Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Congratulations to John Slabyk!

There are several people out there who don't know this but for over a year and a half talented freelance designer John Slabyk has been the Art Director for the Barack Obama campaign. I've known since July of 2007 when he first was mulling over taking the job as I was getting ready to launch SabresNotSlugs.com. Most people also know that ever since Fix the logo/Sabres Not Slugs began that both Drew and I strongly supported his well known creative efforts regarding the Buffalo Sabres and the New Blue and Gold project.

Now he is the Art Director for the President-elect of the United States of America. Not too bad!





Obviously this project was far more atmospheric than developing logo and uniform concepts! His visualization of the Obama campaign has been highly praised by peer designers and for good reason. The web design and layout no doubt played a subtle yet highly vital role in the campaign's success. In my opinion the overall Obama web experience was far more appealing, user friendly, focused, and easier to navigate compared to that of John McCain's web page. I know that web design certainly is not an indicator on how competent a president Obama may or may not be, but this design led for a far more effective platform to aid in the dissemination of Obama's message and other information to the American voters. It certainly was an underestimated difference maker in the campaign and election.

Nicely done! John you are a true talent! The sky is the limit now for you in your professional field. John has now forged a solid brand equity and can write his own ticket.

To relate this to the Buffalo Sabres, remember that this is the same guy who in 2003 received an audience with Larry Quinn and passionately inteviewed to be a part of "Change" in the Buffalo Sabres organization as they looked to rebrand with the return to the blue and gold. His ideas for the identity change were promptly dismissed by the team and was never given and feedback or follow up and they went forward(backwards) to release the ass-clownish slug logo as the new identity of the organization.

2 comments:

carpandean said...

All politics aside, that is a very nice logo by John.

Drew Celestino said...

Indeed. I don't want to get into any political discussions here.

But I want to give Mr. Slabyk a nice round of applause. He's done very well for himself, and he can proudly say he's worked for the highest office in the country, maybe the world.

Yet the Sabres showed him the door.

Only in Buffalo guys. lol

Congrats John! Keep up the great work in all future endeavors!