About Our New Look; OC Star Power: Clinton Keys & Bridges

For Your Consideration: the update to our front-page design, which now is a bit more horizontal than vertical, with the banner at the top a tad leaner and cleaner. The changes aim to bring greater clarity to our presentation as part of our constant efforts to improve. Your thoughts are welcome at sullivan@ocbj.com. … Costa Mesa-based luxury hybrid automaker Karma Automotive recently made maximum use of design and print advertising by way of Variety—also showing a remarkable knack for working its home turf by playing up California’s famously diffused light with the image and copy for a cover-wrap of the Jan. 24 edition of the Hollywood trade pub. Karma’s new Revero is shown in a redwood forest amid soft, slanting sunlight, with ad copy telling readers the vehicle is “POWERED BY ELECTRICTY, FUEL … AND LIGHT,” and then declaring “IT’S A CALIFORNIA THING.” Here’s betting the message hits home in an industry that took root in Southern California in large part because of the quality and abundance of light here. Credit Variety’s high-grade matte cover paper as an ideal medium to give the ad star quality … Stars from galaxies besides Hollywood will cross paths in Dana Point on Feb. 4, with former President Bill Clinton due to precede Grammy-winning songstress Alicia Keys by a few hours … Clinton is slated to talk on the second day of the annual World Patient Safety, Science & Technology Summit—the brainchild of Masimo Inc. boss Joe Kiani—at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott … Keys will be on hand down the road at the Monarch Beach Resort to play the CHOC Cherishes Children Gala that evening … The Sharon D. Lund Foundation will be honored as this year’s Children’s Champion, and CHOC is looking for more of those for its $27 million initiative on mental health for kids. It recently got $500,000 for the project from the Pacific Life Foundation, but the tagline on this year’s fundraiser—“A Better World Starts Small”—might be taken as a reminder that help of all sizes is appreciated … Laguna Beach-based MacGillivray-Freeman went to Hollywood, Corporate America and the pocket-protector brigade to land big names for its latest IMAX film, titled “DREAM BIG” and offered as a work “that will transform how we think about engineering.” Oscar winner Jeff Bridges narrates the 3-D film, which is “presented” by Bechtel Corp. and “produced in partnership” with the American Society of Civil Engineers … Check Mark Mueller’s front-page story on residential developments near some of the stronger malls around OC—and consider last week’s note on Chapman U. thinker Joel Kotkin’s contention that some of the weaker retail centers could be part of the solution for the challenges OC faces on housing affordability … Word around Fashion Island says expect the Newport Beach City Council to flip-flop on its recent approval for Related Cos.’ proposed Museum House project before any citywide vote happens … Sullivan says: The recent rains should make this an optimal time to visit the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and see the colors of chaparral country at their best.