Beautifully Realistic Paper Sculptures Of Wildlife

Ontario-based artist Calvin Nicholls has lent his deft hands to the making of incredibly intricate and realistic cut-paper work that features a lifelong interest of his⎯Canadian wildlife. Presented in a framed setting - much like paintings - the three-dimensional effect of these paper sculptures are enhanced by the way they “pop” out of the frame.

Including representation of both birds and mammals, Nicholls has managed to endow his creations with an amazingly life-like quality - according to FlavorWire, they “bristle with depth”. The resulting artworks are both astonishing for their complexity and for the fact that they are actually made of paper.

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.

Musical Tweets To Save An Orchestra

To raise awareness of the plight of Amsterdam's under-funded Metropole Orchestra, Havas Worldwide Amsterdam has collaborated with Perfect Fools to create Tweetphony, a Twitter campaign that allows users to compose musical tweets.

The award-winning Metropole Orchestra is under threat due to cuts in the subsidy of public broadcasting channels in the Netherlands. The campaign to potentially save it takes the form of a competition where people are charged with tweeting compositions via a special campaign site which combines a digital piano interface and Twitter. The site allows visitors to tweet messages using the letters that correspond to musical notes. Visitors can, of course hear the messages they are composing and also scroll down the feed and listen to previously tweeted compositions.

Besides being rather good fun there is a point to all this musical tweetery. The "most interesting and best tweets" will be selected and performed by the orchestra, thus showcasing them doing what they do best, in a Tweetphony event held at a studio in Hilversum on October 26 that can be tuned in to live on the day via the campaign website.

Have a go / find out more at tweetphony.nl.

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.

Starbucks Goes 'Vogue' With Pixelated Holiday Gifts

For this holiday season, Starbucks will be teaming with fashion brand Rodarte to sell a line of limited edition holiday gifts that features pixelated designs. The products—which will go on sale on 13 November 2012—will include cup sleeves, coffee mugs, tote bags and gifts designed in gray, white and silver patterns mixed with splashes of lime green.

According to Samie Barr, Starbuck’s Vice President of category brand management, this project is “Starbuck’s first foray into fashion,” and that the company wanted to “capture those folks who are interested in style and fashion”.

“There’s obviously the traditional Starbucks cups that people come in and buy, and then we want to make sure we’re peppering in unique and inspiring, more limited-edition-type pieces that can appeal to those audiences that wouldn’t be our everyday purchaser,” Barr added.

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.

Typeface For Rio 2016 Olympics Unveiled

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has unveiled the official typeface for the upcoming Rio 2016 Olympic games.

Designed by Dalton Maag, the handwritten bespoke typeface reflects the movement of athletes and Brazil’s geological and architectural landmarks. The font also exemplifies the Olympic and Paralympic brand pillars: harmonious diversity; the Olympic and Paralympic spirit; contagious energy; exuberant nature; and true engagement.

According to the IOC, “‘Harmonious Diversity’ is seen in the curves, as each one has a unique shape, but they work together as an integrated and unified set. The ‘Olympic Spirit’ and the ‘Paralympic Spirit’ are reflected in the fluidity of the lines, simulating the agility of the athletes’ movements. ‘Contagious Energy’ is also present in the character set, in the different height of the letters, and in the bold connections. ‘Exuberant Nature’ is present in the letters’ overall design, and finally ‘True Engagement’ is present in the creation process, which included the participation and involvement of several different teams of people.”

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.

Sony Music Timeline, 1887 - 2012

The history of Sony Music is charted in a typographic timeline installed in the company's London HQ, created by designer Alex Fowkes. The huge wall graphic (with shades of Lou Dorfsman's famous Gastrotypographicalassemblage perhaps?) features the names of nearly 1,000 artists signed to the major label and its affiliates, beginning with the foundation of Columbia Phonograph Company in 1887, to recent signings Post War Years and A$AP Rocky.

From Elvis, Bob Dylan and Lou Reed, to ABBA, Beyoncé and The Vaccines, the chart also references the development of music technology and formats – from cylinders to streaming – over the 125 year period. Divided up by decade, 54 two-metre tall columns cover almost 150 square metres of wall space in Sony's Derry Street offices in London.

More of Fowkes' work is at alexfowkes.com.

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.

Illustrator vs Illustrator

To create the artwork to fill its first publication, Manchester-based illustration collective Foursight (comprising the talents of Dominique Byron, Jordan O'Brien, Matt Bray and Kris Sale) paired up 20 illustrators and asked each duo to do battle.

Foursight then selected ten pairs of "binary opposite words" such as war and peace, analogue and digital, and big and small, and gave each duo of artists one of the word pairings to interpret.
The resulting artworks appear in the publication, entitled VS, in the form of ten double sided tear-out prints – the idea being that the viewer becomes a referee in the each of the ten included 'battles', ultimately deciding which side of each print to tear out and display.

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.

Natural Instinct Pet Food

Davies Leslie-Smith have designed the branding and packaging for Natural Instinct, who make food for dogs and cats using only the very best British meats and premium quality fruit and vegetables. The brief was to make the brand look both premium and natural, and to highlight the many benefits of choosing Natural Instinct food for your pet.

The use of sillhoutes of different dogs and cats playing in a grassy field adds to the whole natural field. The range of colour combinations for the whole line is beautiful, and works together as a line as well as individually.

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.

iPad Puzzle Game Uses Imagery From NASA Database

A graphic puzzle game for the iPad, OKO, uses images from the NASA database. In the game, these awe-inspiring images—that are taken from space—are broken up into collages of rotating concentric circles.

The goal is to align these circles to form a complete picture by stopping them at the right moment. Not only is it a good way to train your eyes and reflexes, OKO is also a great way to take a visual journey through space. OKO is available on the iTunes store.

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.

Dreamer's Supply Company

The Dreamers’ Supply Company is a new project that enables marginalised young people to develop their creative, collaborative and entrepreneurial skills. Teaming young people with talented professionals, and together they design, prototype, build and sell dream-realising products.

Build were approached by Spark & Mettle to give The Dreamers' Supply Co. a look and a voice, they designed the branding and identity, working with the DSCo team on 'make days' prototyping products. They then designed packaging for the products, wrote copy and designed their website.

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.

Team Antistat Win 2012 British GTs

Cyberpac's sister company Antistat’s winning formula is as evident on the track as it is out in the field as the Motorbase Porsche driver they’ve sponsored for 15 years, Michael Caine with his team mate Daniele Perfetti, scooped this year’s British GTs title.

Click the image below to view the full story...

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.

Google Honors Winsor McCay With A Whimsical Animated Doodle

To honor renowned animator Winsor McCay, yesterday Google transformed its Doodle into a whimsical animated comic strip. Yesterday marked the 107th anniversary of McCay’s iconic comic strip ‘Little Nemo in Slumberland’—which Google adopted into its Doodle design.

Called ‘Little Nemo in Google-Land’, the Doodle borrows many images from McCAy’s original works—retelling the story of ‘Little Nemo’ and his journey in Slumberland. “This series follows the journeys of Nemo through a fantastic dream world,’ Google wrote, “Nightly, he finds himself thrown into a topsy turvy, overgrown, and colourful mess that often leaves him tumbling out of bed.”

Check out Google’s tribute to McCay by visiting its Doodle page.

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.

Product packaging With Personality

People tend to prefer buying things from companies that have a personality and style that they can relate to, and that they agree with. Many designers, for example, prefer working with Apple devices because of the design ethos of the company. Not all buying decisions are based around price or value for money—sometimes other factors like the companies’ reputation, personality or style affect it.

Product packaging design is evolving. It’s no longer enough to just grab your attention, it also needs to help show off the personality and style of the company behind it and the personality and persona of the product itself. Good product packaging stands out, but great product packaging tells a story and has a personality.

Here is a collection of beautifully designed, creative and inspiring designs that all show off a bit more personality and would all stand out from their normal rivals on the supermarket shelf. Maybe they will be an interesting source of inspiration for your next packaging design project.

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.