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In this age of Tivo and DVRs aplenty, you would think that companies would get smarter spending their ad dollars. But that is clearly not the case. There is still a lot of dreck on TV. (Web ads are even worse, but that’s a topic for another day.)

One exception has been Quaker Oats (a division of Pepsi). The Quaker Go Humans Go campaign, with a budget estimated at more than $100 million, is being created by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco, part of the Omnicom Group. Another Omnicom agency, OMD, is handling the media part of the campaign (NT Times).

The television commercial for their Quaker Chewy Bars instantly caught my attention through a series of very quick (and commentary-less) images of children who were slouched over and motionless. Like a short film, I was drawn in to learn “the conflict.”

The viewer is rewarded when you see friends wind up the motionless children with a large wind-up key, branded with the Quaker imagery. And with a couple of turns, the children were back to school and play.

I think the execution was terrific because it doesn’t insult the viewer and there is no narration until the end.

Unfortunately, Quaker does not get full marks for some of their print advertising. On several buses, I’ve seen the “Go humans, go” ads where neither their name nor their website appear at all.

(Photo by D.C.Atty)

While the execution of the ad itself is good, clean and in line with their overall efforts, I think it’s a missed opportunity not to have some other identifying mark. You may argue that people will eventually discover that Go Humans Go is part of the Quaker push since they are following through with the print, media and POP efforts, but I think that Quaker isn’t as iconic as a Nike who can afford to drop the type mark and rely solely on their logo. At least not right now. But maybe someday, if they keep this up.

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Two quick notes: Joseph Sullivan from the NY Times shares his Favorite Book Covers of 2008, while Pitchfork offers their list of the 20 Worst Album Covers of 2008.

I definitely agree that the cover design of Michael Chabon’s Maps and Legends, designed by Jordan Crane, was terrific. Although, a casual observer of the list wouldn’t know it unless you picked up a copy from a bookstore, because the cover actually consists of three die cut covers that overlay the stamped hard-cover. You can see more photos at design:related.

via John Nack

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This really is brilliant.

FAO Schwarz, the high-end toy retailer, who many can recall from the giant piano scene from the movie Big, has really hit a home run with their latest offering The Muppet Whatnot Workshop. (Too bad the economy is in the tank.)

FAO, if you’re unaware, has been having hard times for a long time having done battle up against regular toy stores, department stores, big box discount stores, as well as online retailers. In fact, the only time I can ever recall even thinking about FAO is when I went to visit the famous NYC store when I was a child. (Which, by the way, a pidgeon pooped on my head while waiting in line and turned me against all birds for life.)

Anyhoo… Having grown up with the Muppets on television and in movies, I’m pretty sure anyone around my age would LOVE to have an actual Muppet for our kids (if not for ourselves).

via Daring Fireball; photo: Jim Hensen, FAO Schwarz (with a little help from me)

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Recently The Wall Street Journal ran an article identifying Jerry Dior, a 76-year-old retired graphic designer, as the original designer of the MLB logo.

Paul Lukas from ESPN Page 2 has a nice little article with interviews with Dior as well as from James Sherman, a fellow designer who had, until recently, ALSO been taking credit for the design.

I think its incredibly funny, and not at all surprising, that no one–not Dior, the firm Dior worked for, Sherman, or the MLB for that matter–has any substantiating evidence as to who designed the logo.

via Brand New; photo: Jerry Dior

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