Explore every episode of the podcast Front and Center
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| THE VICTORY LAP | 05 Nov 2025 | 01:00:56 | |
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! | |||
| Unbothered: with Natasha Jen | 29 Oct 2025 | 01:00:36 | |
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! | |||
| La-Z-Boy Oh Boy | 06 Aug 2025 | 00:50:27 | |
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! | |||
| Creator Packaged Goods: with Andrea Hernández | 12 Apr 2023 | 01:24:34 | |
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! | |||
| Podding Not Podding: with Justin Gignac | 05 Apr 2023 | 01:48:52 | |
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! | |||
| WE LOVE WE LOVE NYC! | 24 Mar 2023 | 00:26:37 | |
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. | |||
| FULL FRONTAL FANTASY HOTLINE: THE SEQUEL | 22 Mar 2023 | 00:52:43 | |
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.) | |||
| Kool-Aid Man Challenge | 15 Mar 2023 | 00:58:16 | |
#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! | |||
| DOUBLE DOWN ON THE JOUCH | 08 Mar 2023 | 00:56:40 | |
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! | |||
| Digital Pioneers | 01 Mar 2023 | 00:51:49 | |
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! | |||
| Big Head Problems | 22 Feb 2023 | 00:45:51 | |
Alex has a big head, Kevin has a big bruise on his butt. The two persevere regardless of their ailments and muster up the strength to put on an epic performance. They talk about the NBA All Star Weekend, Ruffles Hot Dog flavored chips, 7UP rebrand, Kraft Macaroni Hug, Barney redesign, Pharrell and Louis Vuitton, Jenni’s x Ted Lasso, and more! | |||
| CANDY COATED CLAM BITES | 15 Feb 2023 | 00:54:13 | |
Alex and Kevin welcome Jackie DeJesu Center, my wife(borat voice), on the pod to discuss Rihanna’s Halftime performance, some Super Bowl commercials, and the Valentine's Day brand moments that mostly fell flat. | |||
| Now That’s What I Call Package Design | 08 Feb 2023 | 00:50:22 | |
The fricken fellas are back in the studio for a solo episode. They talk about all sorts of stuff like: Monster Trucks, New York’s Best Bagel, Milf Manor, The Grammy Awards, the Burberry Rebrand, Big Red MSCHF Boots, WD40 Cologne, Penis Shaped Lipstick, Oscar Mayer hiring Hotdoggers, Coca-Cola Move, Hellman's Pre-Super Bowl Commercial, and more! | |||
| Out of Nothing: with Emunah Winer and Margaret Kerr-Jarrett | 30 Jul 2025 | 00:41:46 | |
Nihilo is an award-winning creative agency founded by creative directors Emunah Winer and Margarett (Margy) Kerr-Jarrett, based in Columbus, OH. They create brands that get picked up off the shelf, explored, and talked about. Their clients range from tequila, cannabis, and dog food brands to global fintechs, logistics operators, and healthcare providers. Nihilo is an ever-evolving creative powerhouse that makes and launches its own brands into the world. Their most recent, a rum brand ESTHER @drinkesther, is a head-turner and launches this fall! Enjoy! | |||
| BIG FLEX POD | 01 Feb 2023 | 00:55:44 | |
This week we welcome Forrest Huu Ta, a member of the Center Stu Crew! Kevin represses his football feelings as they talk about the Empire State Building repping another cities colors, Maya Rudolf’s debut as the M&M’s spokesperson, A&W makes a statement about their pantsless mascot, Tiffany and CO and Nikes release an expensive toothbrush and some Air Force Ones, Lil Yatchy uses AI to create the album art for his new album “Let’s Start Here,” PIZZA HUT SETS GUINNESS RECORD FOR WORLD'S LARGEST PIZZA, Mr. Beast cures 1000 people’s blindness and puts it on Youtube, Natural Light goes retro in a new can design, Martha Stewart teams up with Oreo to launch Most Stuffed and go into the metaverse, and more! | |||
| Three-Pete | 25 Jan 2023 | 01:01:07 | |
This week on the podcast: We are delighted to welcome Pete Freeman back on for his third pod! Kevin details being punched at a football game, The M&M’s pause on spokescandies, The Bolt Brand System by Koto, Kim Kardashian speaks at Harvard Business School, Skims Taps ‘White Lotus’ Stars Simona Tabasco and Beatrice Grannò for Valentine’s Day Campaign, the Fat Tire rebrand by Land, Philadelphia's Schmere Socks, and more! | |||
| Sleepy Cereal | 18 Jan 2023 | 00:50:28 | |
Kevin lost his voice this weekend, you’ll never guess how it happened, but he digs deep and puts up a masterful performance. Alex and Kevin discuss this weekend in football (only for 5 minutes), Love Island, Dennis Collin NIL deal with Popeyes, Paris Olympics, Sleepy Cereal, Plastic Free, The Big New Yorker, and more! | |||
| WOKE CANDY | 11 Jan 2023 | 00:54:38 | |
2023 BABY! WE BACK, and we’re going to be better than we were last year. In the first pod of the year the fellas recap their breaks and talk about chili and cinnamon rolls, leaving groovy fonts in 2022, Equinox’s January campaign, Prime Energy Drink, YSL take out bag, M&Ms new campaign, and more | |||
| The 2022 Fronties and Backies Award Show | 21 Dec 2022 | 01:17:36 | |
THE only award show (podcast) that matters. You know what it is!! The best and the worst of 2022! The music around 55 mins is an interlude, not an ending, so be sure to listen through or skip to the other side so you can hear the Backies! | |||
| Great Year for Great Value! | 14 Dec 2022 | 00:50:57 | |
This week the fellas go in on The Morning Consult Fastest Growing Brands 2022 report, Liquid Death holiday wrapping paper, branded ugly Christmas sweaters, the Bored Ape Yacht Club lawsuit, the launch of Cove, Philadelphia plant based cream cheese, and more! FASTEST GROWING BRANDS 2022 | |||
| Newman is a New Man | 07 Dec 2022 | 00:57:55 | |
I’d like to start by saluting Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, for her yearly clinic of strategic writing that comes with the Color of the Year. She is truly the GOAT and I look forward to reading her 2024 press release. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming… Alex’s World Cup fever has broken and he is on the mend. Kevin keeps losing his soccer bets but will not give up, nothing has really changed. The fellas discuss AI Portraits, The Pantone Color of the Year, Pink Sauce, the Newman’s Own rebrand, MSCHF’s Art Basel ATM Leaderboard, The Cheto Duster, Coca-Cola x Parade, MTN Dew Fruitquake, and more! | |||
| iCUP | 30 Nov 2022 | 00:44:27 | |
Alex and Kevin are back in the studio to kick off Holiday SZN, and they are definitely not distracted by the USA World Cup victory that happened while recording. The fellas talk about Budweiser's World Cup pivot, Steve Job's Birkenstocks, the repercussion of the KIA logo, Miller Lite’s Christmas Tree Keg Stand, Hidden Valley’s Ranch on the Branch, Mike Tyson x Evander Holyfield Holy Ears, and more! | |||
| IT'S GIVING THANKS | 23 Nov 2022 | 00:50:27 | |
GOBBLE GOBBLE BITCH! IT’S TURKEY TIME! Open up wide because here comes the airplane aka: Alex and Karen, I mean Kevin are spoon feeding you a full spread of Thanksgiving’s hottest brand moments. We talk about Campbell’s Soup’s State of Sides Report, Southern Comfort’s Drinking Pants, Frank’s Turkey Injector Kit, Jenny-O’s Turkey Hotline, White Castle’s Stuffin’ Muffins, Aura Bora’s Green Bean Casserole Sparkling Water, Brown Friday, and more!
| |||
| The Story of Castoreum | 16 Nov 2022 | 00:49:00 | |
Alex and Kevin are live (previously recorded) from Greenpoint, Brooklyn! The two rad dudes learn about Castoreum, google it, and talk about Twitter going to shit, the First Creative Director of the New York Knicks, The FTX situation, a Philadelphia Man eating 40 rotisserie chickens, the Canada Dry refresh, Mom’s Spaghetti, Molly Baz’s wine, and more! | |||
| COLD PLAY BY COLDPLAY | 23 Jul 2025 | 00:44:28 | |
Alex and Kevin are coming at you for the 3rd consecutive solo episode! The most consecutive in quite some time, or at least that's how it feels! Kevin discovers some new sounds on the sound board they've been using for years. Then the two fellas go on to discuss the Coldplay Affair, David sells cod, FYRE Festival IP sells on EBAY, the Lyft rebrand, Von Dutch hard soda, J.Crew Pasta, Range Rover's new secondary logo, and more! | |||
| The Snask Pact | 09 Nov 2022 | 01:12:56 | |
Fredrik Öst and Erik Kockum from Snask join Alex and Kevin to talk about their philosophy and approach to creative work. They tell us about conquering the world through fine lookin’ design and real emotions, creating meaningful connections, dealing with clients, not caring about what people think, standing up for their beliefs and opinions, and much more!
| |||
| SINGLE FAT AND HORNY | 27 Oct 2022 | 01:03:54 | |
KEVIN GOT A NEW SWEATSHIRT AND IT'S REALLY COOL! Hear the riveting audio only description before your two favorite fellas talk about how people eat candy corn (according to the National Confectioners Association (who knew that was an actual organization, certainly not us)), Orkin Pest Infested Pops, Halloweendy's, Airheads flavored floss, the McRib Farewell Tour, Hype Horse Shoes, Chrissy Teigan's Cravings, Microsoft x Oreo Thins, Single and Fat, Gen Z soda, and more! | |||
| I Took the Wock to Austin | 17 Oct 2022 | 00:58:20 | |
Alex and Kevin are back in action, doing what they do best: talking about the hottest design and branding stories from around the world. The rad dudes talk about the Balenciaga x Lays clutch bag, Beyond Meat COO going off and slaying, Flip Whip sprayable ranch and blue cheese, Arbys x Pusha T part 2, The Big Unit’s photos, Monster Energy’s The Beast Unleashed, the first edition of Trick or Treat of 2022, and more! | |||
| Utendahl Creative | 06 Oct 2022 | 01:11:53 | |
Alex and Kevin welcome Madison Utendahl and Tori Baisden from Utendahl Creative: a Black founded, female led, anti-trend design studio who believes that stories are data with a soul. Madison, the Founder, and Tori, Partner and Creative Director, talk about meeting at the Museum of Ice Cream, starting a studio, and fundamentally changing the way creatives work. We also talk about their newest project Good Eat'n, a collaboration with GoPuff and Chris Paul. Enjoy! | |||
| Subway Shit Sandwich | 14 Sep 2022 | 00:57:46 | |
SUBWAY IS BACK! Alex and Kevin discuss Kellogg’s insta-bowls, the Subway Shit Sandwich, Wingstop’s Chicken Sandwich rollout and provocative tweet, Sprite Plus, and more! | |||
| The Seinfeld Effect | 08 Sep 2022 | 00:58:49 | |
| The Intersection of Alcohol and Protein | 30 Aug 2022 | 00:43:25 | |
Alex and Kevin coming at you from the coldest room in Greenpoint, and the only thing keeping them warm is their hot takes. The fellas discuss the Corn Kid, drinking beer through a hot dog straw, the protein infused canned hard seltzer, PSL SZN kickoff, the new 818 bottle, and more! | |||
| An Episode that Resonates With Gen Z Listeners | 23 Aug 2022 | 01:08:58 | |
This week Alex and Kevin talk about the recession and the correlating trend that they consider to be a silver lining. Kevin has some sympathy for the Meta 3d team after Zuck gets cyberbullied for the lackluster graphics he shared from the metaverse. The two also discuss Ben and Jerry’s and Tony’s Chocolonely teaming working together, SNOOP LOOPS, the 7/11 coffee brand update, Starbucks pulling out of Russia, the start of PSL SZN, and more! | |||
| Can You Taste the Dream? | 17 Aug 2022 | 00:54:13 | |
Kevin tells Alex about his newfound love for NASCAR before they taste test Pricklee, a cactus water brand sent to them by a listener. The fellas discuss Decoldest Crawford’s air conditioning commercial, Coca Cola Creation’s Dreamwave soda, Miller High Life’s Ice Cream Dive Bar, the Youtube Shorts Drive-thru, Collins’ Girl Scouts rebrand, and more. | |||
| Live From The Hollywood Soho House! | 10 Aug 2022 | 00:36:59 | |
Alex is in Hollywood eating deluxe salads by the pool. Linking, building and rubbing elbows with some of Los Angeles' hottest influencers, but being low-key sneaky aka not name dropping. Slight apologies for the audio quality on this bad boy, blame the Soho House wifi (how is it this bad, I thought people were supposed to work there?) Anyways, the fellas get into it this week talking about the hottest stories in branding; the resurrection of Choco Taco, Tabasco rebrand, Applebees’ Saucy Gloss, Tito’s Seltzer, Heinekicks, and more! | |||
| Running Bits | 09 Jul 2025 | 00:45:46 | |
Alex and Kevin are back from the long weekend, chomping at the bit to discuss their activities.. Kevin recaps his epic Fourth of July at Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, and Alex talks about his relaxing weekend. They go on to talk about the Bear season 4, people complaining about Liquid Glass again, the Stella Artois Wimbledon can, the Tripadvisor rebrand by Koto, Rob McElhenney rebrands to Rob Mac, 50 Cent turns 50, the Indonesian Boat Racing Kid, and more! | |||
| The Pod Gets Wilder: with Thomas Wilder | 03 Aug 2022 | 01:20:55 | |
Things get wilder as Alex and Kevin welcome on former Partner and Creative Director at Collins, Executive Creative Director at Sweetgreen Brand Studio, and current Global Principal at Wolff Olins: Thomas Wilder! The takes get spicy after an in depth rundown of Sweetgreen menu hacks. They talk about Choco Taco, Hilton’s new commercial featuring Paris Hilton, Kate Moss x Diet Coke, General Mills x KAWS, Ecovados, the updated quarter design, and more! | |||
| Honest Abe Says Hustle Harder | 27 Jul 2022 | 01:01:26 | |
Alex and Kevin discuss the hottest internet stories and dip into a quick history lesson before getting into the topics, which include but are not limited to: The Hot Pocket’s Rebrand, Heinz Spoon Fries, Jimmy Fallon MSCHF Gobstomper shoes, and Old Navy x Bored Ape. HOT POCKETS REBRAND https://thedieline.com/blog/2022/7/11/hot-pockets-gets-a-hot-new-packaging-design HEINZ SPOON FRIES https://thedieline.com/blog/2022/7/14/heinz-reveals-its-latest-invention-and-its-beyond-our-wildest-dreams-meet-spoon-friez JIMMY FALLON X MSCHF https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/mschf-jimmy-fallon-gobstomper-sneaker-price/ OLD NAVY X BORED APE https://hypebeast.com/2022/7/old-navy-bored-ape-yacht-club-tshirt-info | |||
| You Had Me at Meat Sweats | 13 Jul 2022 | 00:52:41 | |
They are back! After a week hiatus because of some hot hot summertime fires, Alex and Kevin discuss this years hotdog eating contest, Minions Rise of Gru fallout, The new I voted Sticker in Ulster County NY, MSCHF Eat the Rich popsicles, Arby’s x Old Spice Meat Sweat Defense Kit, Radio Shack Twitter account, Coke x Marshmello, and more! | |||
| Good Job! | 29 Jun 2022 | 00:55:53 | |
Alex and Kevin are exhilarated from NYC NFT! They have totally changed their stance on NFTs. Specifically they are all in on the Bored Ape Yacht Club. SIKE YOU THOUGHT! Alex and Kevin discuss Snoop Dogg and Eminem x Snoop Dogg’s new song from the D 2 the LBC, Kanye West’s surprise BET awards speech, The Kraft Mac and Cheese redesign, the Sprite rebrand, Mary Jones cannabis drink, Daring Chicken tenders photo shoot, Mark Cuban’s new pharmacy, and more. | |||
| For the Whipped Queens | 23 Jun 2022 | 00:39:12 | |
Better late than never! Alex and Kevin release the heat this week as they talk about this week’s most talked about topics. The fellas discuss Smartwater's new brand affiliate, Photoshop becoming free(ish), Twinkcoin, Functional Donuts, Whipnotic Whipped Cream, French’s Ketchup Popsicle, the Heinz Hot Dog Pact, and more! | |||
| Minion Opinions | 15 Jun 2022 | 00:39:00 | |
Alex and Kevin are moving fast af this week! Buckle up and enjoy the ride as your two favorite podcast hosts talk about Jayson Tatum’s new Candy Brand, Olipop x Minions, Miller Lite Beercoal, Mcdonalds’ Russian franchises new identity, Jack and Coke RTD cocktail, and more! | |||
| Podcast for a Sushi Restaurant | 08 Jun 2022 | 00:56:46 | |
Alex and Kevin discuss the Apple bringing back the silhouettes, Kim K’s new skin care brand, the KFC Jack Harlow meal, the unique milkshake concoctions at University of Miami, Van Leeuwen's Grey Poupon flavor, Heineken high-tech bottle opener, and more! | |||
| Next Week It's The Fries | 01 Jun 2022 | 00:49:33 | |
Alex and Kevin are back from Boston where they attended HOW Design Live and presented the Dieline awards. They talk about Kanye West’s McDonald's packaging design, Taco Bell sells out of the Mexican Pizza and postpones Mexican Pizza the Musical, Mona Lisa gets caked, Ritz and Oreo drop and extremely limited edition treat, Salvation Army joins the conversation on distressed sneaker convo, and more! | |||
| Live Mas, Work Mas? with Jess Kirkman | 18 May 2022 | 01:05:37 | |
Alex and Kevin talk to Jess Kirkman, Executive Creative Director of Taco Bell! They talk about life as an in house creative, Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza the Musical, iPod being discontinued, Balenciaga's distressed sneakers, and more! | |||
| Front and Joni Center | 11 May 2022 | 01:25:25 | |
Alex and Kevin welcome on Joni Center aka Alex's mom! | |||
| THIS IS A CRUMBL, PUT YOUR BLUE JEANS BACK ON | 02 Jul 2025 | 00:35:39 | |
Alex and Kevin bring you a solo episode, live from global headquarters in Greenpoint Brooklyn! They discuss the Hot Dog Eating Contest, Buffalo Wild Wings’ Mountain Dew Radler, Micheal Beirut taking a step back at Pentagram, Benson Boone’s Moonbeam Ice Cream Cookie, Linkin Park x Haribo, Heinz Mustard, Drake’s abs, Travis Scott’s Erewhon Smoothie, Subway’s Happy Gilmore mea;, and more! | |||
| FULL FRONTAL FANTASY HOTLINE | 04 May 2022 | 00:56:43 | |
Kevin and Pete take calls from you, the listeners. We weigh in on topics brought to us, and have a good time while doing it! | |||
| Mexican Pizza was an Inside Job | 27 Apr 2022 | 00:59:11 | |
Alex and Kevin discuss the return of Mexican Pizza, Snickers vein game, Flaming Hot MTN Dew is back, AXE Dogecan: the Stick, the new NBA Finals logo, and more! | |||
| The Future is Sustainable: with Andrew Gibbs and Jessica Deseo | 20 Apr 2022 | 01:37:04 | |
Alex and Kevin welcome on the dynamic duo who drive Dieline: Andrew Gibbs and Jessica Deseo! They discuss the world of packaging, sustainability, and brands. Topics include: Skullcandy x Doritos limited edition 4/20 headphones, the Beatles Cannabis Club - All Things Grass, Wingstop’s Blazed and Glazed, Guitar Center logo refresh, Liquid Death’s new campaign Don’t F*ck the Planet, and more! | |||