Costa

Christmas is pretty much a huge marketing campaign in itself, with companies re-branding and coming up with creative festive themed ideas for the holiday. One example is the Coffee shop Costa who have created christmas themed cardboard cups for their drinks. The idea is simple and the perfect way to celebrate the holiday whilst promoting themselves.

Innocent Juice

I recently came across this interesting packaging used on Innocent tropical juice. The side of the label has a random image of an animal(s) in a comical situation. The packaging defiantly grabs your attention and intrigues you due to the randomness. I think it's an original idea too which gives it a a certain je ne sais quoi.

Recipeace

D&AD's inaugural White Pencil award has been won by Leo Burnett Chicago for Recipeace, a project that aims to bring people together over a shared meal in support of the Peace One Day initiative

The White Pencil was launched last year, with the support of Unilever, to mark D&AD's 50th anniversary with the aim of rewarding 'an idea that has a genuine social impact'. D&AD teamed up with Peace One Day, the movement begun by filmmaker Jeremy Gilley with the aim of instituting Peace Day, a global ceasefire on September 21 each year. Entrants to the White Pencil award were asked for ideas which would 'grow awareness of and engagement with Peace Day'. Those ideas had to actually run this year, rather than just be concepts.
The winner, announced at D&AD's White Pencil Symposium last night, describes itself as 'a social movement that brings people together over food. The intent is to build awareness for Peace Day on a global scale, while inspiring peaceful action on an individual level'.
Some examples of the winning work:

I think this is a great creative idea, I particularly like the use of the Portmanteau in the name, combining recipe with peace. The imagery used is well thought out and portrays a powerful message by contrasting weapons we associate with war, along side everyday foods. The design looks simply yet works very effectively. 

Shop Displays

I love visiting the Trafford Centre in Manchester during this time of year as the place is amazingly decorated, from fairy lights on palm trees to neon reindeers. During a recent visit I spotted an interesting, alternative take on a Christmas themed shop window display. The shop in question is the designer store Ted Baker, who have an animated inflatable snowman wearing a thong that dances in the window, their stores across the world all feature the same snowman. After researching their display I also discovered that they are renowned for this kind of display at christmas and previously had a similar idea, with a inflatable santa wearing stockings. 
I think the concept is great and very entertaining, the window defiantly caught bystanders attention and gives people something to look and laugh at. It also beats a bit of tinsel around a mannequin. 

Patchwork Polo

Members of a patchwork and quilting group based in New Milton, Hampshire have designed and created a quilt for the Volkswagen Polo. The quilt was created for their annual ‘Quilt, flower and music festival’ in New Milton. I think this is a great quirky idea and adds a whole new aspect to patchwork and quilting design, the quilt also appeals to a much wider audience than a standard patchwork blanket would. I also think its great how proceeds raised from the quilt were donated to various charities across the UK.

UK's Last Typewritter

The company 'Brothers' have produced the UK's last ever typewriter, Brother said it had stopped making typewriters in the UK because demand had fallen sharply in this country and that it still had significant sales in the US but its factory in the Far East produces enough typewriters to serve this market. 
When I first heard this news I think I was more surprised that people still used typewriters as they have never been commonly used in my generation and have become a piece of dying technology. However before all our modern technology typewriters were essential to businesses and were widely regarded as being instrumental in helping many women to enter paid work for the first time.
The last typewriter to be built in the UK was produced at a north Wales factory and has been donated to London's Science Museum who said the piece represented the end of a technology which had been "important to so many lives"

Guerrilla Advertising

As part of my London Brief I looked at Guerrilla Advertising, a lost cost advertising strategy that covers various mediums such as graffiti, stickers, flash mobs etc. During my research I found a news article which talks about a new craze to hit the London Underground, in which people have been using this form of advertising to create humorous stickers. The stickers were placed across the underground covering up or replacing signs. Some people argued that it was vandalism or a hazard, however I think it's quite an entertaining fun idea and defiantly would brighten up peoples commutes into work etc. 
Some examples of the stickers: