Intern vs. The Red Paper Clip Project: Part 3

I believe it was the great Western philosopher Jay-Z once said “would you rather be underpaid or overrated?” I apply this mantra to my daily lifestyle and my unpaid internship, and look where it’s gotten me: I now have a flatscreen TV and an HP printer available for trade.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, my internship is proving to be quite the adventure, and I am its captain, sailing the seven deadly seas of Craigslist.

Maybe I should elaborate. Ever seen The Craigslist Killer? Well add it to your instant queue. You’ll never want to use Craigslist again.

Personally, I haven’t seen it, and that’s why I met a guy in the parking lot of the Holton Walmart Tuesday morning to trade a Wonderwall entertainment projector for a 27” flatscreen TV. His was the 3^rd of several “too good to be true” offers, which also included a 750GB external hard drive and a “limited edition” Tippman paintball “marker.”

But back to the flatscreen – my brother and I pulled up next to the silver minivan and carried the projector over to the other side to meet the man. The most compelling detail of the encounter (besides his incredibly friendly demeanor) was his shirt – one that I would rather not elaborate on. Let’s just say it was… “totally inappropriate.”

Intern vs. The Red Paper Clip Project: Part 2

Look, the alarm clock radio is gone. I know, I know, your great grandmother had that same one in World War II and you've never been able to find another one just like it until now. I've heard it all before, old man. But it's gone. Quit calling here.

I got rid of that and now I've got an antique unicycle.

You that read right. 

But you didn't read that right!

 

I traded the alarm clock radio for a motherfuedin' antique unicycle. It's got just the one wheel which, I've learned, is how you can tell it's a unicycle. Now if you recall, I traded a Sunflower iPhone handset for that alarm clock radio (and if you don't recall, you should probably go see a doctor because that was only a week ago dude). So I essentially traded that Sunflower promotional product for the unicycle. 

Intern vs. The Red Paper Clip Project: Part 1

It’s now my second week here at Sunflower Marketing and I’ve already learnt an excess of new things, adding to my already diminutive knowledge of marketing! My head hurts.

For instance, Mike has taught me that he doesn’t take lemon in his ice water and that he’s got a very short temper – valuable knowledge I could have only picked up here.

As I’m sure you are already well-aware (having subscribed to mine and Sunflower Marketing’s Facebook and Twitter updates), part of my job responsibilities here include a re-enactment of the One Red Paperclip Project. For those of you who are unfamiliar with said project, I will not elaborate. Google it – you’re not helpless!

I’m kidding of course. You’ll get to know that about me. I’m never serious. Except for right now; I’m 100% serious about never being serious.

Brand Love: Don't Leave 'em Hanging

Love.  It’s a powerful word.  It makes me think of my wife and kids.  I think of my job.  I think of the company that I work for.  It conjures up thoughts and feelings of food, destinations, and even products and services.

Love comes in an abundance of forms, some more obvious than others.  Romantic love.  Puppy love.  Unconditional love.  Brotherly love.  Twoo love.  Even Guy love.  A big focus at Sunflower Marketing is Brand Love, or the sincere passion that customers/employees/shareholders/vendors have for an organization.

Halftones: A Heroic Solution to Saving Money

Besides being a graphic artist, I am also an unabashed comic book nerd. And if you’re like me, you’ve probably stared at superheroes and action-filled pages long enough to know that comics are printed using only four colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (abbreviated CMYK—K stands for Black).

These four colors are printed in patterns of small dots that visually mix together to create every color of your favorite superhero’s dashing costume.

 

What you might not know is that this pattern of small dots is called a halftone, and it has saved printers of comic books—and nearly every other printed publication—money on ink for over a century. As it turns out, halftones work just as well when screen printing apparel.

How can halftones help you save money on your branded apparel? Keep reading to find out.