Ho Ho Ho!
December 23, 2008
Article by CreativeReview.co.uk
Every December at CR we are lucky enough to receive an array of wonderful cards and, in more recent years, films wishing us a Merry Christmas (while also deftly demonstrating the creative talents of the senders). Here is a selection of our favourites so far from this year… plus a few other Christmassy things that are going on around London. First up is this charming little film from AKQA London.
Wieden + Kennedy in London has created a Christmas Card Making Machine in the front window of its offices in Hanbury Street, E1. Passers-by can see their face join a chain of Christmas characters that scroll in the window by standing in the snowy footprints outside. By then visiting christmascardmakingmachine.com, they can view all the images online before creating and personalising their very own card.
This film from Blink Productions in London emphasises what Christmas is really all about…
But those of you who are less cynical might want to visit this Wishing Well by design agency Freestate which is currently on display in Covent Garden in London. The Wishing Well allows visitors to speak their wishes into their mobile phone and then automatically converts them to text that is displayed across the inner walls of the Well in real time. The wishes can also be viewed online here: spinvoxwishingwell.com.
Photo: Andrew Meredith
If you’re out and about in central London, you should also check out the festive window display in Selfridges.
Freelance designer/director Andy Martin has created this animated festive short.
We received this amusing card from StudioThomson.
And this angelic one from JohnsonBanks, which the design firm has created by ‘recycling’ an old magazine found round the office.
This environmentally conscious approach has been adopted by many companies, who have taken to sending e-cards rather than paper ones. This one is from St Luke’s, who have created a website where you can throw an e-snowball at your friends and send a personalised message, such as the one above.
Lowe’s staff have gallantly created a singing card/website, which can be seen here, while a choir also appear in Jung von Matt’s interactive e-card, which can be found here.
The Design Council uses its e-card to make a serious point about the environment. Other firms, including Good Creative have also used their e-cards to trumpet their good deeds. M&C Saatchi has also taken this approach, but at least have created a rather nice film too. Lastly though, is a bit of good old fun from Framestore - a surprisingly tricky game, based on the movie The Tale of Despereaux.
Merry Christmas everybody!
UPDATE: This just in from Farrow - move your mouse to change the direction of the falling snow.
Read the full story!
More CreativeReview.co.uk Articles
Freitag’s 18-Wheeler
September 3, 2008
Design by Chris Gray. Photo: Noë Flum
The Swiss brand Freitag is well-known for manufacturing bags out of old tarpaulin. Their latest design, however, is staying firmly on the side of their own 18-wheeler truck. For the time being at least. The new design is actually the winning piece of work from their first Design-A-Truck competition by Chris Gray of Manchester-based studio We Shall See. Gray’s design has just been rolled out on the side of this enormous truck which will be seen all over Europe. But come 2013, it too will become a series of limited edition bags…
Photo: Noë Flum
The jury for the Design-A-Truck competition – Stefan Sagmeister, Michael Diebold, Martin Lötscher, Wolfgang Weingart, Martin Woodtli and the Freitag brothers – looked through around 3000 entries before deciding on Gray’s design as the winner, Anna-Paula Henschke’s typographic treatment in third place and André-Alexander Glesemann’s scratched-up design in second.
Second place by André-Alexander Glesemann
Third place by Anna-Paula Henschke
After five years’ service, and in accordance with Freitag’s recycling philosophy, Gray’s tarpaulin will be cut up and made into a limited edition series of bags. More details at freitag.ch.
COI ads showcase new directing talent
September 3, 2008
When we first saw the above film on TV, we actually thought it was a new spot for Nike or a clip from a new hip hop video. So it was somewhat of a surprise to learn that it was, in fact, a new ad commissioned by the COI to persuade 11-14 year olds to consider getting to grips with a foreign language…
The film is one of five new 30 second ads created by London production company, th1ng, through agency Farm. Each film features young people singing, talking or rapping in a foreign language, and invites the viewer to “try life in another language” and to visit a T4 hub website: trylifeinanotherlanguage.com.
Three of the five ads, including Disiz (shown above) were created by new directors at th1ng: Disiz was directed by Angry Natives, Dancer (shown below) was directed by Dan Lumb, Neon City by Anne Xiao. Football and Shadows were both directed by Daniel Cohen.
Dancer, directed by Dan Lumb @ th1ng
Football, directed by Daniel Cohen @ th1ng, features street football skills of two kids from Real Madrid’s youth academy
All five commercials are airing on Channel 4 and Sky channels this month while longer versions can be viewed at the campaign’s website trylifeinanotherlanguage.com.
Ad agency: Farm
Copywriter: Simon Cenamor
Art director: Raymond Chan
Production company: th1ng
Post production: th1ng
Directors:
Disiz - Max Oginni, Ewen Stenhouse
Football - Daniel Cohen
Neon City - Ann Xiao
Dancer - Daniel Lumb
Shadow Girl - Daniel Cohen
Yandex Abstains from NASDAQ IPO ’til 2009
September 3, 2008
Russian search engine Yandex has decided to withhold its planned fall IPO until 2009, reports Profy.
Official reasons were not explained, but Profy, which gleaned its report from Russian news source…
Wallace & Gromit model for Harvey Nics
September 3, 2008
Harvey Nichols is opening in Bristol – who better to advertise the new store than two of Bristol’s most famous sons, Wallace & Gromit?
The new poster campaign sees the characters (created by Bristol-based Aardman, of course) striking a pose with their usual attire swapped for more fashionable clobber. Wallace is seen above in a woollen Prince of Wales check grey two-piece suit by Paul Smith while Gromit wears a pair of Ray Ban wayfarer sunglasses and purple stripe silk scarf by Duchamp.
The campaign is created by DDB London with photography by Giles Revell.
Lady Torrington seen wearing a black draped jersey ‘Acorn’ dress by Alexander McQueen, red patent ‘Triclo’ shoes by Christian Louboutin and metallic bronze ’Puffy’ bag by Zagliani
Wallace wears navy cashmere jacket and silk tapered trousers by Alexander McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana fitted white shirt and Giorgio Armani tie. Gromit wears navy silk Paul Smith scarf
See how the ads were made here
Mail.ru Penetrates Russia’s Online Dating Market
September 2, 2008
Mail.ru, a major portal in Russia and the country’s first billion-dollar internet firm, has purchased a 30 percent stake in online dating site Mamba.
Investment group Finam sold Mail.ru the stake for…
Freitag’s 18-Wheeler
September 2, 2008
Design by Chris Gray. Photo: Noë Flum
The Swiss brand Freitag is well-known for manufacturing bags out of old tarpaulin. Their latest design, however, is staying firmly on the side of their own 18-wheeler truck. For the time being at least. The new design is actually the winning piece of work from their first Design-A-Truck competition by Chris Gray of Manchester-based studio We Shall See. Gray’s design has just been rolled out on the side of this enormous truck which will be seen all over Europe. But come 2013, it too will become a series of limited edition bags…
Photo: Noë Flum
The jury for the Design-A-Truck competition – Stefan Sagmeister, Michael Diebold, Martin Lötscher, Wolfgang Weingart, Martin Woodtli and the Freitag brothers – looked through around 3000 entries before deciding on Gray’s design as the winner, Anna-Paula Henschke’s typographic treatment in third place and André-Alexander Glesemann’s scratched-up design in second.
Second place by André-Alexander Glesemann
Third place by Anna-Paula Henschke
After five years’ service, and in accordance with Freitag’s recycling philosophy, Gray’s tarpaulin will be cut up and made into a limited edition series of bags. More details at freitag.ch.
