In honor of our favorite weekend, here are some pictures to get your grill fired up for the meatiest day of summer.  Shot by Quentin Bacon and propped by Scott Horne for the June issue of Health Magazine.

Besides Thanksgiving and Christmas, the only day Big Leo really takes off is the 4th of July, because it is pretty much the best holiday.  And by best I mean, sunniest, most relaxed, outdoor, fireworks, charcoal, beach, all around most fun and laid back holiday there is.  Hey what a coincidence, those are all qualities that our agency strives for…

In addition to working like a man possessed and keeping a high profile in most elite social circles on the planet, Scott Horne is contributing to a new blog called Canvass, curated by such style luminaries as Kendra Smoot, Johannah Masters, Betsey McLain, Sarah Conroy, and Callie Jenschke.

Should you be doing any shopping in NYC be sure to take a look here first for some great advice from the people who specialize in objects, colors, and spatial compositions.  I mean yeah, everyone likes those kind of things, but for these people it is their job.  You should see the stack of receipts Scott always drops on our desks like a ton of bricks.  The man knows how to shop.

For the past decade, Frank Heckers has timelessly captured the essence and pure beauty of baby-dom with an unprecedented ease.

Though his photography was initially comprised of edgy fashion, his soft, ethereal style made an immediate and relevant translation into the gentle and tender world of babies and kids.  After ten years at the helm of children’s photography, his inspiring work once again comes full circle.

With the creation of his new and personal website, Frank gets back to his roots with the unmistakable influence of his growth as a photographer and his experience as a human being.

Last week there was a small hubbub about Men’s Health reusing old cover lines.  Lots of people criticized the magazine, but the editor-in-chief justified the decisions as “part of overall branding strategies.”   A previous EIC said “The Men’s Health cover is a Coke can. It doesn’t change, nor should it. It’s a powerful template created and perfected long ago…”  Compared to publications like the New Yorker and Atlantic Monthly, this kind of practice does seem unimaginative.  But then again, we’re talking about Men’s Health – it occupies a completely different space.  The editors have accepted the magazine for what it is, and they take a conservative route based on what will sell at the newsstand.  With that in mind, the repeat cover lines are not at all an oversight; they adhere to a very precise strategy.  I can respect that.

Take a look at the cover of the January Good Housekeeping, shot by Andrew Eccles with Big Leo’s own Scott Horne styling the set:

This is the first issue for their 125th anniversary.  Brooke agrees, there is lot of history in that one publication – something to be proud of.  Mostly the cover sticks to the tried and true formula, but in the Editor’s Letter, EIC Rosemary Ellis talks about how they asked Brooke to recreate a 1961 cover ‘for fun’, which they printed in the table of contents.  It was a great idea, and the end result is visually striking and speaks to the history of the magazine.

In each issue this year, the magazine is offering a vintage print of historical covers.  I love the old images, especially without the busy cover lines (George Lois interview via).  There is something clean and exciting about images with no text.  Though I respect the current cover strategy, personally I think that the pink shot would have made a nice cover, just like the one Rosemary said that it referenced.  Take a chance!

Big Leo is proud to welcome floral stylist + garden editor Lindsey Taylor to the roster!

Lindsey spent 12 years as a Garden Editor, between Martha Stewart Living and Domino, before leaving to pursue her own freelance projects in garden design.

Her botanical mastery is encompassed by a strong conceptual style; each project is rooted in a technical understanding of flora which allows its more creative aspects to flourish.

Lindsey’s clients include Martha Stewart Living, InStyle Weddings, Bombay Sapphire, Aveda, Estee Lauder, and Nordstrom, among others.  Her portfolio is in the works, in the meantime please take a look at images here.

No matter what kind of economy we are living in – there is always the push to get a good deal.  Capitalism is about profit, and profit is this thing that exists on top of real value.  If you can find a way to peel back the layers of profit, you’re going pay much less for something, whether it is a toothbrush, a microwave, or a new car.  Enter coupons.

As a kid, my mom had me take scissors to the newspaper in order to get good deals – but it was always strange to buy something unfamiliar simply because it was being offered at a lower price.  Much later I realized the power of getting sold on a brand – something that transcended value in the long run.  Because in the long run, that brand isn’t always going to be on sale.  And the ultimate in brand management is Proctor & Gamble.

P&G has a long and storied history of products, from Ivory to Crisco, to Tide and Crest.  That those 100-year old names are still household really highlights the value of marketing.  There is an implied promise that brand will continue to deliver quality – and therein lies the importance of the creative team in sustaining that message through different mediums.

Scott Horne teamed up with photography + design team THUSSFARRELL, along with 2D Photo Productions, to create the images for this book – it is light years ahead of the newsprint coupons of old.  Instead of screaming ‘cheap!’ it gives shoppers a discount while reinforcing the notion of quality through great photography.  Sure, you may take a pair of scissors to the pages, but the brand equity is something that lasts long after all the coupons have been cashed at the checkout.  Its a win-win.