Halloween Fanta

A redesign of this years Halloween themed packaging with the Fanta crew that is posing with their favorite Halloween costumes. With the characters like Kimmy the Witch and Andy the Vampire.

Disclaimer: Some images hosted on this blog have been collected from external research associates to be presented as stimulus to those seeking news from the cutting edge of packaging. The imagery is not being presented as our own and copyright still belongs to the owner/creator of said work.

Sudent Work - Black Sheep Absinthe

Premium Absinthe package design.

Disclaimer: Some images hosted on this blog have been collected from external research associates to be presented as stimulus to those seeking news from the cutting edge of packaging. The imagery is not being presented as our own and copyright still belongs to the owner/creator of said work.

Little Print Shop of Horrors

Manchester-based Creative Spark is raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust with Little Print Shop of Horrors, a series of horror film-themed prints to buy this Halloween. Here are a few examples of their work:

Disclaimer: Some images hosted on this blog have been collected from external research associates to be presented as stimulus to those seeking news from the cutting edge of packaging. The imagery is not being presented as our own and copyright still belongs to the owner/creator of said work.

Monster Cat CD Pack

Alternative folk rock band Monster Cat has teamed up with independent designers Izyanti Asa'ari and Alison Schooling to produce the CD packaging for their debut EP, Mannequins. The CD pack is a loose assembly of items that falls apart once the paper wrapping is undone. Its design elements compliment the album's haunting and introspective tone and with its sprinkling of cosmic geometric forms, the overall design.

Emphasis was paid to the choice of material used with a preference for paper and fabric that would allow for translucent show-through of the layered items. Raw yet delicate, the intention was to heighten the tactility of the final object.

Disclaimer: Some images hosted on this blog have been collected from external research associates to be presented as stimulus to those seeking news from the cutting edge of packaging. The imagery is not being presented as our own and copyright still belongs to the owner/creator of said work.

Hand-Lettering by Simon Walker

Graphic designer and letterer Simon Walker has an extreme knack for hand-drawn type and custom lettering. His personal portfolio is full of beautiful logos and signage featuring type and clever icons. Happily, Simon agreed to answer some of my questions about his work, process, inspiration and life as a full-time designer part-time freelancer.

Disclaimer: Some images hosted on this blog have been collected from external research associates to be presented as stimulus to those seeking news from the cutting edge of packaging. The imagery is not being presented as our own and copyright still belongs to the owner/creator of said work.

White Wood Series

Baxter of California, a premium men’s grooming and lifestyle brand since 1965, extends the “flammable” soy wax candle series with the introduction of White Wood, Series Two.

Disclaimer: Some images hosted on this blog have been collected from external research associates to be presented as stimulus to those seeking news from the cutting edge of packaging. The imagery is not being presented as our own and copyright still belongs to the owner/creator of said work.

Gavin Martin Colornet Limited Proof Bags and Tube

Gavin Martin Colornet Limited decided to use their proof bags and tubes which they use to deliver proofs, as a mobile advertising canvas. It was decided to make them a little more eye catching and memorable, make them raise a smile and act as a talking point when dropping off or picking up proofs, as well as increasing the chances of them being kept.

Disclaimer: Some images hosted on this blog have been collected from external research associates to be presented as stimulus to those seeking news from the cutting edge of packaging. The imagery is not being presented as our own and copyright still belongs to the owner/creator of said work.

Askinosie Chocolate

Askinosie Chocolate's most recent product, an intriguing dark milk chocolate + black licorice bar, is the first in a series of bars in their CollaBARation series. The series emphasises a collaboration between the chocolate-maker and another specialty ingredient provider. (In this case, Martin Jörgensen, and his licorice factory, Lakritsfabriken.)

Askinosie make their packaging amazing through more than simply design. It goes down to the basics: materials. Their bars are never wrapped in the expected or ordinary. And this bar is no exception. This product is packaged using a white waxed bag.

Disclaimer: Some images hosted on this blog have been collected from external research associates to be presented as stimulus to those seeking news from the cutting edge of packaging. The imagery is not being presented as our own and copyright still belongs to the owner/creator of said work.

Five Rows Craft Wine

Five Rows is a boutique winery located in the St. David’s Bench area of the Niagara Peninsula. The goal with the package was to position and treat the icewine as a traditional farm staple — milk, butter, eggs… and Icewine. Icewine has been traditionally marketed as a rare and highly coveted liquid to be consumed on occasion as it is insanely labour intensive to create and as such demands a high retail price.

It was decided a folded, glueless, piece of paper wrapped tight to the bottle with a produce elastic would do the trick of communicating the utilitarian nature. The bright nectar colour of the wine itself deserved no less than flint glass for full colour, which in the end also adds to the re-usable milk bottle feel of the package.

The label is essentially a carrier for winemaker notes on the production of the wine as well as origin. The initial release was digitally printed at low volume, hand cut and applied by hand with elastics similar to the remaining 1000 bottles. Much of the graphics are also hand drawn which is consistent with the Five Rows identity. The flint bottles were finished off with a hand drawn signature by Wes Lowrey the winemaker.

Disclaimer: Some images hosted on this blog have been collected from external research associates to be presented as stimulus to those seeking news from the cutting edge of packaging. The imagery is not being presented as our own and copyright still belongs to the owner/creator of said work.

Sweeteeth Chocolate

Sweeteeth is a boutique handcrafted chocolate company. This redesign encompassed business renaming, logo design, product naming of each of the bars and development of a tagline.

The happy tooth logo has a vintage cartoon feel and almost screams out for a jingle, emphasising the homey, handcrafted nature of the product. The hand-drawn illustrations on the packaging continue the development of this aesthetic, hearkening back to older styles of package design. The packaging of each bar is distinct, for example the “Sea is for Caramel” packaging consists of various deep-sea creatures, referencing the sea salt that perfectly complements the dark chocolate and sweet caramel. While the logo and packaging emphasise the handmade feel; they also locate the brand firmly in the realm of up-market boutique products.

Disclaimer: Some images hosted on this blog have been collected from external research associates to be presented as stimulus to those seeking news from the cutting edge of packaging. The imagery is not being presented as our own and copyright still belongs to the owner/creator of said work.

Aristocrat Bank Note Playing Cards

Aristocrats set the standard for high-end, durable playing cards since the early 1930's. The Aristocrat Bank Note Playing Cards are coated with a Linen Finish. They are known for their durability and unparalleled longevity. The court cards contain rich, deep colors - with metallic gold on the royal faces. The backs have a hint of elegance and intricacy, with universal appeal.

Disclaimer: Some images hosted on this blog have been collected from external research associates to be presented as stimulus to those seeking news from the cutting edge of packaging. The imagery is not being presented as our own and copyright still belongs to the owner/creator of said work.

Brooklyn Brew Shop Beer Making Kit

The box and labels promote the "at home" nature of the product. The simplistic design makes the art of beer making seem within reach.

Disclaimer: Some images hosted on this blog have been collected from external research associates to be presented as stimulus to those seeking news from the cutting edge of packaging. The imagery is not being presented as our own and copyright still belongs to the owner/creator of said work.

Darius II Luxury Cases

After completing the wine label design, Auston Design Group provided structural and graphic design for luxury cases that house Darioush Winery’s most revered and exclusive wine, Darius II Cabernet Sauvignon. The subtle and minimalist design reinforces the ultra luxury status of this tier and evokes the very essence of Darioush Winery’s brand image: chic, sophisticated, and understated – the epitome of elegance.

The cases were beautifully produced via Influence Communications, a specialty printing, packaging and POS company based in beautiful Oakland, California. Our thanks to Chris Hundley and Bill Brown for maintaining the highest standards and helping us see the project through to fruition.

Disclaimer: Some images hosted on this blog have been collected from external research associates to be presented as stimulus to those seeking news from the cutting edge of packaging. The imagery is not being presented as our own and copyright still belongs to the owner/creator of said work.

Astra Infographic Videos

The infographic videos for European satellite and communications company, Astra, are beautiful in their clean, geometric and symmetrical design. The videos and graphics were created by London-based Sam Renwick at This is Real Art. The videos are part of an integrated campaign to inform and educate people both on the function of satellites and the company itself.

Here are three of the seven produced:





Disclaimer: Some images hosted on this blog have been collected from external research associates to be presented as stimulus to those seeking news from the cutting edge of packaging. The imagery is not being presented as our own and copyright still belongs to the owner/creator of said work.

AlcoHolidays

The AlcoHolidays is a yearly holiday promotion that is sent to the clients of One Trick Pony as a way to creatively package everyone's favorite gift – booze.

This year's installment riffed off the Whitman's Sampler chocolate box, but contained a sampling of 12 nips with flavors from really cheap brandy to hardcore whiskey (complete with a legend under the lid). Each bottle featured an employee offering some sage advice on how to nip the holiday in the humbug.

Disclaimer: Some images hosted on this blog have been collected from external research associates to be presented as stimulus to those seeking news from the cutting edge of packaging. The imagery is not being presented as our own and copyright still belongs to the owner/creator of said work.

Steve Jobs 1955 – 2011

Steve Jobs, who has died aged 56, was at the heart of a revolution that turned the creative industries upside down. After Apple, our world was never the same again

Following the advent of the Mac, almost every aspect of the production of visual communications was changed for ever. Of course it wasn't all down to Jobs: many others helped build Apple and let's not forget the contributions of Jobs' contemporaries at the likes of Xerox, Adobe, Aldus, Macromedia, Quark and a host of other start-ups. Crafts such as typesetting, retouching and illustration, previously the domain of highly-trained specialists, were suddenly accessible to all. On one machine, we could design a typeface, retouch an image, create an illustration, layout a poster and edit a film.

But just because we could, it didn't necessarily mean we should. Thanks to the Mac, designers could do it all - but for no more money and with no more hours in the day. For all the enormous and undoubted benefits that the Mac and the digital revolution it symbolised brought to the creative industries, it has also resulted in the undervaluation of many of the crafts on which it relies. The Mac, the DTP Revolution, whatever you want to call it, drew back the curtain. Now anyone with a computer could set a line of type, design a logo, touch up an image. In every revolution there are winners and losers.
And yet would anyone want to go back to those pre-Mac days?