If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives)

Pencils Packaged To Make the Portrait of Russian Mathematician Grigori Perelman.

Using a portrait of Russian Mathematician Grigori Perelman by artist Jules Julian, designers Alan Temiraev and Volodenka Zotov created a beautifully designed pencil set.

The packaging is designed so that when intact, the eight individually boxed graphite pencils make up the illustrated portrait, by Jules Julien, of the Russian mathematician Grigori Perelman, famous for solving the the legendary Poincaré Conjecture.*

The beautifully designed pencil box has a die-cut window in the shape of the portrait's head and foil stamping. The interior of the box has a color printed image of the universe.

Each graphite pencil is a different degree of lead (2H, H, F, HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B) and individually packaged in multi-colored four-sided boxes so that, when properly aligned, they make up the graphic portrait of Perelman seen through the die-cut window.

Grigori (or Grigory) Perelman:

*Perelman solved the legendary Poincaré Conjecture, one of the world's most difficult mathematical tasks. He was awarded the Field Medal but Perelman didn't show up to claim the award, and said he doesn't want it. He told a British newspaper, "I do not think anything that I say can be of the slightest public interest." Refusing to take the one million dollars in prize money, he remarked "Why do I need a million dollars if I can control the universe?"

Designers: Alan Temiraev, Volodenka Zotov
Illustrators: Julien Jules, Phil
images courtesy of The Bold Studio on behance, first sighted on Fubiz

Letter-pressing and Loteria Cards in Cedar Boxes Make For Stunning Wedding Invitations by Konnect Design.

Branding and design company Konnect Design, took the bride and groom's backgrounds and the the event venue into consideration when designing these beautiful and unique wedding invitations which include letter-pressing, elegant typography, loteria cards, reply cards and vintage stamps, packaged in a cedar box.

Union at the Union

She’s from East LA. He’s a gringo from the South Bay. When their worlds united it was truly meant to be, which made for an appropriate theme surrounding this couple’s big day.

Her Latin roots inspired the use of Loteria (Spanish Bingo) cards, as well as cedar boxes that Konnect Design of Santa Monica had custom made and shipped from the Dominican Republic. The boxes housed the letterpress invitation and reply cards (complete with vintage postage stamps) and also served as a nod to the cigar roller who would be entertaining the guests at the wedding reception.

Reply Cards:

The letter-pressed menus at the wedding were also designed by Konnect in keeping with the look of the invitations:

Since the couple was to be wed at the historic Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, it seemed more than fitting to title the piece, Union at the Union.

all original images (they have been composited for this post) and descriptions courtesy of konnectdesign.com

The bride and groom are as beautiful as their invitations. Here they are in Argentina on their Honeymoon:

above image from Facebook

konnect design
710 Wilshire Blvd
Suite 404
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310.394.1247

The Controversy (and the Talent) Behind The Beautiful Farmer Commercial for Dodge Ram Trucks From The Super Bowl.

One of the most memorable spots on yesterday's Super Bowl - and one that has made it on most reviewers "Best Spots of the Super Bowl" lists - is also one which has been stirring up some controversy, at least amongst the ad community. Frankly, anyone outside of the advertising business could not care less, so I won't be surprised if you've stopped reading this already. But back to the subject at hand.

You may think the uproar is because of the numerous mentions of "God" or because of the the fact that some feel Farming has radically changed since Paul Harvey gave the speech used as the voice over at the National FFA Convention in 1978, but it's actually the spots' originality which has been questioned. I wanted to clear up a few things regarding that as well bring some credit the well-deserving photographers whose work was used in the ad.

Created by the Richards Group, the two minute spot with the Paul Harvey voiceover is an updated version of a concept originally seen in a video for Farms.com.

The Dodge Ram Truck "Farmer" Super Bowl commercial:

The Farms.com video:

But let it be known that Farms. com has made a point of publicly supporting the ad with both tweets and this new description under their own video on You Tube:

As well as including this info in a hovering window atop the You Tube video:

While it's not the first Super Bowl commercial to have been inspired by a previous one, nor the first to take an already produced idea and make it far superior in terms of production quality, both The Richards Group and Farms.com - as well as the Chrysler brand - are to be commended for creating and running an ad that was powerful in its quietude and a refreshing change from the fast-paced, noisy, special effects ads that dominated most of the broadcast.

Whether or not you feel the ad was derivative, one thing that is not debatable is the incredibly stunning imagery in the ad and it is those photographers whose work I want to bring to your attention.

Below are the ten photographers whose beautiful imagery is to credit in the Dodge Ram Truck "farmer " Spot:
Andy Anderson
William Allard
Jim Arndt
Daniel Beltra,
Mark Gooch,
Andy Mahr,
Kurt Markus,
David Spielman,
Matt Turley and
Olaf Veltman.

Creatives from The Richards Group who worked on the spot include Creative Directors Jimmy Bonner and Rob Baker and Freelance art buyer/ producer Deb Grisham.

Addendum: If it wasn't already clear, the Dodge Ram Farmer ad by The Richards Group also stands as a testament to the importance of production values and having people in charge with taste. Creatives, Account Staff, Producers and most importantly, a client, that understand the impact of visuals in addition to the content and copy (and sometimes the need to spend a little more) can make all the difference. Imagine if they'd simply run the Farms.com version.

UPDATE: For every view, download or share of “Farmer” located on the brand’s website at www.ramtrucks.com/keepplowing, Ram will make a donation to FFA. Funds raised will go to local FFA chapters for student programs geared toward fighting hunger in communities across the country.

It Would Take A Lot Of Lincoln Logs To Recreate This $44 Million Cabin. The Huntsman Estate in Park City Is For Sale.

I was recently reading about Jeffrey Katzenberg's Park City Estate for sale in The Hollywood Reporter and went to get a closer look at it when I stumbled upon the Huntsman Estate in Park City, which dwarfed the Katzenberg Kozy Kabin Komplex. This 22,000 square foot estate which sleeps over 20 and has a car collector's dream garage is on the market for $44 million.

Each year I run this post, updated to include the latest NFL Championship Ring. This year, I've also updated several of the specific jewelry design facts and added new images.

One of the most recognizable pieces of bling are given to the players of the National Football League's annual championship game, the Super Bowl. Who makes them? Who gets them? What are they worth?

What's On Each Ring?

The rings almost always include the team's name, logo, and Super Bowl number (usually in Roman numerals), the final game score and the names of the particular player. Several include inscriptions of team's mantras or mission statements such as the Baltimore Raven's "Set the Standard."

Most of the rings also have larger diamonds or diamonds made into the shape of the Lombardi trophy, that represent the number of Super Bowls that franchise has won.

For example, Pittsburgh's 2008 ring has six trophies and six large diamonds, representing the six Super Bowls they have won to date:

above: The Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XLIII ring weighs 104 grams and incorporates 63 round, brilliant cut diamonds totaling 3.61 carats. The colored gems appear to be citrine, pink tourmaline and blue topaz.

What Are The Rings Made Of?

Gold:
The rings are predominantly crafted of 10k or 14k yellow or white gold (in some cases, both). The varying degrees of yellowness in the gold depends both upon its purity and the other ores with which it is mixed (brass adds yellow, copper adds red, silver adds white).

Diamonds:
Earth-mined white diamonds are clearly the stone of choice for the Championship rings. Many feature Marquis cut stones because of their resemblance to the shape of a football. Brilliant cut (round) stones in many sizes from solitaires to pave (chips) cover the majority of the rings. Some feature tapered baguettes and still others square or princess cut stones.

above: The Super Bowl XXIX San Francisco Forty Niners ring (by Balfour) shown above features 5 large Marquis cut diamonds and 5 tapered baguettes along with pave diamonds.

Enamel:
Many of the rings, especially the earlier ones, feature accents of single colored enamel such as the examples shown below:

All three New England Patriots rings featured 2 colors of enamel:

Colored Diamonds:
The Denver Broncos seem to favor colored diamonds as an accent. You can see the use of the cognac, brown or yellow diamonds found in their two consecutive Championship rings for Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII, made by Diamond Cutters Int'l and Jostens, respectively:

The Baltimore Ravens Championship Ring from Super Bowl XXXV, made by Jostens, has enamel, cognac or yellow diamonds and a ruby for the eye:

Rubies:
The Washington Redskins Championship Ring from Super Bowl XXII was the first to feature rubies along with diamonds and the first ring made by Tiffany & Co.:

Sapphires:
Adding some blue to the bling, there are 37 sapphires (and some blue enamel) in the most recent ring for the NY Giants from Super Bowl XLVI by Tiffany & Co.:

I don't know how much the total carat weight varies from year to year or the actual market value, but here are some facts about the rings:

Who Pays For Them?

•The NFL pays up to $5,000* per ring, with up to 150 rings per team. The NFL pays for the cost of 150 rings to the winning team, at roughly $5,000 apiece, depending upon the fluctuating cost of gold and diamonds. If the rings are over the $5,000 limit, the team owners must make up the difference.

* I suspect, with the increase in the price of gold over the past five years, this number is now higher

•Recent rings have been appraised in excess of $20,000, with some valued at $45,000. but manufacturers keep this information confidential.

Who Makes Them?

•The rings are made by the company of the winning team's choosing. The majority of the Championship Super Bowl rings have been manufactured by Jostens in Denton, Texas. They've made 30 of the past 46 rings.

•The Indianapolis Colts' Super Bowl (Super Bowl XLI) rings were manufactured by Herff Jones (based in Indianapolis), at their Warwick, Rhode Island ring plant.

•Austin, TX based Balfour Company has manufactured nine Super Bowl rings to date.

• Diamond Cutters International of Houston, Texas has manufactured two of the rings thus far; for the Dallas Cowboys (Super Bowl XXX) and the Denver Broncos (Super Bowl XXXII)

• Tiffany & Co. has now made five of the rings; Washington Redskins (Super Bowl XXII), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Super Bowl XXXVII), New York Giants (Super Bowl XLII), New Orleans Saints (Super Bowl XLIV) and the most recent for the New York Giants (Super Bowl XLVI).

Tasteful? No.
Impressive? Yep.

The rings are made after the game for obvious reasons, so this years' ring is not included among the images below, shown in chronological order.

Rings from 1966-1974:

Rings from 1975-1983:

Rings from 1984-1992:

Rings from 1993-2001:

Rings from 2002-2010:

The 46th Super Bowl ring:

And now, added on June of 2013, The 47th Super Bowl Ring:

Body & Eden's Beautifully Bottled Elixirs and Tonics.

Body & Eden of Los Angeles and New York offers seasonal fruit and vegetable superfood tonics and herbal elixirs that densely pack nutrients, vitamins, and herbs needed to support and stabilize the body so that it can do what it does best, better.

THE HERBAL ELIXIRS
Drawn from ancient folk wisdom, their elixirs are vibrant and varied in color, representing their high vitamin and nutrient content:

THE GREEN TONICS
All green tonics have a green veggie base combined with a green superfood and a nourishing herbal infusion. Together, these alkaline, chlorophyll-rich greens help support your body so it can function optimally, the way the nature intended:

THE ARTISAN TONICS
Here is where they get a little more creative. They still use fresh greens and veggies, but these tonics, while still nourishing, are more focused on flavorful and fun seasonal combinations:

EXCLUSIVE LINES
The exclusive elixir line below was made for their partners, The Cove Atlantis and One&Only Ocean Club. located on Paradise Island in The Bahamas.

Twice a week, Aubrey Levitt and Hillary Deppeler, founders of Body & Eden pick out the most vibrant, alive-looking organic fruits and veggies from their local farmers, then bring them back to their kitchen so they can wash, cut, and prep them to fill your order.

above: Aubrey Levitt and Hillary Deppeler, founders of Body & Eden

They combine whole fruits and veggies, nourishing, high-nutrient green superfoods such as spirulina, chlorella, and barley, and stabilizing herbal infusions to give their tonics the highest possible nutritional content. They work closely with a hands-on herbalist to create safe, balanced herbal combinations that support your body so it can function more optimally*.

SUSTAINABLE Packaging
The drinks are packaged in glass bottles that can be returned on-site for 10% off your next order. Body & Eden uses Pristine Hydro reverse osmosis, a 7-stage filter, to ensure the best possible base for our products. To find out more about the filtration process, visit www.pristinehydro.com.

* This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Their stories:
AUBREY LEVITT
I remember my mother handing me an ice cream bar when I was eight and saying, “Here, your reward.” I took one bite and spit it on the floor of the chalky vitamin store. "What? It's Rice Dream, you don't like it?"

Health and its latest fads have always played a big role in my life. When I was a kid, I suffered from constant illness, anxiety, and fear. I went to the hospital every week for high fevers and ate mostly antibiotics. Over time, I stopped trusting my body and started to ignore it. This worked for a while. And then it didn’t. I suffered from extreme bouts of hypoglycemia, hormonal imbalances, and every digestion issue under the sun.

I thought this was normal until my sister told me it wasn’t. Determined to rebuild my body, I saw several conventional and alternative practitioners, devoured books, and asked loads of questions. I learned how to cleanse, slow down, and feel my body. But I couldn’t do that forever. I had regained my health, but then I had to learn how to nourish myself so I could return to the stressful world I had known and sustain it.

HILLARY DEPPELER
Training as a ballerina since the age of two gave me a strong focus on my physique and put my body image high on my radar. Born loving sweets, I relied on sugar for energy and compromised by eating tons of greens and salads to stay thin.

Unfortunately, what got the job done in the short term left me unhealthy in the long run and depleted of energy and essential nutrients for a vibrant, full life. Working in the fast-paced Manhattan media world and having to attend numerous client events, dinners, and lunches put me on the quest to find out what would sustain my energy, help me manage the hours and stress, and still enjoy all the delicious culinary treats New York has to offer. The solution wasn’t cutting out what I love or risking my job, but developing a healthy, nourishing base that enabled my body to function better throughout my daily life.

Shop Body & Eden

The Steve Jobs Collectible Action Figure Is Back! Get Yours Before Apple Shuts Them Down (Again).

above image composited by If It's Hip, It's Here

Remember that amazingly detailed and articulated doll in the likeness of Steve Jobs by Legend Toys of Japan? The one that got a lot of buzz and then the production was quickly shut down? Well, they are back - at least in my inbox. I received an email today that the dolls are now available to order.

above image composited by If It's Hip, It's Here

The 12" doll was sculpted by Takao Kato, whose work includes 1:16 scale and 1:4 scale figures for the otaku market.

above image composited by If It's Hip, It's Here

The background (taken from their own site, hence the clunky translation):

On the anniversary of Steve Jobs death. People around the world are remembering him because they were fascinated and moved by his passion and creativity. This also became the idea of making this figure. Our wholehearted design team with astounding technique make this life like high quality 12 inch collectible figure possible. Even his clothing has been reproduced so detailed!! The set also comes with a leather sofa and his beloved "Apple"!!

※iPhoneとiPadとほかのアップルの製品等は含まないでございます。

※実際の製品は仕様が異なる場合がございます。

※iPhone, iPad and other Apple products are NOT included.

※Prototype shown, final product appearance and colours may vary.

On concerns that Apple will force the company to pull the item, Yuichi Kimura of Legend Toys would only say: “We do not have any permission from anyone and we don’t think it is necessary to obtain permission from anyone.”

The wax statue of Steve Jobs at Madame Tussaud's and the doll:

Steve Jobs Collectible Action Figure is a tribute to the Visionary, Great Inventor and Genius.

Specs: 1/6 Scale Painted with Clothing
Accessories:
1. Glasses
2. Three pairs of hands
3. Sofa
4. apple
Price: US$149.99 (without shipping) $199 (with shipping)
Release Date: End of Mar. 2013

Order yours now here before they shut them down again.

Paperman - The Full Animated Oscar Nominated Short And Some Behind The Scenes Info.

Introducing a groundbreaking technique that seamlessly merges computer-generated and hand-drawn animation techniques, first-time director John Kahrs takes the art of animation in a bold new direction with the Oscar®-nominated short, "Paperman."

above: Paperman merges CG with hand-drawn illustrations for it's unique effect.

Using a minimalist black-and-white style, the short follows the story of a lonely young man in mid-century New York City, whose destiny takes an unexpected turn after a chance meeting with a beautiful woman on his morning commute.

Convinced the girl of his dreams is gone forever, he gets a second chance when he spots her in a skyscraper window across the avenue from his office. With only his heart, imagination and a stack of papers to get her attention, his efforts are no match for what the fates have in store for him.

Created by a small, innovative team working at Walt Disney Animation Studios, "Paperman" pushes the animation medium in an exciting new direction.

From the D23 blog:
Director John Kahrs began thinking about the basic premise for Paperman back in the early 1990s when he lived in New York City and commuted 38 miles each way to his job as an animator at Blue Sky Studios in Westchester County. “New York can be an intimidating place,” John says. “People tend to have their guard up when they’re going about their daily routine.

I can remember being on the train wishing I could make a connection with someone and have more of a social life. I would come back through Grand Central Station and go straight home. I kept thinking, ‘Here I am in the most amazing city in the world, and I’m just holed up in my apartment.’ Sometimes on my commute, I would see somebody and make eye contact and then that person would be gone forever. I started wondering what if that person was the one for me.

“I also began thinking about the notion of how a couple with a romantic connection would communicate across the big city,” John continues. “And this idea of throwing a paper airplane from one skyscraper to another was the visual hook that really got my gears turning. I started focusing on how this guy could reconnect with a girl he had made a connection with.”

John moved to California in 1997 to work for Pixar Animation Studios; the idea for Paperman continued to intrigue him. He developed it as a short film and edited together a rough version, but it wasn’t until he came to Disney in 2007 and completed his assignment as a supervising animator on the studio’s 2010 hit feature Tangled that things began to happen. Encouraged by the directors of Tangled, Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, and inspired by the artistic guidance of legendary Disney animator Glen Keane, John began to see new possibilities for bringing Paperman to the big screen.

Watch director John Kahrs talk about the drawings for Paperman: