Collide | Blog » Design Process

Willie Nelson’s Tribute to Classic Country

Becky Tucker — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:06:45 +0000

To most of America, Willie Nelson is a household name, as it is here at Collide, which is why we were SO excited to be able to create the branding and packaging for his new album, Remember Me Vol. 1. The new release from Willie Nelson and R&J Records, has plenty of familiar standards recorded by Willie with producer James Stroud from the “classic country songbook” made famous by the likes of Johnny Cash, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Porter Wagoner, and Vern Gosdin, and others – all with Willie’s signature twist!

To reflect this rich heritage in the packaging, we revisited the classic LP style (a vinyl edition of the album is on its way too), and created a digital photo-illustration for the cover to add to the timeless, classic quality. We hope you enjoy this project as much as we do. It’s now available on CD (Amazon) and digital (iTunes).

Above: Final Cover / Left: Original Photo / Right: Our Photo-Illustration

Project in Focus: The Gideons International Conference Materials

Becky Tucker — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:56:16 +0000

Collide was blessed to be able to design the conference materials for The Gideons International this year. Along with Gideons Art Director Jeff Jones, Collide created a fresh approach to a centuries old idea. Focusing on individual people and their place in this organization, Collide created a visual army one person at a time. Also check out the motion graphics based on these designs, created by frequent collaborators Fivestone Studios and if you have a few minutes, check out the website [see link above] for The Gideons International. Their history is truly fascinating!

Matt Kennon

Becky Tucker — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:54:49 +0000

New country artist, Matt Kennon, has had resounding success with his first hit single “The Call”. His rugged charm and gravely voice have catapulted him onto radio playlists across America. With his single, “The Call”, his recently released self-titled debut album and now his second single “You Can Still Wear White”, Collide took inspiration from Matt’s down-to-earth authentic style to design an approachable identity which represents his music.

Juston McKinney

Becky Tucker — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 22:43:09 +0000

One of the new generation of Blue Collar Comedy, Juston McKinney is a comedian to whom we can all relate. In his new release, “A Middle Class Hole”, Juston talks about the ups and downs of the “American Dream”. Collide used Juston’s vivid descriptions of his experiences in modern suburbia to bring his stories to life on the cover of his DVD and CD packages.

Torry Martin: Comedy With Character

Becky Tucker — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:37:51 +0000

This Alaskan transplant, Christian comedian oozes charisma while bringing biblical messages into modern day with a twist. The saying “you can’t make that stuff up” directly applies to every story Torry brings to life. He takes his adventures in wild Alaska, combines them will his own shortcomings and shows us all how to laugh at ourselves and play to our strengths all while giving glory to God.

Collide (with photography by Allen Clark and Styling by Tammy Rhoton) focused on a woodsy, Alaskan charm when bringing Torry’s new brand to life.

Winfield’s Locket

Becky Tucker — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:59:51 +0000

Just recently to press: Winfield’s Locket

Brand new on the scene and showing off a blend of soul-infused country, sisters Leslie and Brooke Martin, as Winfield’s Locket, just released their debut album which is now available on iTunes.

For this project, they were looking for a combination of gothic flair, vintage country and classic femininity for their identity and packaging. This is what Collide came up with:

Collide’s Retro Closet: Calvin vs. Donnie

Becky Tucker — Tue, 25 May 2010 22:55:21 +0000

Hello fellow time travelers! It’s time once again to visit Collide’s closet from 1984. This time (just trying to see how many times I can say time in a paragraph) we have some real gems! I guess you could say we liked to play with dolls because here we have in mint-ish condition, a papier mâché figure of Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes fame) created by Kevin and a hand painted and sewn (painted by Becky, sewn by her Gammy) Donnie Wahlberg (from New Kids on the Block) stuffed pillow. It doesn’t get much better than this…. or does it? Tune in next Tuesday to see!

Great Moments in Rejected Design

Kevin Tucker — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:19:21 +0000

While working on the art direction & design for the Larry the Cable Guy project “Morning Constitutions”, there were many over-the-top toilet humor ideas flying around. The idea of “pooping in the woods next to a bear reading the newspaper” was entirely Larry’s idea, and at the photo shoot we played off of that idea in depth. But one of Larry’s ideas, was for a “Where’s Waldo” type of image, where he’s in the same sort of pose, but surrounded by creatures great and small, all… pooping. These presented a bit of a challenge, and wasn’t something we were able to do at the shoot, mainly for budgetary reasons (but also because we were shooting in Minneapolis in November, and for some reason dolphins, elephants, and koalas weren’t readily available for outdoor shoots). So, after an exhaustive stock photo search, we went through several rounds of revisions, on what was to be the inside spread of the packaging (there were other, more crudely illustrated versions than this one). Amazingly, this was almost approved, but at the very last minute, someone had second thoughts, and we ended up with a lovely photo of Larry on stage instead. But now, for the first time, here is the rejected design in all its glory. Enjoy.

The rejected spread from the packaging. Click to enlarge.

The final packaging from Larry's Morning Constitutions CD.