Winter Olympics 2010 Identity (Concept)

Design: Greg Durrell
Client:
Date: 2004

Add comment February 28th, 2010

Petro-Canada Is Making A Killing

Design:
Client: 2010 Corporate Campaign
Date: 2009

2010 Corporate Campaign - http://2010campaign.wordpress.com/

Add comment February 27th, 2010

Blood On Your Hands

Design
Client: 2010 Corporate Campaign
Date: 2009

2010 Corporate Campaign - http://2010campaign.wordpress.com/

Part of a series aimed directly at Olympic sponsors, this info flyer takes aim at HBC’s colonial roots (which are also Canada’s colonial roots, despite what our Prime Minister seems to believe), but unfortunately ignores anything from the last 100 years.

-Michael Erdmann

1 comment February 27th, 2010

Holiday Gift – Wine Bags

Design: Paprika, Montreal, QC
Production: Transcontinental Litho Acme
Date: 2009

We’ve featured Paprika’s highly inventive holiday gifts before. Each year, the Montreal creative agency teams up with printers Transcontinental Litho Acme, to create something special for their clients, suppliers and other lucky folks (including us!).

This year’s design was a set of wine gift bags, which seems very appropriate for the gift-giving season. Each of the bags is completely unique, but creative treatment of the handles seems to be a unifying theme. Different handle configurations, lengths and colours are combined with hand drawn illustrations to produce playful compositions and visual puns (I’ve posted only a few examples here). The whole series is loaded with little details that remind us how much thought and fun went into its creation – some bags feature custom punching and hidden graphics, while the box itself has four different die-cut windows and is decorated on the interior with concept sketches of all the designs (including many that either weren’t produced or just weren’t in our set) – truly a pleasure to unwrap.

How can we get ourselves on the list for next year?

-Michael Erdmann

1 comment February 10th, 2010

The Miracle Food TV Spots

Design:
Client: themiraclefood.ca
Date: 2009

At the risk of fueling one of the most negative  threads on the CDR, I can’t resist posting this ad (apologies for the poor quality, this is the only version available for our use* – click here to see others): A screen shot from themiraclefood.ca was posted here a few weeks ago with no further explanation from us. At first, there was no response, but a few days later the comments started. Since then it’s been a steady stream of people who seem genuinely offended by these commercials – so offended that just a screen shot of the web page is an opportunity to vent.

Maybe I’m missing something, but I find it hard to believe that people are that upset by these commercials. Aside from the pleasantly acerbic tone, there’s nothing particularly edgy or controversial here. Still, the comments seem to be authentic (each comes from a unique author at a unique IP address). It’s always difficult to completely rule out trolls and this could be part of a well orchestrated guerrilla marketing initiative, though that seems a little out of character for this campaign. As Jess Sloss pointed out on Social Squared, the miracle food website and campaign as a whole (or lack thereof) seems to be missing a lot of the marketing components we’ve come to expect from this type of campaign – *no official youtube uploads, no social media component and no ownership. Video blogger John Doody goes one step further, suggesting that the campaign is so badly done that it must be intentional – an elaborate fake/marketing test. Not sure that this is the story either, but there’s definitely something going on. Anyone know who’s behind this campaign?

-Michael Erdmann

4 comments February 3rd, 2010

The Impostor Lecture

Design: Tobias Wong and Rama Chorpash
Client: Core77
Date: 2008

For his now infamous appearance at Core77’s Offsite event, Design, Wit, and the Creative Act, Tobias Wong sent an impostor (Rama Chorpash) in his place and sat in the audience to enjoy the show. To their credit, Wong and Chorpash rehearsed extensively, ensuring that both the lecture and Q&A were accurate and true to the spirit of Tobi’s practice. Treating the whole event as a legitimate project, the pair never broke character even during the subsequent post-event cocktail party.

Thoroughly in keeping with Wong’s irreverent design style and the shows theme of wit in design, this performance was the best of both worlds – offering viewers an informative, well composed lecture and an original work by the artist they’d come to see.

You can watch the whole lecture here – http://rsrce.ca/n/1z – then see the real thing at Harboufront Centre’s Innovators + Ideas lectures, Saturday, January 23 from 1-4pm. We’ve been assured that Tobias himself will deliver the lecture, but his collaboration with fellow lecturer Cynthia Hathaway promises a few surprises.

-Michael Erdmann

Add comment January 22nd, 2010

Fluid Functions Lille

Design: Cynthia Hathaway
Client: Droog Design and Carrefour Supermarkets
Manufacture: open source
Date: 2004

Working in collaboration with Droog Design and Carrefour Supermarkets of Lille France, Cynthia Hathaway created a series of quirky product designs utilizing only materials found on the supermarket’s shelves. In store displays provided recipes for each design, encouraging shoppers to pick up a few extra things and produce their own version at home. Shown here are Frans Hals Doilies, a fancy paper collar “for those who need to look formal but casual at the same time” and the Carrefour Body Hook “for items that you use constantly”.

From her work with Droog, Kessels Kramer and Motherbrand, to her many workshop/performance based exhibitions, Hathaway is a prolific collaborator. To see more of this work and hear from the designer herself, don’t miss her Innovators + Ideas lecture (along with Tobias Wong) at Harboufront Centre, Saturday, January 23 from 1-4pm

-Michael Erdmann

Add comment January 21st, 2010

Power Smart Logo

Design: Karacters Design Group
Client: BC Hydro, Vancouver, BC
Date:

Photo: http://www.bchydro.com

Karacters created this variation of the BC Hydro logo for the companies long running conservation campaign – nice emphasis on the word smart.

We’re still looking for info on BC Hydro’s original logo… anyone know who designed this one? – http://rsrce.ca/n/1v

-Michael Erdmann

Add comment January 21st, 2010

BC Hydro Logo

Design:
Client: BC Hydro and Power Authority
Date:

The BC Hydro logo is something of a classic… I don’t think it’s changed much over the years (if at all), but I haven’t been able to find much background on it. Anyone know who designed this or when?

-Michael Erdmann

Add comment December 11th, 2009

Ann-Margret for Canada Dry

Designer:
Client: Canada Dry
Date: 1960s

In a recent episode of 60s themed adver-drama Mad Men, all of the men were going gaga for Ann-Margret’s opening number in Bye Bye Birdy. The quirky, girlish musical number had such impact and appeal that a client requested a shot for shot remake for their soon-to-be-announced artificially sweetened diet drink Patio (AKA Diet Pepsi).

Well, it would appear that Ann-Margret’s tastes skewed a little north of Madison Avenue, as illustrated by this two and a half minute ’song’ (really she’s just speaking gibberish over a looping jingle) for Canada Dry.

Choice lyrics include:

I’m a soft drink expert, come fill my glass.

Diet, try it. Glug glug glug glug glug.

And the best bit of surrealist word association I’ve ever heard:

If you dig boots;
and name the suits.
Kinky things like lots of rings.
Girly shoes.
Temporary tattoos,
See through stuff—Man that’s tough!
Maxi! Mini! Mini skirts!
Beads! Beads! And sleavey shirts!
Ties, so big!
A fuzzy wig!
Now! Wow!
You’ve got taste in your eye!
For your tongue,
there’s nothing younger,
than Canada Dry!

I think I’m in love.
-John Ryan

Add comment November 7th, 2009

Home For The Games – Graphic Identity

Design: Seven25, Vancouver, BC
Additional Credits: Creative Direction – Isabelle Swiderski, Design – Setareh Shamdani, (Site Programming – Ryan Ilg)
Client: Home For The Games, Vancouver, BC
Date: 2009

Home For The Games is a not-for-profit organization that connects Vancouver homeowners wanting to share their home with out of town visitors during the 2010 Olympics. In  exchange, homeowners agree to give 50% of the proceeds to charities fighting homelessness.

Avoiding literal representations, Seven25 opted to convey the spirit of the project (and the games) with a dynamic layered look that includes an embedded heart form. The strong use of circular elements is beautiful and subtly recalls the Olympic rings while abstracting them enough to avoid mimicry (or lawsuits).

-Michael Erdmann

Add comment September 25th, 2009

Leo Obstbaum and VANOC

Design: Leo Obstbaum
Client: Vancouver 2010
Date: 2006-2010

Last Friday, Leo Obstbaum, the design director for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, passed away unexpectedly at his home. Leo’s design leadership and influence are evident throughout Vancouver 2010’s visual identity, including such iconic elements as the mascots, the Look of the Games, the torch designs, the yet to be unveiled Olympic and Paralympic medals and podium.

VANOC CEO John Furlong paid tribute to Leo in an internal message, saying “Leo is everywhere you look, in every color, every texture, in every little bit of Vancouver 2010. Leo led and influenced the design of some of the most iconic pieces of the 2010 Winter Games. His spirit and daring inspiration has touched absolutely everything and because of him memories of the Games will live on for generations….a true enduring legacy of what went on here in Vancouver.”

Leo was a strong advocate for design excellence at these games and his efforts will be strongly evident in February 2010. We will miss him dearly.

-Greg Durrell

4 comments August 25th, 2009

Blim Business Cards

Design: Rethink Communications, Vancouver, BC
Client: Blim, Vancouver, BC
Date: 2009

BLIM is a ‘Community Based Art Resource Center’ that offers a wide range of facilities and creative workshops, including button making, drawing, knitting, local underground audio, film screenings, animation, video, dance, spoken word and (most prominently) screen-printing. Picking up on this, Rethink created these brilliant laser-cut business cards. Beyond stylistic reference, the varied perforations actually allude to the printing screens themselves. By extension, the cards refer to all of the tools that BLIM makes available.

-Michael Erdmann

Add comment August 19th, 2009

Agrie Paint Services – Business Card

Design: Extreme Group, Toronto, ON
Additional Credits: Creative Director – Shawn King, Associate Creative Director – Matt Syberg-Olsen, Art Directors – JP Gravina, Brendan Sack, Copywriters – Brendan Sack, JP Gravina, Account Director – Mike Bevacqua
Client: AGRIE Paint Services
Date: 2009

Here’s an appropriately memorable business card for a painting service. We seem to be building a small collection of similarly original/literal business cards – see Poul Nielson and James A.W. Mahon

-Michael Erdmann

2 comments August 17th, 2009

Tonka Canada Post Toy Truck

Design:
Client: Tonka Toys
Date: 1978

It was not that long ago that when big name manufacturers dropped products into Canada, they would create Canada-specific versions like this Tonka vehicle (in the States it was covered in army camouflage and in the UK it was a delivery truck). Everything, from automobiles, housewares, toys (Lego, Mechano, Matchbox and more, all did Canadian versions of their products) would be custom tuned to fit our marketplace.

Over the past few decades, at least since Free Trade, the need to nationally tune products was replaced by various global commodities and co-brands like movie/entertainment designs and celebrity endorsements taking over. What was a Canada Post truck was now a Transformers, or a Disney modeled truck. This was a fine idea, it allowed brands to create products that could fit into wider markets, and reduce the cost and energy needed to make things locally specific over and over for every market they entered.

Funny thing though: I have noticed a growing trend of local specific details being slapped back onto products entering Canada (and other markets too). Globalization, and the new ways of manufacturing and distribution is enabling and encouraging this “old” idea again. To help define, differentiate and encourage local markets, brands are reattaching themselves to regional imagery, colours and ideas to tap markets bloated with anonymous product, and to reach consumers tired of internationally styled design.

It was feared that globalization would sweep cultures clean and drive monoculture but in reality the opposite is emerging. Brands are becoming more flexible and robust, with the best ones being able to deliver their products as local content, to local audience with amazing specificity (like McDonald’s menus, Nike trainers, iPods, the new Mini Cooper, etc). This not only opens the doors to products entering foreign markets, it makes the products more desirable to those markets. This formula also creates desirability in the products that are created for other locations. Brands create globally flavoured products, inspired by local markets, and in the process create broad product families, and a deep desire to collect and buy models from other places. A trainer collector will seek out all the models of sneakers instead of just one (Nike fans buying every model, like the New York and LA models of Air Force Ones)

Get ready; we may be seeing a whole wave of Canadian tuned products again, with the Canadian symbols and iconography reemerging as powerful drivers of marketplace identity and placement. RCMP styled iPhone, a Canada red VW Beetle, or buffalo check Nike’s anyone?

-Todd Falkowsky

2 comments June 25th, 2009