No Branding Branding

So, I know I am a little delayed, but I just came across this project that Target had going on in NYC called Bullseye Bodega - They set up kiosk stores around Manhattan and featured designers at Target prices for only four days (limited time engagement). The whole point was to re-establish brand loyalty by addressing the needs and concerns of the consumer in this current slow economic period. This also seemed to show consumers that Target is a brand that finds targeted products for their consumers.
I think it was smart.





This new type of branding is interesting.

I noticed that something similar is happening with McDonalds in Japan. They've opened up stores called "Quarter Pounder" where they are only selling QPers with or without cheese. There is no McDonalds branding anywhere, no golden arches, no yellow and white and red. They've stripped down the Branding and the colors to that it is simple message, simple food, simply good.

I love this striping down of branding that is going on - it is also questioning the integrity of products. When economy is slow, it is product integrity that makes people purchase. You buy what you know works, what you know to be true, and these companies are doing that. I think that that is what Starbucks was trying to do with their limited time only logo, but they need to strip down more than that and recognize that their product has become iconic. Go back to basics.

Method Baby

When I was at Toys 'R Us yesterday, I ran into some of Method's packaging for babies, and thought it was too cute and wanted to share my photos (and other people's better photos).
I really love Method's stuff, and now I see that you can get it outside of Target, which is neat!

William Eggleston

As you all probably know, I have been collecting and sending postcards forever (and now via Postcrossing) And I bought this image as a postcard years ago. Then I randomly started to accumulate more and more postcards of photographs with this aesthetic, never realizing that they were all photographed by William Eggleston. Now he is having a retrospective at the Whitney from Nov. 7 until Jan. 25....and I am dying to go. So I will be needing to take a random flight home in January to see it!!!

Photoshop CS4

Photoshop CS4 promo stuff via wandaaaa's flickr
How fun!!!
Campaign is called "as real as it gets"



taa-daa ...initiative poster work for software-asli.com

creative director : hendra lesmono
art director : andreas junus & irawandhani kamarga
copywriter : darrick subrata
photgrapher : anton ismael

and them setting it all up for the photograph:



via swissmiss

Parish Foods

Is it sad that I want to go here because of its website!!! 

I mean...it is so pretty, though it doesn't make total sense - do they serve frogs? :)

teehee

CMYK

Research for my most recent packaging assignment led me to the coolest (and cutest imagery) that I thought I would share with you

per StrangeCo and Doozer

Obama is our new president!

Oh my goodness. We did it!

Treeson & Ren / Fred Design

These little guys are so cute...cuter than some of kidrobot's creations. I want one!!!

via milkjar

And I love these guys at Fred Design...I mean...who doesn't need this?

Poladroid Project

Wow...digital polaroids now exist - and the interface is pretty neat....only for MACs right now suckas!! Meet Poladroid.

Basically you drag and drop images into the Poladroid Polaroid and voila....there is even a video.

Now all they need to add are effects (meaning smudging, light leaks and the sort). Still in Beta, but fun as hell - and all the information is in French. How posh!

via Flavorwire

I won last week's "project packaging"

Brita
Originally uploaded by rachel_esther

We had to package water filters. The requirements: one diecut, an image (either illustration or photograph) of the product and must address environmental concerns.
I guess my package created the most waste compared to my peers, because it is encased in packaging....but all the paper is recyclable (in theory) and the concept is that the packaging acts as an aide for Brita and Nalgene's Filterforgood.com campaign. So the packaging is helping to make people make less waste...and hopefully they will recycle or reuse my package....I only had a week SO I'm sure I could make it make more sense....and the copy totally needs work!!!
But I did it....no immunity tho. I guess no one gets aufed either!!!