Graphic Design USA

Chocolate is the new coffee. Or so hopes the candymaker Mars Inc., which is in the process of launching Starbucks-like store-lounges that center on the purchase of chocolate, chocolate drinks and chocolate-related goods. Indeed, Mars is behind the opening of six Ethel's (yes, Ethel's) in the Chicago area. A nationwide rollout is said to be near. Says John Haugh, the man in charge of gourmet chocolate and retail at Mars, "You see an attorney and his administrative assistant both standing in line to splurge on a $4 cup of coffee. Why not chocolate?"

the new movie stars
So far this year, Ford is the leader in product placement in major motion pictures. But Coca-Cola and Nike are closing in fast, and Apple is also within striking distance. According to brandchannel.com, Ford products have appeared in 15 recent films, including "Are We There Yet?," "Batman Begins," "Boogeyman," "Fantastic Four," "Four Brothers," "Guess Who," "Hitch," "Meet the Fockers," "Sin City," "The Dukes of Hazzard," "The Pacifier," "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," "The Interpreter," "The Ring Two" and "War of the Worlds." And you thought you were purchasing tickets to see a show.

BLue Mood For Fashion
It's blue skies ahead, with runways awash in America's favorite color as fashion designers presented their Spring 2006 collections. According to Pantone, blue dominated the palette, with three shades — Deep Ultramarine, Skyway and Blue Tint — placing in the top 10. Each season, Pantone surveys designers showing at New York Fashion Week, and the information is used to create a fashion color report. "Designers have taken a deep breath for Spring 2006," observed Leatrice Eiseman, executive director, Pantone Color Institute. "After several seasons of Ôcolor! color! color!', it's time to relax a little. Color this season is toned down, more muted; they're not pastels, not brights, but a nuance in-between... Designers are still having fun, but don't need the stridency." Contact: www.pantone.com/spring2006

CARD ME
Hallmark Business Expressions has long offered businesses customizable greeting cards — with a minimum order of 25,000. But coming soon via a catalog and a website is an initiative in which customizable greeting cards will be available in minimum orders of 100. "Companies have multiple opportunities to send greeting cards, but any one opportunity might not exceed the 25,000-card minimum," explains Hallmark Business Expressions' manager, Cindy Mahoney.

Deliver us from e-Vil
Email deliverability is now the top concern of email marketers, according to a survey released by Socketware Inc. at its annual client conference. Last year, 28% of customers using Socketware's Accucast email marketing solution cited deliverability as their top concern. That figure jumped to 68% this year. "With constantly changing ISP regulations and new filtering products entering the market every day, ensuring inbox delivery can be a daunting task," comments Socketware CEO Michael Pridemore.

listen up
But is it reading? That's what the dwindling number of literary purists are asking as the National Endowment for the Arts reports that fewer Americans are reading books today than a decade ago. Tapes, CDs and iPods are either the heroes or the villains of the story, because listening to books is up almost a third. Traditionalists argue that audio books are inferior because the written word requires full attention, whereas book-listeners generally multitask.

big screen
During the summer there hung a 16-foot-tall LED monitor over the main entrance of the Lord & Taylor department store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The monitor, shaped like an arch, previewed the coming Fall fashions and sought to complement store window displays on the same subject. "We've gotten a very positive response from our customers," says Corey DiStasio, project manager of visual merchandising and special events at the elegant emporium. The display was developed by Creative Realities, Inc.