Masonry Blog

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    Giving Back Through Brand Building
    1024 574 Michael Kraabel

    In 2025, I’m reviving one of my favorite passion projects: helping local companies build strong, memorable brands. Once each quarter, I’m dedicating time to work with a small business or entrepreneur to craft their brand story, refine their marketing strategies,…

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    Jaguar Release Day
    1024 574 Michael Kraabel

    Today isn’t just another day for Jaguar—it’s potentially the day. The iconic carmaker is poised at a crossroads: one path could redefine their legacy, and the other might cement the idea that they’ve missed their moment. I’ll be live-blogging the…

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    Why I Love Conspiracy Theories (Even If I Don’t Believe Them)
    1024 576 Michael Kraabel

    Let me start by saying this: I don’t actually believe most conspiracy theories. That’s not what draws me in. What I find fascinating about them is the sheer creativity—the way they challenge the obvious and spin alternate realities that feel…

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    The Story Behind My Favorite Photo: Mia Gonzalez and the Power of 3D Printing
    1024 683 Michael Kraabel

    Sometimes, a photo becomes more than just an image—it becomes a story, a moment of triumph, and a symbol of what’s possible when technology and humanity come together. One of my favorite photos is of Mia Gonzalez, a young girl…

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    Building AVIV Vodka: A Decade of Purpose and Partnership
    1024 576 Michael Kraabel

    A little over a decade ago, I began working on AVIV 613 Vodka. At the time, it wasn’t clear what the journey would look like, but one thing was certain—we weren’t creating just another vodka. This was something different: a…

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    Jaguar Rebrand: Still Angry, But At Least I’m Not Alone
    1024 576 Michael Kraabel

    After spending the night tossing and turning over Jaguar’s new branding campaign, I did what any frustrated car lover would do: I dove into the online discussions. What I found didn’t ease my frustration, but it did make me feel…

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    Jaguar: What Was the Brief?!
    1024 638 Michael Kraabel

    As a creative director—and a long-time Jaguar owner—I can’t help but ask: What was the brief that led to this campaign? Seriously, I’m baffled. Automobile marketing is supposed to do one thing above all else: put the audience in the…

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    The Power of “We” in Presenting Creative Work
    1024 576 Michael Kraabel

    Presenting creative work is a collaborative team effort. Presenting from the “We” approach not only ensures that clients understand the breadth and depth of contributions from the entire team, but also fosters an environment where all members of the team…

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    My Mind-Blowing Experience with ChatGPT’s New Voice Model
    1024 576 Michael Kraabel

    I’ve always been intrigued by AI, especially the growing capabilities of language models like ChatGPT. They’ve been fun to play around with, helpful at times, but more often a source of curiosity than anything world-changing. But recently, I encountered something…

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    Can ChatGPT and Large Language Models Really Think?
    1024 576 Michael Kraabel

    It’s an exciting time to witness how fast artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing, particularly with the rise of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. These models have revolutionized everything from customer service to content creation, but there’s a critical question…

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