Biodiersity

2010 - The international Year of Biodiversity.
I believe it's a very well integrated logo. Very compact and very complex in the same time. Describing diversity through members of the species but in the same time drawing the numbers of the year. What seems funny to me is the human beings stand under a protection, the roof of number 1. Which is not at all the case. On the contrary, this is the problem.

What is biodiversity:
"Biological diversity - or biodiversity - is the term given to the variety of life on Earth and the natural patterns it forms.
You are an integral part of nature; your fate is tightly linked with biodiversity, the huge variety of other animals and plants, the places they live and their surrounding environments, all over the world." To read the hole story visit the official page.

Some other designs on the theme of biodiversity:







And this reminds me of a local product: Gusto Puffs. If you notice the writing of the text "cu surprize", it's made out of a special animal font. So you'll feel better when eating them, they are bio..diversified Puffs.

I'm bad, I'm bad, I'm a baby carrot

This is an attempt to make carrots junk food. Do you think they will succeed? I'd love to crack a baby carrot.
I can see Michael Jackson dancing here. Because I'm bad, I'm bad...

source

Political Tea - Flower Power is back (but in other ways that you would expect it)

Because there were election in Sweden (on Sunday, 19th) i found it appropriate to write about a subject I've been meaning to write since Stockholm's Pride Parade. I won't write about politics, but i will write about the image (purely graphic) of the parties in Sweden.
This is how the general picture looks like (the 8th most important parties):
There are a lot of flowers, don't you think? Let's just take them one by one.

Moderate Party:

The logo itself expresses moderation and connection. You could even say peace, because there is always a line and a circumstance that can unify different opinion. The only problem i have with this logo is that resembles with a Metro (subway) entrance.

The Liberal Party:

Almost looks like a flower blooming, growing, expanding. And I think the colors are important here. Two shades of blue says "we can live together".


The Center Party:

The problem i have is that it's not at all centered. It's a little to the left. But it's still from floral/ vegetal inspiration.



The Christian Democrats:

Also a flower, but i don't know the background of it's meaning. Maybe it is a symbol.




The Social Democratic Party:

This and the Moderate Party are the only logos that doesn't come any close to a floral motive. But nevertheless is very expressive and memorable one. It has written social all over.
A friend of mine suggested that this is a rose. And it's normal to be, because social democrats usually have a rose for a symbol. But most of the time is a plain rose, sometimes hold in a hand. In the light of the new discovery I like it even better - it's so abstract, it's a representation of a symbol, it's more than the original. And the social component is there also. So another flower on the roll. But this time it talks.

The Green Party:

A flower, of course. And a very common one. Why do you think they chose this?




The Left Party:

V comes from "vänster" the swedish word for left. The motif is also a flower.




The Sweden Democrats:

QED





In the end it would be interesting to analyze the colors (4 blue, 2 green and 2 red) and to measure the white space in the design and also the flower shape. What exactly do they stand for. But i think you can recognize for yourself the flower type and have your own image attached to it.

What was surprising for me is this picture taken at Pride Parade in Stockholm 2010:

As you can see there are the Social Democrat, Green and Left Parties logos, only adapted to the parade. And this is when questions started to come (without knowing what they really stand for, i found out later). I think the initiative is very good, and there is one more thing that is to appreciate: they are recognizable! Which i think is a great deal.

And I will add this for the friends that will say i discriminated against the Pirate Party, but i don't think they have a voice.








The source for this article (both graphical and informational) is the official Guide to Sweden.

De ce e nevoie de mai multi barbati sa imbrace o femeie?

In Bucuresti la Muzeul Taranului Roman s-a deschis expozitia "Construction", expozitie realizata de artisti norvegieni si adusa in Romania cu ajutorul Ambasadei Norvegiei. Piesa cea mai interesanta este o constructie, mai bine zis o rochie construita dintr-un element foarte masculin - gulere de camasa.


Artista (Marit Helen Akslen) a folosit 250 de gulere pentru aceasta piesa simbol. De obicei spunem ca "in spatele fiecarui barbat puternic este o femeie puternica". Cazul de fata ne face sa ne gandim la o schimbare de paradigma.

#
Rochia prezentata poate trece usor drept o rochie de mireasa. Si aici avem de-a face cu alta semnificatie.
#
A treia directie la care ma gandesc este conceptul de gulere albe in sociologie:
"Pentru cei mai mulţi sociologi, gulere albe reprezintă noua clasă de mijloc în societăţile industriale avansate. Ea înglobează o categorie largă şi eterogenă de ocupaţii tehnice, funcţionăreşti, administrative, terţiare etc., caracterizate prin munci non-manuale şi printr-o stratificare internă destul de accentuată: la nivelurile inferioare vînzători, dactilografe, desenatori, contabili etc., la cele medii tehnicieni, maiştri, supraveghetori ş.a., iar la nivelurile superioare toate categoriile de profesii considerate liberale (medici, profesori, avocaţi, arhitecţi, precum şi manageri de diferite ranguri)." sursa
Si atunci ma gandesc la o corporatie. Cum 250 de oameni muncesc pentru ca doamna care conduce compania, sau sotia liderului, sa aiba acces la ceva ce ei nu au.
Si lista de presupuneri poate continua. Sper doar ca o sa va vina idei de la aceasta piesa si o sa va inspire, mai ales cand vine vorba de construit.

Vodafone

Pentru ca am fost ieri la #webstock10 am vazut rosu in fata ochilor (nu e de rau, dar atat logoul Webstock cat si sponsorul principal, Vodafone, au culoarea brandului rosu, deci totul a fost rosu). Asa ca am hotarat sa vorbesc despre Vodafone ca brand, atat visual, cat si ca semnificatie..

O sa incep cu numele
"The name Vodafone comes from voice data fone, chosen by the company to "reflect the provision of voice and data services over mobile phones"." sursa
Sa ne gandim, "voce" si "date". Asta face brandul atat de actual, mai ales in contextul in care ieri Lidia Solomon de la Vodafone Romania vorbea despre orientarea (shiftul) catre internet.
Trebuie sa recunosc ca m-am gandit la provenienta numelui, inainte sa stiu asta si nu-mi venea in minte decat "voda", cuvant care in slovaca, bulgara, etc inseamna "apa". Desi ca brand nu avea nici legatura cu limbile slavone, o data ce ai fost si le-ai auzit e greu sa nu faci asocierea. Si inconstient incercam sa asociez apa cu telefonia, ceva de genul "unde e apa ai si semnal". Desi erau ganduri indepartate, erau intuitive, iar asocierea exista.
Visual.
Mie imi seamana cu o virgula. Intoarsa ce-i drept, dar tot virgula ramane. Si ce inseamna asta? Intuitiv as putea spune ca este conversatia care nu se termina. Nu se pune punct.
varianta 2:
Mai seamana cu o bula de discutie, doar ca iarasi e invers. Ca si cand vocea vine de sus. Ma opresc aici cu speculatia, ca nu vreau sa ma gandesc cine vorbeste de acolo. Dar poate aveti voi alte idei.

Antena 1 ..branding

You call "zis" a rebranding? Pe principul zis si facut.
OLD:
NEW:

de mentionat:
1. Nu neg ca arata mai bine (dar nu este un rebranding, este o stilizare)
2. Pot sa vad foarte bine exprimat "impreuna" prin suprapunerea celor doua simboluri "1" si "a"(care oricum existau si inainte), a si 1 sunt impreuna, dar de aici pana la "mereu aproape" e cale lunga
3. Ceva nu e in regula in povestea asta. Sunteti siguri ca e un "re"branding profesionist?
citez:
Antena 1 lanseaza noua identitate a brandului menita sa reflecte pozitionarea statiei: televiziunea care face dintr-un simplu spatiu de locuit o adevarata casa a familiei (poate sa faca ce face IKEA, doar ca e pe baza de abonament). Cu alte cuvinte, oriunde te afli (oriunde acasa sau pe strada?), orice faci (serios? daca iti bati copiii?), te simti ca acasa daca ai alaturi pe cineva drag si, desigur, Antena 1.

Brandul isi pastreaza identitatea vie, tocmai pentru ca rolul sau in viata telespectatorului este unul activ: il ghideaza (ii si consiliaza?), il binedispune, il intelege, il sprijina, il apropie de familie (daca familia se destrama, nu-i nimic, ne uitam impreuna la Antena 1).

cateodata cred ca ne luam prea in serios..

Mariuca de la Tnuva este noua Marioara de la Gorj

Ca tot a fost luna Mariei, are si Mariuca drepturi. Si ca o tarancuta ce e, a venit la oras si locuieste in frigiderele de la marketul din colt.


Sper sa revin cu poze mai bune, asta daca nu isi ia conversii, iPodul si ia si ne lasa cu buza umflata.
Mi-a placut mult sa vad noul iaurt Mariuca. Refreshing si amuzant. Dar cumva vreau sa aud povestea mai departe. Protagosnista noastra este intre doua lumi (in stanga sunt casele de la tara, iar in dreapta este orasul spre care merge). Este fata emancipata de la sat, care ajunsa la oras are multe de recuperat.

Intrebarea e daca vrei sa fi "codas la oras sau in satul tau fruntas"? Asta face brandul putin cam retro. Parintii nostri au facut asta si empatizeaza cel mai bine cu situatia.

Facts:
Numelde de Mariuca e scris cu diacritice, sa va uitati atent. (un font foarte retro de altfel)
Pe casa din stanga e un cocos

NU inteleg:
de ce are 3 degete la mana
de ce are iPod albastru

In rest sa auzim de bine. Asteptam si consatenii: Nelutu', Fanel si cum zice un prieten de-al meu - Mita lui Tiribomba.

growing human (best logo in Amsterdam)

I declare this the best logo in Amsterdam (Tropentheatre in Amsterdam):


It's amazing. I could get lost just watching this logo and thinking about all the meaning.

from their website: "The Tropentheater is the best place for concerts, dance performances, theater, youth theater and films from non-Western countries and the fringes of Europe."
The name translates as the Tropics Theater. Obviously the name it's the statement regarding the content of the performances they have in their program (non-western, but i would say even non-european).

If you look at the logo, you will see human shapes, as captured from their movement and performance. It could be dance, theater or film. Or even lecture (look at the to shapes standing in the bottom). And together they form a tree, a human tree. Or even better, they are united in a tree, in a common ground, in a growing environment. It's about expression and unity in the same time.
It also gives me the impression of floating or flying. Of relaxation, freedom and self expression. It's also about growing, growing like artists, like humans, like a planet.

And then we can talk about derivations:


Using the same pattern, the same concept of connectivity you can keep on adding to the design.
Hope you like it.

*photos taken in Amsterdam, august 2010

Say hello to the stars - ARCA

Pe plan local avem parte de un nou rebranding. Este vorba de Asociatia Romana pentru Cosmonautica si Aeronautica (ARCA). Din punctul meu de vedere este mai mult o stilizare, o reimprospatare a identitatii Asociatiei. (vezi foto).
Am inceput o cautare pentru ARCA. Numele este generalist si des folosit. Mai ales ca exista semnificatiile legate de Arca lui Noe. Pentru un rebranding sanatos cred ca era nevoie de diferentiere.
Logouri si Asociatii care se leaga de ARCA:
Cum era daca se foloseau de numele asociatiei?
"ÁRCĂ árce f. Vas mare cu panze, folosit, in trecut, la transport."
Mi-ar fi placut sa vad o nava care sa ne poarte catre stele. Aceleasi stele care apar acum in design.
Concluzie: imi place transformarea, e un progres, dar e facut pe fuga.

*Rebranging realizat de Grapefruit, 2010.

Travel

A hybrid between TRAVEL and BELGIUM = TRABEL.


The name is great, but the website, you better not go there.

relax..

Cateodata inventez cuvinte, ca sa descopar ca ele existau deja. Saptamana asta avem
relaxativ (relax + laxativ)
Stiu ca pare oximoronic, dar m-am amuzat teribil pe seama lui. Va las si pe voi sa descoperiti intelesurile ascunse.
Imi plac cuvintele!!

pee...

After talking about peace is time to talk about piss. Brussels, pour les connaisseurs. I've been asking myself since i came back from Belgium why would you want to associate the city with a peeing statue (i think is one of the greatest touristic attraction in Brussels, after the Grote Markt). I'm talking about Manneken Piss.

Don't let him fool you, there are a lot of tourists going there. No doubt about that.
And you wouldn't say they obsess over it:


And they have a french fries (!!?!?!) chain of restaurants with this brand (this is in Amsterdam, but they have it in Brussels too):
Maybe the best part about this is that they dress it according to the international celebrations:


The question remains.. Why?
And that's not all. Recently they made a feminine replica: Jeanneke Pis
They also have a statue of peeing dog:


And if that wouldn't be enough, it's a national sport and i can prove it.
This is one of the famous touristic points - Saint Catherine Cathedral in the center of Brussels.

Guess what are these?

They are urinals, but the unusual part is that they are on the left side of the church i shown you before. Basically on the walls of a 19th century monument.

This is how souvenirs look like:
Hey... you wouldn't say the little bastard is peeing in my coke?


And then it hit me... How else would you brand a city as THE city of beer? Simple: by having 2000 types of beer and making urinating so easy. I don't know if anyone thought of this, or it's just a natural consequence of the process. Smart, ei?
###
The initial title of the blog post was "peer (which is a combination between beer and pee) and sounds like pear", but then i changed it to what you see. Hope you don't find it offensive.
*photos taken in Brussels, august 2010