G-Shock + LOGAN
Alexie Tylevich and Ben Conrad created the images above for Casio G-Shock. Known collectively as LOGAN, the dynamic duo run a production company with an office and studio in Venice Beach, California. Working with Casio was a natural for LOGAN. They’re the ones who make the famous “silhouette” TV commercials for the Apple iPod.
Their client list is like a who’s who of trendy companies and artists, including Nike, Stussy, Beams, Konami, Volkswagen, and Xbox. The photo of Tylevich and Conrad came from G-Shock Jack, a promotional magazine published by Casio only available in Japan. The cover is shown below.
The article in G-Shock Jack says having LOGAN, one of the hottest production companies in TV advertising today, work with G-Shock makes sense because Casio’s legendary hockey puck commercial made the same kind of big impression on Americans in the ’80s that the iPod commercials make some 20 years later.
LOGAN made a music video for Madonna, and one for Money Mark’s song Information Contraband. It was one of their first projects. To go to YouTube and see the video, click on the image below.
About 20 people work at LOGAN. Although they specialize in computer animation, they also do traditional graphic arts like magazine ads, and logo design. They work on projects for Hollywood movie studios too. What’s next for LOGAN? Lots of projects, that’s for sure. One G-Shock fans will be interested in is a custom designed watch for Casio, according to a 2006 interview featured in Japan’s PingMag.
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:33 pm
Bryan—how big is Logan? I assume the two principles are pictured, how big is the staff, etc?
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Tylevich and Conrad met in art school in Minneapolis in the 1990s. After graduation, each worked for production companies before going into business for themselves. They formed LOGAN in the year 2000. They now have 20 people working for them, in two offices in LA. The pair say they are involved in every aspect of all LOGAN’s projects, from design to production. That information came from bits and pieces from here and there. There isn’t much on LOGAN out there, surprisingly. They seem to be more famous in Japan than in the USA! Below is a picture enlarged from the G-Shock Jack article.
By the way, did you notice in the second picture from top Tylevich and Conrad are wearing G-Shocks? Their kicks are Nike and Converse, looks like P-Rod SBs, and All Star Crazy Laces.
February 22nd, 2007 at 10:49 pm
I just watched the video from above - wow! I wonder how long it takes to envision something like that and then work it through the production/editing side? Thinking of my meager video editing skills on my MacBook Pro, that seems like years of work just editing, not to mention shooting the actual vids, playing with exposure/lighting levels, etc.
I’ve also noticed that in various tv programs (I’m thinking of a particular PBS documentary), I saw some video effects used on standard black and white photos that made them appear 3D with a perspective shift during the show - it bordered on the creepy that they could make the subject pop out of a flat photo and then move in relation to the perceived camera angle as it panned across the flat photo.
Thanks very much for sharing that with us!
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:54 pm
In my research, I learned LOGAN used 4D software from a German developer to make Money Mark’s video. That was a new one on me, “4D.” But this was about five years ago. Glad you enjoyed the article!
February 26th, 2007 at 5:57 am
Hi Bryan,
Very informative article. It says more to me than the page in the magazine, since I can’t read Japanese (and sometimes wish I could). That video of Money Mark is great. I have seen this 4D feature before in the Royksopp video “Eple”.
I’m looking forward for the LOGAN collaboration G-Shock. By the way, no wonder they wear G-Shock’s in G-Shock Jack 2. Everyone wears them in that magazine;-)
Thank for sharing!
February 26th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
Hi Sjors,
Thanks for sharing the RoYKSOPP video. What’s next, “5D”? Well, it probably already exists . . .
You’re right about it being no wonder Tylevich and Conrad are wearing G-Shocks in the first picture! In the picture of them working in the studio, Conrad is not wearing one anymore!! It’s a promotion, after all.
It will be interesting to see the LOGAN G-Shock! LOGAN, design a super cool one we can’t resist!!
June 5th, 2008 at 11:49 am
[…] I see LOGAN put another new Casio G-Shock TV commercial up on their Web site. It’s called “Attack.” […]