2012 pictograms

The proposed pictograms for the 2012 Olympics have just been released, and seems to have raised quite a few opinions, if the number of comments on Creative Review's blog is any kind of guide. There are two versions, a silhouette and a 'dynamic' version, apparently inspired by the London Underground map though to me, the more than generous nod is towards the identity itself. Of course it's easy to knock, and many, many people have criticised the Olympic brand identity, but, to add to the noise, I wrote the following on CR;

'The dynamic versions are interesting and could be quite memorable but the 'plain' version just smacks of compromise. Too much detail and manner, combining to create an overly stylised infographic. At a guess, the dynamic version came first. Too many stakeholders, but it goes with the territory.'

The old ones always seem to look better, see Munich 1972. Call it nostalgia if you will, but there's just more soul.

Popeye

What with the Brooke Shields furore at the Tate and Jeff Koons recent show at the Serpentine, Pop Art has hit London. The Koons show (sadly now finished) was hugely intriguing, his trademark juxtaposition of the banal and everyday, the crafted and the manufactured. Children's inflatable toys float, captured and entwined with metal and plastics, the nearby sign being the only suggestion that everything is not as it initially seems - the toys are actually anodised aluminium. You don't believe it - every crease, fold, valve and type is faultless, so the urge to reach out and touch, to be sure, is contained only by the hovering gallery staff standing next to each piece. As such, the experience becomes frustrating yet remains fascinating, as smiley rubber rings, try to escape rusty 8ft industrial fences they connect with. A typically shallow Koons experience that sits with you for a long time.

Somtimes true...

For all my clients out there, don't be insulted, this isn't about you. For all those pitchers out there who have used the phrase 'foot in the door', this is for you. Hilarious.

It's what you leave out that counts

Been a fan of Noma Bar for a while - his illustrations for Esquire are fantastic, clever, witty and apt, and I would love to commission him soon. He has a new book out called 'Negative Space', a philosophy I have been advocating for some time - see www.equiniti.com for a brandmark we created and an excellent example of a marque and name in union. The Fedex logo is probably the most famous, if under the radar of most consumers. Check him out.

Flatpack typography

Read yesterday that Ikea is globally replacing their existing brand font futura with verdana. It seems the cost of purchasing all those licenses is prohibitive and as the microsoft endorsed is ubiquitous, it will be easier to implement. If ever there was a case study for the importance of type in a brand visual language, this will be it. Gone will the modernist vision, replaced with a blander articulation. Where's the personality?

Subservient chicken

This made me howl, closely followed by 'how did they do that?'

Heave!

Quite like this - was a bit ho hum with the animation initially (Incredibles like) but the idea brings the film together at the end. Animation by Nexus Productions.

Sharpen up

Continuing my love affair with all things Mad Men and 50's based - build a Don Draper in your own image!

http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/madmenyourself/

Art and nature intwined

Popped into the 'Heaven and Earth' Richard Long exhibition at Tate Britain at the weekend. Had children as company, so it was bit of a whirlwind, but really enjoyed what I saw. When I was at art college, he was often referenced as being an exciting 'natural' artist, and his 'A Line Made By Walking' from 1967 was a fresh approach to sculpture, and performance art. He is probably most famous now for the sculptures he makes on long walks, geometric shapes formed from natural objects unique to the specific environment he is in. I was more interested in the typographic works, in which he simply states the objective and subsequent visual references of long walks, represented in Gill Sans, and mostly just in black and red. Very English, and reminds me of John Betjeman poems, the iconic London Underground map by Edward Johnston and the church posters of designer Phil Baines from the early 1990s. This is no photographic record, no proof of the event, merely a factual record of his experience - through walking according to the tides, or comparing a walk in Devon with one in China, and noting the similarities.

Not at the edge of contemporary art, there is no outrage, just an ethereal presence that stays with you long after you have left the building. Recommended. At Tate Britain until 6 September 2009

'I can see the Gallery from 'ere...'

Passed through Trafalgar Square last week and spent a good while gawping with the tourists at the living sculpture on the empty 4th plinth, courtesy of One and Other by Anthony Gormley. 2,400 people, 100 days, 24 hours, one every hour. 

Part of the intrigue is in waiting to see what each person will be doing for their 60 mins of fame, transmitted by Sky Arts online and tv. I witnessed a young woman wearing angel wings, happily blowing bubbles and throwing balls of tin foil at the crowd whilst shouting through a megaphone, to be replaced by a lady in a long flowing dress who promptly sat down and started reading. Not exactly edge-of-the-seat stuff, but intriguing enough (for a short while at least). It's how Big Brother could be, without the personal publicists, and likewise uncomfortably addictive. You can watch online at www.oneandother.co.uk, and see what each of the 'plinthers' have planned. I was sucked in, and like the other 26,000 applicants, have applied. I will find out on August 1st whether I will be required to strut my stuff in September. Hope it's not a beery Saturday night slot... Think David Blaine and eggs.

What would I do with my time? That's quite a brief. Better start preparing...

Drawing on Social Networks...

Saw this cute little video that explains social networking in a simple language that even idiots like me can absorb and understand. I'm always a bit partial to lo-fi scribbles (see the Spinner website). Pass it on!

Don't stop til you get enough

Can the Jackson brand rise again to the heady heights of the 80s? If tickets for his new London show are anything to go by, maybe. The ten initial dates announced at the O2 in London quickly rose to 50 by general sale, and each ticket was sold out in 11 seconds. It may have been twelve years since he last toured in the UK but baby dangling, criminal charges, court appearances and lack of music has done little damage to his popularity. There must be some worries about his performance (and that no body part flies off mid moonwalk), but if he gets it right, it will be some hell of a show. Not sure his merchandise will fare quite as well (who's gonna wear his t-shirt in public?) but when it comes down to it, the product is unbreakable and people will temporarily ignore the circus that is Brand Jacko. Aoww!

Design Week Awards

The book came through the post last week (not invited this year - pah!). Some great work as always. What immediately grabbed my attention was Johnson Banks' Mouse logo (the copyright symbol is just beautiful), Hat-Trick's Scottish Opera logo (simple, classic and therefore timeless), Purpose's christmas promotion for Greenford Press (Pantone + Food = Panettone), The Partners poster for Richard House Children's Hospice (witty and eye catching) and Pearlfisher's packaging for This Water (Innocent derivative in a good way). The digital category was a bit light, no-one was pushing the boundaries, despite what the Lynda Relph-Knight said. It's difficult to be impressed with a site and not by the technology behind it, Flash or video, and good old fashioned ideas are a bit rarer. I guess that's why Eagle Clean was the winner as there is a simple concept but it's a bit ho hum. Design Week doesn't seem to be keeping pace with digital developments.

Morph reborn!

As a subscriber to Esquire, I receive line-free versions of the magazine through my letterbox. Last month, the cover star was not either a most-lusted or most-wanted celeb, but the more understated but not underdressed Morph. He was the star of a fashion shoot, the first time he has been dressed, and his plasticine accessories (by Paul Smith, Gucci, Prada and Hermes, amongst others) were tailormade. The white leather gucci loafers were very cute.

And with Max Clifford like PR planning, he descended onto the Tate Modern for a very fashionable flash-mob to celebrate his mentor, the recently deceased Tony Hart. Tony (sadly without his sidekick, but with his agent) opened my degree show in the mid 90s and drew some pictures which were auctioned off for the college at the end of the private view. We have a frog at home somewhere.

Aardman Animations who look after Morph and Wallace and Gromit have severed their relationship with the Hollywood Sudios that funded films like Chicken Run, citing creative stiflement. Maybe its now the time to relaunch the very English superstar Morph back on our screens, but how long before he will be papped with crack and admitted to rehab?

Going to do the Hoovering

Genericised trademarks are trademarks that were for specific products but have lodged so deep into consumers concious that they are often used for so much more, including a whole brand category. Hoover is an obvious example (being shorter than the more accutrate but cumbersome vacuum cleaning) - but this article is a list from A to Z. Some that you know (Photoshop now stands for any type of photo retouching) but others that are unexpected (Astro Turf, Jet Ski, Microchip). Ford tried to do it with the Ka, but you just can't force it. As usual Wikipedia have an article as well.

Twitterings

Just as it has hit critical mass, I (or rather we, our business Spinner) have joined the Twitterers and gone Twittering crazy at www.twitter.com/studiospinner. Great fun, and it's truly reflective of our social behaviours. Short, supposedly sharp, and badly spelt - the noughties in a nutshell. The trouble with so many blogs is that there is this presumption that everyone has the time and inclination to read an essay on your life. We haven't, though I am interested if you can grab my attention for long enough. A twitter does just that, though I can hear Stephen Fry bemoaning the erosion of our language, and he's the greatest Twitterer of them all.

James Bond

Just saw the titles for Quantum of Solace (on DVD) - rather underwhelmed by them. Keeping a balance between the iconic stylism of previous openings and producing something fresh and relevant must be a challenge, but i think they (MK12) failed. Neither sexy, innovative nor exciting. To be honest, I wasn't that keen on Casino Royale either, and there was a time when the titles were one of the most anticipated aspects of a new Bond film (with the new Bond Girls). The song's ok though.