Branding needn't be boring.

Michael Johnson talked to us about logos in his Clapham office today. He had a double bass and 2 acoustic guitars in his room. And a copy of Dadgad music.

He thinks design students don't get taught about branding. We don't.

He got a bit historical and started talking about the "monoline bandwagon" which made me laugh and think of this great corporate identity resource, and my recent acquisition:



He talked about charity logoitis, mapping analysis and project commitment:
"It's tempting to say: ER's on tonight, I'm going to go."

I have learnt that it's all about "living logos" right now. This one moves, sometimes:


And killer apps: the diplomats go for ties and umbrellas. Blackpudlians - if that's a word - go for flexible type.

I asked him whether his Daniel Libeskind paper structure was a branding exercise:
"If it was, it didn't work. It was just a very expensive direct mail."

There are a few brands I fully endorse. Sometimes I pick stuff off if it irritates me. I got given a bag from a family friend a few years ago that had this big red thing on it:



I don't live in New York. I've never even been to New York. This was a perfectly good black bag. I don't get it.

Anyway, when asked what his favourite brand was, Mr. Johnson made a humming sound and said: "I'm a bit anti." Ha!