News: American supermarket giant Walmart has unveiled a prototype for a fuel-efficient truck with a streamlined cab and the first trailer made entirely of carbon fibre. (more...)
Not much to say here apart from WATCH THIS IMMEDIATELY. Between Two Ferns is the series that has been running on Funny or Die for a long time now, in which Zach Galifianakis takes on the role of arrogant, lazy interviewer and hosts a fictional chat show with some of the world’s biggest celebrities. World’s biggest indeed, you don’t get much bigger than Barack really, do you? Watch as the funny, beardy man charmingly takes the piss out of Barack Obama and Obama just SLAMS hilarious comebacks right back at him. My favourite bit is when Obama starts talking about the US’ healthcare plan and Zach keeps surreptitiously glancing at his watch. So good.
Ah, now, who couldn’t find a use for a Clothespin Clip Light? Open the clip and you’ll find an on/off switch as well as a place for two replaceable CR2032 batteries. Clip it on a book, magazine, your clothes, or wherever else you’d like- you’ll have a little beam of light for illumination.
Size: Approximately 2″ x 1.5″ x 4″
Designer: Kikkerland
Nendo came up with a really cool design to be included as an insert into Japanese lifestyle magazine, Pen. Paper-Brick is a set of two-dimensional paper blocks that lets readers create three-dimensional looking objects.
The paper blocks are tricolor making them appear three-dimensional. “Stack” them or use them like puzzle pieces to assemble an object that won’t collapse.
Android: When an item in your to-do list needs to be done soon, you might need to be reminded of it often. Squawk simplifies this by giving you a single task to focus on, and issuing reminders by time, Wi-Fi connections, or whenever you unlock your phone.
Since its introduction in 1994, el Jimador Tequila has become the top-selling tequila in Mexico. To accelerate growth in the United States, el Jimador needed to strengthen its brand expression to differentiate itself from over 1,300 tequila brands already competing in the market. Brown-Forman brought in Cue Design to redesign the el Jimador packaging to give them the look they needed.
"Our partners at Brown-Forman Design invited us to collaborate and help el Jimador tell a more compelling brand story that would grab the attention of energetic young adults in the U.S. market. A premium, 100% agave tequila with authentic credentials, el Jimador needed to retain the equity it had built over the years as Mexico’s most popular tequila, while finding new ways to increase its shelf presence and appeal. The first step was to refresh and refine the brand’s primary identity."
New Identity
As the next step in el Jimador’s rebrand, we explored how the current expression and brand promise, ‘Rise to the Occasion’ could come to life in relevant ways. For el Jimador’s audience, how they work and play affirms who they are and what they bring to the party. These consumers are attracted to brands that add value through credibility, helping them earn the respect of their peers. In a world of many tequila choices, el Jimador brings something meaningful to the party, but the packaging was not projecting this sense of fun, energy and spirit.
The el Jimador brand stands for living life with courage, passion and pride. These values are expressed in the evolved visual identity, which strikes just the right balance of familiarity and uniqueness.
Before
After
The redesigned bottle is sleeker, with more pronounced shoulders and base, giving it a modern silhouette. An embossed monogram of Casa Herradura serves as an elegant nod to the historic distillery where el Jimador is produced.
The name el Jimador honors the men who harvest the locally grown agave with great pride and care. An embossed illustration of the iconic jimador represents the hard work and dedication to craftsmanship displayed by the master agave harvesters.
El Jimador’s brand language system incorporates identity, color, typography and iconography to tell a more complete brand story. The new label is smaller and more streamlined, with a refined wordmark. The brand seal incorporates the product’s attributes into a mark of authenticity, and metallic colors differentiate blanco, reposado and añejo expressions. With a motif of agave plants and coas (traditional harvesting tools), the brand pattern reflects el Jimador’s hand-harvested product story.
the 'bottled walkman' marketing campaign re-purposes the ubiquitous vending machine into a unique sales portal for athletes looking for a waterproof mp3 player.
the concept combines the upright position and full protection from the elements found in a classic dutch-style urban commuter and the comfort ride of a typical american beach cruiser.
Umino Hiroyuki of Umino Seaweed Shop paired up with foreign advertising agency I&S BBDO to create laser-cut, designer seaweed with intricate and detailed patterns. Hiroyuki has a strong family history in creating seaweed (his grandfather founded Umino Seaweed Shop), which is what inspired the idea for the Design Nori– it was a response to the decline in seaweed consumption in Japan.
While Umino Seaweed Shop sells all sorts of seaweed, Design Nori is made using seaweed sourced from the Sanriku area of Miyagu. It’s thicker, so it won’t crumble under the laser-cutting, has a nice luster, and doesn’t stick to other ingredients.
More information about Design Nori is available on their Facebook (in Japanese).
Tea Bar is a tea shop based in Amsterdam where you experience tea in a new way. You can select and mix your own personal blend of loose-leaf tea. PROUDdesign was asked to create a new loose-leaf tea concept for out of home use for women. A loose-leaf tea you can take and use anywhere you want. Fitting the company’s manifesto: ‘create your own personalitea’.
"We used the known roll-your-own cigarette pouch and packed it with premium loose-leaf tea and fifteen tea bag liners. A fill-your-own tea bag. The pouches are printed with distinctive material patterns outside with the Tea Bar brand pattern as lining inside."
PROUDdesign created the personal accessory you need to have for yourself and show of to others: the tea bar tea clutch. The labels have a distinctively fashionable design and names and are used to open and close the pouch.
Over time, copper develops a beautiful patina. Corks stuck in the lid handle act as an always-cool surface to pick it up, even when the lid itself would require an oven mitt.
Copper pans are loved for being quick to warm and for their extremely even distribution of heat. They are often specifically called for in candy-making and other heat-sensitive recipes, but copper is useful for almost all your cooking, since the increased control and evenness of temperature makes everything easier.
Although copper is one of the most expensive materials for pans, for those who love to cook copper pots and pans are worth the investment. They also aren't difficult to take care of, despite what many believe. Like cast iron, the key is to understand the material, why it works, and what its weaknesses are.
