Design as a weapon of the Cold War
Design provided the battleground for much of the bitter East-West competition that emerged from the late 1940s onwards
The state of music video
“If what we get is mediocre, underfunded and badly executed, people will disappear”
An Ordinary World
The new Barclaycard identity by Brand Union
You’re a big brand. Huge. Global in fact, as we say these days. And you need to stand out more. You need a new visual device, something that can stand alone and represent your business and its values, even without the company name underneath. You want a logo that will say a few things about you, what you do – hey – maybe even where you’re going in these crazy times. So, what does the cyan and white sphere above say? Unequivocally, it says: I am another company with a hollowed-out spherical logo…
Ghost Bridge at Blackfriars
Ghost Bridge by Keith Bowler, image courtesy Jonny2005 via Flickr
Head down to Blackfriars Bridge after dark over the next few weeks and you’ll find that the old Blackfriars Railway Bridge, whose supports still remain in the water, is lit up with ghostly green lasers. The artwork is by Keith Bowler and forms part of Drift, a group exhibition by contemporary artists who have all created new works of art to be shown on the Thames.
The Apifera
“Apifera” is a botanical term given to flowers that are specifically designed to attract bees
Here’s an interesting architecture-meets-horticulture analogy. If consumers are bees and shops are plants, then shop windows are the pretty flowers that aim to attract our attention and draw us in. At least that’s the thinking behind the latest installation to be unveiled at of London’s Selfridges. “The Apifera is a responsive window that takes inspiration from the science of attraction developed in flowers,” explains its designer Matthew Plummer-Fernandez, “hence the complex fractal geometry and the work’s ability to respond and change its breathing rate according to the daylight and passersby”…
Hot Rods & Hairy Beasts exhibition
Hot Rods & Hairy Beasts is the name of an exhibition that opens on Monday (29 September) at London’s Coningsby Gallery put together by four seasoned professional illustrators, Nishant Choksi, Rod Hunt, Linzie Hunter and Allan Sanders. The featured work will showcase an impressive menagerie of horrendous and hairy beasts, many driving pimped-up rides. The four stars of the show have given CR Blog a sneaky preview of some of the work that will be shown at the exhibition…
UEFA Cup Becomes Europa League. Design Industry Quietly Weeps
Behold, the new face of European football. Oh dear god…
Branding Camden
Watermill London has created this new marketing campaign for Camden Town, which aims to reassert the borough as a destination for international business and shopping, and put paid to the impression that it has “burnt down”.
A little something to remind me…
Photographer Michael Hughes has travelled the world in search of “little mementos from big tourist attractions” and a new book of postcards of his work, Souvenirs, celebrates his unusual quest. Depicting a variety of locations, Hughes’ photographs have a common theme: each features a postcard of the place he’s visiting skillfully worked into an image of the real thing. The book is designed and published by Fivefootsix and is now available to buy from their site…
UK MVA Nominations Announced
The nominations for the inaugural UK Music video awards have been announced, with the list below showing that there is still plenty of life in the promos industry, despite the doom and gloom that often surrounds it these days. The winners will be revealed on October 14 in a glittering ceremony that will take place in London’s West End. Tickets are available for the event here.
And the nominations are…
McCain’s Not The Only One Who’d Like A Delay
You know the problem – you’ve got something coming up that you’re really dreading. Wouldn’t it be nice to find some excuse to put it off? As John McCain calls for the postponement of the US Presidential debate so that he can singlehandedly solve the financial crisis, the thought occurs that it’d be nice if we could all do it…
The Heroes of Burgertown & friendly pens
It hasn’t escaped our notice here at CR towers that Nottingham-based illustrator Jon Burgerman’s output this year so far has been nothing short of prolific. While a new series of mini toys Burgerman has designed (in collaboration with vinyl toy maker extrordinaire, Kidrobot) hit shelves yesterday, a colourful, weighty monograph entitled Jon Burgerman: Pens are my Friends, published by IdN, landed on our desks this morning.
Read on to see a selection of some of our favourite characters from the new mini series of toys, entitled The Heroes of Burgertown, and to see some shots of the new book. We also caught up with Mr Burgerman to ask him about his busy schedule…
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