style that got going in about 2011 is starting to go out, and while vintage nods had a moment (lot of 1960s Saul Bass love, then the whole 80s-90s/vaporwave pastel/marble look), there doesn't seem to be a consensus on the new direction. Take that opportunity. 

Edited August 13, 2018 by josie

[LGR4GM]

I agree with Josie. I think PSE makes some good behind the scenes videos and content but a lot of their "design" stuff is outdated or just bad. PSE is very vanilla and safe. 

[That Aud Smell]

Not sure how to link it, but the Bills had Eddie Yarborough (sp?) do an Instagram live (?) takeover of their account.

Not a novel concept, sure. But it was fun. Good choice in terms of the player selected. 

[LGR4GM]

Again, the video's and behind the scenes stuff PSE is doing, is great. Bills Embedded and Beyond Blue n Gold are fantastic. I just wish the rest of the stuff caught up. 

[That Aud Smell]

6 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Again, the video's and behind the scenes stuff PSE is doing, is great. Bills Embedded and Beyond Blue n Gold are fantastic. I just wish the rest of the stuff caught up. 

I found that first (?) episode of Embedded to be good (I would not go so far as calling it great) and enjoyable.

The production value is certainly there. And I appreciate that it seems to give a fair insight into what McDermott is trying to accomplish, and how he's trying to go about it. I especially appreciated his talk about how you build a team by supporting each other -- and that includes making an effort to celebrate with a teammate who made a good play. And he's all for people dancing out there, having some swagger. I mean, I'll say it: He comes off as a genuine leader.

[Samson's Flow]

16 hours ago, That Aud Smell said:

I found that first (?) episode of Embedded to be good (I would not go so far as calling it great) and enjoyable.

The production value is certainly there. And I appreciate that it seems to give a fair insight into what McDermott is trying to accomplish, and how he's trying to go about it. I especially appreciated his talk about how you build a team by supporting each other -- and that includes making an effort to celebrate with a teammate who made a good play. And he's all for people dancing out there, having some swagger. I mean, I'll say it: He comes off as a genuine leader.

As I was watching the Bills Embedded series I couldn't help but contrast McD to what I have been seeing out of the Hard Knocks episodes with the Browns. That team is a total sh!tshow and Hue is not a strong leader at all. I know it's comparing to the Browns, but I feel very strongly that we are way ahead of other teams in terms of cohesiveness and the right message being portrayed.

[That Aud Smell]

12 minutes ago, Samson's Flow said:

As I was watching the Bills Embedded series I couldn't help but contrast McD to what I have been seeing out of the Hard Knocks episodes with the Browns. That team is a total sh!tshow and Hue is not a strong leader at all. I know it's comparing to the Browns, but I feel very strongly that we are way ahead of other teams in terms of cohesiveness and the right message being portrayed.

I didn't disagree with a post-Embedded Tweet I saw to the effect of: "Um, guys - I think it was because of McDermott that the Bills won 9 games and squeaked into the playoffs last year."

Edited August 17, 2018 by That Aud Smell

[That Aud Smell]

I don't mean to keep coming back to what the Browns are doing creatively, but, welp, here we are.

 

Compare and contrast this with PSE's "Embedded." What the Browns are doing with this sort of stuff is (arguably) clever, self-deprecating, and hip. (Maybe the actual show being promoted will be different?) What the Bills did with Embedded is earnest, self-promoting, and more old school (like, NFL films).

Mind you: I'm not commenting on how these creative efforts bear on the wins and losses, etc. (They probably don't!) 

I also acknowledge that a Beane/McDermott FO is an expression of the Pegulas' values and, for lack of a better term, style. I can't ever see the Pegulas green lighting (or even begetting) this sort of content. Which is, I think, too bad. 

I will also allow for the possibility that all of this funzies tomfoolery in The Land is inconsistent with the very serious, sober business of being excellent at the foobaw.

[SwampD]

If that's what it means to be creative these days then just shoot me now.

[ubkev]

I once threw someone out of my place of business for chewing gum like that. I made it 8 seconds into the video.

[That Aud Smell]

1 hour ago, SwampD said:

If that's what it means to be creative these days then just shoot me now.

Yeah - opinions will differ. I found it quite funny -- in fact, it was frickin' hilarious, if one considers the maker of the content (an NFL team).

1 hour ago, ubkev said:

I once threw someone out of my place of business for chewing gum like that. I made it 8 seconds into the video.

Um, yeah. The gum chomping is kinda sorta part of the joke.

Also: Y'all realize that's Baker Mayfield, yeah?

[ubkev]

55 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Yeah - opinions will differ. I found it quite funny -- in fact, it was frickin' hilarious, if one considers the maker of the content (an NFL team).

Um, yeah. The gum chomping is kinda sorta part of the joke.

Also: Y'all realize that's Baker Mayfield, yeah?

Yes I recognize the joke. I find absurdist comedy to be hacky and annoying most of the time.

Yes I realize it's Baker Mayfield. He's pretty recognizable.

[That Aud Smell]

4 hours ago, ubkev said:

Yes I recognize the joke. I find absurdist comedy to be hacky and annoying most of the time.

Yes I realize it's Baker Mayfield. He's pretty recognizable.

Alrighty then.

[LGR4GM]

What the f### does this even say? It looks like an 8th graders art project

https://twitter.com/BuffaloSabres/status/1042777353217355776

Edited September 20, 2018 by LGR4GM

[darksabre]

What the heck is that

[Hoss]

I find them incredibly easy to read.

Also, appears this year’s slogan is “Actions Speak.”

 

[SwampD]

11 hours ago, darksabre said:

What the heck is that

Keith Haring meets XGMTM at the brewpub chalkboard beer list.

I don't hate it.

[Randall Flagg]

I mean, it's readable, but "incredibly easy to read?" 

 

[That Aud Smell]

I think @josie pointed out some time ago that this is derived from a style you see in other current ad marketing.

It is also objectively terrible looking. And illegible.

They did do a meme correctly, though, with a mini Kermit doll looking at and then hugging an iPhone at the news of Reinhart signing.

7 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

I mean, it's readable, but "incredibly easy to read?" 

@Hoss has skills like that. Don’t try to keep up — you’ll just end up pulling a muscle.

[josie]

10 hours ago, SwampD said:

Keith Haring meets XGMTM at the brewpub chalkboard beer list.

I don't hate it.

haha ayup.

 

3 hours ago, That Aud Smell said:

I think @josie pointed out some time ago that this is derived from a style you see in other current ad marketing.

It is also objectively terrible looking. And illegible.

They did do a meme correctly, though, with a mini Kermit doll looking at and then hugging an iPhone at the news of Reinhart signing.

@Hoss has skills like that. Don’t try to keep up — you’ll just end up pulling a muscle.

I admit I don't entirely hate it, but I wouldn't say I like it, either. I said it before but it's like a jockier version of the Chipotle cups. That frenetic, run-on sentence feel. 

I don't find it easy to read- especially that example. Some of them are easier to read than others- this one was like a really busy comic book page where you have to look a few times to follow the panels in the correct order.  The "you" and "Direction" on the right side of coach but that's it were like... sorta widow'd from the main section. urgh. 

In the video there's some nods to illustration/sketching... but it's suuuuuper filter-y and then they throw int "texture" to make it look busy... Maybe if they went more the direction of those Labatt Blue commercials with those sections... but then they'd have to hire/outsource actual animators and it's much cheaper/quicker to use an aftereffects plug-in.

 

But hey, they ain't payin' me the big bucks- I wasn't good enough to get more than a phone interview. 

[Hoss]

For me, it’s as simple as knowing what they’re doing. That makes it easy to follow for me.

As does growing up reading comics.

[darksabre]

I'll be honest. I think it sucks so hard that it actually makes me angry.