Dodging hail and scattered torrential downpour, Mirus Group fared pretty well through yesterday's storms. Our electricity, however, was not as high spirited as we were. After about two hours of power outages we were able to get back up and running. But we had a blast watching the bolts of lightning burst against surprising patches of blue sky.

We weathered that storm pretty well. We don't let little inconveniences like "not having computers" deter us; we don't miss deadlines; we don't make excuses. Come Hell or high water, we get it done.

Breaking news, Mr and Mrs America and all the ships at sea. Men, lock up your women and children. Reports are filtering in that a rogue heat wave has been skulking loose and dangerous through the Northeast. Reports are unverified but initial information points to an absolute killer. Energy, spelling, proper driving skills and dry shirts number among its victims...so far. Please, folks, lock your doors and don't go out during the day time.

The Chief of Police has just handed us a note with tips on how to best avoid entanglement with this monster.

One - Stay inside. The deranged front roams the streets of your very city.

Two - Keep the curtains drawn and windows closed. If it can't see you, it can't get you.

Three - Condition your air with some sort of air conditioning device. I don't know what that means, but we'll have our boys in the lab look into it.

Four - and this one has been underlined by the Chief - Enjoy a refreshing, cold beverage. Or even two.

And I might take this opportunity to add number Five to the list - Smoke Lucky Strike cigarettes. If you want the neat feat to beat heat stroke, smoke Strike, Ike!

This is no time to panic, citizens. If we stick together, we might just get through this heat wave.

Cropping in on a picture of crops. Classic.

An interesting thing happened on the way to the restroom. We'll get to that. We discuss the need for clear communication on packaging a lot at Mirus Group. We've always been proponents of clean messaging but lately aggressive competition for shelf space has fomented a chaotic battle.

How does this relate to the ubiquitous restroom symbols? Communication. Why isn't the handicapped symbol for the ladies' room female? Should it be? It's not a "women and handicapped men"'s room. Should a parking space have both a male and female handicap symbol? For that matter, should a STOP sign have "THEN GO" underneath the word stop? Of course not. Here's why:

It all comes down to saying precisely what needs to be said as singularly as possible. When elements start to pull double duty they suffer. The symbols in the image each have their own purpose. One gender; one accessibility. Arguably you could have just a male handicapped symbol and a female handicapped symbol with no standalone gender icon. Wouldn't that be simpler? Nope. For restrooms lacking handicap facilities you'd still need the "traditional" gender figures - that's asking people to process too much of a difference across the two icon sets - gender and accessibility -  for no good reason.

Every package wants to be unique, even as it fits within its category. However, consider how much in-store self-educating your consumer has to do when your elements pull double duty. Are you using a key color to meaningfully differentiate, or just to make everything different? Does this single icon really benefit by trying to communicate two unrelated product specs?

No one will hear you if you whisper, but no one will understand you if you scream. Packaging must speak, and speak clearly and cleanly.

We're here to help you focus on the winning message.

As we round out another busy week here at the Mirus Group offices, we felt now was as good a time as any to pull back the digital veil and reveal a new office piece.

Click the image for a larger view (400k) but as always feel free to just stop on by and see it in person.

And if you're a sucker for the whole creative process like we are here at Mirus, check out this video for a time-lapse view of the painting progressing from nothing more than a sketch on canvas to a finished product.

Happy weekend!

Happy Cinco de Mayo - couldn't have asked for a more gorgeous day! Mirus Group relaxed in the 80 degree sunshine with homemade slow-cooked pork tacos (try the greek yogurt - don't forget the fresh lime squeeze!) and chipotle salsa and chips. An overly friendly pollen-heavy bumble bee visited for a rest stop. Hey, that's cool; we've got plenty to share!

Just a hint of some new office environment accouterments at Mirus Group. Some fun stuff is going on this Spring! We'll update you again soon.

Thanks to the RAF for hosting another great 20 Minutes and a Beer last night, featuring Brad Van Auken. We discussed Branding "touchpoints"; the importance of keeping the promise that you make with your brand identity. The Tap & Mallet made a fine meeting location for the group. Great to reconnect with Walter Ketcham of theAdHub, too. And any excuse for a ride on a gorgeous evening - even if it's rush hour on 490 - is hard to pass up!