The Apple iCup. I Would Buy This In A Heartbeat.

Designer, illustrator and 3D Artist, Tomislav Zvonaric (aka DevianTom) of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada has conceived an homage to the Apple brand by designing the Apple iCup.

Packaging For The Happy Show's Typographic Films by Sagmeister & Walsh

These beautifully designed limited edition Blu-ray packages for three of Sagmeister & Walsh's typographic films, currently shown as part of the traveling exhibition "The Happy Show", each contain a unique earthenware USB drive (specific to each film), the disc and a certificate of authenticity. All the black boxes were individually written on by Stefan.








Centered around the designer's ten-year exploration of happiness, the traveling exhibition of Sagmeister & Walsh's The Happy Show presents typographic investigations of a series of maxims, or rules to live by, originally culled from Sagmeister's diary, manifested in a variety of imaginative and interactive forms. To contextualize the maxims that appear throughout the exhibition, Sagmeister has gathered the social data of Harvard psychologists Daniel Gilbert and Steven Pinker, psychologist Jonathan Haidt, anthropologist Donald Symons, and several prominent historians. In addition to individual works, some of which have been custom-made for this exhibition, The Happy Show includes a personal narrative, as Sagmeister's individual experience is portrayed beside social data detailing the role of age, gender, race, money, and other factors that determine happiness.


above photo of Stefan Sagmesiter and partner Jessica Walsh, credit to John Madere (johnmadere.com)

Stefan Sagmeister talks about The Happy Show exhibit:


Bill Rodgers of C-file reports that "The Happy Show was a 2012 traveling exhibition by the New York design firm Sagmeister & Walsh. Spearheaded by Stefan Sagmeister, the show premiered at the Institute for Contemporary Art in Philadelphia in August 2012 (and has since traveled through Los Angeles, Toronto and New York). In addition to being a personal narrative of Sagmeister’s quest for happiness through meditation, therapy and pharmaceuticals, The Happy Show also looked at happiness through social data with factors such as age, gender, race and money. Sagmeister’s work employed graphic design, graffiti, bright yellows, free gumballs and activity cards suggesting things such as cutting out of the show early to go home and have sex.



Video was also a feature of that exhibition. Three of those films are now available in a limited series of boxed USB drives. Each box was written on by Sagmeister; they bear individualized therapeutic reminders to be present, flexible and to ask for what you want. The USB drives themselves are made of ceramic and resemble horns, or tentacles or worm specimens. They look like exhibits taken from the mental health wing of the natural history museum.



Physical media is dead. The conventional wisdom among people who produce this soon-to-be-ancient material is that physical media works best when it enhances the experience of the song or video contained within. Within the last decade we’ve seen musicians release albums that are pressed on X-ray images or are part of a vast alternate reality game. Sagmeister, who has worked within the music industry creating album art for musicians such as Lou Reed and OK Go, seems to be working with similar logic as he created a highly-personalized artifact from his exhibition that draws the experience of his work forward, even if you’re only viewing it from your home computer."

Credits:
Creative Director : Stefan Sagmeister
Art Director and Designer : Santiago Carrasquilla
Designers: Christian Widlic, Esther Li, Thorbjørn Gudnason
Ceramic Production: Janine Sopp
Box Production: South Side Design and Building

Check out the fun title sequence on this one Happy Show video:


all images and information courtesy of Sagmeister&Walsh

Sneaker Lovers Can Get Their Kicks With These Cool Items

Now, you can own a part of advertising history.
Freedom Of Creation (FOC) designers, Janne Kyttanen and Mads Thomsen, produced this Laser Sintered creation for the international ad agency Amsterdam Worldwide for its client Onitsuka Tiger ‘ASICS’ premium heritage brand and the ad campaign called Electric Tigerland. (By the way, the recent Tansu Shoe for Onitsuka Tiger by Amsterdam Worldwide won a Gold Lion at the 2010 Cannes Advertising Festival for design)

The meter-long shoe called the ‘Electric Light Shoe’ was central to the global Electric Tiger Land campaign for 2008. The 70 cm and 40 cm sized versions were created for Onitsuka Tiger stores world-wide and are now available for purchase.

Several additional designs were produced by FOC to support the campaign such as USB sticks, keyholders, POS material, shoe displays etc. and now you can buy some of these items.

The Electric Shoe
Created for the 2008 Onitsuka Tiger brand campaign, The Electric Light Shoe was the 2nd in the series of iconic sneaker sculptures developed from the agency's ‘Made of Japan’ strategy.



The one meter long ‘city in a sneaker’ was inspired by and pays homage to the Toyko cityscape and provided a platform to tell more stories about the brand to engage the target audience.





The sculpture was used in POS, online and television advertising and received numerous awards and now is your chance to own one.

Electric Light Shoe (large, 70 cm and small, 40cm)
Limited consumer edition of 10 pieces
Type: Media art developed in cooperation with 'Amsterdam Worldwide' for Onitsuka Tiger campaign
Color: White with LED colored lights
Material: Laser Sintered Polyamide
Designers: Janne Kyttänen & Mads Thomsen 2007
Awards: Titanium Lion, International Advertising Fest. Cannes 2008, Dutch Design Awards 2008, Integrated Silver, ADCN 2009
Price for Large (excl. VAT): € 5879.83 buy it here
Price for Small (excl. VAT): € 1678.15 buy it here
Delivery Time: 6 weeks

The USB Shoe (sold as 4 pieces)
And the USB memory shoe – a tiny replica of ‘Electric Light Shoe’ that once activated, the key diffuses a soft illumination, is also available.



Type: 2 GigaByte USB-stick
Color: White with colored LED
Material: Laser Sintered Polyamide
Designer: Janne Kyttänen 2008
Price (excl. VAT): € 81.51
Delivery Time: 2 weeks
buy it here.


Shoe Sculpture Charm (sold as 4 pieces)
A metal miniaturized reproduction of FOC’s ‘Electric Light Shoe’ which can be used as a key ring, pendant or charm is also available for purchase.



Type: Miniature reproduction
Material: Stainless steel
Designer: Janne Kyttänen 2008
Price (excl. VAT): € 81.51
Delivery Time: 2 weeks
buy it here.

For Rockers To Vulcans, Hand Gesture USB Storage Drives

above: usb storage Hand Gestures by Imm Living

above: Hand gesture candles by Atelier WM

Some of my readers may recall my post on the fun hand gesture candles by Atelier WM. Which, although hard to find, they do make nice gifts, but pricey ones at approximately $80.00 each. But if you're into hand gestures, and don't want to spend a lot on a holiday gift, the latest USB data storage hands by Imm Living may be just the thing.

They make great stocking stuffers that people will really use, and they are fairly affordable ranging from 27$ to $37 each.

Designed by Imm Living of Toronto, the gestures mimic those of popular culture from Peace signs to Vulcan salutes. Each is made of PVC, is a different color and has a 2 gig capacity.

Here's the full line of all seven:

Rocker Love:

East Side:

West Side:

Peace Sign:

Change:

Word Up:

Vulcan Salute:


Sirtified seems to sell four of them (West side, East side, Rocker Love and Change) and Composition sells the Vulcan Salute one. Audio Cubes carries the Peace Sign and I can only find the Word Up one here at AC Gears.

Imm Living.

Read about Atelier WM hand candles and where to find them here.

SWAROVSKI X PHILIPS Announce CRYSTAL USB Drives

Philips and Swarovski partner to bring a range of innovative fashion accessories

Amsterdam, the Netherlands/Paris, France, Mar 22, 2007 - Leveraging both companies’ strengths, Philips and Swarovski have jointly designed and developed a range of new and unique products that will take technology to a new, fashionable level for women. The Philips and Swarovski alliance will develop new market opportunities for each company by integrating high fashion and technology.

The first fashionable innovations created by Philips and Swarovski are the Active Crystals range of products which will be launched this summer includes sound accessories and storage devices.



"Philips alliance with Swarovski combines two distinct and strong brands in order to create a unique proposition for consumers,” said Rudy Provoost, Chief Executive Officer, Philips Consumer Electronics. “The outcome of the alliance is a range of products that go back to the essence of what many women are looking for: The fusion of functionality and fashion through a unique combination of technology and elegance. We are combining luxurious design with the practical, everyday benefits of consumer electronics to complement Philips’ brand promise Sense and Simplicity and Swarovski brand promise of Poetry & Precision"



Combining Simplicity and Poetry of Precision
The new range is the first result of the Philips and Swarovski alliance focusing on providing performance and class, offering technology with style and demonstrating a feeling of movement and activity combined with fashionable innovation. Targeted towards fashion conscious women, the products combine the technologies of both companies to create unique, high-end products with a luxurious look and feel.

“The Philips and Swarovski alliance brings together the greatness of two companies with common values of uncompromising focus on quality, design and technological innovation,” said Daniel Cohen, Member of Swarovski’s Executive Board. “Both brands have distinct identities, rich histories and a passion to re-invent and enhance their value propositions, pursuing both brand repositioning and commercial goals. The result of this partnership will be a series of products that will provide women and consumers with meaningful and fashionable products that will enhance their lives.”



Swarovski is a well-known brand in the fashion and jewellery industry. It brings credibility, style and design to the alliance and an opportunity to create a unique product proposition with Philips. Unlike other products using the Swarovski crystal stones, the Active Crystals combine unique elements of functionality and fashion: truly jewels with a soul.




A limited collection will be available for a June sneak preview at Colette, the concept store in Paris. The full Philips and Swarovski Active Crystals range will be commercially available in Europe, North America and Asia in department stores/consumer electronics retail and in the Swarovski stores as of August 2007.


Specific product details, pricing and availability will be announced over the coming months.

Note: A limited amount will be available in June for those of you who are true early adopters, but you will need to also purchase yourself a flight to France, because the only place to get the first release of these drives is exclusively at the store Colette, a Parisian boutique specializing in artistic design pieces.