The writing’s on the wall

“Poets don’t draw. They unravel their handwriting and then tie it up again, but differently.” Jean Cocteau.

Graphologists believe that our handwriting provides a formulaic glimpse into our soul and reveals things about us that are not otherwise discernible, i.e. our mental or emotional state, amongst other things.

For that (and other) reasons, handwriting is considered a form of artistry and using handwritten typography in graphic design carries some novelty value and implies a sense of intimacy with the target audience and, in some instances, a sense of nostalgia.

And nostalgia carries some weight, particularly in troubling times like have been seen on the news this week. People take comfort in looking back to ‘better’ times gone by and the right brands thrive on this, just ask Hovis or Coca Cola.

Nostalgia for the intimacy of the handwritten form led Craig Oldham to create The Hand Written Letter Project back in 2007.

What initially began as a conversation about how personal a handwritten letter can be, grew into something that has commanded the attention and contributions from big hitter agencies and some of the true greats from the world of design. See handwrittenletterproject.com to read about the project or visit an exhibit about the project at London’s KK Outlet (ends 27th August).

In fact there’s no real novelty to handwritten typography in major brand advertising, it’s all around us. At one end of the market, think Boots, Ford, Kellogg’s – all accessible household names. At the other end, think Cartier, Paul Smith, Harrods.

So, maybe there is no formula to handwriting after all. Brands big and small, mass market and luxury, can all benefit from adding a personal touch to their brand identity.

The madness of May

…madness of the creative sort that is. Our top three influences at Liquid Graphic this month:

Old Spice

All hail to one of the most successful interactive social media campaigns to date for Old Spice ‘the man your man could smell like’. Check out the case study on YouTube: to see how Old Spice reinvigorated a dying brand using Facebook and Twitter and how the campaign built up such momentum, that what began as a viral video even made it onto Oprah.

Being secretive

It used to be just the odd band or performer that used to throw in a ‘secret gig’ as a reward to their most loyal fans – and a nifty way of getting some extra cool PR. But now, the desire for secrecy has spread into art, film, literature, theatre and even fine dining.

Secret festivals even. The trendy folk will likely shun Glastonbury this year and will head The Secret Garden Party which promises ‘a moment in the year where you can connect to your creative powers, explore your wildest fantasies and meet thousands of people who all want to meet you’.

It’s nothing new, exclusivity always has and always will define value in the eyes of a consumer. But we do like the ‘secret’ gimmick (especially for viral marketing) it’s shrewd marketing when an event is publicised on a sizeable scale and yet the consumer can be encouraged to think it’s a secret.

Krispy Kreme Summer collection

Mwoah…Krispy Kreme has launched their Summer donut collection. A brand we admire for their retro brand identity and product strategy, and more so for their donuts!

Us lucky Southampton dwellers can look out for the new Coconut Ice, Mango Passion Cheesecake and Crème Brulee in our local Krispy Kreme store.

The madness of April

…madness of the creative sort that is. Our top three creative influences at Liquid Graphic this month:

Andy Warhol

An icon in twentieth century art and culture, Warhol continues to be a major influence in graphic design and visual arts. Anyone familiar with his work will appreciate how it was Warhol’s influence that blurred the boundaries between advertising and art.

As part of ARTIST ROOMS 2011, nearly 200 of Warhol’s works will be on display this month across two of Southampton’s city art galleries: the John Hansard Gallery and Southampton City Art Gallery.

The I-Pad 2

With more and more focus on using blogs and social media (such as Facebook and Twitter) as part of client’s SEO strategy, the convenience of an I-Pad is an increasing temptation here at Liquid Graphic. The best commercial heads know that being first is not always a good thing (think Betamax!) and the I-Pad 2 is sleeker, easy to use and may just have snuck in at the top of our wish list.

The royal wedding

While every business out there is desperately running out of time to exploit every last commercial gain to be had from the royal wedding, putting our cynicism aside for a moment, it’s interesting to stop and observe the positive influence the royal wedding is having on the consumer’s mindset and the economy as a whole.

Most annual marketing strategies will benefit from a positive event-related economic boost, e.g. the World Cup, Olympics etc. But there’s something different about the hoopla around the royal wedding and, irrespective of political views on the monarchy, we can all take inspiration from a little positivity every now and again.

A logo love-in at Liquid Graphic

The top 20 logos

The literal interpretation of the word logo is ‘a graphic representation or symbol of a company name, trademark or an abbreviation’. But, as consumers, logos come to mean so much more to us.

A logo is the pinnacle of everything a brand represents. This might sound over the top, but when it comes to the crunch and the consumer is at that all-important point of sale, it’s their sub-conscious recognition of a logo on packaging or within promotional material that gives them the confidence to buy, and to buy now.

Logo design doesn’t usual make it on to the agenda when a brand considers product strategy, but it should, as the marketer must consider every possible brand touch point in order to understand and influence their consumer’s journey from target customer to sale.

But logos are not only important to us in the way that we think and behave as consumers; they become part of our social memory. Why else do you see retro brand memorabilia for brands like Bovril and Guinness in the gift shops? Logos and advertising are such a dominant force in our world that they serve as social references, and we feel nostalgia for the brands and logos of our early years.

This month, the editors at Creative Review magazine set out their all-time favourite top 20 logos.

1. Woolmark (1964)
2. Deutsche Bank (1974)
3. British Rail (1964)
4. Michelin (1898)
5. V&A (Victorian & Albert, 1989)
6. Tate (1999)
7. World Wildlife Fund (1961)
8. ILoveNY (1975)
9. CBS (1951)
10. National Theatre (1974)
11. NASA (1974)
12. British Steel (1969)
13. Canadian National (1960)
14. Apple (1977)
15. Rolling Stones (1970)
16. Penguin (1935)
17. Pirelli (1908)
18. London Underground (1919)
19. Montblanc (1913)
20. FedEx (1994)

The editors are clear that these aren’t representative of the best brands or even the best logos. So it seems we can love logos, just for being logos. And, with some of these logos dating back to 1898 (Michelin), like all good love affairs, they stand up to the test of time.
For more about corporate identity for brochures, promotional material, signage, business cards or point of sale, click here to contact Liquid Graphic.

The madness of March

…madness of the creative sort that is. Our top three creative influences at Liquid Graphic this month:

The first signs of spring
Don’t get us wrong, we love our work at Liquid Graphic , but after a long morning working on web design code, it’s great to get outside and breathe in some fresh air. With a one-year-old in the household, there’s something particularly inspiring about this spring as there’s the opportunity to see everything as if for the first time through his eyes. Nowadays, half an hour collecting sticks, picking daisies and arranging pebbles can be creative fodder for an afternoon’s graphic design.

Radiohead

Radiohead
Radiohead have always been a creative influence at Liquid Graphic . The band, fronted by Thom Yorke, take their art very seriously and listening to newly released material from them has already helped to inspire a client’s new corporate identity this month.
We do a lot of SEO and social media work making sure our clients get the benefit of opportunities presented by the mainstream social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Blogger, LinkedIn, YouTube, MySpace. However with a less obvious commercial focus, Radiohead’s site has utilises multiple blogs and social media forums to promote the band, and their personal and political causes.

vi.sualize.us
A site that bookmarks interesting photography that can be found on the web. Great inspiration for graphic design, web design and a kick up the bum to get out there this spring and take more chances in photography.