Linda's Death Star Cake

Happy birthday to Linda Ross, a Realm partner. Age and picture have been omitted, but the cake is worth showing. Linda is a huge Star Wars fan. Not that popcorn junk that Lucas pawned on us a few years back. No, we're talking vintage 70's and 80's hair and effects. Linda has taste and standards! So, of course, she deserves a cake worthy of the genre.

Thanks to Jeff Gray who picked it up and brought it in.

We captured two images of the event.

The Death Star in its vintage condition from Star Wars (I refuse to refer to it as Episode 4)

and the Death Star from Return of the Jedi in its partially assembled condition. It's a trap!

Winning Logo For Atlanta Pride Celebration - Again!

For a third time, Jeff Gray has designed the winning logo for the Atlanta Pride Celebration . This is just one of the many opportunities Realm has had to be a contributor to the colorful fabric of Atlanta.
It should be noted that Jeff has entered the contest, which draws artists from all corner of the design community, only four times. Of the four times, he has won three. It's a pretty impressive record.

Those close to Jeff recognize his signature styles; strong use of color, bold graphic shapes and simple architecture with a purpose. The logo is a great example of well thought out design. Nicely done Jeff!

What was in Jeff's Head
When the announcement of this year's theme, ”Your Vote, Your Rights, Your Future,” was released, it seemed a natural progression from last year's theme of ”Our Rights, Your Rights, Human Rights.” It highlighted the need for each of us to get out and vote for the candidates that support our community. Since voting is the patriotic duty of all Americans, the image that immediately came to mind was that of an American flag. The logo needed to illustrate not only our pride in America, however, but also our pride in our community.

The melding of the American flag and the Rainbow flag illustrates that the GLBT community is a vital part of the fabric of the American landscape and that we should support candidates that will help ensure that we receive all the rights and benefits that the American flag represents.
The prominent use of red and blue, along with the traditional colors of Pride, bring a patriotic feel to the logo.

By placing the flag in a vertical position, the stars are at the top of the design and signify the future goals of our community, and how those goals will remain unreachable unless we all exercise our right to vote.

The Designer, Jeff Gray
Jeff is a partner at Realm Communications Inc., a branding agency in Atlanta specializing in corporate branding, strategic planning and creative development. He is a member of the HRC Federal Club and lives in Morningside with his partner, Rodney Rogers, and their two Corgis, Bahji and Sam. He is proud to once again have his work chosen as the signature of the Atlanta Pride Festival.