It’s always fun to learn you have something in common with a celebrity.

Jerry Seinfeld and I share a soft spot for the same blue Bic pens. I was pleased to learn recently that Ewan McGregor and I both play the French horn. And I once pointed Alexander Skarsgård toward a bathroom since we were standing kind of in the same area. (THAT COUNTS.)

But I’m most proud to share Pablo Picasso’s love for the monochromatic aesthetic of black and white.

Earlier this spring the MFAH hosted “Picasso Black and White,” the first major exhibition focusing on Picasso’s near-exclusive use of the color combination in many of his drawings, sculptures and paintings. Of course, we had to go see it.

The exhibit’s program told us that “Picasso once claimed that ‘color weakens’ and he stripped it repeatedly from his work in order to highlight… the language of construction.” And you know what? No one missed it. Picasso had an incredibly prolific and expressive career independent of the bright colors many artists and designers depend upon. He was free to focus on form, line, shapes, textures, ideas — without being influenced (or influencing anyone else) with color.

When Black Sheep designs logos, we present them to the client in — you guessed it — BLACK and WHITE. If a logo is strong in monochrome, it will work in most any color. We want our clients to choose a logo because they love it. We don’t need anybody bringin’ their distrust of the color purple to our logo party.

Color is passionate, divisive and influential. It can shape feelings and opinions. In the right place, that’s a powerful thing. But we don’t recommend choosing a logo simply because its color makes someone feel energized. Or emboldened. Or perky.

A logo should speak in a split second, and it needs to convey a clear idea that strikes the viewer. And from his (black) beret to his (black-and-white) striped shirt, Picasso was teaching lessons of this nature a long time before we were.

Picasso Black and White program (via Museum of Fine Arts, Houston):
Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) was the most celebrated artist of his time, and his influence continues to challenge artists today. However, while his work has been the focus of many exhibitions, his rigorous use of a monochromatic palette of black, white and gray has been long overlooked. Picasso Black and White is the first retrospective to bring this vital aspect of Picasso’s genius to light, surveying more than six decades of the Spanish master’s production.

Picasso once claimed that “color weakens,” and he stripped it repeatedly from his work in order to highlight what he called “the language of construction.” No single source or style defines Picasso’s embrace of monochrome, but working in black and white allowed him to concentrate on the essential qualities of his paintings, sculpture, drawings, and prints. Whether testing the limits of pictorial representation or expressing his most tender feelings, Picasso brought infinite nuance to his use of a limited palette.

Opening with the somber melancholy of Woman Ironing and closing with the erotic energy of his last paintings, Picasso Black and White gathers together over eighty works from public and private collections, with many loans from the artist’s family, to shed new light on Picasso’s creative genius.

Black and White

Regular

As modern-day humans, we expect instant gratification. We obsessively update our Twitter feeds to digest the latest, most current news nugget (yum). We watch 12 episodes of a TV show in one sitting because we want to know what happens next — NOW.  And after decades of scorching our mouths on pizza, we still can’t wait for it to cool (WE ARE HUNGRY, Y’ALL).

Savvy marketers recognize their precarious situation. They have to capture our ever-fleeting attention with faster, more satisfying messages. In the 60s the world was convinced we’d be eating food in concentrated pill form. Those George Jetson-wannabes were close ¬— instead of Salsbury steak capsules, we’re poppin’ information. And for marketers, that information is everything.

CUT COPY
You know that thing you wrote? With all those words? Yep. Just go ahead and cut it down by half. No one has time to read your delicate prose or long-winded diatribes — we have TV shows to watch! Studies show that the fewer words you have together in one place, the more likely people are to read it. Copywriters, best of luck. It’s not as easy as it sounds, but we do have some tips.

PICTURE THIS
We all know that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s no joke. Enter Tumblr and Instagram — they capitalized on the idea that words are secondary (though it pains this writer to say so). If you don’t have a picture to go with your message, forget it, Jake.  This goes for everything from Facebook posts to press releases.

TIME OUT
We’ve all been there. You’ve just crafted the perfect email/tweet/comment, and you’re sitting around waiting for the world (or your mom) to validate your awesomeness. Don’t do that to your customers! They expect you to be around 24/7 to respond to their questions, comments and concerns. At the very least, establish expectations for when you will be available so they can move on with their lives and check Buzzfeed without interruption.

MORE IS BETTER (unless you’re boring)
As a rule of thumb, the more information and updates you can share with your fan base, the more they’ll remember you and engage with you. You really can’t have too much market penetration. That is unless what you have to say is stupid. Keep your information fresh and relevant to your customers. They’ll be happy to see your shining face (or logo) show up on a regular basis.

As marketers, it’s our job to make sure that the world isn’t boring. And if something hasn’t changed in the last 25 seconds, then we’re not doing our job. Produce lots of (good!) content, do it often and don’t waste anyone’s time. There are lots of great distractions out there, and your message should be one of them.

Wait, wait, TELL ME: Marketing for the Attention Deficit

Ways marketers can grab attention of customers