Monday, June 1, 2009

Packaging is fun again!


I'm such a sucker for cool packaging. My family says I'm the pack rat, because I have more mint tins, cardboard sleeves and plastic containers than Costco. If it catches my eye I'll get it to keep for inspiration. These are a few examples of designs that won Pentawards. Pentawards are given out for worldwide packaging design. I know it might be cliche, but I love it when the packaging represents the use of the product like the detergent does. I also really liked the champagne bottle. It made something ordinary into something extraordinary just by flipping the bottle upside down and inverting the type. It gives the bottle's appearance a whole new shape. Check out the rest of the winners here.

"Humor is harder to do than sex. Well, not physically..."

I love ads that make me laugh. It not only engages you as the viewer, but it's also a great way to spread the word about whatever product you're selling. I know I'm more likely to tell my friends about the new hilarious commercial or ad I saw than one that's dull and boring. This ad is also a good example of good Photoshopping. Sometimes you see an ad that is clearly Photoshopped and it looks so fake it's hard for you to get beyond that. In this example it fits because it merely exaggerates the point of the ad. You have to see this full size to get the full effect lol

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Hidden Logos





I always find it interesting when a well designed logo has multiple layers. It shows that the designer was not only designing aesthetically, but also semiotically. Even though some of these are only cool looking, others have deeper meanings. For example, the Museum of London logo is made up of what appears to be different colored transparencies. In reality, each shape symbolizes the shape that London once had. The schizophrenic one cracks me up because the designer used simple imagery to portray two different emotions at the same time. You can check out the rest here.

If you don't eat it up...



I love when ads have great imagery, just like these ads for Vanish do. Not only do they use a lot of white space to emphasize the size of the food stain, but they also add the elements of utensils to go with their headline, "If you don't eat it up, Vanish will." The only aspect of the ad that doesn't work for me is that I find the imagery so cute that I don't know if I'd want to use Vanish for fear of losing the little utensils lol. I think this ad is effective in that the imagery is bold, yet subtle enough that it forces you to really look at it. 

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

A baby can sell anything...including jail

This is an ad that I found that I thought was really interesting. At first I saw the thumbnail of the baby and I was like "Aww, how adorable!" Then I saw the tattoo on his neck and was like "What the..." After reading the tagline and copy I got what the ad was for, but I didn't need to read it to get the impact. We often see babies used to sell things from the obvious, like diapers, to the less obvious, like shares for E*trade. I think an ad is super successful if it has an image that is so powerful it makes you want to read the copy.

I wish...

I'm not really a fan of digital design, mostly because I'm crazy jealous of the skills these artists have that I do not. I think it's so cool that you can visualize all the layers that it takes to make a piece that's so complex, yet it fits together as a whole. I also like the tagline, "Feel the vibe, feel the music," even though it's a little difficult to read at a small size. I love music too, so this piece was a perfect choice for me. Check out the other designs here.

Monday, May 11, 2009

To Fedex: Be afraid. Be very afraid...

One of the coolest things about design is that it isn't limited to just one surface. Some of my favorite designs are ones that make their way into every day life. Take Facestape for example. It's really clever, and it addresses the issue of boring, plain brown boxes that we're forced into mailing to family and friends. I'm definitely going to keep this kind of design in mind when I'm working because it makes your brand multi-faceted. Plus, it's cool to think that your design is not only reaching thousands of people, but it's allowing them to interact with it and express their creativity as well. 

Don't let this happen to your kids


 This is an ad out of Brazil. Not only is the image really striking, but it also brings to light an important issue. With the rise of technology, more and more kids are becoming obese at very young ages. Some companies, like Nintendo with the Wii, are trying to combat the bad reputation that technology gets by getting kids to become more active.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

The best part of waking up...

I love this advertisement. The image is striking and grabs your attention right away. Then you look towards the right-hand corner to see the simple, effective tag line. I don't drink coffee, but I've definitely had mornings that I wish I did. I think the photograph itself is very well constructed, and even the tilt and choice of typeface is a nice touch.

As graphic designers I think it's important to not only look at images that are successful, but also the sketches of images that weren't so successful to see the progression. Here are a few of Obama logo designs that didn't make it. I personally don't like them very much, so I'm glad they weren't chosen, but I can understand the concepts and why they chose to put elements in certain positions and such. You can see the rest of the rejects here.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Life Size Pointillism

I love ads that not only advertise an object, but also the capabilities of that object. This ad is for Makita drills. It's advertising how precise the drill is by using it to drill holes that make up the image itself. Over 20,000 holes were drilled into a white wall, with careful calculations to ensure the proper illusion of tints and tones. Tedious? Yes. Awesome? Absolutely.
Gabriel Moreno is a Madrid based Illustrator. I came across these images and was blown away. I'm a fan of illustrations, and Moreno's work is no exception. I love the detail and organic nature of his work. This image is one of several new works that was exhibited in his “More than Illustration” solo show last month. He gave himself 5 months to focus on this exhibition so he could figure out every minute detail of each piece. Check out more pieces from the show here.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Here's my card...




Ahh the business card. What was once so plain and boring that you never looked at it after someone gave it to you has taken on a life of its own. I think it's awesome that designers have realized that it doesn't matter what size a piece is, it's all about the impact it makes on the viewer. These cards are playful, but they don't lose their main purpose: informing someone of their services. These are just a few of the awesome designs I found, and the rest can be found here

Not my car!!


Here's a really cool ad I found online. Even though it looks like it's advertising Coops Paints, it's actually for Nationwide Insurance. It's super creative, and I love how it literally spills off the signs and onto the pavement and cars. It's not just the scale that makes an impact, but also the concept and how it was executed. I would love to see an ad like this in real life.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Fill 'er up!



These containers won the Mobius 2008 Best of Show awards for Package Design. Designed by German artist Kolle Rebbe Werbeagentur, they hold different kinds of cooking oil. I'm a sucker for anything in a cool container, so I would definitely sign up for cooking lessons just so I could buy these. I love how creative the designers were in packaging something that people might use regularly in a way that would make it interesting to just have lying around on the counter. I think it's important to not get stuck when designing and think outside the box (or in this case the can). 


I dare you to feel nothing...


I'm a huge Death Cab for Cutie fan. If you've heard their music, 
high five because you know the moving lyrics and haunting
melodies are fantastic. If you haven't, shame on you. Indulge
in this video for their latest single "Grapevine Fires". I love art and 
music, so when the two merge it's a beautiful thing. I love the style
of the video, and I love the fact that despite it being a cartoon, the 
emotions are real. I took an animation class so I know how long 
something like this takes to draw out. Mad props to the artist and 
of course the band for writing an amazing song.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Warning: Secondhand Eating Kills



This is an advertisement I found on the Graphis website. It's a 2009 winner for Advertising for Public Services created for the Dietitians of Canada. I love when designs have double meanings, so this ad definitely caught my eye. It's actually donuts lined up to look like a cigarette; brilliant. I also like the touch of the nutrition facts at the bottom. This ad shows that simplicity can be super effective and creative. Next time you go to Yum Yum think of the surgeon general. 

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Annie Leibowitz + Seth Rogen = Frida Kahlo?


I love Annie Leibowitz's photographs. I love Superbad, Knocked Up, and anything Judd Apatow can get his grubby little hands on. So naturally, I love this photo that features Seth Rogen, one of Vanity Fair's Comedy's New Legends, as the iconic Frida Kahlo. I find it inspiring when artists make historical references, making a blend of past and present, giving new ideas to future generations. Aside from being an amazing photograph that captures a stagnant, genuine face from a comedian, the artistic director of the shoot did an amazing job recreating the original painting.