MANVIL

With the goings on at SAAB, with the rally on the 14th and whatnot, a new client asked for a simple sticker to display his Oregon based love of Saab. Similar clients may be out there for Washington Saab owners, so we put that graphic together as well.

If cars represent the citizenry of countries (and we’re not suggesting that they ALL do) then the safety minded, enthusiast-driven Saab may well be a major part of Sweden’s image. In a country known for both fun-loving, zestfully adventurous citizens, and a somewhat stoic, solid minded (read: introverted) people, the reputations of Saab and Volvo seem to be plucked from central casting.

“We need somebody straight laced, mindful and safe, they’ll be driving a Volvo”

“We need an intelligent, loose cannon, let’s put them in a Saab”

Perhaps that’s not gibberish the way they’d say it in Hollywood, but it is somewhat close. MANVIL’s client wanted to be able to push their Oregon Saab pride subtly, so when a Saab owner wants to let their freak flag fly they can slap this on the back of their rigs. Here’s to the Oregon Saab owners, may you enjoy this in good health for many more years of driving.

The stickers are proper vinyl, with a UV layer for longevity. They should go on just fine and last for many years to come, which is more than you can say for that awkwardly spelled end table you bought after college. Go SAAB!

Anybody who knows the Creative Strategy Manager at MANVIL  knows he’s a huge fan of Saab. He’s owned nine of them, so we’re pretty sure he’s got the fever, and yet he swears that they were always reliable, comfortable and above all, fun to drive. Truth be told his current passion is a 6500 lb. lump of Japanese offroad prowess made at the ARACO plants in Japan, but his love of Saab remains undiminished.

Five four-doors and four three-doors, and the last four were all turbocharged. He’s walked away from three of them after they had been totalled due to someone else’s poor driving. At least four of them were nearing 200,000 miles before they were sold, now that’s love!

So when the Northwest Saab Owners Club needed a poster for their rally to show off MANVIL had no qualms about putting it together. If you own a Saab, and want to be a part of one of the many January 14th rallies to show your support in this now bankrupt car company, take a look at Outside-Saab.com to see what’s going on in your neck of the woods. If you’re in the Northwest and you want to take a run around Portland, Oregon, meet at atomic auto on the 14th at 12 Noon. If you live in Washington or BC, try to get in touch with the Northwest Saab Owners Club on Facebook. They’re meeting in Fife at Larson Cadillac Saab at 8:30 AM for the convoy down.

MANVIL has thankfully been working busily the last few weeks. Client projects have been more frequent and a lot of fun as well. Here’s hoping the work keeps coming in. It’s fun for us, and hopefully entertaining for the reader as well.

Today’s subject is not an exception. SYNTH-BIO Trivia is something we’re proud to have been a part of for years, and they are taking the game to other watering holes, (Which we’re thrilled with because it is hella fun) We’re proud to say that we’ve known these guys for a while, and we applaud their hard work. MANVIL going to stick with the stylish, classy support staff at the Rose and Thistle for the Monday night extravaganza, and we’re glad that Dave from SYNTH-BIO helps make Monday night seem like a Thursday.

Following the theme given to us by the client, we wanted to run with a low-cal horror themed/fifties feel. What better fits with the mindset of the fifties than an old TV? And although color was really introduced to the tube in the 60′s, we think the idea helps get the message across. A little mystery, a little contrast, and a bit of a call to action.

In Portland, SYNTH-BIO plays trivia on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. On Wednesday they conduct Family Friendly Bingo. It’s a great time, run by smart, fun folks, and we’re proud to be able to help the cause. Check out http://www.synth-bio.com for more info.

Soapbox extravaganza!

MANVIL has enjoyed being a part of Portland Adult Soapbox for almost 9 years now. Nine years? Oof Dah!

Oh, it started out innocently. A lunatic red-head at the bar stated she needed somebody to push her car. No big deal, right? So we stepped right in to help. Well the day was a blast, the ginger raced like the loon she is, as did her partner, and although she didn’t win, the fun and camaraderie (there honey, it’s finally spelled right) stuck in our heads. About a thousand fun-loving souls, all relatively well medicated, having a giant party in a public park with the paid-for consent of the city of Portland. (Our fair city!)

So, many years later, when the Derby Grand Jefe, Captain Chaos asked MANVIL for some help with the graphics on a fairly tight deadline, we were more than happy to oblige. We fulfilled all design needs for the event with pride of ownership.

Then a potential client asked about any recent integrated marketing campaigns we’d finished lately. Big words! Fancy words, which to us meant, “what did you do to promote something”. So we roughed something up for them… and realized, hey, we were on task with this whole thing. There is ‘cohesion in the design elements’ (read; a common theme) and the damned things kinda look good. They looked great post-production thanks to the professional efforts of Tom at Northwest Imprints and Sher-Lynn at the IMI Group. (Tees and posters) Our rapidly produced advertisement was displayed in the Portland Mercury and the Soapbox website turned out to be well received as well.

So here is a pile of the images, in a rather hastily built display. (sometimes it’s better to get the images displayed hastily, than to never display them at all)

So I suppose all sorts of folks started chasing their passions whilst youngsters. Maybe I fell for graphics late. Maybe I’m a delayed bloomer. Hell, maybe I left my keys in my ignition. Whatever reason there is for pursuing anything, there might be somebody wanting to help you make your off-center dreams come true. All it takes is to get the word out.

Enter the 2011 PDX Kids Soapbox race on August 27th. Curiously enough, the current (as of this week anyways) All-American Soap Box Derby World Champion calls Portland her home. She dreamt about running the PDX Adult Soapbox race, but realized she wasn’t going to be allowed to. (Not unless she can shotgun a beer like a champ, but that’s ill-advised at her age anyway.)

So here’s to letting the gremmies have free reign of Hawthorne from 50th to 55th. If you’ve got a yoongster who wants to roll, take a peek and look into the race. I’d imagine it’ll be a great time, and I am glad MANVIL may be a part of the events success. Some Assembly Required.

Those who know MANVIL know that for the last six or seven years (Maybe eight… OK it’s kind of a blur) we have been involved in one way or another with Portland Adult Soapbox. This year the powers that run the race turned to MANVIL for a little creative aid, and we were very happy to oblige.

Soapbox this year is on August 13th, and the MANVIL car may be a little more prepared for the race than in years past, but that’s no fault of ours. The beer will flow the race will run and the winner, whomever they are, will enjoy a grand spectacle.

MANVIL, well, we’re in it for the fun of being a part of something delightfully PDX. (And of course the full pic-i-nic basket and cooler of refreshments) Let the freak flags fly and enjoy Mt. Tabor!

A special thanks goes out to the good folks who support PDX Soapbox… the Portland and Soapbox racing public at large, and especially Pete Wilson Stoneworks, Jens Edwards Electric, Ecoheat, Infinity Tattoo, Bakery Bar, Bipartisan Cafe, Pine State Biscuits, Laurelhurst Theater,  Migration Brewing, Cheese Bar, New Deal Distillery, Beulahland, MEAT, Adams Law, New Deal Cafe, IMI, Lompoc, Flying Pie Pizzaria, Oregon Sports Action and Kolorwerx.

Here’s to Soapbox!

It’s hard to believe, but August is almost here and the 2011 Portland Adult Soapbox Derby is looming. Absurd I know, because we never plan that far in advance, but this year, staff cannot toil late into the last minutes before the race in order to get the car ready. This year we vow to have prepared the car in advance. The car shall be fast, the car shall be sturdy, the car shall not crash in a meteoric pile of bent metal and dreams torn asunder. The next line is not ‘the car puts the lotions on’.

Derby is a special time. The time when the cock-eyed dreams of fools either meld into a brilliant zenith of creativity, devotion and genius, or the beer addled tomfoolery of the semi-crafty. This year team MANVIL faces derby with a solid frame, taut and moderately predictable steering, and a change in brakes and tires. Good things may well be on the horizon, only time will tell.

Derby is a mysterious vixen willing to smile with one furrowed brow, or cackle viciously while pointing at ones failings, all the while holding a cold one.

And when the sun shines, the proverbial hay will be made. Until then, some folks may need a boost to get up and at it.The sun seems to be rearing its head in the city of Portland, and MANVIL doesn’t feel like sitting still much longer. It’s been a long winter, with fun and abundant projects, hopefully there are more on the horizon. Progress is a funny thing, easy to envision, but sometimes hard to accept and/or undertake. That’s why it’s important to take small steps. One bit at a time.

Get out there and do something!

For the last three years the Rusty Iron has continued to gain prominence as a great venue for the Pacific Northwest’s Hawaiian Canoe Paddlers to race their first long distance run of the season. The awards provided to winning teams in any class were stickers. Although this does seem like a bit of a let-down for paddlers used to earning bronze, pewter or gilded metal awards, like I did as a kid, times have changed. The Rusty Iron is a distance race, traditionally the first one of the year in the Northwest. It is put on by Pacific Outrigger Canoe Club, a small cadre of enthusiastic, yet none too green-behind-the-ears paddlers. The race runs from Cathedral Park in St. John’s, down to buoy 12, then back up to the Rail Bridge, and back down to Cathedral Park.

On the last Saturday in April, the weather can be as calamitous as anything in the Northwest. We’ve seen rain, sleet, snow, fog, lightning and pure unadulterated Northwest Sunshine. It’s a great race, and this year, if you place, you get one of these fine tributes. I look forward to seeing you there, I’m the bearded guy with the scowl, the binoculars and the stop watches. Cheers!