Gregory Thomas Included in Two Journals
Gregory Thomas' biography has been included in two journals from Cambridge, England in honor of his achievements as an educator, designer and intellectual. Gregory's biography will be listed in the publications entitled Dictionary of International Biography, 31st Edition & 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals Of The 21st Century. Both are published by the International Biographical Centre in Cambridge, England.
Contact: Gregory
Thomas
gregory@gtabrands.com
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Out On A Limb
by Gregory Thomas
It was nearly a month ago that the Principal of GTA decided to get some exercise and save some money by trimming his trees. He donned the appropriate gear and climbed his trusty ladder. With barely 2 feet left to go and having already mastered cutting like some bonsai tree master, his self-confidence was at a peek. Standing atop the ladder — yes, on the very top that says "not a step" — he reached for that last bit of tuft that would put him in the league of Edward Scissorhand. Unfortunately, the ladder at this point decided it had had enough and swayed and bucked until its cowboy lost his mount. After lying on the ground for what seemed eternity, he crawled back into the house and awaited his son and wife's return.
Into the emergency room to be given a bottle of strong aspirin and the diagnosis of a couple of cracked ribs Greg was promptly sent home. Over the week the pain did not subside and seeing several doctors no course of action was taken. It wasn't till the next weekend and a loss of consciousness that he decided to revisit the ER. It was at this point the doctors felt the problem had become more severe.
The next day, a visit from the head of Thoracic Surgery said he had to operate. Diagnosis: 6 BROKEN ribs, a punctured Diaphragm, collapsed lung and a lot of internal bleeding. A bit of surgery and week(s) of mending followed.
As an Irish priest who visited him in the hospital stated, "Gregory, we all want to get closer to heaven and God, but an 8 foot ladder isn't going to do it, try going to church!"
Needless to say from now on Greg uses professionals trained in their field (or tree's).
Contact: Gregory
Thomas
gregory@gtabrands.com
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GTA Creates Website For Renown Analyst, Debra Opri
Gregory Thomas has developed a comprehensive website for the renown attorney, media analyst, and columnist, Debra Opri. Ms. Opri is known for her string of successful cases including the acquittal of legendary soul singer, James Brown, of sexual harassment charges.
Ms. Opri is a recognized source of political and
legal analysis and a regular commentator on Fox News among others. She
is author of the Opri Opinion©, a weekly column that can be found on
the site and various other media outlets.
Click here for debraopri.com.
Contact: Gregory
Thomas
gregory@gtabrands.com
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Thomas on Norris Center Cancer Council
Gregory Thomas has become a member of the Cancer Survivorship Advisory Council of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. After Thomas' own bout with the disease he is devoting his creative talents toward educational benefits. Read about his other endeavors in donating time to fight this deadly disease, click here.
Contact: Gregory
Thomas
gregory@gtabrands.com
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Dates for GTA's appearance on The Food Network
GTA featured on he hit television show, "Unwrapped" on The Food Network in a special entitled, "Memorabilia Unwrapped."
The show
premiered September 7, 2003 @ 9pm Pacific/12am Eastern.
The show
had repeat broadcasts on:
September 13, 2003@ 4pm Pacific/7pm
Eastern
September 21, 2003@ 5pm Pacific/8
pm Eastern
January 1, 2004
@ 4pm
Pacific/7pm Eastern
January 2, 2004 @ 5pm Pacific/8pm
Eastern
The show takes a behind the scenes look into everyday products
that Americans have come to know and love. In this episode, the
producers will focus on food branding and the process involved
in development
of a brand. Principal photography was completed at GTA's studio.
Click below for photos from the shoot.
Click here to see photos from the shoot!
For a synopsis of the show on the Food Network website!
See a summary of the show (CWSP 18) and view airtimes.
GTA is now listed as a Logo Resource on FoodNetwork.com!
Contact: Gregory
Thomas
gregory@gtabrands.com
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GTA is in the second phase of developing the brand for the Alhambra Central Business District Association. The ACBDA is composed primarily of merchants and property owners of Alhambra, CA's Downtown & Main Street (located east of LA Downtown).
Alhambra has realized a recent surge in restaurants, theatres, shopping and more and wishes to develop a sustainable brand to communicate this to Los Angeles and the surrounding areas.
Contact: Gregory
Thomas
gregory@gtabrands.com
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Gregory Thomas to Judge National Design Competition
April 1, 2003
Gregory Thomas, Principal of Gregory Thomas Associates (GTA) has been
requested to participate in the judging of the 2003 American Graphic Design
Awards. Sponsored by Graphic Design:USA magazine, the distinguished national
competition is over 25 years old. To review Graphic Design:USA, please
visit www.gdusa.com.
Graphic Design:USA will recognize the judges in both their June and December
editions.
Contact: Gregory
Thomas
gregory@gtabrands.com
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Gregory Thomas Pens Articles for DESIGNER Magazine
April 1, 2003
Gregory Thomas, Principal of Gregory Thomas Associates (GTA) has written feature articles for the past two Designer magazines, the official quarterly publication of the University and College Design Association. The UCDA is a national organization promoting excellence in Visual Communications for Institutions of Higher Education.
Mr. Thomas is a member of the magazines Advisory Board and has authored two articles
so far with a third due in the next issue. Copies of the article will be available on this site in the near future. For information on joining the UCDA contact: www.ucda.com
Contact: Gregory
Thomas
gregory@gtabrands.com
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GTA recognized in 18th Annual Admissions Advertising Awards
The 18th Annual Admissions Advertising Awards
is hosted by HMR Publications Group to honor noteworthy recruiting or
marketing materials created for colleges and universities nationwide.
This year GTA garnished two awards for pieces created for the University of Southern California.
USC Annenberg School of Communication's "Annenberg Advantage" created
in 2002 by GTA was recognized in the Search Piece Category. The direct mail piece targeted junior and senior high school students interested in attending University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication. Geared toward a teen audience, the use of bright colors, candid student photos and images of the sunny California environment adds to the appeal of the school's world renown academic reputation. Business reply card return rates were very high following the initial mailing.
The wayfinding and informational map "Welcome to USC" was recognized in the Special Publications category. Although USC has a number of campus maps,
the USC Cultural Affairs Department felt none of them
adequately addressed their need. A fun, easy-to-use guide
to parking, dining, theatre and athletic venues
was developed by GTA. The maps are made available
to every visitor to the USC campus.
Click here for the HMR Publication Group Annual Advertising Awards website.
Contact: Gregory
Thomas
gregory@gtabrands.com
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Greg Thomas awarded second grant for Downtown
Theaters
The USC Arts Initiative has awarded a $10000
grant for a faculty proposal submitted by Gregory Thomas, adjunct professor
at the USC School of Fine Arts.
Funding will support the newly organized Downtown Theater Trust,
whose mission is to build a sustainable Los Angeles downtown arts &
entertainment district.
The proposal was titled, The Shows Must Go On, and was selected
from a host of other proposals.
Click to see
some ideas from GTA and USC's project
for branding Historic Downtown Broadway.
Contact: Gregory
Thomas
gregory@gtabrands.com
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GTA Talks Branding to LA Mayor's Office
GTA principal, Gregory Thomas was invited to Los Angeles City Hall to give a presentation about branding to a member of the Mayor's Office, a Council District and a representative of the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau. The presentation was aimed at gathering further insight into a proper branding strategy for Los Angeles in hopes of developing a more cohesive, unified identity for this extremely complex, culturally diversified metropolis.
Click to see
some ideas from GTA and USC's project
for branding Historic Downtown Broadway.
Contact: Gregory
Thomas
gregory@gtabrands.com
# # # #
Award winning branding and identity firm Gregory
Thomas Associates has formed a strategic partnership with Singapore-based
I.dentity Creative Services Pte Ltd. This partnership enables Gregory
Thomas Associates to extend their reach to clientele in Asia while better
serving their American and European clients who are based in the East.
Gregory Thomas, principal of GTA, conducted extensive research and numerous
interviews with potential collaborators before selecting I.dentity Creative
Services. Established in 1995, I.dentity Creative Services Pte LTD provides
strategic design communications and pre-IPO branding for clients in Singapore,
Hong Kong and China and is a perfect complement to the design services
offered by GTA. In November 2001, the Singapore-based firm expanded to
Beijing and saw the successful launch of KISS N BAKE, a leading bakery
retail brand amongst other growing consumer product clients. Other corporate
clients include Beijing FullStar Electric Car, Feilu Air-conditioning
Company, the Singapore Chamber of Commerce & Industry in China (SingCham)
and ZhengDa Group of Companies.
Gregory Thomas is a pioneer in cross-cultural
design and has been servicing countries in the Pacific Rim for nearly
20 years. Thomas has worked with a number of prestigious Asian companies
including National Panasonic, Maruni Furniture and Honma Development.
Furthermore, Thomas views this collaboration as an excellent opportunity
to work with clients in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing
and Singapore.
"We were fortunate that in doing our homework, we understand the differences
between the way we do business in the United States and the way it is
conducted in countries steeped in tradition and cultural nuances," said
Thomas.
Thomas' counterpart at I.dentity is company founder Winnie Lim. Educated
and trained in the United Kingdom, Lim has over fourteen years experience
in the advertising and design profession. As Managing and Creative Director
of I.dentity, Lim has guided her firm into new areas of design and new
opportunities in the Asian market. Lim also shares Thomas' passion for
involvement in the academic community where she serves as an External
Assessor to the LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts in Singapore .
"We believe that our years of cross-cultural design experiences can bring
to the clients the best of EAST and WEST resources in forming their strategic
market communications in Asia. With this strategic alliance with GTA,
a useful platform is formed to help Western companies further explore
the immense and individualistic markets in Asia, especially tapping into
the growing markets of China. Our base in Beijing and our China experience
is a valuable resource for companies new to the Chinese markets. I.dentity
has always focused on building client's brand equity, retail marketing
communications as well as repackaging pre-listing corporate identity
for
businesses," stated Lim.
Gregory Thomas Associates feels extremely fortunate to have found a resource
such as I.dentity Creative Services Pte Ltd. Thomas recognized the common
bond reflected in the quality of work between the two companies, the shared
entrepreneurial spirit and a strong kinship with Lim as well. "We learned
over 20 years ago that, in order to have successful business partners
in Asia; trust, honor and candor are the first priorities in a collaboration
such as this." says Thomas.
Click here to see photos from the shoot!
Contact: Gregory Thomas
gregory@gtabrands.com
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Design Firm Gregory Thomas Associates
Receives Grant to Aid the Fight Against Cancer
Internationally recognized and award-winning design
firm Gregory Thomas Associates has been selected to receive a grant to fund
their recently created philanthropy Creatives Against Cancer.
Creatives Against Cancer was conceived after firm principal Gregory Thomas
survived a life-threatening battle against kidney cancer in 2000. "Laying
there, it seemed very clear that I should take my 35 years as a designer and
use my communication skills to help others."
Gregory Thomas Associates was one of 25 firms
selected by Sappi, the premier paper company, to receive grants totaling $400,000.
The grants are the cornerstone of Sappi's Ideas That Matter program, which
offers financial support and incentives to companies that support design for
the public good.
Robert Louey, of Louey/Rubino Design Group, served as a judge. Louey found
Thomas' proposal to be very human. "Many of the stories seem contrived,"
Louey said, "but [Thomas'] story was honest, from the heart and incredibly
moving."
The defining goals of Creatives Against Cancer are straightforward yet enormously
important:
- To educate designers of the need for early detection for themselves and others in their lives.
- To spread awareness and educate the design community about cancer and what they can do to help.
- To raise funds by having designers apply their skills to help their local causes.
Thomas was not the first person in his firm to face
the specter of cancer. Dave La Cava, Gregory Thomas Associates' senior
design director lost his mother to lung cancer mere months before Thomas
received his own diagnosis. Now recovered, Thomas and the members of his
firm are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of those touched
by cancer.
"When you experience back to back tragedies with your friend's mother
and your own personal ordeal, you begin to reconsider if designing packaging
for snacks is really what you should be doing," said Thomas. "I
realized I have made many clients successful through the power of print.
I know I can use the same power to communicate the importance of a crusade
against cancer."
Formed nearly 25 years ago, Gregory Thomas Associates specializes in corporate
communications, literature and direct response materials. The award-winning
company produces a diverse range of strategic marketing support collateral.
Services include brand analysis, development and implementation in addition
to creating advertising and marketing materials. The Gregory Thomas Associates'
roster includes clients in Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, Auckland, Vienna,
and Osaka. Gregory Thomas has been the sole owner and principal since
its inception. Gregory Thomas served as Acting Chair of Graphic Design
at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, and is now an adjunct faculty
in both the School of Fine Arts and the Annenberg School for Communication
at the University of Southern California.
Contact: Gregory
Thomas
gregory@gtabrands.com
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GTA featured in Two New Books
Two new design books featuring work from GTA
are on the stands now.
A poster done for UCLA is featured in the book, "Color Graphics: The Power
of Color in Graphic Design" by Karen Triedman and Cheryl Cullen.
A map for the USC campus was chosen for the book, "Information Graphics
& Visual Clues" by Ronnie Lipton.
GTA's own book, "How
to Design Logos, Symbols, and Icons" continues to enjoy critical acclaim!
Contact: Gregory
Thomas
gregory@gtabrands.com
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One-Of-A-Kind Event Gives Consumers A Hands-On Opportunity
To Test-Drive And Compare Top Vehicles In A Relaxed, No-Pressure Setting.
GTA develops identity for this Edmunds.com brand extension.
GTA designed art and helped create environmental
graphics for Edmunds.com's historical test drive tour. GTA also developed
the company logo and the TMV (True Market Value) logo for Edmunds.com as well.
Edmunds.com (http://www.edmunds.com) is the Internet's pioneer and leader
in providing free, third-party automotive information, including extensive
automotive reviews, consumer information, safety updates, incentive and rebate
information, an interactive community and expert analysis of developments
in the automotive world.
EdmundsLIVE! is a first-of-its-kind event that brings many of the features
and information available on the Edmunds' site to a live, physical venue.
EdmundsLIVE! attractions include:
Test tracks: eight specially designed environments to test-drive and compare more than 120 of the industry's top vehicles;
Compariums: providing information about the four EdmundsLIVE! vehicle categories - near-luxury sedans, sedans, SUVs, and minivans;
Chatrooms: industry experts lead discussions on a wide range of popular automotive topics;
CyberCentral: an Internet CafÚ environment featuring a 30-foot multimedia tower, access to the Internet via high-speed connections, seating to enjoy light snacks and beverages, and more;
Sponsor displays: representatives from all areas of the automotive industry provide no- pressure, no-nonsense information.
Sponsors include: CarsDirect, eCoverage, PeopleFirst,
1Source Auto Warranty.
If you would like to receive a press kit, photos or media credentials
to attend the event please contact Jeannine Fallon at jfallon@edmunds.com.
Contact:
Gregory Thomas
gregory@gtabrands.com
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Gregory
Thomas Publishes His First of Many Books on Design
"How
to Design Logos, Symbols and Icons" by Gregory Thomas
Logos are everywhere. You can't walk down a supermarket aisle, open a
magazine, drive down the highway or turn on TV without being pummeled
with graphic IDs that shout, "Apple Computers!" or "Nike!" or "Purina!"
Now see where great logos, symbols and icons come from. If you want to
understand what makes them "tick"--what makes them good—then look
here. This is not your typical collection of neat-and-polished, finished
designs. This book steps into the international studios of top designers
as ideas happen—to show you what worked, what didn't, and why. You'll
even get an up-close and personal look at the making of symbols and icons—two
fast-growing, but rarely covered, fields of design.
Inside, case studies illustrate the evolution of logos,
symbols and icons created for a variety of clients, from small, startup
businesses to large corporations. You'll get the whole creative story—from
the initial client briefing ... through early roughs and intermediary
sketches ... to the ultimate, finished design. Don't miss this rare, real-world
look at how designers sum up a business or a product in a single, graphic
signature.
This book
explores a broad range of design projects, strategies and creative processes.
You'll see how marks were designed for banks and nonprofit organizations,
feature films and churches ... for mergers, globalizations and diversifications.
For each project, you'll get the whole story of how the logo, symbol or
icon evolved smoothly (or not so smoothly) from the original concept,
including:
- where ideas came from, whether instant inspirations or 2 am breakthroughs
- different directions that were considered
- how initial roughs were influenced and shaped by the principles of good
design and the realities of the client
- how the final design was adapted to use in various formats, from brochures
and business cards to trucks and street banners.
Includes the design strategies of over 20 design firms.
About the Author
For over 22 years, Gregory Thomas has been the owner and principal of
Gregory Thomas Associates, a Santa Monica-based design consultancy that
specializes in corporate communications literature and direct response
materials. The award-winning company produces a diverse range of strategic
marketing support collateral for an international client list that includes
CBS, IBM, Levi Strauss & Company, Yale University, the Australian Tourist
Commission, and MCA/Universal Pictures. Thomas served as the Chair of
Graphic Design at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena for three years,
and for six years he maintained the position of Instructor of Identity
Systems there. Mr. Thomas currently teaches as an adjunct professor at
the USC School of Fine Arts and the USC Annenberg School for Communications.
He has been featured on National Public Radio for his work in branding
and is currently lecturing on the subject of design and branding at universities
across the country.Contact:
Gregory Thomas
gregory@gtabrands.com
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GTA Designs New Edmunds.com Identity
New Corporate Identity Reflects the 33-Year-Old Company's Commitment to
Its Present Day Focus - Consumers Online
Edmunds.com, the Web's leading third party automotive resource, today
officially announced a corporate identity change from Edmund's Publication
Corporation to Edmunds.com and unveiled a new logo on its Web site located
at http://www.edmunds.com.
Since its inception in 1966, Edmunds.com's focus has remained on providing
consumers comprehensive, unbiased information surrounding cars and trucks.
Historically, consumers have used print publications to garner this knowledge,
and Edmunds.com still provides it in this format, shipping nearly 125,000
volumes of its pricing and review books per quarter. Today, more than
40% of all new car purchases and a third of all used car purchases are
influenced by the Web*. It serves as the consumer's ultimate resource
in the automotive arena, and likewise Edmunds.com has concentrated all
of its energies on expanding the availability and usefulness of its Web
site to millions of individuals who are logging on in search of the unbiased
truth about cars and trucks. Edmunds.com has repositioned its identity,
furthering its commitment to consumers online.
"Throughout our 33-year history, we've never seen a more effective way
to empower consumers with free, unbiased automotive information than through
the Internet, and it is our mission to provide as much of this information
to as many consumers who are purchasing, selling or owning a vehicle as
possible. More than 1.3 million unique visitors per month visit Edmunds.com,
representing 32 times the amount of our print readership. Therefore, our
change of corporate identity illustrates our tangible commitment to making
ourselves accessible in new, powerful ways through http://www.edmunds.com."
said Peter Steinlauf, president and CEO, Edmunds.com.
The Edmunds.com logo was created by Santa Monica, California-based Greg
Thomas Associates and went live at the Edmunds.com site today. It depicts
the new name in concert with a sedan and is accompanied by a new tagline
- Consumer Driven. Plans for incorporating other makes of vehicles into
the identity are in the works (e.g., a sports car and a truck-like vehicle).
For GTA, a longtime brand builder in the off-line world, it represents
a first foray into brand creation online.
"Greg Thomas immediately grasped our mission and worked with us to create
a clean, simple logo that enables consumers to understand exactly who
we are and what we do." Avi Steinlauf, director of marketing, Edmunds.com.
"As with the information we provide at the site, we intend to make our
look and feel straightforward and easily understood. The new logo is intended
for our most important constituency - consumers who are in need of automotive
information and community."
About Gregory Thomas Associates
Gregory Thomas Associates (GTA) is based in Santa Monica, Calif. Formed
18 years ago, GTA is an internationally recognized authority on branding,
design and marketing communications. The firm has developed global corporate
identity programs for The Gas Company, Litton Industries, Logicon, the
National Tourism Boards of Australia and New Zealand, Quantas, and CBS
Television Network. As brand management experts, the firm has worked with
many internationally recognized brands, including Baskin-Robbins and Kahlua
International, divisions of Allied Domecq and Master Halco. The firm has
won numerous national and international design awards, including the New
York Type Directors Club, American Institute of Graphic Arts, and the
Tokyo Type Directors Club.
About Edmunds.com
Headquartered in Santa Monica, Edmunds.com is the Internet's pioneer and
leader in providing a free, third party clearinghouse of automotive information.
Through its Web presence at http://www.edmunds.com,
Edmunds.com empowers, educates and engages visitors by respecting them
and providing them with straightforward, truthful information on key aspects
of buying, selling and owning a vehicle. Users are provided automobile
pricing data, extensive automobile reviews, consumer information, safety
updates, incentive and rebate news, expert analysis of developments in
the automotive world and the Town Hall, an interactive community of more
than 250,000 participants. Edmunds.com has been honored as one of Yahoo!
Internet Life's 50 Most Incredibly Useful Sites and among Entrepreneur
Magazine's Top 100 Web Sites for Entrepreneurs. Contact:
Gregory Thomas
gregory@gtabrands.com
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