Marketing Fails: Lunch Boxes That Didn’t Make It
Collectible lunch boxes have long been a hallmark of successful movie merchandising. However, some films are better suited to carrying children’s lunches than others. Here are some of the lunch box designs from some classic movies that (thankfully) didn’t quite make it past the focus groups.
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Color of the Year: Pantone’s Zeitgeist Chroma
Last month Pantone announced Tangerine Tango as the “color of the year” for 2012. Executive director of Pantone Leatrice Eiseman described the hue as “sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive.” Great, but what made Tangerine Tango a better choice than Passionate Purple? Or Bombastic Blue? Or Requiem Red? Well according to Pantone, the chosen color is meant to act as a guide through which our culture’s current zeitgeist is being channeled.
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Resources: Type Foundries Online
If you’re looking for a fresh font for a specific project or to impart an identity on a brand, you want to find something that is functional but distinctly grabs the eye. Here are some online type foundries that offer fonts that can help you to achieve that bold effect.
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Online Art Resources
Art is a vast subject that changes frequently and often radically with time. Here are some interesting, informative, and inspirational art-oriented websites to keep you in the know and inspired with fresh material.
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Branding: How Much Can You Take Away?
When scanning a grocery aisle for our favorite products, it’s usually easy to spot what we’re looking for. Brands we’ve grown familiar with have packaged their items in such a way that it’s more of a search for the visual graphics that represent them, rather than for the brand name itself. We decided to take some familiar packages and observe how strong our associations are when key components are taken away.
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Online Typography Resources
Typography is something that is so pervasive that most of us don’t think twice about it. Here are some great resources for learning about typography and different types of fonts.
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Branding: Brand Identity Flags
Much like a country’s flag, a brand’s identity is supposed to represent the brand as a whole. Looking at some of the most recognizable brand identities, one of the things that stands out the most is the colors that are used. Why were these colors chosen? What do the colors mean? What do they mean to the company? These are some important questions to ask when considering which colors should represent a brand. In this entry, 16 brand identities were turned into flags to represent each brand as if they were countries. The prevalence of each color was taken into consideration in making these flags.
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Advertising: QR Codes Part 3: Creativity
QR codes no longer have to be black and white, but can incorporate creativity. Since more companies are utilizing the 2D codes, incorporating creativity allows a brand to stand out from its competition. Marketers must not only educate, but also attract the audience to scan the QR codes. Below I will discuss creativity used in QR codes across industries.
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Typography: Comparing Typefaces
When I look around the world that lies outside, I see many different things. One thing that stands out to me is signs. My eyes naturally scan the letters that are on the signs and, aside from just reading the words that they form, I also take note of the typeface that they use. Now there are thousands of different typefaces out there, so one can imagine how difficult it can be to pinpoint exactly which one they are looking at. What makes it even more difficult is the fact that many typefaces look the same; however, if one takes the time to notice and remember the slight differences between these typefaces, it will be easier to distinguish one from the other. One typeface may have longer ascenders than the other, or it might have a bigger x-height- whatever the difference is, it’s just a matter of knowing which characteristics to look for. For this post, I will compare the Arial typeface to Helvetica, and Gotham to Avenir.
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Epic Unboxing – House Industries: Bad Neighborhood
Another package from House Industries, another unboxing!
Design and Arts Inspirations Typography