Pantone has announced 15-5519 Turquoise as its colour of the year for 2010.

Mimosa is, like, so this year. In 2010, Pantone tell us, turquoise is going to be everywhere...

Pantone’s vice-president of strategic business development Helmut Eifert says, ‘Turquoise occupies a very special position in the world of colour. It is believed to be a protective talisman, a colour of deep compassion and healing, and a colour of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky.

‘Through years of colour word-association studies, we also find that turquoise represents an escape to many – taking them to a tropical fantasy that is pleasant and inviting, even if only a fantasy.’

Hmmm how do we feel about Pantone 15-5519?

Christmas Review 2009 in progress

It has begun. The Vivid team is searching the Christmas shops for the best, the worst and the rest. All to be compiled into a colourful review of Christmas 2009, planned to be finished in January 2010.

We Won!

Vivid Brand Consultancy GOLD
for Design Effectiveness

Vivid Brand has won the Point-of-Sale Gold Award at the 2009 DBA Design Effectiveness Awards for their work within the lighting category for Philips Consumer Lighting.

Vivid Brand recognized that the growing concerns over climate change presented an unique opportunity for Philips to establish itself as the leader in Energy Saving Lightbulbs.

Creating project 'Make the Switch', Vivid Brand produced an in-store communications plan for major DIY, Hypermarkets and Supermarkets across Europe, presenting shoppers with the benefits of different energy saving bulbs and clear choices to ‘trade across’ to higher value products. This compelling, communications-led strategy turned lightbulb purchasing into a rewarding experience and resulted in Philips total sales performing twice as well as the rest of the market, reaching its highest market share in Italy and France and reversing all distribution fears.

Gideon Karmiloff, Managing Director of Vivid Brand says: “Success was created on many levels; genuinely working in partnership with the client on a strategic level, with their customers (Retailers) across Europe to ensure successful implementation and crucially by planning and creating an in-store communications strategy around shopper insights that influenced shoppers at their moment of decision.”

Hein Van Gorp, Vice President and General Manager of Philips Consumer Lights says: “Make the Switch' has driven such important increases in sales and brand share that it is now one of four key growth engines in Philips' future strategy”

Andy Scott Chairman of Vivid Brand says “The shopper at the heart of design solutions is what Vivid Brand is all about. In-store design has worked twice as hard in this instance, firstly by simplifying a difficult category for shoppers wishing to buy the right energy saving light bulb for their home and secondly, by creating a category story that European retailers want to buy into, thus increasing customer trade-up and therefore their bottom line.”

For further information please contact Gideon Karmiloff, Managing Director: gideon@vividbrand.com

Do your xmas shopping on Lambs Conduit St!
(We've heard there'll be loads of food and drinks as well...)

Visit Ryan-town

Illustrator and papercutter Rob Ryan is a name worth knowing. His amazing work can be seen at any Starbucks as part of their christmas campaign and in Ryantown on Columbia Rd, a shop entirely dedicated to him.

Have a sneak peek

Lewin in Packaging News

9 November 2009 | Packaging News


Our own Stuart Lewin features in the latest Packaging News to discuss the state of today's packaging industry.
'If the industry as a whole were given a school report, it would be told could try harder.' says Lewin in his article arguing that the business has made a drastic decrease in creativity.

Click here to read the full article

Free brand managers
for design to flourish
Stuart Lewin of packaging and brand consultancy Vivid argues the industry's clients should take the lead on encouraging creativity in design

It has become increasingly difficult to sound positive and constructive about a part of the design industry that now has some serious issues.

Put simply, packaging design needs a new direction. The market is filled with practitioners performing work that is just good enough to impress undemanding clients, but no better. Diligent designers who take pride in challenging preconceptions and create good packaging design are few and far between. That is not the way things should be. If the industry as a whole were given a school report, it would be told could try harder.



It has been said that clients get the designers they deserve. Behind a truly smart design there is often a smart client, one who knows what is really needed for their brand. These clients take time to find the right designers for a job.
So clients must take responsibility. They should challenge agencies about their creative processes. An economic downturn can make managers, already fearful for their jobs, understandably less brave at taking risks.

The paradox is that in a downturn they really need to be braver than ever. But before we pass the buck to clients, it has to be recognised that they themselves are often wearing a straitjacket foisted on them by the practices of big business.

The corporate roster system, whereby a brand manager must choose from a pre-selected list of approved agencies, cements this lack of real objectivity by agencies. It rewards design agencies for fitting in, and for meeting narrow ideas of what is right in terms of creativity. But packaging designers should always challenge orthodox thought.

The packaging of a product is the final touchpoint for a shopper, a final opportunity to seduce the shopper before they place the product in their basket. It can make or break a sale. Good packaging design is a vitally important part of a product’s communication arsenal. So how can it ever be left to a company that has not got under the skin of a shopper and researched fully what they want and need?

By their nature, big companies attempt to regulate things. Establishing a roster of design groups ensures a degree of consistency and a safety net for clients. It takes a leap of faith for brand managers to demand more. But given the freedom to challenge wisdom of their senior management, they could achieve far greater sales. 


Unfortunately, getting access to brand managers is becoming increasingly difficult. The crux of the matter is that brand managers are the one link in the chain able to drive change. It is not their fault that company structures restrict their choice of design agency.But they stand to benefit the most from a move away from the status quo. 



Stuart Lewin is creative director at marketing, packaging and brand consultancy Vivid Brand.
Contact him at Stu@vividbrand.com

Need inspiration?

5 November 2009 | Design Week

Inspired

Nikki

Nechvoglod

Our own Nikki Nechvoglod features in the latest design week to discuss ways in which she finds inspiration.

Click here to read the full article

That ‘scared feeling’. There’s a lot to be said for fear. The gut feeling when you’re doing something new and pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone - you’re terrified of failing, but you know you might succeed.

Don’t get me wrong. Contentment and satisfaction are comforting, but they’re nothing compared to the motivation and inspiration that come with utter panic.

I’ve felt it when I snowboarded down a near-vertical mountain in Canada, when I arrived at London Heathrow airport from Australia without a job or a home to go to, and when I snorkelled with sharks. I felt it when I first presented my consultancy’s work to clients, wrote a copy line that made the client laugh, or came up with a concept that I knew was good.

I felt it recently when I pitched for and was accepted into the D&AD Design Workshops. Each week of the course, the fear of failure was a constant companion, but it ultimately inspired me to do some of my best work.

Even if you fail, it’s in the process of trying new things that you learn the most.

There is a common belief that fear is the enemy of progression. Far from it. Fear is its best friend.

Nikki Nechvoglod

Futuretainment by Phaidon

Tomorrow trend analyst and media commentator Mike Walsh visits Phaidon book store on Picadilly to discuss and sign copies of his new book Futuretainment: Yesterday the World Changed, Now It's Your Turn. The book deals with big questions like our consumer culture and the changing media environment, is filled with innovative design made by Frost Design and is only £20.

Read what Phaidon says about the book

Pop up a rainy day.

Brighten up a cold and rainy day with some colourful and truly commercial pop art at Tate Modern. See work by Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst, buy unnecessary things in the pop shop and get provoked by challenging work restricted to over-18s.
Why not become a member and finish it all off with a glass of wine on the VIP roof terrace?

Read what Tate says about the exhibition.

Ffffound in kitchen.

Click here for some other inspiring examples of how to communicate with your colleagues...

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

With the feel of one of Salvador Dali's crazy paintings this film is definitely an experience. Some of our time's most famous actors celebrate their friend Heath Ledger with completing the film he was meant to finish, a move that gives the story more than one twist. This film is like nothing else. Go see it, and be prepared for a colourful trip.

All you fans of Gill Sans... get yourself down to the RA!!

The exhibition Wild Thing: Epstein, Gaudier-Brzeska, Gill is on from 24 October 2009—24 January 2010
explores the body of work executed by the three outstanding young sculptors; Jacob Epstein, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska and Eric Gill and draws on the major themes that impressed upon the men, namely sex, fertility, the human condition, the machine age and the impact of war.

The works convey the momentous sense of change taking place in London and the world at the start of the twentieth century.

It is the first time that the three artists have been shown together in this revolutionary context and many of the works have not been exhibited in London before.

The exhibition contains more than 90 works featuring mainly sculptures, drawings and pastels. No mention of type design but I'm sure it will be really interesting all the same!

http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/wild-thing-epstein-gaudier-brzeska-gill/.

Editors make the most of Google Street View

To promote the Editors new album, Sony has cleverly hacked a version of street view which allows users to listen to tracks in the areas of London in which the band found inspiration - opening up areas which are usually unavailable on the regular street view with some new band photography too.

the app can be found at editorsofficial.com/streetview

Click here to read the full CR article

Spanish energy boost at Design Museum!

Spanish designer Javier Mariscal's illustrations and graphic work are shown at the Design Museum for another couple of weeks. Not only is the work inspiring, the entire exhibition is playful and fun. Well worth a visit!

Have a look:
http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2009/mariscal

Finally they arrived..yay!!

Our shiny brand new Vivid Brand bikes finally arrived! We should be out on the road soon, just waiting for our matching red helmets to come...safety first team Vivid!!

Christmas is here!

It has all begun, Superdrug is first out with their christmas range.
Buy 2 christmas gifts, get the 3rd for free!

Totally Brilliant Like

Genius!!

Don't miss the BFI film festival!

When picking up the program for this year's BFI Festival I was adviced to start booking tickets immediately. Interesting films like Sam Taylor Wood's feature debut 'Nowhere boy' about John Lennon's early years and Wes Anderson's stop-motion animation 'Fantastic Mr Fox' based on a Roald Dahl story will most likely be sold out by the end of this week, so start booking today!

Check out the complete program at:
http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff/

Retail Director at Vivid Brand tells us how its done.

8 October 2009 | Design Week
Give them a
reason to stay

As the economy slowly picks up, clients should be guided to make the most of more limited budgets to influence consumer behaviour, says Paul King.

It’s that time of the year when clients start preparing their thinking and building cases for the new year’s budget process. On the other side of the fence agencies are looking at overheads, forecasts, margins, where new business is coming from.

Marketing directors and brand directors will not be increasing budgets back to 2008 levels, that’s for sure. But they will have creative activity and possible slightly increased budgets, though most will be maintaining 2009 budgets.

Too many clients are becoming anxious that this stagnant marketing approach is, in fact, loosing market share to competitors and that consumers’ new buying patterns will remain, even if the economy picks up. So inactivity is starting to become an issue in some markets, especially retail.

So how can clients and consultancies survive and progress? Only by dialogue, by honesty and with a mutual understanding of each other’s needs and objectives. I know of one client which is actively supporting its rostered groups by being unflinchingly loyal to them and supporting them through tough times.

But, in general, if clients trust their consultancy they should be talking to them now, giving the next three, six, nine and even 12 months activity and required involvement by that consultancy.

Working together may help the client to spread costs and identify and realise savings, which in turn can fund further projects. For the consultancy this gives some reassurance, because retaining the client is a battle in these times, especially when potential competitors are banging on the client’s door with offers of better value.

This open approach can only be achieved by like-minded partners working together.

From a client perspective, marketing or commercial departments should look at all their activity from research to advertising, PR, digital and marketing, and evaluate where saving be achieved and where that new-found funding would be better spent.

Design groups can help by looking at the way they manage their clients’ projects. This is especially relevant when looking at external costs – brought in costs such as photography illustration, production and print. It is also worth considering if the mark-up is excessive.

Every fee is negotiable. Even photographers and stylists will reconsider fees against a further work commitment. But there again, there must be a basic honesty and mutuality.

Then look at internal costs. Is each 4 hour meeting necessary, for example, and do all delegates have to attend? Is that flight really worthwhile and who really needs to go?

All projects must be measured against overheads. Effective project planning is essential to ensure each project runs smoothly, doesn’t overrun or impact adversely on the consultancy’s other projects. Accurate resource timing is crucial and each member of the team needs to know and understand their involvement. In most cases, this thinking should be shared with the client as they too have a responsibility for the effective running their project.

Keep financial management in the forefront of all projects and keep ‘surprises’ to a minimum. If there are extra requirements make sure the client understands the extra cost implications on the project and budget. These may all be small amounts, but it can be the difference between keeping a client or loosing them.

Also I think clients appreciate design groups that understand the realities of doing business in this depressing climate. It’s not the time to be ostentatious.

But clients also have a responsibility to the design group involved. Prompt payment is vital, cash-flow problems can and do starve any consultancy. Clients need to check invoices are being paid on time and not being shifted from signatory to signatory – someone in the finance department may think they are being clever by ‘sitting’ on the invoice.

Another way for clients to use their sparse funds more viably is not to ask for free-pitches. This has proved to be wasteful of resources and finance, but the unenlightened still think this produces free ideas. What this produces in reality is pretty pictures, not design solutions.

If large fees are involved it, may suit both parties to break them down into more manageable chunks. If agreed, payment terms must be adhered to.

Clients can also help by recommending consultanies to other departments within their company. The market will pick up, but it’s not just consumers who may continue with new buying patterns, so we all have to work smarter, be realistic – and accountable.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
FLIGHTBACK TACTICS

• The client-consultancy relationship must be honest
  
• Clients should be planning ahead now with their consultancy
• Look at how your group handles client projects– every fee is negotiable
• Don’t let clients ‘sit’ on your invoices
• Encourage clients to recommend your services within their company
• Be realistic: the market has changed, possibly forever

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Paul King retail director at Vivid Brand

Waitrose is diversifying!

Last week DesignWeek revealed that Waitrose is just about to start a collaboration with Boots, introducing their food products in the high street chemist. In the future we will also be able to find Waitrose's products in convenience stores and in some petrol stations. Latest news is that they're giving their cafes a make-over with design made by interior consultancy Mellor & Scott.

Stay updated on DesignWeeks webpage:
http://www.designweek.co.uk/waitrose-in-store-caf%C3%A9-redesign-plan/3004956.article

Interactivate your YouTube clips!

YouTube now presents a new way of watching their clips. 'Choose A Different Ending' allows the viewer to choose what happens next. Fun or annoying, have a look and decide for yourself!

http://www.youtube.com/adifferentending#play/favorites/2/JFVkzYDNJqo

Multifaceted drinking experience.

Last week The Dieline presented a new, unique design for beverage cans. Using a process called impact extrusion industrial designer Dzmitry Samal has managed to create a multifaceted and geometric can. If this is the next generation of cans we're facing some new exciting graphic possibilities!

Read more:
http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2009/09/coca-cola-can-concept.html#more

ECO Lights have moved on!

We knew this already but it's nice to see that the message is reaching the masses.

This article was also printed in the Guardian supplement on Saturday and is a worthy read for pretty much anyone that buys lightbulbs.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/25/eco-lightbulbs-energy-saving-bills

Creative Review Question of the Week 22.09.09

For this week's question, CR want to know about where we work.

Just how important is location, location, location in the creative industry?

They're devoting the whole of the November issue of CR to looking at the creative workplace and welcome thoughts and opinions on life in the studio or agency...

With so much daily communication carried out online, does it matter where you actually work these days?

Is having a building in the creative hub of your town or city important? Or is it still vital to be situated within the "creative quarter"? If you're based in one, where exactly is it? What makes for the ideal studio or agency location?

What about the building you're in? Do you favour the clinical white cube, or a more chaotic, personalised space? Do you surround yourself with inspiration, or cut yourself off from distractions?

What is the creative quarter like in your town or city and do you feel it's necessary to be surrounded by other creative people, or work in splendid isolation.

They have set up a flickr group to view photos and the most interesting will feature in the November issue.

We'd best get something together..could be a great publicity opportunity!!

http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2009/september/question-of-the-week-220909

Vivid Brand get company bikes.....

We are joining the race!

Since we are all avid cyclists here at Vivid Brand, it made perfect sense to get ourselves branded bikes.

We will be on the road by the end of the month... look out for us!

Have a look online:

http://www.createbikes.com/

Cadbury challenges again!

Known for its inventive and creative advertising, Cadbury doesn't disappoint us this time either. Their latest move is a single release to celebrate their chocolate becoming Fairtrade certified. The single is followed by a fun music video and is of course created by Fallon, same agency that created Cadbury's viral with the drumming gorilla and the TV commercials 'Trucks' and 'Crazy eyebrows.'

Go to CR to read more and watch the music video:
http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2009/september/cadbury-zingolo

Or visit Cadbury's own site:
www.cadbury.co.uk

Grafik Magazine presents Olympik for the London Design Festival

Olympik celebrates the rich relationship between graphic design and the Olympic Games. To celebrate London hosting the 2012 games, Grafik magazine has commissioned thirty-nine of the UK’s most talented designers to create a poster interpreting an Olympic sport or discipline.

A catalogue and a limited number of each of the poster will be for sale, with profits being donated to children’s sports-related charity Right To Play and the UK Paralympic Fund.

The project is a collaboration between Grafik, SEA Design, GF Smith and Team Impression.

http://www.londondesignfestival.com/events/grafik-presents-olympik

Dr Martens Pop-Up Store at Spitalfields for London Design Week.

Inspired by Dr. Martens’ heritage and attitude which catapulted it from a working-class essential to a counter-cultural icon, Campaign have designed a unique pop-up store for the brand. Their concept playfully turns the store inside out, with customers entering into the back of house stock room – an area traditionally out of bounds. Located in the heart of the bustling old Spitalfields Market, Campaign have worked with creative brand managers Fresh to create a warehouse complete with customised off-the-shelf industrial fittings, shrink-wrapped furniture, metal caging, yellow PVC hanging barriers and bespoke graphics.

http://www.londondesignfestival.com/events/dr-martens

Open House London 2009 –THIS WEEKEND!!!

Open House London is the Capital's largest architectural showcase, is now in its 17th year, and is taking place on 19 & 20 September 2009.

It is a simple but powerful concept: in celebration of design excellence, 700 buildings of every conceivable type, shape and size will open their doors to Londoners completely for free. For one weekend in the year, Londoners come together exploring all corners of the Capital, inspired by the power of architecture to transform the quality of our lives.

The perfect opportunity for a good old nose around behind usually closed doors. Visit the website for more details.

http://www.openhouse.org.uk

Waterhouse Courtyard opens for the London Design Festival' on MetaboliCity!

Shoreditch Trust opens Waterhouse Restaurant, Waterhouse Courtyard and the Trust’s eco-conferencing suites for the London Design Festival & Open House London. This includes the brand new conference facilities, eco restaurant and courtyard, all equipped with energy saving and sustainable technologies.

Go down between 10am and 4pm on Saturday 19th September at Waterhouse Restaurant who will also serve food from 12pm onwards.

MetaboliCity has been working together with Shoreditch Trust over the past year and our growing experiments will be on display in the courtyard during the London Design Festival.

There will also be an opportunity to come aboard Shoreditch Trust’s floating allotment and see the presentation of furniture designer Richard Shed's range of chairs, tables and outdoor furniture designed for the development.

Go to this link to sign-up, RSVP. Also to see images of the growing structures in permanent situ and times and dates of the MetaboliCity Walk.

http://www.metabolicity.com/

Boris on Elle cover, and on bike.

To celebrate fashion week Elle puts Boris Johnson on the front cover of their October issue, to showcase what they call 'the best of British.' This is the first time a man appears alone on an Elle front cover and according to Elle's editor-in-chief, Lorraine Candy, it's an attempt to challenge Vogue. Read more in the latest issue of PR week.



Talking about Boris makes us all think about cycling. And that takes us to a big event this Sunday: the London skyride. Most roads in central London will be closed for traffic and a big mass participating cycle tour will run throughout the city. Watch Boris promote the event and read more about it on:
https://new.britishcycling.org.uk/skyride/news/article/20090908-Boris-Johnson-and-Kelly-Brook-Back-Skyride-London-0

From Nasa to Ikea: the story of the classic font Futura

As Ikea gets rid of Futura, the Guardian takes a look at the history of the font.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2009/sep/02/ikea-font-futura?picture=352456573

Watch 'Design for life' on Mondays!

Claiming there hasn't been any news in the design world since the 60's, the French designer Philippe Starck sets up a new design school in Paris. In the TV show 'Design for life' BBC2 follows the 12 students and Starck trying to create new ground-breaking design. On Mondays 9-10PM.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/2009/wk37/design_for_life_feature.shtml

Re-brand London in 7 weeks!

It's been decided that London needs re-branding and the brief is out there free for anyone to have a go at. Several agencies have already presented their idea of a new identity but nothing has been good enough. Time is ticking, the new identity is needed by the 1 of nov. 7 weeks from now...you'd better get started!

Read more on:
http://www.johnsonbanks.co.uk/thoughtfortheweek/index.php?thoughtid=488

John Lewis Value

John Lewis jumps on the value bandwagon, with branding and packaging by Zach John Design and the retailer’s in-house design team. The products are set to hit the shelves this month.

http://www.designweek.co.uk/john-lewis-launches-value-range/3004166.article

Shopping soon possible via your iPhone.

On his own blog Tesco.com's head of research and development, Nick Lansley, reveals that Tesco just started developing a new software for shopping on the go. The application is created for iPhone and will allow people to make their basic grocery shopping via the phone.

http://techfortesco.blogspot.com/2009/08/tescocom-to-create-its-own-iphone.html

Celebrating Contemporary London.

Super Contemporary is an exhibition celebrating London's creative spirit throughout the years. It's a cooperation between Design Museum and Beefeater 24 and it's on until 4 Oct.
On their website you can win free tickets!

www.supercontemporary.co.uk/index.php

Melbourne gets a new identity.

A very funky approach from the branding giants that are Landor.

Ikea says goodbye to Futura.

IKEA has changed their house typeface from Futura-based IKEA Sans to Verdana. Picking up a new IKEA catalogue last Friday felt awkward. Good or not, this seems to be the big talk these days...

http://www.idsgn.org/posts/ikea-says-goodbye-to-futura/
http://typophile.com/node/61222/

Very appropriate!!

everyone's at it!!

http://creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2009/september/question-of-the-week-080909