Front and Center

Alex and Kevin buss it down from a design and cultural perspective. You know they had to talk about Kincks Mania, The Rizzler still making waves, Mr. Beast's new look, The Outdoor Boys hanging it up, the new Pope, HBO Max coming back, the Utah Mmmoth brand, White Castle x Heeley's, Jaguar firing their agency, and more!

Talia Cotton is a designer, coder, and educator who is recognized as a leading specialist in the intersection of design and technology. In 2023 she founded Cotton, a creative agency pursuing purposeful design work with code. Talia also teaches intro and advanced coding at Parsons School of Design. She has been recognized by The One Club, TDC, Fast Company, and It's Nice That, and has inspired audiences around the globe on The Cotton Global worldwide tour.Talia joins us today to teach us about code and how she and her studio of like-minded designers use it to make excellent work. Their work is as unique as their approach. They are a pioneer agency in this exciting and emerging way of working creatively with code. We were thrilled to sit and talk with her about everything going on in her life and unpack why she has watched Sex and the City three times through, and never the final episode. Enjoy!

THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN! Alex is back from Coachella, and Kevin is back from Tulum. The bougie boys are bringing the heat as they talk about what's going on. Alex recaps Coachella, and the fellas talk about 100 dudes vs 1 gorilla, the kerning on Pope Francis' tomb, Fyre Fest 2, Khloé Kardashian's Khloud Protein Popcorn, the Amazon rebrand, the Heinz grill, Sperm Racing, and more!

Today, we are thrilled to welcome Justin Thomas Kay to the program! Justin is a YouTuber, creative director, and graphic designer based in Brooklyn. You may have seen him on GQ Rebranded, an episodic series about sports branding— how it works, the history behind it, and how he would approach it. Justin was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he cut his teeth in designing posters, album art, and other stuff for his band Sincebyman. He then entered the editorial world and worked with like every cool magazine, Complex, Fader, New York Times Magazine, Mass Appeal, and Victory Journal, to name a few. Justin then moved to the brand side, working for Nike, Google, YouTube,  Apple, and Red Bull. We are stoked to talk to him about his work on J. Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive and rebranding the Milwaukee Bucks. Justin is a legend. Enjoy!

We are thrilled to welcome Pete Freeman to the show! Pete, a willing 3rd, is a Center OG, the first employee. We are blessed with his presence this week as he's in New York on business by way of sunny California! We talk about the rats of Erewhon, Alex is going to Coachella, Paul American, the Rizzler throwing out the first pitch at the Mets game, pool+, the subway footlong nachos, KFC toothpaste, Glen Powell's Smash Kitchen, and more!

Diego Segura and Eliz Akgun are incredibly talented designers who reside in New York City. They caught Alex's attention last year with their stunning work on the brand Leggs. Diego worked at COLLINS after dropping out of high school at 18; he runs a progressive studio called Family Office and has aspirations of business beyond branding. Eliz's talent is boundless, as her artistic vision and learned hotkeys make her an exciting designer to watch for the future (big things to come). The duo joins the podcast this week to go back and forth with high energy, quick banter, lots of bits, and even more laughs. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did recording it. It's a fun one!

Send us a textAlex and Kevin are back for a regular episode! The fellas discuss their favorite television shows, Ashton Hall and his morning routine, peak protein, funny baseball hats, Doordash x Klarna, Ordinary Eggs, Pepsi buying Poppi, and more!

Send us a textLisa Smith is the queen of the rebrand! She is renowned for her transformative work with some of the world's most cherished brands. Currently the Global Executive Creative Director at JKR, her strategic vision has played a pivotal role in the global rebrand efforts for clients such as Burger King, Nordstrom Rack, Impossible Food, and Manischewitz.Lisa, a listener of the pod, joins us to share about her life, her career, and her passion for the beach! We are excited to share this episode with you!

Send us a textIt's been a while since since we've podded! We are so back! Back from vacations, back in the studio, back in your ears. We talk about our new favorite shows and their marketing promotions, the Oscars, Sweetgreen Fries, Duo Lingo dying and resurrecting, NikeSKIMS, Dove whole body deo, Dove x Crumbl, Graza Fizzle, Nathan's canned water, Open AI rebrand, and more!

Send us a textHappy Valentine's Day! We love love! We are happy to welcome Jackie DeJesu Center to the pod to break down the best and worst of the Super Bowl and Valentines Day! The brands are wildin out! We talk about Mountain Dew, Nike, Bud Light, Jesus, Coke, Totinos, Dunkin', Liquid Death, Coca-Cola, Grillos, Skimms, Laneige, Sweethearts, MSCHF, Outback, Stonyfield, Denny's Hormel, White Castle, and more!

Take a Gander, and give it a listen! We've got Katie Levy and Mike McVicar in the house! Katie and Mike are the creative duo behind Gander, a design shop in Brooklyn that creates thoughtful experiences for humans and propels brands with soul and substance. They are the studio behind some of the hottest CPG brands like: Graza, Yellow Bird, Pop Up Grocer, Magic Spoon, Behave, Gotham Greens, Banza, June Wine Bar, and many other bangers! Katie and Mike bring the energy as they advocate for the 4 day work week, rally for studios to come together and charge the same amount for work, plead for designers to come and work on their case studies, and shock Alex and Kevin with an on-air Magic trick! Check out their new website, which conveniently coincides with the episode launch! TAKE A GANDER! WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT!

Happy New Year! We're back, and we're totally new and different! Nah, just kidding, we're the same. We've got some goals, some things to improve, and a change to the show's release schedule. We talk about our breaks, Brian Johnson, The Aaron Rodgers Doc, Ladder x Stavros, The Sandisk rebrand, the Walmart rebrand, RX Bar cutting out the BS, Halo Top Dry January flavor drop, Breaking News, The Pizza Hut Pizza Report, and more!

In the last episode of 2024, Alex and Kevin break out the Haterade and dole out awards for the worst of the year. Find out who wins Story Of The Year, Story Of The Year (Number 2), Brand Of The Year, Launch Of The Year, Bozo Of The Year, Snackflation Of The Year, Beef Of The Year, Misprint Of The Year, Mispronouncian Of The Year, Brand Partnership Of The Year, (Not Good) Person Of The Year, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, And Good Thing We Didn't Buy This. Thanks for a great year! Cya next year!

IT'S THE END OF THE YEAR, AND YOU KNOW THE DRILL! It's time for your favorite end-of-the-year design award show: The Fronties! Alex and Kevin recap and celebrate the year in design, branding, and culture! They give out awards for Person Of The Year, Team Of The Year, Brand Of The Year, Story Of The Year, Rebrand Of The Year, Good Job, Thumbs Up, You Tried, Refreshing Refresh, Renegade Of The Year, Comeback Of The Year, Zuck Of The Year, and Egg Champs.

Alex and Kevin break down this week's hottest topics in design and culture! They discuss Enron's comeback, Crumbl x Dove, The Rizler x Grillos, Jaguar, Tropicana, Bologna, and more!

GOBBLE GOBBLE! HAPPY THANKSGIVING! We hope you have a fantastic holiday, and get to spend time with those you're thankful for! On this episode, we provide some topical topics that you can share with your friends or family around the dinner table!  We talk about the Martha Stewart doc, John Stamos' solidarity, the Funyuns Princess Bag, the Guggenheim rebrand, Screwball x Yung Gravy, Hellman's Mayo Blanc, Popeyes Cajun Turkey, Reynolds Wrap "Espresso Turkey-tini”, Hard Mountain Dew Ditch Your Family, Brown Friday, Z-Pain, and more! Keep it light and bright!*this episode was recorded before the Jaguar rebrand... Review to come (:

We are stoked to welcome Jen and Amy Hood to the program! They are the Cofounders & Principals of Hoodzpah, a brand identity and type design studio out of Southern California. Hoodzpah creates brand identities that people root for and help legacy brands shine on. The vibes are high as we learn about their background, how they started their studio, how they approach work, and so much more! 

Alex and Kevin are at it again as they break it down this week! They talk about the Prospect Park fire, Mark Wahlberg's Municipal Gym, the A&W Rebrand, Nike NYC Marathon OOH, a Wicked mistake, Grillo's Pickle Toothpaste, Sega Emojam, and more!

Today, we are stoked to welcome Mike Perry to the show! Mike is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of TAVERN, a Brooklyn-based creative agency with a focus on food, beverage, cannabis & hospitality brands. We discuss his career journey, starting at NBC Sports in Philadelphia, getting into spirits and beverage design, and taking a quick detour at TikTok before starting his studio. Mike teaches us about Tavern's philosophy of creating timeless brands driven by modern heritage, gives us a deep dive into the Sizzler rebrand, and more!Check out Tavern's work: https://tavern.agency/ Follow Tavern on Instagram: @tavern.agencyFollow Mike on Instagram: @mike_l_perry

Alex and Kevin at in the stu talking about this week's hottest stories. They recap Creative Boom's Top 25 Most Popular Design Studios, their Halloweens, the Dwayne Wade statue, Lebron and Bronny, a new New York Organ Donor campaign, Vlassic Pickle Balls, V8 x Grillos, Liquid Death Soda Flavors, Gold Fish rebrands to Chilean Sea Bass, Kate Spade x M&M, Doritos Super Bowl Comercial Contest, and more!

This week Alex and Kevin recap the New York Liberty winning the WNBA Championship, EEEEEEATSCON, Alex in Ohio, The Mets (rip), Moldy Lunchly, Brach's Candoy Corn Data, Airheads feet spray, Ketchup Sprinkles, the Mountain Dew rebrand, the Kleenex rebrand, and more!

It's a total Freak Off as Alex and Kevin get the Baby Oil out and slide through the news and stories they missed while releasing all of the fire guest eps! They talk about their trips to Europe, Alex turning 40, Diddy, The Mets, David Protein Bars, Michelle Obama's soda brand Plezi, a fire Michigan I voted sticker, bye bye Better Bagel, Capri Sun in Bottles, Pepsi acquiring Siete,  PSL SZN round-up, Lunchly, The Chicken Big Mac, and more!

Shy Trutwein and Jasmine Gallagher are the dynamic duo who run After Hours, aka “your favorite studio's favorite studio.” (true) After Hours is a studio that is based nowhere but everywhere. They live a nomadic lifestyle, travling the world together and working on projects in strategy, identity, design, digital, content, and more. They maneuver and coordinate around various global time zones for their worldwide clients. In this energetic episode, Shy and Jasmine tell us about what it's like living, working, traveling, and eating up to 6 eggs per day (each) as a collaborative coworking creative couple.Check out their work and Follow them!https://afterhoursstudio.com.au/ After Hours: @weare.afterhoursShy: @shyannetrutweindesign @5.0.2badgatewayJasmine: @jasmine.gallagher1

SATURDAY ON A WEDNESDAY! We are stoked to welcome Mackey Saturday to the program! Mackey has designed some of the most iconic brands of all time. Odds are, you've seen at least one of his logos today, if not multiple! Mackey is a highly thoughtful and kind individual with an incredible passion and talent for design. He does a lot of things, and he lives life to the fullest. The world would be a better place if there were more people like Mackey Saturday. We hope you enjoy listening to the episode as much as we enjoyed recording it!  Check out his incredible work:mackeysaturday.comsaturdaydesign.com

This week, we are thrilled to welcome Coss Marte to the show! Coss Marte is an entrepreneur from the Lower East Side of Manhattan. By the age of 19, he was running a multi-million dollar drug dealing operation, which eventually led to his incarceration.While in prison, he experienced a pivotal moment when doctors warned him about his poor health. Determined to change his life, he developed a fitness routine using only his body weight and the confines of his cell. He lost 70 pounds in six months and helped 20 other inmates improve their fitness.Upon his release, Coss founded Conbody, a prison-style boot camp fitness program that employs more than 50 formerly incarcerated individuals. He is now running Conbud, a cannabis dispensary that provides opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals and creates an educational space highlighting the impact of the war on drugs on communities of color.Follow Coss and his ventures:@cossmarte@conbody@conbud

BA BA BA BA BRAIN ROT! Alex and Kevin update the listeners about the Rizzler and the Costco Guys, Oasis Live 25 reunion tour, Ludacris drinking glacier water in Alaska, McDonald's Big Arch, Hot Wheels x MSCHF Not Weels, Brand x Sority rush videos, Gap Get Loose, and Angel Reese x Reese's.  ~“These Work Week TikToks From Fall Rush 2024 Will Get You *So* Hype”https://www.hercampus.com/culture/work-week-tiktoks-fall-rush-2024/ 

Alex and Kevin are reunited for a solo, in-studio episode! Alex explains demure to Kevin and they catch up on some of the stuff they missed. They discuss Zuck's sculpture of his wife, parfum de mayonnaise, Coke x Oreo, Saint West designs a bottle for Prime, Kin Picklesecco, Mario Lopez Wipes for Men, and more!

We are bringing you a sweet and better-for-you podcast this week with the founder and CEO of Behave, Mayssa Chehata! Behave is revolutionizing the candy industry with its healthier, low-sugar products. It's the first candy on the market that both Mayssa and her diabetic dad can enjoy guilt-free! Aside from the phenomenal macros in the gummies, we discuss our guilty pleasures, do a Mount Rushmore of candy, talk about Domino's stock price, learn about the difficulties of starting a CPG brand, and more!  @eatbehave on instagram@mayssa on instagram@mayssachehata on tiktokSubstack: https://maktubbymayssa.substack.com/ 

LONG ISLAND IS IN THE BUILDING! Alex and Kevin are thrilled to welcome Emmett Shine to the program! Emmett is a designer and entrepreneur working at the intersection of art and commerce. He is renowned for co-founding Gin Lane, Pattern Brands, and his newest venture, Little Plains, a branding and experience design studio for consumer-centric, tech-enabled startups based out of New York. Over the last ten years, he's cofounded five companies, launched fifty brands, and been a part of seven successful exits. Emmet tells us what it was like growing up in Southampton, New York, about his skate brand Lola, and we discuss his 10 Design Commandments.

The Boys are having a Brat Summer! The two dudes are reunited after Kevin's vacation in Hawaii and discuss the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest sans Joey Chestnut, Season 3 of the Bear and their JCrew Collab, Taco Bell Is Opening An Early Retirement Community, Dunkin' Iced Boys, Field Roast's Brat Wurst, Heinz x Kate Spade, and more!

Jolene Delisle is the founder & creative director of the branding and creative agency The Working Assembly. Her work has been recognized by the Type Directors Club, Print, D&AD, The One Show, and Fast Company. She has been named to the Forbes Next 1000 entrepreneur list, and Adweek's Creative 100 honoring the most innovative and inspiring individuals. Jolene is passionate about bridging the gap in creativity and tech and invests, advises, and prioritizes founder diversity. In 2022, Jolene became the owner of a 1950's ice cream shop in Stone Ridge, New York, called Cherries.

Jesse Reed is the managing partner of Order, a Brooklyn-based design office specializing in brand identity systems for a wide range of clients and industries. In addition to Order, he is the co-founder of Standards Manual, an independent publishing imprint, and Standards, a brand guidelines product. In 2021, he launched Order Type Foundry, an extension of the design office that will release commercial fonts from a new generation of type designers. Jesse is originally from Youngstown, Ohio, and graduated from The University of Cincinnati. We sat down with him in our studio to discuss his time at Pentagram, his band Sharkswimmer, why Cincinnati chili is not disgusting and a whole lot more! 

The fellas are back at it this week with a solo episode! Alex got jorts! Kevin explains mogging, the Rizzler, and Big Justice to Alex. They go on to discuss The Met's Grimace turn around, Brat, Joey Chestnut x Impossible Foods and his rematch against Kobayashi, Hulk Hogan's Real American Beer, Trump x Prime, W by Jake Paul, the Adobe lawsuit, and more! 

Alex and Kevin are back at it this week with a solo episode! They try to cover all the stuff they missed and this week's hottest stories. They talk about Throne Sport Coffee, Graza refill cans, The Portal, Dr. Pepper Pucker, Hotogs from Heaven, Snax Bodega, Mets off-field content, Utah Jazz New Uniforms, Molly Baz, Wu-Tang's CREAM soda, Heinz x Kitkat Kitkat'chup, Cara, Mas +, Adobe, and more!

This week, we are thrilled to have Jen Batchelor on the program! Jen is the Creator and Chief Euphorics Officer of Kin Euphorics, a science-backed line of functional beverages designed to enhance mood and reduce cravings. As a third-generation distiller of wildcrafted spirits, her mission is to evolve the 10,000-year-old ritual of social drinking into an act of better being for people and the planet. We have an enlightening conversation about her origin, the inception and early days of Kin, linking with Co-Founder Bella Hadid, scaling the brand to a national scale, and more!

Born and raised in Mexico City, Armin Vit is a graphic designer and writer now living in Bloomington, IN. He is co-founder of UnderConsideration, a graphic design firm generating its own projects, initiatives, and content while taking on limited client work. Although he has written for most well-known design publications he is most recognized for his writing on the blogs that make up the UnderConsideration online network—particularly Brand New, the popular blog that for nearly 20 years has provided opinions on corporate and brand identity work. Along with his wife and partner, Bryony Gomez-Palacio, Armin has co-authored various books for publishers and for UnderConsideration and has organized multiple design events, including the annual Brand New Conference and First Round. Previously, Armin worked at the New York office of Pentagram and his professional experience stretches back to 1999. Since then he has become a regular speaker and juror in events and competitions around the world. When not working, he is either out for a run or washing the dishes.

The Knicks advance out of the first round and Alex will be speaking at First Round this Friday! Come hang! On this episode, Alex and Kevin talk KNICKS BASKETBALL, rap beef, the Roast of Tom Brady, Piss Stained Jeans, Picklespritz, Bettergoods, the Bigger Mac, KFC Dispensary, and more!FIRST ROUND NYC: THIS FRIDAY MAY 10!GET 10% OFF YOUR FIRST FOUND TICKET WITH PROMOCODE: fr-nyc-centerTickets here:  https://underconsideration.com/firstround/2024-new-york/   

This week we welcome Jordan Pories and Esteban Cardona Jiménez to the show! Jordan and Esteban are Associate Creative Directors at Coinbase and previously spent 5+ years at Apple where they won Apple's very first Film Grand Prix at Cannes, as well as several Cannes Lions, D&AD Pencils, and AICP Awards. The two are extremely talented creatives who have grown together since pairing themselves in Apples first Orchard residency program. They are still going strong after all of these years! Listen to learn the secrets of a fruitful creative partnership, get the low down on crypto, hear Jordan's BARS, and more!

On this Basketball heavy podcast, Alex and Kevin talk about the NEW YORK KNICKS, Nikola Jokić x Minions, Wemby's Logo, Brickin for Chicken,  6 inches for 6 bucks, the Better Bun, Schweppes, Not Beer, David Chang backs down, and more!

THIS WEEK WE ARE ECLIPSE MAXXING you know the brands were doing stuff! David Chang's Chili Crunch drama,  Matheson Food Company, The Oat Milkers, and more!

It's April, and we're acting like fools because it's the year's worst day for branded content! Alex and Kevin discuss some of the ‘best' moments from April Fool's Day, canned Smart Water, Balenciaga Tape Bracelet, the Manischewitz rebrand, the BrandNew rebrand, Subway Sauce at home, Dunkin' Short King, and more!

Alex and Kevin are embracing the Madness, it's that time of the year! They discuss the new season of Curb, Kate Middleton is back, Bruno Mars, North West's debut album, the Impossible Rebrand, Pizza Hut x Yeastie Boys, Wendy's March Madness Deals, Hooters Baller Bracket Challenge, and more!

The boys are back with more recap! Alex tells Kevin what happened at the Oscars and admits to drinking copious amounts of haterade last week. The two discuss Kylie Jenner's Vodka Soda Brand: Sprinter, Campbell's Grilled Cheese Tomato Soup, Lunchables KI, Abercrombie Wedding Shop, Gatorade launching Water, and more!

Better late than never! We're here before you with another, bringing you another episode of the hottest show on the block! This week, we discuss the Wonka Experience, the Clippers Rebrand, Wendy's Surge Pricing, Zuck turning his swag on, the Eggo House, Lemon Coke, and more!

Alex and Kevin are back from Vacation and ready to tackle the ever-pressing stories in branding and design! This week they talk about NBA All-Star Weekend, Trump Sneakers, Tyler the Creator x Louis Vuitton, Dune 2 Popcorn bucket, Vince Staples, Coinbase x Liquid Death, Dude Wipes, Liquid Death Electrolyte Powder, Choco Taco is kinda back, the Body Vodka Phone Case Flask, The KFC Chizza, Guy Fieri's Flavortown Sauces, Flaming Hot Kicks, and more!

This week on Front and Center: Alex and Kevin record a podcast for the second week in a row! HUGE W for them and the Front and Center Fam! Kevin is on vacation so the two blokes recap the stuff they missed in the two weeks that you missed them. They talk about Josh, Kevin's Kitchen, The Super Bowl, Taylor Swift, Ice Spice, Joe Biden, their favorite and least favorite Super Bowl commercials, Liquid Death's Big Ad, the Apple Vision Pro rollout, the Million Dollar Whopper, Doordash, Buffalo Cheetos, Truly Hot Wing Sauce Seltzer, Absolut Vodka Sprite, and more!

Happy Valentine's Day! We're back for the 3rd consecutive year with the Jackie DeJesu Center! We talk about all the lovey-dovey, sappy, gooey things brands are rolling out today! We talk about Sweethearts Situationship, U By Kotex Box of Chocolates, KY Desire Dark Room, The Best Chipotles to Spend Valentine's Day, Red Robin x Juicy, Popeyes Heart Shaped Biscuits, PF Changs Breakup Dumplings, Grillos Pickle Boquet, and more!

This week on Front and Center, Alex and Kevin are back in the stu, chopping it up! The fellas talk about Stanley's rise to power, snortable caffeine powder, the new Honda EV logo, Tropicana taking a stance against ai, Subway Footlongs, Beer mints, fabulous perfume, ranch chapstick, and more!

Mike Schnaidt is the creative director of Fast Company,  an accomplished marathon runner, and author of Creative Endurance: 56 Rules for Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Your Goals. The book is the ultimate guide to achieving your goals and thriving in your creative career without sacrificing your well-being; it is a must-read for any creative. We had fun talking with Mike about the process and thinking behind the book and his endurance. Alex picks Mike's brain about some things he could do to soothe his burnout, as he's experiencing it for the first time in his career. We unpack the age-old question: How do I last longer? And for some reason, there is a lot of Mark Wahlberg talk mixed in there. This and more on Front and Center!

We're back with resolutions and takes about some brand stuff! In their first episode of the year, the fellas talk about their mentality entering the new year, the Pop Tart Bowl, the Kinck, Kat Williams, the Golden Globes, Jermey Allen White Guy, the Iron Claw, Bass Pro Shop Guy, Dee's Nuts vs Deez Nuts, Apple Vision Pro, Tige Woods and Nike part ways, Native x Girl Scouts, Cilantro Doritos, Coca-Cola's new commercial, and more!

DA BACKIES! Jeeze Louise What A Freaking Year… Am I Right! Alex And Kevin Reminisce About The Year We're Finishing And Hand Out Some Awards To Our Favorite Stories! It's Funny To Go Back Through Because We Do Have A Certain Admiration For All Of These Things. At The End Of The Day We Are Grateful For These Things To Come To Life! Awards Given Are As Follows: Story Of The Year, Rebrand Of The Year, Biggest Bully, Scammers Of The Year, Loser Of The Year, Worst Broken Record, Worst Innovation That We'd Like To Try, The Fuck You Award, Story Of The Year (Number 2), Bozo Of The Year, Brand Of The Year, and More!