What better antidote to our cynical, mean-spirited world (I’m looking at you Sagmeister post commentators) than a good old fashioned life-affirming movie. Which is just what Michel Gondry’s new film, Be Kind Rewind provides…
Yes, Valentine’s Day is almost upon us and we know you’re all lovers, not fighters (despite some of the comments in the Sagmeister post below), so what better to give that special someone than this rather lovely Rob Ryan print…
One of 15 covers for Stefan Sagmeister’s new book, published in March. Concept: Stefan Sagmeister. Design: Stefan Sagmeister, Matthias Ernstberger. Publisher: Abrams
Currently on show at Deitch Projects’ Grand Street gallery in New York is a new exhibition of work by Stefan Sagmeister. Entitled Things I Have Learned In My Life So Far, the show is a continuation of Sagmeister’s book of the same name, published by Abrams Books this spring.
The book is based on a list of maxims made by the graphic designer on his “experimental year” in 2000, where he took time out from working on commercial projects. While the maxims read as a mixture of wise pragmatism with philosophical reflection, they quickly became incorporated into projects for clients when Sagmeister’s office reopened, and it is 20 of these projects that form the book.
Problem Playground ad for Honda, Agency: Wieden + Kennedy London, Creatives: Sam Heath, Frank Ginger, Director: Antoine Bardou-Jacquet, Production company: Partizan
Following the huge success of Cog, Grrr, and Choir, it’s always interesting to see where Wieden + Kennedy will go next in its advertising for Honda. So it was exciting to receive their latest commercial for the brand at CR towers this morning.
Problem Playground introduces the new Honda FCX Clarity, the first zero-emission hydrogen car to go into production. The ad takes as its theme the idea of game-playing as a means of solving difficulties and is a continuation of the recent print campaign, which encouraged people online to a special website, problemplayground.com. On the TV spot, we find a bunch of boffins using retro children’s games, such as jigsaw puzzles and Rubik’s cubes, to illustrate engineering problems that have been solved by Honda, including the hybrid engine and energy efficient solar panels. They even slot in a small reference to Cog by creating a chain reaction with coffee cups and sugar cubes on a tea break.
Nakamura’s personal site, yugop.com, works as a digital sketchbook, showcasing an extraordinary array of techniques. Shown here is OvalX3, from 2001.
In a world filled with bloated, work-a-day and downright irritating websites Yugo Nakamura creates compelling beacons of playful ingenuity and simplicity. MICHAEL FITZPATRICK caught up with Japan’s finest landscape- gardener-turned-designer for CR
Studio F, 2006, 127x160cm, C-type print mounted under diasec, framed © Kathrin Kur 2008
We included one of Kathrin Kur’s images of film and television production spaces in our latest issue but thought we should share some of the other photographs from her series (currently showing at Photofusion in Brixton, London) on the blog. Kur focuses on the hidden machinery behind the creation of contemporary news, entertainment programmes and cinema. These are spaces for “mythmaking” as Kur has it and, while responsible for the creation of much of what we see on TV everyday, they are places rarely seen by viewers.
Chris Palmer’s career has seen him go from dispatch rider to copywriter to award-winning director.
Cartlidge Levene have designed Selfridges’ new wayfinding system. Mark Sinclair spoke to them about navigating their way through such a large undertaking
Erik Kessels’ compelling collections of found images are made more vital by their obsolescence.
David Crowley is in awe of the sheer range of modernist print work on show at the British Library’s Breaking the Rules exhibition
The photography of Tim Simmons prompts us to dream, to contemplate time and eternity
Wolff Olins has never been far from controversy over the past 12 months. Adrian Shaughnessy was one of the 2012 logo’s most prominent critics, so we sent him along to find out just what has been going on at the design consultancy…
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
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
Kelly Grovier’s new book charts the artist’s persistent dialogue with classic and contemporary art
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
The Pentagram partner has created the titles for the acclaimed new Netflix show, which reimagines the Greek myths in a contemporary setting
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 Autumn 2024 issue of Creative Review looks at the brands and individuals who are pushing creativity forward on their way to the top
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
We explore how the 90s, an era the UK looks favourably upon for its thriving culture, are continually inspiring a stagnated creative industry
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
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
Kinda Studios is tapping into the emerging field of neuroaesthetics to help creatives and brands make more impactful work that benefits people’s wellbeing