Magpie Studio

Magpie Studio - Amazing website, I love the typographic lettering's of the different M's as the main navigational image. It sets the tone for the type of work they produce, their ethos and mentality and the great work to feast your eyes on.

This style of website is becoming more and more familiar, and as I scour the Internet for new sites I am beginning to submerge myself in the different templates that people reuse & recycle. This site is so successful in my mind because of the stark contrasting mono colour and its impressive overwhelming image that dominates. I can't help but take my eyes of those M's!

The work! Yes, some great and equally impressive clients - the BAFTA's, Channel 4, Tate Britain and many more. They use visual communication as a tool to connect with the audience, deliver clear briefs and making the message memorable. And I am impressed - creative concepts, strong executions and persuasive language.

Definitely one to stop by and take a look! Even if it is just to look at those M's!!
Let me know what you think...

Images courtesy of Magpie Studios.

BURO RENG

BURO RENG is a Creative Design team based in the Northern part of the Netherlands - I blogged about them in March this year (see the post here) as I found their work inspiring, provocative and most of all creative! They produce and develop the creative process for a large client list, and having been in contact with them recently they wanted me to feature their most latest work.

They are designers who like to work closely with their client, they start by talking, writing and thinking - a process that so many agencies fail to strike with their client. Their portfolio consists of visual communication/identities, campaigns and editorial design.

They have a simple design strategy - you can see their execution, creative concept and visual style - all beautifully explained filling the voids. A design team worth more than just the final piece!

To find out more visit their website here.

All images courtesy of BURO RENG.

Victoria Beckham On Denim!

"To celebrate the launch of Victoria Beckham's spring/summer 2012 Denim collection, we will be launching a fashion film, previewed here, directed by Quentin Jones and styled by AnOther's fashion editor Agata Belcen on Wednesday November 30. The film, entitled Steps for 2, is inspired by the youthful energy of the Denim collection and the French New Wave and incorporates Quentin Jones' striking animations."

Great theme tune, stunning visuals and animation - seriously for Victoria Beckham?
Most definitely! It seems her radical celebration truly celebrates all that SS12 is...and more.
I like it, its different, intriguing, and different (did I say that already?) I want to watch it again, and again as I always miss something - a sign of something worth watching!

e1000ink - 3D without glasses!!

With technology developing at a rapid pace, 3D will become a forgotten fascination, an overnight success that dominated our at-home cinemas. Isn't it 4D now? But put into the environment - it has a whole new context, not only does it explore diverse territory but it interrupts the norm. It makes us look twice in order to understand and work out it's positioning. Who doesn't appreciate it? And you don't need glasses!!

ATIPUS_Graphic Design

ATIPUS_Graphic Design Studio based in Barcelona - some really nice type and execution of the creative concept. I particularly like the colour palette they use, soft, mundane yet totally appropriate and appealing! See here more their blog, also worth a read ...

Taking a closer Look .... "Into the Fray"

Creative agency Rosie Lee and photographer John Ross, have coincided to take a closer look at the sport Rugby, as it is the World Cup Final on Saturday.

"Into The Fray" is a self-initiated project "to visualise the power and strength of rugby players, and freeze-frame it"

For this exploration, they built a giant glass tank and packed in as many rugby boys as the space would allow, Ross then photographed the results. Emotional, intense and down-right dirty would be an understatement, but then Rugby is a powerful and brutal sport that involves more than just a rugby ball!!

Lets hope the best team wins.

VW - Think Small, Think Blue

VW = Think Small, Think Blue.
VW has and will continue to drive efficiency, their latest TV advert refers to the 1960's unforgettable slogan 'Think Small'.

Conceptual and engaging - a process VW have never forgotton or ceased to depict in their campaigns.

15 years of WALLPAPER*

Creative Review just released the 15th anniversary celebration of WALLPAPER* in collaboration with GFSMITH - 15 designers or brands created a special cover design to be printed on the Colorplan paper stock. And those designs/brands included Build, It's Nice That, James Joyce, MadeThought and Nike ... and many more.

"In the true sense of bespoke, using digital printing by FE Burman, each cover design was printed on to the stock of the designer's choosing from our Colorplan range, they pushed the printing by using many different processes including multiple passes of white ink. The results show how choice of paper plays an integral part of the design process."

Wallpaper* is a fantastic source of inspiration, and what better way to celebrate then collaborate with designers and celebrate the work of others. Here are my favourites of the 15 covers designed!

He would have been a 100!!

Bill Bernbach - an advertising legend, would have celebrated his 100th Birthday on August 13th.
This man who taught me valuable lessons, was widely recognised for leading the creative revolution in the advertising Industry during the 50's and 60's. And for creating the creative structure that most agencies still adopt today!

I studied him in my dissertation - the work he produced, the methods, his style of thinking ... all of which inspired me to work the way I do and will continue to in the future. He based his work on being engaging, interesting, intelligent and most of all believable. He is a credit to our industry and to the way we work, here are just a few of his most iconic from DDB - you will recognise them all.

Happy Birthday Bill !

Seven Dwarves

Seven Dwarves is the latest reality TV show on Channel 4 - I love their exposure and marketing push for the screening which aired this week. The camera filmed residence marks the latest subculture richness that seems to draw us all in ... well most of us - remember ' Big Brother' OR 'My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding?'' And you should know what I mean, it is trying to:

"Break through Panto stereotypes to show how this group of dwarf actors face the challenges of ordinary life head-on."

The marketing material out and about is clever - cliché maybe ... but Channel 4's in-house creative team have done well, they created 20 mini billboards which launched before the show around London, see below. Great stuff!

Absolut BLANK .

Absolut Blank from Sérgio Costa on Vimeo.

Absolut BLANK is a campaign created by TBWA, USA - in collaboration with a new generation of artists they have created a global movement that appears to lead the way in contemporary creativity. Absolut have worked with other artists in the past such as Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst and Spike Jonze and now it is their daring nature that provokes me to post this.

I love their passion for the blank canvas ... inspiring other artists to get involved, turning the blank canvas into a collaboration of art and creativity. The 20 artists participating in Absolut BLANK represent a variety of creative disciplines from across the globe; from drawing, painting and sculpting to film making and digital art. See below for Mario Wagner’s attention-grabbing cut-out imagery, and the detailed work of Good Wives and Warriors - they are vibrant and most importantly allowing people to work together. This is something that does inspire me, and hopefully all other aspiring artists too ... as they think about sharing their skills and creative passion.

HOUSE Industries

House Industries has long been my friend, not only as a great source of inspiration for typography but for the amazing work they produce. From the printed booklets, screen-printed posters and rendered letters - they produce some of the best work and now they are promoting their Photo-Lettering service.

A little info from their website:

"Known throughout the world as a prolific type foundry, House Industries has made a considerable impact on the world of design. House Industries fonts scream from billboards, wish happy whatever from tens of thousands of greeting cards, serve as the basis for consumer product logos and add elements of style to a wide range of mainstream media. Their typography deftly melds cultural, musical and graphic elements. From early forays into distressed digital alphabets to sophisticated type and lettering systems, House Industries’ work transcends graphic conventions and reaches out to a broad audience. What ultimately shines in the House Industries oeuvre is what always conquers mediocrity: a genuine love for their subject matter."

I received an email just recently - not only was this a great marketing tool but it was interesting and yes! although I am a member I gave in and created a new account just to receive the latest catalogue!! It is promoting their Photo-Lettering Catalogue which has 96 pages of beautiful work - not only is it great work - but usually really nice tactile paper (people who like to smell/touch will appreciate this!!)

So you can sign up and receive your very own & to find out just how nice it is ... and ultimately sign your life away to third parties! But who cares, I love good design!