Month: November 2015

Visual Merchandising

Pigment: Inspiring Retail Space for Fine Artists

By Delphine Hirasuna |

Pigment_1

Pigment in the Shinagawa district of Tokyo is the kind of art supply store that fine artists dream about. Pigment carries art supplies that are considered rare throughout the world. It offers over 4,200 colors of pigment, more than 200 antique ink sticks, 50 types of animal glue, traditional “washi” papers, and brushes for every technique. The store is staffed with experts to advise customers on the unique features of each painting tool and how best to use it, and holds workshops taught by art professors and supply manufacturers. Designed by world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma, the modern and spare interior is constructed using organic curved surfaces inspired by bamboo blinds. The bamboo stretches from the roof to the eaves, with the environment displaying products in a manner that seems more like a museum exhibit than a show of retail wares. This is a store that has reverence for the arts and treats the tools of the trade as works of art in themselves.
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Advertising

Sainsbury’s Brings Mog Back for Christmas

By Delphine Hirasuna |

Sainsbury’s, the UK’s largest supermarket chain, has made a holiday TV commercial starring Mog the accident-prone cat, the beloved character in a series of popular children’s books by author Judith Kerr. Although categorized as advertisement, the 3 1/2 minute “Mog’s Christmas Calamity,” is a charming storybook tale narrated by acclaimed actress Emma Thompson in a voice akin to her role in “Nanny McPhee.”

Sainsbury’s ad agency Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO persuaded the 92-year-old Judith Kerr to write and illustrate a new Mog story for the Christmas campaign, despite having “killed off” Mog of old age in her 2002 book, “Goodbye, Mog.” Published in partnership with HarperCollins, the “Mog’s Christmas Calamity” book is being offered for purchase by Sainsbury’s with all proceeds going to Save the Children, a nonprofit dedicated to improving children’s literacy in the UK. Only on the market for a few days, the book has already sold in the thousands.

The Christmas advertisement program itself also has been a huge success with adults who fondly recall reading Mog books when they were young. The Sainsbury’s Mog ad campaign was written by AMV BBDO’s Alex Grieve, art directed by Adrian Rossi, and directed by James Rouse through Outsider.

Solidarité

By Delphine Hirasuna |

Paris

Simply adding another blog post in light of recent horrors seems wrong. The terrorist attack in Paris last Friday, along with the twin bombings in Beirut the day before, and the downing of a Russian civilian jetliner two weeks earlier cannot pass without acknowledgement. We join the world in mourning the loss of humanity, and pray for peace.

Poster

Kaiser Wants You To See The Light

By Delphine Hirasuna |

7 Daily Moves

This is a 17”x 23” handout from Kaiser Permanente Healthcare. We couldn’t learn who created it, but find it effective in its simplicity. A low-budget production piece on uncoated stock, the Kaiser poster is printed on one side with a list of lame excuses for not exercising or eating right, but hold the sheet up to the light and the type set in reverse on the back side fills in the empty spaces and presents a totally opposite and much healthier point-of-view. It’s a no-frills piece that is cleverly written and designed. Bravo whoever you are. Well done.

Packaging

Boytjie Sauce’s Hot Packaging

By Delphine Hirasuna |

boytjie_2

Boytjie Braai Sauce describes itself as “South Africa in a bottle.” It boasts that every part of the barbecue sauce product is sourced and produced locally in South Africa, from the raw ingredients and manufacturing to the packaging design. Muti, a creative agency in Cape Town, worked with Malinco Foods to develop the logo and labels for the line of sauces. Eschewing the use of slick food photography, Boytjie built its packaging identity around bold and quirky hand-drawn letters and illustrations. The name of the flavor and key words are expressed in a different vibrant colors with fleck of black from the background peeking through like peppery spice. The effect is rich with personality.
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