News
Diet Coke Fashionably Understated
SAN FRANCISCO CA
Turner Duckworth is the creative firm
behind the limited edition Diet Coke can that is gracing shelves for
a brief period this fall. Retaining its signature silver background,
the new look magnifies a portion of the existing logo; the result is
a crop that does not fully reveal the name of the product. Part of
the promotion is a tie-in with the fashion and beauty web
magazine Stylecaster.com which promises women “a comprehensive
style experience.” It has dubbed the package design as one
of its “new looks for fall” and advertising invites
visitors to “accessorize” their thirst. “The new
Diet Coke design is at once understated and overstated,”
says David Turner, partner at Turner Duckworth. “The
understatement of a monogram, rather than the full name, and
the overstatement of the extremely enlarged logo, both
demonstrate the brand’s renewed self-confidence.”
Contact:
www.turnerduckworth.com/blog
Willie Nelson Croons For Chipotle
DENVER CO
Chipotle Mexican Grill has produced a stop-motion animated
short film called “Back to the Start” that depicts
a farmer’s journey to sustainable farming. Directed by
London-based Johnny Kelly, the film features a cover of the
Coldplay song “The Scientist,” sung by music icon
and family farm advocate Willie Nelson. Chipotle has arranged
for the showing the two-minute film nationally in nearly
5,700 movie theater screens this month. It’s the story
of a man whose family farm has evolved over time into a
factory farm. In a moment of self-reflection, the farmer
realizes that his animal factory is not consistent with his
vision. The song can be purchased on iTunes, with proceeds
benefitting the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation.
Contact:
Chipotle.com/backtothestart
Seven Minutes In Heaven For Type Lovers
NEW YORK NY
Iconic type designers Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones
set the tone for this brief but exceedingly popular PBS Arts
mini-documentary on typography. Part of the Off Book series of
short online videos exploring the creative process —
Episode Two to be exact — the segment manages in a brief
seven minutes to explore the nature and value of type. Viewers
are guided by Hoefler and Frere-Jones (on selecting the right
font to convey a particular feeling), as well as by Pentagram
partners Paula Scher and Eddie Opara (on typography and identity)
and by Hyperakt principals Julia Vakser and Deroy Peraza (on
the challenges of data visualization). Filmmakers Kornhaber
Brown wrap up the segment with helpful hints on how to
talk-the-talk like an expert; they manage, once and for
all, to clarify the “type”
versus “font” conundrum.
Contact:
http://www.pbs.org/arts/gallery/off-book-episode-2-type-typography/off-book-episode-2-type-typography
Leida Leads T&C Redesign
NEW YORK NY
Town & Country, “America’s premier lifestyle
magazine for the affluent” since the 1840s, sports a new
logo and redesign as of the September issue. The changes in the
Hearst publication are driven by recently appointed
Editor-in-Chief Jay Fielden and brand new Design Director Edward
Leida, who are tasked with modernizing and expanding the
magazine’s role and mission. The logo itself hearkens
back to Town & Country’s uppercase sans serif utilized
from the 1930s through the 1990s, and retains its unique
ampersand. It is presented in alternating colors on the cover
as an homage to Frank Zachary, the long time art director of
T&C and its Holiday counterpart. Leida, a 25 year veteran of
Fairchild Publications, has executed editorial design for the
likes of W, Jane, Details and The New York Times Sunday Magazine.
CBX Does Nice! Work For Walgreens
DEERFIELD IL
Walgreens has unveiled the new store brand Nice! in locales
throughout the country. The brand will include more than 400
grocery and household products, all of which the retailer hopes
to have on shelves by the end of 2012. CBX developed the bold,
clean identity and package design for Nice! Moe Alkemade,
Walgreens’ head of private label brands, says the brand
will compete with national products because its store brands
are “no longer just a value option, but a smart
option.” CBX was also recently involved in developing
the private label brand for New York drugstore chain Duane
Reade — Good & Delish — which was acquired by
Walgreens in 2010. Now the largest drugstore chain in the
U.S., Walgreens has made a commitment to evolve, consolidate
and build its private label business. An integrated marketing
campaign is planned to build the Nice! message.
First Lady: Good Design Is Good Citizenship
WASHINGTON DC
First Lady Michelle Obama celebrated the 2011 National Design Awards in mid-September with a White House ceremony for the winners and finalists. In her remarks, Ms. Obama stated: “As the great American designer Milton Glaser has said, ‘Good design is good citizenship.’ And today we will celebrate both: designers who have reached the tops of their fields not just by chasing glory for themselves, but instead by making life glorious for the rest of us.” Supporting her emphasis on education and outreach to the Washington D.C. community, several award winners — including Matthew Carter, Jamie Drake, Tobias Frere-Jones, Kathryn Gustafson, Steven Heller and Jonathan Hoefler — participated in an education program for high school students before the luncheon. Organized by the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the awards honor extraordinary contributions to Architecture, Communication, Fashion, Interaction, Interior, Landscape and Product Design. Next up in connection with the celebration: National Design Week, October 15-23, aims to promote a better understanding of the role that design plays in daily life. The program is reaching school teachers and students nationally, in the classroom and online, through Cooper-Hewitt’s Educator Resource Center, as well as “Design Across America,” a clickable map on the museum’s website. Design Week events include a Teen Design Fair in New York City, a winners’ panel discussion, and the awards gala at Pier Sixty in Manhattan.
Contact:
cooperhewitt.org/nda