Nice work for EDF, Playboy, AXA and more
We have a bumper crop of nice ad work to share with you this week. First up is a new spot for EDF energy from AIS London, which features a giant handmade zoetrope…
ITV1 in charming Royal Jubilee design shock
Studio AKA director Steve Small has designed and directed a refreshingly charming hand-drawn ident to precede ITV1’s upcoming Royal Season of TV programmes which trail the Diamond Jubilee
Freehand: the software that wouldn’t die
In the March 2009 issue of CR, Michael Johnson wrote of a strange phenomenon: the diehard fans of an obsolete piece of software who refuse to bow to the inevitable and switch to more modern alternatives. His story, which has just topped 200 comments, has become a kind of self-help group for FreeHand adherents. A place to reminisce, to mourn the seemingly imminent loss of an old friend. But, thanks to legal action in the US, FreeHand may have a future
Bold, brash covers for de Beauvoir’s works
Peter Mendelsund isn’t generally known as a designer who makes garish book covers. But in his recent designs for three late works by Simone de Beauvoir, he’s done exactly that. And for good reason
The Foundry’s latest Crouwel-inspired typeface
Architype Ingenieur is the latest Wim Crouwel-inspired type family to be released through David Quay and Freda Sack’s The Foundry…
Mind The Map
Fans of classic London Underground maps and posters are in for a treat this summer, as the London Transport Museum hosts an exhibition exploring over 100 years of historical materials and artworks created for the Underground…
The Magic Tate Ball
Inspired by the ever-popular Magic 8 Ball, the Magic Tate Ball app presents users with a different artwork from the Tate Collection each time their phone is shaken. Using GPS and weather data, ambient noise levels and time of day, the app will, in theory, chose the best match to your circumstances
Lance Wyman in Norwich
Remember when the Olympics produced great graphic design? Norwich University College of the Arts is hosting an exhibition of the work of Lance Wyman which includes his Mexico 1968 logotype and other examples of the Olympic graphics programme Wyman worked on
An album for the iPad
Created by one of the founders of Soundcloud, Ecclesia is an interactive album for the iPad that allows listeners to take control of the artwork and sound for each track, making every experience of the album a unique one. Drawing its inspiration from church recordings, the app makes for an interesting contrast between the traditional and the contemporary…
Still In The Sky Video
We’ve all done it – snapped a shot out of the window of a plane while flying. Well Wieden + Kennedy Tokyo creative Shingo Ohno has gone a few steps further than that, creating a music video for his one-man band Merce Death using footage shot on his iPhone 4S while in flight…
FF Chartwell: a graph-making font
FF Chartwell by Travis Kochel is an ingenious typeface which makes use of OpenType ligatures to create graphs within a text box…
Billy’s new, happy darkness
For his Now Here’s My Plan EP, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy has revisited his own back catalogue in a series of self-covers. The bleak I See A Darkness has been pepped up to the point of creepiness, an effect only increased by a rather strange video
Why are brands apologising so much right now?
Brands are saying sorry at a more rapid rate than ever. CR’s advertising columnist Ben Kay delves into why sorry is no longer the hardest word and whether this is an effective strategy for winning audiences
How Guinness embraced social
By loosening its approach to advertising, and engaging with its audience directly, the drinks brand has transformed with the times and won a whole new set of fans
Tracing Banksy’s art history remixes
Kelly Grovier’s new book charts the artist’s persistent dialogue with classic and contemporary art
How Lego creates meaningful brand experiences
We speak to Lego’s VP of global brand development Alero Akuya about the brand’s rare ability to straddle the physical and virtual worlds with ease – whether through its immersive new art exhibition in Paris or collaborations with Epic Games and Nike
Matt Willey brings a human touch to Kaos titles
The Pentagram partner has created the titles for the acclaimed new Netflix show, which reimagines the Greek myths in a contemporary setting
A visual history of movie posters
A new book from Reel Art Press collates the first comprehensive history of film posters. We explore why they remain an underappreciated area of cultural design
The Leaders Issue is out now!
The Autumn 2024 issue of Creative Review looks at the brands and individuals who are pushing creativity forward on their way to the top
The Monthly Interview: Rob Lowe, aka Supermundane
Mark Sinclair talks to the artist and designer about his new book, Lost Ordinary Magic, and the importance of recognising the power of simplicity and the everyday wonders that surround us
Unravelling adland’s obsession with 90s nostalgia
We explore how the 90s, an era the UK looks favourably upon for its thriving culture, are continually inspiring a stagnated creative industry
Building the visual world of Fontaines DC
The band’s surreal new album visuals explore a darker, more grotesque side of romance. We speak to the creative team behind the campaign about challenging the visual tropes of rock music
Jessica Walsh ventures into the world of type
As the &Walsh founder launches her agency’s new offshoot Type of Feeling, she discusses why typography’s ability to evoke emotions makes it one of the most powerful tools at a brand’s disposal
Can neuroscience make you a better creative?
Kinda Studios is tapping into the emerging field of neuroaesthetics to help creatives and brands make more impactful work that benefits people’s wellbeing