Branding
Bluetooth is that taken-for-granted magic that allows your mobile phone to talk to your computer and your fridge to talk to your ironing board. But did you know that the King of Denmark invented it in the 10th century? Not that King Harold Bluetooth was trying to download his latest camera phone pics to his PDA, but he was known for his diplomacy in bringing warring tribes from Norway, Sweden and Denmark together. Ten centuries later, scientists in Skåne used Harold’s name as a code-name for their project in which they aimed to bring warring domestic appliances together – and the name stuck.
Whether King Harold was liberal or not is a mater of debate between historians of Viking legend but as they say, when the legend becomes the truth, print the legend. Oh yeah, the logo? – it’s made from a couple of Nordic runes similar to the Latin H and B. (I’ve been stuck in an elevator with Wikipedia.)
David Rainbird
Posted on Wednesday, 19th of April 2006 Permalink
In commemoration of Apple’s 30th Anniversary tomorrow I have thought long and hard about my favourite Apple product. Is it the Quadra 840AV? (mine never crashed) or the beautiful Cube? (mine never cracked). No, it’s the Apple promotional cheeseboard – from the 1983 Apple Gift Catalog Ad. I must have one. From the catalogues introduction:
There’s something magic about the Apple logo. It turns up everywhere; on the window of the car ahead of you, on a friends T-shirt, and on the more than 500,000 Apple computers we’ve sold since 1976.
Scans of the catalogue are archived at The Mothership.
David Rainbird
Posted on Friday, 31st of March 2006 Permalink
My favorite ever suit (only rolled out for job interviews) made me look like an airline stewardess. The French blue! The tomato red! (Of course when I was five I wanted to be a stewardess). So, if you have such a fetish for trolly dolly fashions, check out Uniform Freak . Created by KLM flight attendent Cliff Muskiet, it has over 400 uniforms including the revolutionary 1965 ones Pucci made for Braniff airlines (above). (The woman behind them, advertising guru Mary Wells, said at the time, “When a tired businessman gets on an airplane, we think he ought to be allowed to look at a pretty girl.” Indeed it was true on Braniff where the stewardesses had a particular knack for also becoming second wives. Uniform Freak’s collection starts in the 60s, that “Coffee, Tea or Me” era where stewardesses were seen as loose women and dressed to convey that notion to traveling businessmen. In the 70s other airlines (like TWA above whose outfits also included cape and boots) were rocking the sexy stewardess look. By the 80s stewardesses sartorial style had evolved to wide shoulder blades and skirts to knee length as if they were dressed for an office job, though BA’s then and now were made to make their air hostesses look as if they shopped at M&S – sort of middling and middle England. Far less exciting when they ask, “Chicken or fish?” (via Hoping for Happy Accidents)
Jennifer Kabat
Posted on Sunday, 26th of March 2006 Permalink
Across the West coast of America the familiar sight of the Union 76 ball is fast disappearing. Since being bought out by ConocoPhillips these iconic gas station signs are being replaced by more conservative, and a whole lot less spherical totems.
With a fervour reminiscent of London’s endeavours to save the Routemaster buses a web-based campaign started by L.A. based bloggers, Kim Cooper and Nathan Marsak aims to save the 76 ball. I’m petition signatory no.987. Please pay the site a visit and take it into four figures. History will thank you.
Gary Butcher
Posted on Wednesday, 8th of March 2006 Permalink
To mark the launch of Arjowiggins new Inuit paper range a bespoke typeface has been commissioned inspired by the evocative forms and personality of the Inuktitut alphabet (Old Eskimo alphabet). It’s the result of a collaboration between Arjowiggins, design agency Blast and typographer Jeremy Tankard. It features alternate characters and extra ligatures, and has been carefully crafted to reflect the Inuit culture and simplistic lifestyle.
Vikesh Bhatt
Posted on Monday, 6th of March 2006 Permalink
This week Umbro released the new England kit with an all-star unveiling in Manchester by members of the England squad including Michael Owen and John Terry.
The new kit has been inspired by the classic 1966 design, featuring a red shirt, white shorts and red socks. The England crest echoes the 66 crest and is therefore larger than more recent shirts and has a gold outline, matching the gold numbering and lettering on the kit. Let’s hope that by utilising the 1966 design elements brings the team luck in 98 days time.
Vikesh Bhatt
Posted on Friday, 3rd of March 2006 Permalink
Only a week or so ago 30gms reported on Dorian Lynskey’s History of 20th century music interpretation of the London tube map. It must be open season on Harry Beck’s masterpiece because BoingBoing have a link to a PDF of a missed fundraising opportunity for TfL. Stations have been re-branded with high street sponsorship by Paul Speller to transform the commonplace to the curious. I suspect that Paul’s tongue is firmly in his cheek but perhaps this is a portent of things to come - it’s not unusual to see big ad campaigns take over entire tube stations. How long before ‘Mind The Gap’ has a backing track from Missy Elliott and Madonna? Link.
Gary Butcher
Posted on Wednesday, 22nd of February 2006 Permalink
I came across Planned Pines while searching for a Julius shower curtain I’d seen in some trendy mag, Paul Frank describes Planned “an idyllic, planned community designed with civil architecture, international symbols and municipal graphics that give Paul Frank’s work global appeal and tremendous success.” Sounds like Disneyland, I just think it’s cute. You can keep yourself amused for hours be it watching the Friends -style sitcom cartoons, downloading wallpaper for your desktop or shooting aliens with bananas on Frank Invaders.
Liz Greening
Posted on Tuesday, 21st of February 2006 Permalink
Okay well I’m not quite sure that Barely Legal Magazine was a paid product placement in Sideways (it appears apparently 1hour and 13 minutes into the movie for a stunning three seconds). But if you want to find out what products are featured in what movies, go to Brand Hype. Its searchable index lets you discover just what movies are in bed with what companies like Cast Away with its multiple appearances of Fed Ex packaging… The movie was even shot in FedEx’s buildings in Moscow, Memphis and LA with a cameo by company CEO. What I want to know though is how they get the people to tell me that Converse were featured in The Life Aquatic for 6 seconds. I mean, who gets out the stopwatch to time this?
Jennifer Kabat
Posted on Thursday, 19th of January 2006 Permalink
The CAMPER store on Westbourne Grove, London is undergoing some long term restorations. A temporary store has been set up whilst they wait for the larger space to be developed. A simple and extremely effected use of shoe boxes combined with doodled graffiti wall decoration creates a superb, original, useful and recyclable retail environment.
Dave Brown
Posted on Thursday, 12th of January 2006 Permalink
