Brand Logos

Ferrari’s Barcode: Brand Advertising or Coincidence?

By Delphine Hirasuna | May 20, 2010September 4, 2014

After months of controversy, Ferrari finally capitulated and removed the suspiciously placed barcode from its Scuderia Marlboro Formula 1 cars in Europe.

As most F1 fans know, Marlboro has been the Ferrari F1 racing team’s major sponsor for more than a decade, but due to the F1 ban on tobacco sponsorships, the global cigarette marketer hasn’t been able to emblazon its brand logo on the cars, driver and pit crew uniforms, programs and promotions, despite paying millions of dollars to underwrite the team. Seemingly abiding by the law, the Marlboro name and logo did not appear anywhere. However, lately in the prominent places where the lead sponsor’s name would normally go, there appeared a curious red, black and white barcode design – which “coincidentally” are Marlboro’s brand colors. Even more remarkable was the fact that when the Ferrari F1 car flew around the course at 200 mph, viewers saw a blur that created the sensation of actually seeing the Marlboro logo.

Humor

“Television,” for example

By Delphine Hirasuna | May 14, 2010September 4, 2014

Visual tone of voice – it’s a much-discussed concept in design. How do you let the product, company or service speak for itself through choice of typography, color, pacing, and style of imagery? How do you communicate mood, energy, personality, urgency? What we liked about this video by Beth Fulton of b.fulton multimedia production in Atlanta is that you can feel the frenetic quality of the poem by screenwriter/actor Todd Alcott, even without hearing Alcott’s frantic voice. First look at the video with the sound on and then watch it again with the sound off. Consider how different the poem would have felt if the typeface was more ornate or the pacing was less erratic and staccato. Although the Fulton/Alcott video is more compelling than, say, giving expression to a brand, it does show us that when the visual tone of voice is on target, the message is far more memorable.

Sustainability

Things Go Better With Coke

By Delphine Hirasuna | May 13, 2010September 4, 2014

If you think you’ve seen this chair before, you have. Emeco’s Navy Chair has been around since 1944. So why was it such a sensation at the 2010 Milan Furniture Fair in April? And why is Design Within Reach hosting events to tout that it has the retail exclusive on the product? It’s because this 21st century model is made from recycled plastic Coke bottles – 111 of them, more or less, hence its name the 111 Navy Chair.

Brand Logos

Heeeeeerrrrrrreeeeeee’s the Logo!

By Delphine Hirasuna | May 10, 2010September 4, 2014

A lot of unsung tasks go on behind the sensational headlines. While the entertainment media was gleefully milking the brouhaha surrounding the departure of Conan O’Brien from The Tonight Show and the return of Jay Leno, NBC was working hastily to design a new set and unveil a new logo that would signal the change. For the logo part, NBC brought in Douglas Oliver Design, who had just months earlier created the graphic identity for The Jay Leno Show, and asked the Bell Canyon firm to have a new The Tonight Show identity ready to launch in just two weeks.

Publishing

Inked: Tattoo Lifestyle Magazine

By Delphine Hirasuna | May 5, 2010September 4, 2014

The stylish-looking Inked magazine is a sign of just how far tattooing has evolved from the days it was thought of as the mark of hardened criminals serving 20 to life and sailors who spent too much time in exotic ports. Tattooing has gone mainstream. It has moved from being a symbol of outlaw rebellion to a fashion statement. It is now the sixth fastest growing retail business in the U.S., with the fastest demographic growth among middle-class suburban women.

Just as tattoo parlors have moved from dank back alley places into upscale salons on main street, so has the way they are depicted in magazines. Inked more closely resembles GQ than a “babes-on-bikes” kind of soft-porn rag. Film, music and sports celebrities often grace the pages of Inked, and stories range from fashion to people profiles. This is a trend-conscious lifestyle magazine featuring a diverse range of subject involving personalities that happen to be tattooed.

Actually before creative director Todd Weinberger was brought in to relaunch Inked in 2007, he had been the creative director for both Philadelphia Style and DC Style. That high-end sensibility is evident in the quality of the fashion photography and sophisticated use of typography.

by Corporate Design Foundation

Author: Delphine Hirasuna