Front and Center – Details, episodes & analysis

Alex ran the New York City Marathon! Everyone, go tell him congratulations! Alex breaks down his experience of his beastly feat, and we break down the current state of branding! Alex and Kevin discuss Erewhon’s new smoothie, Billy McFarland's new venture PHNX, Kim Kardashian's use of Chat GPT, Liquid Death x Feastables, the Mr. Pibb rebrand, the Domino's rebrand, Apple TV dropping the plus, NEO, the Graeters' rebrand, and more!

We have a legend on the program!! She needs no introduction, but here is one anyways… 

Natasha Jen is an award-winning designer, educator, and partner at Pentagram. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, she joined Pentagram’s New York office in 2012. A six-time National Design Award nominee, Natasha’s work is recognized for its innovative use of graphic, verbal, digital,  and spatial interventions that challenge conventional notions of media and cultural contexts. Her work is immediately recognizable, encompassing brand identity systems, packaging, exhibition design, digital interfaces, signage and wayfinding systems, print, and architecture.

Working at the intersection of technology and culture, Natasha has developed branding for some of the most well-known brands in the consumer and tech spaces. Her clients include a wide range of collaborators—from global technology brands to cultural institutions and start-ups—including Google, Pfizer, Waze, Reddit, Lightmatter, Galaxy Digital, The Asian American Foundation, Harvard Graduate School of Design, the Metropolitan Museum, Fernando Romero Enterprise, Bjarke Ingels Group, and OMA New York.

Natasha, unbothered by the outside noise, offers insight into the inner workings of Pentagram. How they decide who gets what project, how they split the profit amongst 24 partners, how they borrow talent from other partners’ teams, what they think about the memes about them... and more! It was a delightful and insightful conversation, and we are happy to share it with you!

Alex and Kevin bring the heat as they run through the most exciting stories happening in the world of design and branding. The two dudes talk about Oreo x Reese’s, High Noon x Celsius, the La-Z-Boy rebrand, Not so great Jeans, a new glass bottle designed for the beach, and more!

This week on Front and Center... We are so lucky to welcome Andrea Hernández for her THIRD time on the show! We talk about Snack Daddy ripping her off, the current state of beverage, what the kids (gen alpha) are doing, (us not her) getting tricked by the Jaquemus purse cars, Fyre Fest II, the Fanta Rebrand, Wooly Mammoth Meatballs, the Barbie movie memes,  PRIME hydration, and more!


SNACK DADDY BITES
https://twitter.com/SNAXInsider

JACQUEMUS TRICKED US!
https://hypebeast.com/2023/4/jacquemus-bambino-bag-cars-paris-watch-info

THE POPE OF SWAG
https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/27/23657927/ai-pope-image-fake-midjourney-computer-generated-aesthetic

FANTA REBRAND
https://thedieline.com/blog/2023/4/4/coca-cola-unveils-new-global-brand-identity-for-fanta

BARBIE
https://hypebeast.com/2023/4/new-barbie-character-posters-margot-robbie-ryan-gosling-dua-lipa-michael-cera-full-cast-images

https://www.barbieselfie.ai/ 

BILLY IS BACK! FYRE FEST PART II
https://twitter.com/pyrtbilly/status/1645215767552729088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1645215767552729088%7Ctwgr%5Ea5979038c4dbf0aec998deca9494300747ef1631%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Floudwire.com%2Ffyre-fest-2-billy-mcfarland-finally-happening-tweet%2F

WOOLY MAMMOTH MEATBALL https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/28/meatball-mammoth-created-cultivated-meat-firm 

 Keeping it Twisted with the Working Not Working Co-Founder, Justin Gignac. We learn about how Justin went from mascot to master of his craft. Then the historical pairing of dudes talk about the Pepsi Rebrand, the new New York City Tourism + Conventions identity, the Ice T tweet, Heinz x Absolut, Twisted Tea Vasectiomundies, Chanel West Coast, and more!

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PEPSI REFRESH
https://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/new_logo_identity_and_packaging_for_pepsi_done_in_house.php

PEPSI GRAVITY
https://www.goldennumber.net/wp-content/uploads/pepsi-arnell-021109.pdf

NYC GET’S A REBRAND
https://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/new_name_logo_and_identity_for_new_york_city_tourism_conventions_by_2x4.php

ICE T TWEET
https://twitter.com/finallevel/status/1640823012189454337?s=46&t=4R7uh9UTNnkNidkPr348sg

HEINZ X ABSOLUT
https://www.adweek.com/creativity/heinz-and-absolut-go-back-the-80s-for-pasta-alla-vodka-sauce-launc

TWISTED TEA VASECTIOMUNDIES
https://thedieline.com/blog/2023/3/17/twisted-tea-vasectomundies-provides-clutch-assist-to-recently-snipped-fans

 EMERGENCY PODCAST ALERT: New York City introduced a new campaign this week called WE NYC.You may have heard a little bit about it…. If you haven’t, people really hate it. Like really really hate it.The entire world is talking about it, so Kevin rushed home from Vegas to record an emergency podcast with Alex. Listen to them defend the logo, the campaign and provide a much needed backlash to the backlash.

Official press release
https://www.welovenyc.nyc/in-the-news/governor-and-mayor-join-business-labor-and-community

Press kit
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dTZkMFN6olGRSjo-Ij9QlHMIoMV8479p

Official website
https://www.welovenyc.nyc/ 

You’ve been begging for it! Full Frontal Fantasy Hotline: the Sequel! Alex and Kevin welcome on, Pete Freeman. In his 4th appearance on the show (for those of you counting at home) Peter treats us with some sweet heaters, as topics take the back seat this week and we answer some questions from some even neater tweeters (you, the listeners.) 

#CREAMERNATION STAND UP! The Cream Team aka Creamy Cream Boys aka Cream Machine talk about their love for cream, Long Island kids running through fences, a hero suing Buffalo Wild Wings for their boneless wings causing him “financial injury,” Red Wing Mario Boots, Van Leeuwen Hidden Valley Ranch Ice Cream, Indo Coffee, the Chicken Big Mac, and more!

Alex dilly dallies on wikipedia as Kevin attempts to start the show. They finally get going after gaining some valuable and thought provoking information. The gentlemen return to form as Kevin is back on the booze after a sick weekend of skiing, and Alex talks about the shows he is watching. All is right in the world. After a delicious unbiased taste test of Liquid Death’s new line of teas, the two blokes talk about Ronnie Fieg and Mr. Beast posting cringe on Twitter, Sunny D Vodka Seltzer, the Zevia rebrand, Heaven by Marc Jacobs, AND THE DOUBLE DOWN IS BACK!

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Sunny D Vodka Seltzer
https://thedieline.com/blog/2023/3/7/high-school-ragers-are-back-baby-sunny-d-unveils-vodka-seltzer

Zevia
https://thedieline.com/blog/2023/3/6/turner-duckworth-refreshes-better-for-you-beverage-brand-zevia

Heaven by Marc Jacobs
https://www.nylon.com/fashion/heaven-marc-jacobs-michael-imperioli-tara-reid-deftones
IG:https://www.instagram.com/p/CpLJR7AOwPI/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=185b7029-efd9-4b39-9ad1-466709bb25b1

Double Down
https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/01/business/kfc-double-down-return/index.html 

This week on Front and Center: The fellas go Gary V mode and Crush It!™ They talk about the shattering of Jeff Koons’ statue, Nokia’s New Logo, Tingly Ted’s, “The Sex Recession,” Next Milk, and more!

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JEFF KOONS STATUE
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/23/1159018205/jeff-koons-balloon-dog-art-gallery-exhibit-miami-shattered

NOKIA REVEALS NEW LOGO
https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/27/23616582/nokia-new-logo-telecoms-mobile-phones

TINGLY TED’S - ED SHEERAN X HEINZ
https://thedieline.com/blog/2023/2/22/ed-sheeran-and-kraft-heinz-announce-new-line-of-hot-sauce-called-tingly-teds

SEX RECESSION
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/13/opinion/have-more-sex-please.html

SEX BRAND
https://thedieline.com/blog/2023/2/23/uncommon-designed-sex-brand-wants-us-to-do-more-fcking-and-save-sex

DICK CHIPS
https://chazzchips.com/en/ready-to-gift-a-box-with-pussy-flavour-chips

NEXT MILK
https://www.delish.com/food-news/a43027409/got-milk-ads-recreated/