Business Critical: Cooper Hewitt Gets New Typeface, Google Purchases mDialog, Yo!
By Ryan Parlee
Cooper Hewitt Gets New Typeface
Cooper Hewitt, also known by it’s full name, Smithsonian’s Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum, unveiled, earlier this week, their new branding, designed by Pentagram partner Eddie Opara, featuring a new typeface designed by Chester Jenkins. Cooper Hewitt became a part of the Smithsonian in 1967 and donned the look and feel of the existing brand standard of the Smithsonian.
The museum can now stand on it’s own, representing the work the staff and museum have been doing for years now. The identity, a strong wordmark, embodies the flexibility and sturdiness needed to portray the museum in a new light. Standing firmly on the new typeface, the museum has carried applied it in almost all applications. It is a strong move to utilize the typography as much as they have, but it also works well when used in conjunction with photography.
While limiting a brands typography to one typeface, the design can sometimes lead to stagnation, but the museum can use this as an opportunity to allow the design to grow as the museum grows.
Read more on underconsideration.com
Google Purchases mDialog
Google is looking to add to it’s digital video ad space, DoubleClick, with the new purchase of mDialog, a Canadian-based company bringing their technology to major media companies such as broadcasters, who use it to serve ads against their shows whenever they run digitally-across screens. They emphasize addressability data, which identitifies whether ads are targeted to the right consumer.
Google recently launched Google Partner Select to publishers looking to sell commercials against their content. Neal Mohan, Google’s vp of video and display advertising commented that “getting video right for both brands and content creators is a major focus.” Google has been making moves to offer the right content to users through their local search functions and this acquisition seems to fit right in with their plan.
Read more at Adweek
YO!
Yo, founded by Moshiko Hogeg, originally created the app to get the attention of his assistant. Currently, it serves no function other than sending “Yo” notifications. This app was launched on April Fools Day, as a joke, but received a lot of attention, prompting further investment.
Several large brands have been seen on the new app, but those are most likely squatters. The app has beat out Facebook’s new Slingshot service, getting more than 200,000 downloads. While there could be use for large brands to engage more simply with its customers, the app currently stands as a novelty.
Read more at Adweek
