- Of course, the concept of a fused metaphor
can become a little more complex
when a client's brand is introduced into the equation.
I can merge oranges and snow
to communicate Los Angeles in winter,
but what about merging a product or an idea?
Suppose you were asked to design a monthly cover
for an in-house Pepsi-Cola newsletter.
Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar
faced the same challenge 12 times a year.
Each month required a communication of Pepsi
and that time of year.
A solution for December and Christmas
combines a classic bottle carrier
with Christmas ornaments in Pepsi logo colors.
Another genius example takes November and Thanksgiving
and provides us with not a scene of a family
eating with bottles of Pepsi,
but the tools needed for Thanksgiving dinner,
a carving knife, sharpener, fork,
and of course, bottle opener for the Pepsi.
When UCLA asked me to design a poster
to communicate summer and Los Angeles,
I decided to use the old standby symbol
for Southern California, an orange.
By placing it above the blue stripe and yellow box,
it became a sun.
And the shapes below in UCLA's school colors
become the beach.
There are no beach chairs, waves, or people.
They aren't necessary.
Any additional elements would either
add to the clarity of the solution or detract from it.
A simple presentation is one of the aspects
of a successful fused metaphor solution.
When the idea is strong,
there's no need for excess decoration.
In fact, the simpler the presentation, the better.
A frame is a metaphor for art,
and eggs are great for brunch.
Put together, and you have a great art brunch.
The simplicity of form requires us
to determine the fastest way to read an image.
Woody Pirtle's Poster for Knoll
immediately reads, hot new office chair.
The chili is a good indicator of heat,
but the three casters on the chair tell me, office chair.
Four legs would read as a dining chair
or just generic chair.
Some of the best combinations are hidden in plain sight.
This poster for the cycling event at the 1984 Olympics
brilliantly incorporates the Olympic rings
in the bike tires.
An interesting side note is that the photographer
required the cyclists to circle the track 360 times
before shooting the exact right moment.
That's commitment.
A Photoshop simulation would never have the same energy.
A ladder set against a wall may seem ordinary and plain,
but the minimal information presented
forces us as the viewer to find the solution.
The small text provides the answer,
and we see the ladder as a symbol for education
as the student climbs higher on each step,
and as extension, as this is an extension ladder.
So much of this type of idea generation
depends on the symbol and metaphor
rather than digital fireworks and flying type.
It might take less time and patience
to throw a batch o' stuff on a page and hope for the best,
but taking the time to generate a smart concept
is ultimately far more successful.