Monday, December 10, 2007

Daily Peeps

Here's today's sampling of peep-worthy advertising and design:

freshcotton.com


Ads created with t-shirt shaped cutouts and strategically placed over existing graffiti. Awesome!

Agency: ANONIEM
Art Director: RONNIE BESSELING
Producer: ARMAND HUGHAN
Photographer: LUCAS GOBEL


Heinz Salad Cream


Interesting graphic for a not-so-interesting product :)

Agency: McCann Erickson, London
Creative Directors: Brian Fraser & Simon Learman
Copywriter: Neil Clarke, Jay Phillips
Art Director: Neil Clarke, Jay Phillips
Illustrator: John Martin
Typography: Gary Todd


National Rail

Perfect way to show how little the National Rail effects the environment...even more succesful as a magazine spread.

Agency: King, Stockholm
Creative Director: Frank Hollingworth
Copywriter: Niclas Carlsson, Christian Karlsson
Art Director: Josephine Wallin, Tommy Carlsson


Tyskie Beer


This beer company creatively shows the countries they import their product to by creating the flags out of their packaging...so clever & eye-catching.

Agency: DDB Warsaw
Creative Directors: Marcin Mroszczak, Jakub Korolczuk, Ryszard Sroka
Copywriter: Natalia Dudek
Art Director: Marcin Zaborski
Photographer: Igor Omul

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Eco-friendly Gifting

Here are some gift ideas for the green people on your list.


Reusable Shopping Bags - there is a huge trend right now of replacing plastic shopping bags with reusable canvas or nylon totes. Below are a few of my top picks:

Baggu Bags
Baggu Bags are on my christmas list this year. They are the perfect size for grocery shopping and, unlike most tote bags, have a flat-bottom. The best part of the Baggu is that it folds up to a small square so its easy to carry around when not in use. Baggu Bags come in a variety of designer-inspired, solid colors.


Envirosax from Delight.com
Envirosax are more of a tote bag style reusable bag that can be slung over your shoulder. They lack the flat-bottom, but make up for it with patterned designs rather than just solid colors.




Recycled Notebook Set from Delight.com
100% recycled and 100% post-consumer means no new trees were cut down to create this super-cut notebook set.



DB Clay wallets
These eco-friendly wallets are made of "tope," a custom textile made specifically for this line.





Eco-friendly bird house kit from Whatever Works
Easy-to-assemble bird feeder is made of 100% recycled plastics such as bags, soda bottles, milk jugs, and water bottles.



Sun & Moon Jars
Sun & Moon Jars come equipped with a solar-powered cell and rechargeable battery that soaks up sunlight. Its energy efficient LED light will automatically switch on when it gets dark to give you 5 hours of candle-like light, but also includes a switch (on the inside) to turn it off if you're not home to enjoy the glow.




Recycled Socktopus from Elsewares
The Socktopus is the seafaring cousin of the famous Sock Monkey. Made from real recycled sweaters.




Kee-Ka Organic Infant Products
Adorable infant burp clothes, swaddle blankets, bibs and onesies made from certified organic cotton.



Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Gift Guide: Cheap Cheap

Today's Eye Spy gift guide is all about gifts under $15...yes, $15!

Here's some ideas for taking advantage of the bargain price:
1) Forget about the traditional socks and underwear and fill up stockings with items which are a little more entertaining.
2) Give them along with gift cards so the recipient has something to open besides an envelope.
3) Give gifts to ALL your co-workers...not just your favorites ;)

Enjoy!


Grow Your Own Sensitive Plant $5.49 from Perpetual Kid

A sensitive plant (if you've never seen one) looks like a miniature fern...but it has a secret. It moves AND sleeps! Its leaves curl up when touched and the whole plant tucks itself in every night, spreading out again in the morning. Super cool...just picture how perfect this little guy will be to help you pass the time during a creative block.



Animal Screen Cleaners
$6.99 from Perpetual Kid

Most of us spend 90% of our day in front our computer monitors, so why not take care of them...with miniature, goofy animals! Take your pick from a Spider, Caterpillar, or Fish and the soft-bellied critter will harmlessly wipe your screen until its spotless.




Inanimate Character Stickers
$3.99 from Perpetual Kid

Ever get lonely at your desk? Just you and your office supplies....
Inanimate character stickers make it possible to give your desk-mates some personality. You'll get 2 sheets of eyes, noses, and mouths in each pack. Don't worry, they're removable, so if your coffee mug is happy one day, but sad the next, its not stuck putting on a happy face.



3-D doodle kit $9 from fred flare

Appreciate 3-D graphics but don't know Maya? Create it the old-fashioned way with the 3-D doodle kit. Sketch with the red & blue pencils, slip on some 3-D specs and ta-dah! You won't be getting job offers from Pixar, but the multi-dimensional creation will be just as rewarding (sort of).



Portable Air Hockey $14.00 from Urban Outfitters

We all have a smooth, flat surface around the office...that's right, the conference table. Normally surrounded by a mass of buzz-word spewing execs, it needs to be saved from the torture. Put the table to some productive use with a portable air hockey set. The self-powered puck will allow you to "leverage a 360 degree execution focusing on self-sufficient air utilization and net-net profitablity tactics—dot com."



View Master $8.00 from Urban

We all had one of these early home theater systems when we were young. Bring back a few childhood memories for a loved one or coworker with a genuine View Master. Reels are also available on the site for $8 each.



Trio of French Journals
$12.00 from The Curiosity Shoppe

Do you have a vintage design buff on your shopping list? Oui? Then pick up these French composition books and move on to the next lucky individual on le list. They come as a set of 3, so if you're really strapped for cash (or just plain stingey) you can wrap them individually and take care of multiple peeps in one shot.



ABC Button
$12 from Charles and Marie

Just when you thought you knew every method of creating type....enter, the ABC buttons to knock you off your high hobby horse. These buttons have nine holes so you can actually write using yarn and a needle. If that's not awesome enough for you, buying the buttons gives you exclusive access to a font designed by e27!



Stop Talking $8.00

How many times a day do you encounter someone who feels the need to talk your ear off? Maybe a coworker uses up their word quota for the month trying to explain the simplest client feedback. Perhaps a stranger just doesn't pick up on your hints that you don't want to make small talk while waiting in line for your coffee. "Stop Talking" cards provide a polite, yet blunt, method of handling these chatty Cathies.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Gift Guide Contd.

Double-Duty Gifts

I don't know about you, but I have quite a few people in my life who are difficult to buy for. They don't need anything and if they want something they just buy it for themselves. I found the best way to deal with these resistent gift receivers is to give them a gift that does some good besides looking pretty under the tree. Here are some ideas:


Endangered Animal Adoption

The World Wildlife Federation offers symbolic endangered animal adoptions for just about any animal you can think of...ranging from the common Penguin, Tiger, and Panda to the more unexpected Three-Toed Sloth, Horned Puffin, and Giant Anteater. You have multiple tiers of adoption options ranging from $25-$250. I recommend any option that comes with the stuffed animal. Last year I adopted a Sumatran Rhino for my dad and it came with the softest, most adorable stuffed Rhino. Right now WWF is having a special promotion where you get a free ornament when you make $75 or more in donations.


I strongly suggest sticking with the WWF for gift adoptions. Last year I attempted to adopt a penguin from a lesser known organization and long story short, I received the Christmas gift in June of the next year with the wrong name of the certificate and a stuffed penguin that looked like it was fished out of a machine with a crane.


Philosophy Beauty Products

Philosophy is a great line of high quality bath & body, hair and make-up products at reasonably affordable prices. The best thing about the line is they actually stay true to their name by having a philosophy behind their brand and sticking to it by offering products for the benefit of both their customers and their causes. Here are two products for the cause currently being offered on Sephora.com:

Believe In Miracles $20

This miraculous shampoo, bath, and shower gel is gentle enough for everyday use. Infused with a soft, sweet, sugar fragrance, this lush gel cleans and conditions in one step.

Net proceeds from the sale of this product go directly to the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation.

Shower For The Cure $20

Shower For The Cure is Philosophy's Pink Ribbon shower gel - a creamy all-in-one formula that can be used as a shampoo, bath, or body wash. Its light, clean tangerine scent and touch of milk, proteins, and fruit essences provides a delightful experience for your senses. Shower For The Cure is a special, limited-edition product that represents the spirit of every woman.

*The search for a cure is a cause that Philosophy holds near and dear, so Philosophy will donate 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of Shower For the Cure to the Women's Cancer Research Fund.


Urban Outfitters - Peanuts

This season Urban Outfitters if offer a few exclusive gifts which benefit good causes based on the Peanuts characters.

Humane Society Snoopy Plush $18.00

Everyone loves Snoopy, and for good reason! Our exclusive plush is just the softest most adorable thing in the world, and we're working with The Humane Society of the United States to donate $5 from every Snoopy to help animals in need. Exclusive to Urban Outfitters.



Linus Blanket $34.00
A cozy Linus blanket for you to love! Super-soft and trimmed in satin complete with a little Linus patch at one corner. Even better, partial proceeds benefit Project Linus- an organization devoted to providing kids in need with some security when they need it most in the form of handmade blankets and afghans lovingly created by volunteers.



Absolut New Orleans approx $20 at various package stores

Not everyone likes stuffed animals and pretty-smelling bubbles (even when they are for a good cause), so for those hardcore individuals on your list check out Absolut New Orleans. Absolut created this mango, black pepper concoction to benefit Hurricane Katrina charities. 100% of the profits from this product are donated to various Gulf Region charities. I can tell you from personal experience that it's delicious! Check out the Absolut website for drink recipes.


Sunday, December 2, 2007

Gifting Season!

I've been majorly slacking off on the posts lately, but as you creatives know, right now is a busy season. I'm making it up to all of you with the gift of a creative-inspired gift guide. I've scoured the online designer shops and design blogs to bring you the best artistic gifts of 2007. There's way too many potentially awesome gifts out there, so I'll break up the gift guide goodness throughout the month. Enjoy!


The Supermarket: Great design, straight from designers.

The Supermarket is THE place for unique, well-designed gifts on the internet. It houses great ideas executed by independent designers from around the world. Buy something from this site and it's pretty much guaranteed the gift won't be duplicated or re-gifted...ever. Here are a few items worth peeping:

I never I thought I'd see the Team America theme song brought to life as jewelry, but here it is it in all its glory...the America FUCK YEAH Necklace by KidViskous of Los Angeles, CA. $36




Why spend thousands of dollars on wedding rings when you can have these ziptie wedding rings designed for metalnat by natalia gomensoro. Perfect for all you gear head couples out there. $180



Gorgeous wall decor, especially for those of us who rent and not allowed to paint the walls, Sparrow Wall Sticker by ferm Living. $120



Houndstooth has always been a favorite of mine, but its usually associated more with my closet than my kitchen...until now. Haute Surface Houndstooth Set by MIO. $19.99



Is your recipient a lover of typography & random thoughts?? Then the Cats Let Nothing Darken Their Roar 2008 calendar by Noa Bembibre is meant to be under their tree. 32.00


"Ball & chain" usually symbolize limitation, but when paired with a magnet it becomes a mutable object forming a necklace, bracelet, ring, anklet or anything else imagined...just don't get too close to your computer! uno: interactive magnetic jewelry by uno industries. $18.50 (Each uno supports the Foundation for Breast & Prostate Health.)





Is a special someone dropping hints they want a diamond ring on their finger??? Get them the diamond ring by smallthings and fulfill their wish without the commitment. $45


CMYK cufflinks from Ulterior Motive. An unexpected gift that'd be spot on for the Studio Manager who's been making your masterpieces press-ready all year. (they also come in RGB in case you're more of the digital type) $25

Monday, November 19, 2007

Well Done Annual Report...literally

From dezeen:

Well done: a food company annual report that has to be cooked first.

Croatian creative agency Bruketa & Zinić have designed an annual report for food company Podravka that has to be baked in an oven before it can be read.

Empty pages become filled with content after being baked at 100°C for 25 minutes. It consists of two parts:
  • a big book containing numbers and a report of an independent auditor
  • a small booklet that is inserted inside the big one that contains the very heart of Podravka as a brand: great Podravka’s recipes.
To be able to cook like Podravka you need to be a precise cook. That is why the small Podravka booklet is printed in invisible, thermo-reactive ink. To be able to reveal Podravka’s secrets you need to cover the small booklet in aluminium foil and bake it at 100 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes.

If you are not precise, the booklet will burn, just as any overcooked meal. If you have successfully baked your sample of the annual report, the empty pages will become filled with text, and the illustrations with empty plates filled with food.

The annual report is printed on paper Conqueror Laid Brilliant White 120 g/m2, Munken Polar 130 g/m2 and Soporset 90 g/m2 and written with typography Thema by Nikola Djurek and Lexicon by Bram De Does.






Full post and more images at dezeen.