Well, it's good branding of the author's name, and it's a good graphic design.

You can't really do this kind of auctorial branding below a certain awareness level.

From the reader's point of view: are you buying a book because it's by a certain author, or are you buying it for the title, or the publisher's name, or the picture of the guy/girl/puppy on the cover?

If you're buying it because it's a new William Gibson book, rather than because it's a book called "Pattern Recognition," it better convey that information to you fast. It better look new (not like previous books) and it better say William Gibson.

If you've never heard of William Gibson, it better say, to you nad the rest of the target audience, "Here's a book by an author you need to know about."

I think the Danish cover does and says that. (And that's not such an easy thing to do.)

Eileen

Eileen Gunn

The Infinite Matrix
http://www.infinitematrix.net/

How's this for branding?


(Sorry Douglas Coupland....)

Basically, although the cover of "Mønstergenkendelse" - (yes it's in one word in Danish), is good graphic design, it has nothing to do with branding.

We would have had to establish the stretched sans-serif black white motive as something uniquely Gibson. A very small snert of Pattern Recognition by hiding the title, but not enough to call it branding of either the author or title.

Good branding can be seen a mile a way. You don't need to read the text. Good branding is about shapes not about patterns. Second to shape is consistent use of color.

However good branding of the William Gibson Books site. Consistent use of color and type and Gibsons spectacles as the consistent branding element (integrated 5th element in top branding images)

MVH Melissa Wieser
Go ahead Google me, see if I care!

[This message was edited by Fashionpolice on January 31, 2003 at 03:09 AM.]

Just posted the final locations for the sigings in Boston [in Cambridge, actually, The Charles Hotel] on 2/18 and in San Francisco [The Park Branch Library]on 2/7.

First post on this topic has all the specific signing locations and times.

Melissa, I confess that branding in commercial book covers often mystifies me.

That said, it looks to me as though the use of Gibson's name as the featured design element is an attempt to establish (or continue) a Gibson brand, (rather than a brand for the publisher or for a series of specific books). The design refers to Gibson, not the publisher or the title. And I may be prejudiced in favor of authors, but I think that is where the emphasis ought to be.

It's also good design, but it's the suitability of the design to the author, imo, that works especially well here. The all-type, black-and-white design is sophisticated, and rather daring. One would expect the book inside to be likewise. That is what I meant by effective branding.

Perhaps my perspective on branding is a bit idiosyncratic: I wouldn't restrict brand communication to shape or color, but to an over-all consistency of metaphoric communication that reinforces the positive associations of the brand in the consumer's mind. Shape and color are two ways of reinforcing brand awareness, as long as they don't undercut the meaning of the brand.

Your proposed Coupland cover doesn't work, of course, but it does demonstrate the riskiness of all-type designs. When they fail, they're just flaccid.

Eileen Gunn

The Infinite Matrix
http://www.infinitematrix.net/

quote:

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Originally posted by Gunn:
Your proposed Coupland cover doesn't work, of course, but it does demonstrate the riskiness of all-type designs. When they fail, they're just flaccid.

---

What can I say, I'm no Heinzi!

MVH Melissa Wieser
Go ahead Google me, see if I care!

{G}, Melissa. I know you intended it as a bad example....

quote:

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Originally posted by Fashionpolice:
What can I say, I'm no Heinzi!

---

Eileen Gunn

The Infinite Matrix
http://www.infinitematrix.net/

Come to New Orleans please. Hey, Mardi Gras is the beginning of March this year......

Kriss

Hey how bout any in his area, specificall just across the straight hell Id even goto one in vancouver only hour or so ferry ride

Pretty much anywhere in Texas would be excellent. In particular, Austin would be great.

The night before Pattern Recognition goes on sale, which also happens to be the start of the book tour, Fox repeated the episode of the X-Files that William Gibson co-wrote.

Found this amusing...

....there are cyber-freaks in Dixie; Atlanta (Tokyo-Georgia)half-decent tour site; New Orleans better in terms of kulture and vittles.... there are signed copies of P.R. floating around in stores (as of today the 3rd)even in Alabama; waiting for holographic version.

mudman

Damnit, I'm missing the reading in Seattle. Have to work. As I type, he'll have been reading for 30 minutes now. I'm sure there are folks from here who are there. How was it?

If your not outraged, you're not paying attention!

You can go to Elliot Bay Book company tomorrow where he's doing an additional signing. Huge crowd; I've been at signings on both sides of the Atlantic and never seen such a huge crowd. Reading was good, and surprisingly I found his reading of the book more interesting than with the previous novels. He cut Q&A short to get to signing straight away because there were so many.

I agree that was grreat! Although I was a little bummed when he cut the Q&A short. His quip about the Michelen Man scarying the beejesus out of his daughter to this day had me cracking up.

Gotta work tomorrow night too. Ah well.

If your not outraged, you're not paying attention!

william gibson is scheduled to appear as a guest on KFOG radio in san francisco at 8am on thursday morning, february 6. in the bay area, KFOG can be heard at 104.5 and 97.7 FM. on the 'net at kfog.com.

Whee! Only two days till Gibson reaches Berkeley. I'm excited.

was able to go to both readings in seattle...one in elliot bay books was fantastic...gibson connected with the audience...had the whole room laughing as he read chapter4...long q&a session...if you so-cal people have a choice, pick a more intimate setting over a large auditorium...

quote:

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Originally posted by Zero Cool:
Whee! Only two days till Gibson reaches Berkeley. I'm excited.

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Man I miss Cody's Books.

I lived in Berkeley in 1990-91 and went to readings by David Lodge (Nice Work), Xam Cartier (Muse Echo Blues), Neeli Cherkovski (Hank: The Life of Charles Bukowski) and Isabel Allende.

I can't remember which book Isabel Allende read from, but I do remember one of the questions she answered.

When asked what kind of relationship she had with Gabriel Garcia Marquez, she replied "I wish I had a sexual relationship with him..."

Aah memories.....

MVH Melissa Wieser
Go ahead Google me, see if I care!

Hello, everyone. I wanted to inform everyone that William Gibson will be making a rare television appearance on Tech TV's excellent computer show, The Screen Savers, TONIGHT @ 7PM EST (4PM PST). I suspect there will be an interview, and probably some talk of his status as a cyber-icon. Just thought you'd all like to know...sorry if its been posted already.

I am very excited about Mr. Gibson's new book and the book tour. I feel I can tangibly sense his increased visibility in the world in the atmosphere all about me. I am also looking forward to his appearance in NYC next Thursday, 2/13/2003, at the Astor Place Barnes & Noble bookstore. I am planning on being there very, very early...w/ sleeping bag, or duplex sarariman cardboard shanty the previous evening, if necessary.

Best wishes,

Carol A. Wade

"Simply put, I want to grow old; dying does not meet my expectations..." -- Stephen Malkmus