Unique Business Cards

As I was browsing Grafik's blog I stumbled upon this post about a very different type of business card. I found this particularly interesting as at the minute I am having to think a lot about my own personal brand identity and how to present myself to design companies as I am currently looking for work experience.

These are the business cards of Adam Rix:

For his business card he decided to print not on the usual expensive stock with embossed or foiled writing, but directly onto recycled playing cards. With this he wanted to create a talking point, and something memorable for the client he was passing them to.

I think they're a massive success!

These are business cards that you'd want to keep and put somewhere safe, and definitely look at again. They're all unique and individual, each their own little piece of design. It must be extremely refreshing for the client to also receive something that isn't run of the mill, and something that they haven't received a hundred times already over the years.

Each card displays Adam's phone numbers, email and web address, all the basic information you need, together with a nice logo. Personally, I love them and think they are a fantastic for passing on your information as a designer, in an inexpensive, fun and creative way. They also make a nice collectable item! As Adam said in the Grafik interview, the downside that he has found with the cards is that nobody is happy with receiving just one, he often has to give out three of four! I will definitely have to get thinking of how I can do something like this for my own brand!

Also, check out Adam's website- a really nice, simple click through portfolio with extra information when you hover in the corner. You can also see some more images of his business cards.

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www.adamrix.com

www.grafikmag.com

More Festive Loveliness from Bless Design

Bless Design of London decided to print their Christmas card using letterpress this year. Here are the results:

I love the intricate detailing on the snowflake; they have kept it traditional and festive but added their personal touch with the B for the brand in the middle. The letterpress has given the card a really nice quality as well, would definitely like to give this process a go myself one day!

I'm also a fan of their "Seasons Eatings" tea towel which you can buy in their shop on the website.

Nice to see design companies getting into the festive spirit. I certainly can't wait for the seasons eatings!

x

www.blessdesign.com

Alternative Christmas Cards

Lazy Oaf has been one of my favourite brands for a few years. They do a range of clothing, jewellery, accessories, stationary and artwork all with their trademark quirky illustrative style, bright colours, wacky characters and witty tag lines. I particularly love the cards they do, and always try and seek them out for something different and funny amidst all the other cheesy rubbish in the card market! Here are some examples of my favourite ones in their range:

Needless to say, I am always very eager to see what they come up with when Christmas comes round. Here are my top picks:

Anyone else found any alternative or funny christmas cards?

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www.lazyoaf.co.uk

My Book

As a brief we were set the challenge of portraying ourselves in a 16 page book. For mine, I decided to do facts about myself and my likes and dislikes through the numbers of the pages.

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Pes

I only recently discovered Pes from clicking on a video which was up on blog It's Nice That. At first on the website, which looks pretty quickly done and unprofessional I was a bit confused by who Pes was. But as I scrolled further down and saw brands he had worked for, including Orange, Bacardi, PSP, Scrabble and Nike I realised this was no amateur film maker. Using solely stop motion, Pes creates wacky, playful, random and sometimes risque films using ordinary objects. He creates minature worlds, giving everyday objects personalities and their own little stories. Since discovering Pes I have watched almost all of his films. They are so entertaining, but its also interesting how he has managed to use his quirky style and applied it to the big brands in mainstream advertising.

I particularly like this advert for Orange, where it features socks playing hide and seek.

You also HAVE to watch Roof sex, one of his most famous pieces, for something truly bizarre- 2 armchairs having sex on the top of a building in New York! The making of video is really interesting for this as well, gives you more of an insight into the mind of Pez and how he works.

Can't find a link on youtube for these so here are the links:

http://www.eatpes.com/roofsex.html

http://www.eatpes.com/makingofroofsex.html

Pes creates some really quirky, fun work and also seems like an interesting character himself. Check out the Creative Review article on him which you can see on his Press page if you want a bit more information about him.

What are your thoughts on his work?

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http://www.cartoonbrew.com/author/pes <>

http://www.eatpes.com

http://www.itsnicethat.com/

WANT IT! Pantone Mug Collection

Had my eye on one of these for a while- might have to be another one for the christmas list! Available in 28 colours and described as "a solid mug in a solid colour" they're perfect for any design geek or pantone lovers. And they don't look bad either!

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http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/pantone.aspx?pg=20633&ca=10

Jme and Pearlfisher

As I was browsing Design Week I noticed that Jamie Oliver had recently won the Client of the Year Award at the annual Design Week Benchmarks awards the other night. Judges described some of the products as "beautifully crafted, interesting and strong". Here are some of the products in his range, designed by agency Pearlfisher...

As a result of this article I went onto the Pearlfisher website to discover that it is this agency that designs some of my personal favourite food and drink packaging out on the highstreet. These products are also some of the most iconic food and drink brands out there, certainly an impressive portfolio to have to your name. Here are some other brands you may recognise that Pearlfisher also design for...

I love the handmade, recycled qualities they use, following their theme of ethical packaging. I also love the bold colours and sharp quirky typography they use, which seems a particularly dominant part of their design. It's no surprise Pearlfisher create mammoth profit increases for the brands they design for, these pieces of packaging stand out a mile from others on the shelf in a whole class of their own.

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http://www.designweek.co.uk/

http://www.pearlfisher.com

Clever Online Advertising

We've been learning quite a bit this year about the power of online advertising. It is an extremely powerful tool as it is relatively cheap, and can be extremely focused and directed at the target market they wish to connect to, a lot more so than tv, radio and even magazine ads. The other day I experienced this first hand whilst on the internet. I have recently been browsing websites such as asos.com and House of Fraser looking at mens watches for my boyfriend's christmas present.

As I moved away from the page and onto other, completely unrelated website I noticed than in the usual advertising spaces these were popping up...

And I must say, I was a bit freaked out at first. I have seen them from both House of Fraser and asos and my first thoughts were- how do they know I was looking at these pages?! Rather naive of course, there is a record of everything you look at on the internet. We are always being watched, on what we're clicking on, on what we're spending time on and interacting with. This is all vital information that leads to good advertising and for companies to know how to connect with their customers. My next thought was actually wow! This is really clever, and I certainly clicked on the ad when I saw a new watch pop up I hadn't seen before! This is extremely effective advertising, most of all because it is relevant to the viewer. You see so many advertisements that you're not interested in, or barely even have a second glance at so it's almost a pleasure, and a surprise when you see one like this. The companies are finding their target market, seeing what they like and putting ads in places they know they'll be clicking into! The audience basically can't miss the adverts this way, and I have to say, I think it works!

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Marmite!

Marmite is something very close to my heart, it's been my favourite breakfast since God knows when! It's also a product that's had some of my personal favourite ad campaigns over the years. Famous for its honest slogan "You either love it, or hate it" it's a brand that's extremely timeless, probably because it is such a unique product, with such an unusual message. It's hard to successfully promote a product whilst stating that half the population hate it, yet they seem to do it with ease and humour, always leading to memorable results!

In 2006, Marmite brought out a squeezable bottle, adding value through convenience from the traditional glass jar. DDB of London took the job of advertising this new product. Here are some of the ads they created...

DDB said they wanted to communicate "the convenience of the squeezy product, executed against the creative thought at the heart of the brand 'you either love it or hate it'". With this they created a series of ads of things people either love or hate, drawn in the squeezy marmite. The result is the message of the new product being perfectly executed, alongside the traditional and recognisable brand identity, in a funny and visually interesting way. Fantastic!

More recently DDB managed to encorporate Paddington Bear into the ads to try and encourage Mums to buy marmite for a twist on boring sandwiches. Using such a popular character with a new storyline saw a massive 10% growth for Marmite- quite successful really considering 8 billion sandwiches are consumed per year in the UK!

Marmite is a brand that has been growing year on year, with little change since 1902! I think the ads have had a massive impact on the popularity of this product and I personally can't wait to see what they come up with next!

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http://www.marmite.com/

http://www.ddblondon.com/

WANT IT! Paul & Joe limited edition make up collection...

Ok so I'm a complete sucker for packaging. Especially when it comes to products. As a self confessed product junkie I tend to go on what looks nice on the shelf... rather than the physical item. Which is why on my daily browse of asos.com I was immediately attracted to these Paul & Joe Limited edition eye shadow palettes and lip sticks.

And aren't they beautiful?! I didn't really know much about Paul & Joe as a make up brand so I visited their website to find out a bit more about them. Clearly the packaging design of their make up is very important to them as they had a whole section about it. They say : "The PAUL & JOE packaging is a real pleasure for those who are passionate about tactile, beautiful things." It goes on to describe it as 'retro chic' creating a sense of 'luxury and refinement' that visibly embodies the products' 'excellent quality and dependability'. It also says that each piece has its own "personality, ensuring your dressing table conveys an air of sophisticated fun and well being".

I really like the concept of their brand identity and packaging. I think women who do want to invest in the slightly more up market make up brands do want more from the packaging. It's about expressing a certain lifestyle- products like these will not only make you look, but also feel elegant and sophisticated! I especially love the attention to detail this packaging shows, like the engraving of pattern on the physical stick of lipstick. I think this really shows the true passion the brand has for their products. I also like the slightly oriental theme that is being expressed in the collection.

This collection is make up to be displayed, not only worn. You are not only investing in good quality make up, but also in some beautiful items to put in your make up bag or on your dressing table!

And which one is my favourite... I can't decide. I think they'll all be going straight on my Christmas list!!

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http://www.asos.com/Paul-Joe/Paul-Joe-Limited-Edition-Colour-Powder/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=771815&abi=1&clr=Verite

http://www.paul-joe-beaute.com/en/index.html#/about_beaute_concept