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Deskey brands exist, like dinosaurs?

By Staff | Jun 24, 2012

I guess I actually knew that the company Donald Deskey founded ‘way back when’ was still around.

In fact, last year I wrote in a column that it was still in existence. And still working with Proctor-Gamble, still designing packages for Luv diapers, among many, many other things.

I just hadn’t thought about it much.

And, I really hadn’t thought about the fact that Deskey Branding, as it is called now, might send a couple of representatives to the Deskey Street Light Dedication in Blue Earth.

But, they did.

Doug Sovonick is the chief creative officer/partner and Michael Buescher is an account executive.

When they received an invitation from the Blue Earth Chamber to come to the event, they say they both thought, “Why not?”

So, they hopped a plane on Friday night out of Cincinnati, the company’s headquarters and flew in to Minneapolis.

Saturday morning they came to Blue Earth, took part in the dedication ceremony, toured the town and flew back to Cincinnati Saturday night.

They say they really wanted to see the hometown of Donald Deskey, their company founder. As well as witness this dedication of one of his New York City street lights now located in a little Minnesota town.

They were surprised when they became part of the ceremony and were asked to speak as visiting celebrities. They said they thought the whole thing was very nice, and were glad they made the trip here to take it in.

They videotaped the whole program to show their fellow Deskey Branding company employees back home.

While they were here for the one day, they also visited the Giant Museum, the Giant statue and other parts of the city. They said they were impressed.

They also found out from local historian A.B. Russ that Donald Deskey had grown up in a house on Linton Street. So, they had to go find it and grab a photo.

That picture could wind up as part of the extensive archives the company keeps on Donald Deskey. They have quite a collection of Deskey material, including videotapes of interviews with his two sons, one of whom passed away shortly after the taping was completed.

They have collaborated with the University of Cincinnati to have a Deskey collection on display in the past.

Sovonick also says a museum in New York, the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, has a large Deskey display and collection of his personal and business items.

While here, the “two men in suits” (as Blue Earth Chamber director Cindy Lyon referred to them) brought gifts Donald Deskey bobble head dolls.

They had made the fancy bobble heads to help promote the business.

Sovonick says he thinks Donald Deskey would have appreciated the humor of becoming a bobble head, noting that Deskey had a very developed sense of humor about many things, and appreciated good promotion.

When the two Deskey Branding employees drove into town, they were struck by something and started to laugh.

No, it wasn’t the Green Giant. It was the Sinclair gas station. They don’t see those very often, they say.

But, there is a funny story in their company history about Donald Deskey and Sinclair.

Deskey was once hired to ‘re-brand’ the gasoline company.

He designed a new logo, that included three green Nike-like swooshes.

When the owner of Sinclair Oil saw it, he asked “Where is my dinosaur?” Donald replied they were modernizing the look of the company brand.

No they weren’t, the owner said, and fired Donald.

The two Deskey men say they think Donald would think it was ironic and funny that the Sinclair dinosaur is the first thing one sees when they come into his hometown.

And that one of his New York City street lights now lights up one of its downtown parks.

It would certainly have made him chuckle, Sovonick says.