Have 16 minutes, 34 seconds to spare? Watch 200 of OneManSho’s impersonations. He really puts the “You” in YouTube.

Steve Rubel of Micro Persuasion, where we first saw the video, said, “Even with all of their recent difficulties, you still gotta love YouTube. Check out the talent you can discover. Somebody sign this dude to a TV contract!”

Or as David Letterman would say, “That’s just nuts.”

So assuming you clicked to watch, did you view only a portion of his vignettes, or the full 200? C’mon, fess up.

A moment of silence just emerged from 1963.

Literally.

This newly released film (at right) shows a happy President and Mrs. Kennedy motoring through Dealey Plaza just 90 seconds prior to the President’s assassination. The 40 seconds of silent footage was recorded by photographer George Jefferies. The film segment was donated to The Sixth Floor Museum this past President’s Day by the photographer’s son-in-law, Wayne Graham.

Remarkable.

And just like that the footage has become socially networked and made part of the Web 2.0 lexicon. Here it is, posted in this blog article replete with Wikipedia references, supporting hyperlinks, a YouTube video embed and available for RSS delivery.

Marketing, information and journalism tools as unlikely in 1963 as landing on the moon or the Kennedy saga itself.

After working with Deskey, a retail product branding consultancy for 18 months, Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bank has released its new identity. Unfortunately, they traded in a readable, recognizable mark for a trendy, often parodied swoosh/horizon/.com logo (see before and after marks above).

Granted, the original mark with its 1980s Optima font was badly in need of an update, but it was easier to read, less detailed and better suited to meet today’s multi-channel media requirements.

Deskey has done some nice work over the years (Crest, Luvs, Downy), but here they’ve encumbered the graceful sweep of the “new horizon�? arc with a modified boxy 5/3 shield. To get the arc from one side to the other, they added more detail and ran a line around the shield. The result resembles a head-on lumbering albatross.

Logos 101

See the mall placard example at right as a visual reference point.

• For better readability, use upper and lowercase letters (Fifth Third at top) instead of a small cap treatment in a lightweight decorative font (bottom)
• Omit superfluous words like “Bank�? (see Chase or National City)
• Enhance, update and streamline a well-established mark, don’t add decoration or embellish to the point that individual elements compete with the whole of the mark (bottom)
• Keep overall proportions in mind and don’t entrap the logo with size-limiting top or bottom elements (bottom)

According to Inside Indiana Business, Fifth Third plans to infuse the new brand into every facet of their operation, from call center retraining to a revamped customer Bank Center experience. They get high marks for listening, research and action planning, but the new mark—the cornerstone symbol of all Fifth Third hopes to become—is pragmatically, aesthetically and thematically lacking. Its mishmash of colloquial, trendy and passé decorative elements doesn’t reflect their brand promise of working hard for tomorrow.

Fifth Third’s hard-earned and longstanding brand equity deserved a better effort.

From HGTV to Wired magazine, everyone is talking about DNA 11, a Canadian company that turns your DNA into high design.

It’s as easy as taking a cotton swab sample from the inside of your cheek and selecting a color scheme and print size. In just a few weeks you’ll have a one-of-a-kind DNA portrait.

On April 13th, Brainstorm Principal Jim Wolfe will meet with university advancement professionals from across Indiana at I-CASE to discuss Web 2.0 and the cultural implications of online social networking when marketing to GenMe individuals.

“This presentation has been in great demand primarily because institutions and corporations alike are becoming increasingly aware of the potential dangers and opportunities of the social networking phenomenon.”

According to Wolfe, those charged with advancing electronic design and marketing communications are keen to learn all they can, and every industry can benefit from this knowledge.

For an in-depth exploration of how Web 2.0 can affect your enterprise, contact Brainstorm. For a download sample of the Brainstorm higher education presentation, click here:

Brainstorm Web 2.0 | 52KB pdf