Mousketeers For A Modern Age: MadMaus Tees, Prints and Pillows by Christopher Lee Sauvé.

 I am loving this new collection of t-shirts, art prints and pillows by Christopher Lee Sauvé. The black and white graphic illustrations depict fashion, music, celebrities and other pop culture icons donning Disney "Mouse Ears."

Cheez Whiz Graffitti and Other Perishable Logos By Dorota Pankowska

Brand logotypes are publicly executed on the streets and surfaces of downtown Brampton by artist Dorota (Dori) Pankowska using the actual product to create the art. From shaving cream to chocolate hazelnut spread, recognizable product names become a sort of graffiti whose time is limited.



The street art series is titled Pro Bono Promo, the name resulting from poking fun at the fact that these can appear as free advertising for the companies. Left up to diminish naturally over time, Dori says of "This has probably been my favourite project I've done so far."

Spray Cheese:



Peanut Butter:




Instant Coffee:



Shaving Cream:



Mayonnaise:


Chocolate Hazelnut spread:



Permanent Marker:


Toothpaste:


Mustard:



Ketchup / Catsup:

all images courtesy of the artist

Special thanks to Scott Rench

Visionary Raymond Loewy Honored In Google Doodle And A Look At Some Of His Greatest Designs.

Today’s Google Doodle honors what would have been the 120th birthday of French industrial designer Raymond Loewy (1893-1986). The Doodle, a pencil sketch, was inspired by the Pennsylvania Railroad's S1 steam locomotive he designed as you can clearly see the resemblance to Loewy's original sketch in the above image.



So what did Raymond Loewy actually design? Believe it or not, pretty much everything. From the world's best known brand logos, pencil sharpeners, clocks, kitchen appliances, coke bottles, coke dispensers and furniture to Planes, Trains and Automobiles (to steal a movie title), the Father of Industrial Design ”made products irresistible at a time when nobody really wanted to pay for anything,” TIME magazine once wrote.



His designs straddled the mid-century modern style and the streamlined art deco. Most recognizable amongst his achievements are the Shell and Exxon logos, the Lucky Strike cigarette packaging, GG1 and S1 locomotives, the slenderized Coca-Cola bottle, the John F. Kennedy memorial postage stamp, the interior of Saturn I, Saturn V, and Skylab, the Greyhound bus and logo, U.S. Postal Service emblem, a line of Frigidaire refrigerators, ranges, and freezers, and the Studebaker Avanti, Champion and Starliner.



above: just some of Loewy's logo designs

"Design, vitalized and simplified, will make the comforts of civilized life available to an ever-increasing number of Americans." -- Raymond Loewy

Some of his designs (shown with his beautiful sketches if possible):

Avanti:


Bottle and dispensers for Coca Cola:


Greyhound Bus and Logo Design:


Pencil sharpener, tea set, carpet and furniture by Loewy:


Lucky Strike logo and packaging:


USPS emblem and JFK memorial Stamp:



Here are just some of his career highlights:

1975 Smithsonian Institution opened The Designs of Raymond Loewy, a four-month exhibit dedicated to "the man who changed the face of industrial design."

1972 Poll of stylists representing the Big Three automakers voted his 1953 Studebaker Starliner Coupé an "industry best." Also named one of the most influential Americans by LIFE magazine.

1967 Began working as a habitability consultant to NASA.


1965 Joined the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped.

1962 After designing the Shell logo, it becomes such a recognizable icon that Shell drops its name from their advertisements.


1961 Designed the Studebaker Avanti, holding to the motto, "weight is the enemy."

1954 Designed the Greyhound bus.

1953 Designed the Studebaker Starliner Coupé, which the Museum of Modern Art later called a "work of art."

1952 Founded the Compagnie de I'Esthetique Industrielle in Paris, France.

1951 Published second design textbook, Industrial Design, and his autobiography Never Leave Well Enough Alone.

1949 Appeared on the cover of TIME magazine.


1939 Redesigned the Lucky Strike cigarette packaging.

1937 Published first book, The Locomotive: Its Aesthetics.

1936 Designed the GG-1 electric locomotive for the Pennsylvania Railroad.

1934 Designed the Coldspot refrigerator for Sears Roebuck & Company.


1930 Hired as a consultant by the Hupp Motor Company.

1929 Redesigned the Gestetner mimeograph machine. Founder and art director of Raymond Loewy, William Snaith, Inc., in New York City (later established as Raymond Loewy International).

1919 Provided popular fashion illustrations for magazines such as Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Freelanced as a window designer for department stores, including Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy's.



In 1975 the Smithsonian Institution opened The Designs of Raymond Loewy, a four-month exhibit dedicated to "the man who changed the face of industrial design." Loewy later commented, "While working closely with the Smithsonian, I was provided with the opportunity to reassess the past." And what a past it was. Loewy - businessman, educator, illustrator and author - had undoubtedly established himself as one of history's most famous and influential designers.


above: Loewy with his design for Air Force 1

Loewy and Viola moved to France several years later, where they enjoyed leisurely travel and a more relaxed lifestyle. On July 14, 1986, after a period of poor health, Raymond Loewy died in Monte Carlo, Monaco. He was 92 years old.

Loewy's death sparked a worldwide media frenzy over his immeasurable talent and contributions to industrial design. New York Times reporter Susan Heller wrote, "One can hardly open a beer or a soft drink, fix breakfast, board a plane, buy gas, mail a letter or shop for an appliance without encountering a Loewy creation."

Official Raymond Loewy sites:
www.raymondloewy.com
www.RaymondLoewy.org
www.RaymondLoewyFoundation.com

Test Your Typeface and Brand Knowledge With Two Cool Memory Games

The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over the Lazy Dog is a Typeface Memory Game based on the classic game of matching two images.




This very attractively finished typographic memory game includes 25 variations of the letter ‘A’, each in a different letter type. Players attempt to find the matching A’s in the same letter type. The player who has the highest number of matching letters wins the game. 
Typographic information about the letter is included on the card, and a separate folder provides a general history of the typography. This is an enjoyable and instructive game for graphic designers and anyone who is fascinated by letter types.
 As you play, you increasingly recognize what are often very subtle differences between the letters and more about the details of the letter types. They become progressively easier to recognize and distinguish from one another (even Univers and Helvetica!)



Among the letter types included in the game are Akzidenz Grotesk, Baskerville, Centaur, Garamond, Helvetica Rockwell, Times New Roman, Univers and many more. 
The game was assembled and designed by the Brazilian design studio, ps.2 arquitetura + design.



Design: ps.2 arquitetura + design
Format: hardcover
Dimensions: 2 x 25 cards






The Brand Memory Gameis another addition to the successful BIS memory games series, a new game about the knowledge of brands. 
For this game, Hendrik-Jan Grievink has made a selection of 30 internationally
 well-known brands, showing neither logo nor name on the images of the matching pairs.

The challenge is to find matching pairs of a brand, based solely on their characteristic colors and style elements and a short description of the brand.




Playing this game is great fun and offers an excellent test of your brand
 knowledge. 

Hendrik-Jan Grievink is also one of the creators of the Fake for Real Memory Game, which has already gone into its fifth edition.

Design: Hendrik-Jan Grievink
Format: hardcover
Dimensions: 2 x 30 cards

Aston Martin Celebrates 100 Years With Special Logo, Short Film, Big Stunt and 100 Exclusive Centenary Editions.

2013 marks 100 years since the founding of Aston Martin by Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin. By incorporating their new company they began 100 years of Power, Beauty and Soul. To celebrate the anniversary, they have created a new logo, a short film, a spectacular stunt in Dubai and have created 100 special sexy Centenary Editions of their V8 Vantage, DB9, Rapide and Vanquish.

The Aston Martin Centenary Logo



To mark the Centenary year and to ensure consistency of interpretation, Aston Martin has developed a visual expression in the form of the Aston Martin Centenary Logo.

The dynamic shape derived from nature’s nautilus shell, is made up of 99 points with the red 100 marking the celebration year.

The design represents the Centenary of the company in the shape of commemorative points aligned in perfect proportion around the Aston Martin logo. It is a dynamic expression of forward motion - acknowledging the past, yet with a strong and positive path to the future.

The points are symbolic not just of 100 years, but as an expression of what make the marque what it is today: the beautiful and iconic sports cars, the evolution of the brand and of course the many proud and dedicated people who have created it.

The 100 Years of Aston Martin Video
Featuring some of the most iconic cars and most important people in Aston Martin history the film shown below explores 100 years of this globally respected British marque.



The Dubai Centenary Spectacular Stunt
The Dubai Centenary Spectacular at Burj Al Arab was an event created to herald the Anniversary.



The New Vanquish, the culmination of a century of technological and engineering progress was chosen to grace the helipad of the Burj Al Arab hotel, one of the most iconic buildings in the world.



Lifted from the ground at a nearby airstrip the helicopter moved towards the hotel. A breathtaking two minutes saw the helicopter hover over the helipad as a crew scrambled to secure the Vanquish. Suddenly it was done, the helicopter lifted into the sky and we had successfully placed a car on top of the helipad of the Burj Al Arab, which sits over 1,000 ft in the air.



Exclusive Centenary Editions
Aston Martin's Centenary Edition Vanquish has been unveiled, just one of a set of specifically created specifications which will adorn V8 Vantage, DB9, Rapide and Vanquish - with 100 exclusive examples of each being created in celebration of 100 Years of Aston Martin.



Bespoke Exterior Styling


Featuring a unique graduated paint finish, solid sterling silver Aston Martin wings badges with tailored ‘trans flux’ enamel inlay and a special Aston Martin hallmark, the exterior represents an exclusive new celebration of their 100-year history.

A Luxurious Treatment


A Centenary Edition Aston Martin is identified inside by its exclusive and luxurious treatment. Deep Soft black leather – previously featuring only in the One-77 hypercar – with contrasting silver stitching, a special silver thread embroidery of the Aston Martin wings in the head restraints and solid sterling silver sill plaques individually numbered with an Aston Martin hallmark are among the features unique to the car.

Exquisite Craftsmanship


The process of creating the unique Centenary Edition paint finish, for instance, clearly demonstrates the brand’s commitment to bespoke luxury. Adding an average of 18 hours to a paint process that can already take more than 50 hours to complete, the unique graduated finish is meticulously built by adding special ‘tinters’ to create the darker inner colour. This custom-made mixture is then applied to each panel by hand, using a special mini-jet spray gun.



Aston Martin Design Director Marek Reichman explained: “The team has looked closely at the individual contour lines of each of the cars to determine not only the right colours and shades, but also to create a template by which the paint changes from dark to light and where the graduated effect sits.”

Each Centenary Edition model will also be supplied with a unique presentation box containing a number of exclusive gifts to mark the first 100 years of the company. These include two glass keys, two bespoke key pouches made from leather matching the car’s interior trim, solid silver cufflinks featuring the Aston Martin script, solid silver Rollerball pen and high quality Bang & Olufsen headphones.

The gift box will also include a silver polishing cloth to help owners ensure the silver centenary wings badges and sill plaques on their car keep their lustre.

Available to order now, prices for the Centenary Edition models are obtainable on application at Aston Martin’s 146 dealers in 46 countries worldwide.



See more about the history of Aston Martin here.