We Heart Branding

Branding That "Fits" Inspires & Motivates

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:39:05 -0400

I have something I wanted to share that has been on my mind this week. Many of you know that We Heart Studios is partners and works very closely with the gang over at LightThread (in fact, we’re all in this together - they help with WHS projects also.) We have collaboratively been working on a rebranding effort for the design, marketing and development services we offer in Kansas City (and everywhere) but with the focus being on what we’re doing and representing here locally, and it has been so much fun.

I’ve been restraining myself from talking about it because we are not quite ready to launch the new site and collateral, but the branding, the people and the company we are creating is something that suits me to a T, and hopefully all of us, and it captures the sort of eccentric, funky, fresh, flavorful perspective of our varied team members while giving us something professional to stand behind as a percentage of our clients will always be corporate, enterprise-types in addition to the small-to-medium sized businesses and startups we serve.

We are in the process of becoming the Itch Agency. I can’t wait to show you all the branding and stuff we’re coming up with and get things live… these early days of creation are what get my juices flowing. But the main point of this quick message is this: if your brand is uninspiring, if your company message is flat, if you aren’t excited to “show off” to prospects and friends and family members what you can do, get a pencil and a piece of paper and do the following:

ReThink
ReImagine
ReInvent
ReCreate
ReDefine
ReBoot
RePlenish
ReEnergize
ReDiscover

Life’s too short to have a boring brand!! Find the subtle nuances and essence of the personalities that represent your brand and show that to prospects for a truly unique differentiator… and a more satisfying workday!

So beautiful, too bad it’s a prototype. Erin Dameron, the...

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:51:21 -0400

So beautiful, too bad it’s a prototype. Erin Dameron, the designer says:

“The goal of this project was to create, brand and design packaging for a five piece cosmetic line. The students were allowed to choose the brands name, direction and price point. My five piece skin care line Penelope was inspired by the retail store Anthropologie and is targeted towards women who shop there. Penelope’s unique bottle designs, delicate die cuts, and intricate 3-D floral detailing created to mimic lace merge vintage aesthetics with modern form.”

laureola:

TheDieline.com: Package Design

Suffice it to say, I GREATLY admire this packaging line. What a...

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 20:48:21 -0400

Suffice it to say, I GREATLY admire this packaging line. What a way to make the most mundane everyday product more pleasant to purchase! Great design can be applied to anything - and almost always improves the experience of the person interacting with it.

jairustonel:

Designed by Russia based Fastway:

“At first we found the appropriate brandname. After that the logo appeared. And met lots of different dots. The objective was to create package for power saving lamps which considerably would differ from all other packages of the lamps presented in retail networks. Besides, it was necessary to show that Gauss lamps are the premium-segment, having justified, thus, their higher than at the majority of competitors price. The main idea of the package – minimum superfluous, but maximum sense and convenience. On the face side – only a lamp category, its appearance and key parameters of choice. To attract more attention some objects (dots, lamp) were UV-lacquered. The packages for 93 lamp types were designed fast and with pleasure. No one dot was lost.” (Via TheDieline.com: Package Design: Gauss)

I love this ad. Great tongue-in-cheek playfulness, while...

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:21:57 -0400

I love this ad. Great tongue-in-cheek playfulness, while retaining the strong identity of Quilmes beer. Apparently this was done by Young & Rubicam in Argentina. Hat tip to AdFreak & KelseyAds on Twitter for this find.

hunsonisgroovy: Letterpress in Garamond (via typoretum)

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:31:43 -0400

hunsonisgroovy:

Letterpress in Garamond (via typoretum)

These bottles rock. I don’t know what else to say....

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:09:45 -0400

These bottles rock. I don’t know what else to say. Stunning, bold identity design. Yes!

matthewb:

Very sharp branding for the Civilized range of spirits by Minneapolis-based Neatly Trimmed Beard. (via The Dieline)

From The Dieline, a delightful packaging design for a new Coke...

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 16:40:00 -0400

From The Dieline, a delightful packaging design for a new Coke product. Menos es Mas is a new drink from Coca-Cola for Spain, designed by Saffron Brand Consultants.

“Menos es Más”(less is more in Spanish) is a drink that stands for what it is. No bs here (pardon our French). It doesn’t make you taller, or thinner, or more attractive, it’s just a drink! But it is a little easier on your wallet and the environment, and don’t we all want more of that?

Saffron worked with Coca-Cola Spain to create a joyful expression for this mighty little drink.

» Read the full article and see more illustrations & photos at The Dieline

jairustonel: The Balvenie Whisky I enjoy a great whisky and...

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 08:17:42 -0400

jairustonel:

The Balvenie Whisky

I enjoy a great whisky and even better a great package design, and Balvenie has done both. I’ve had a bottle or two of their 12 year and it’s pretty delicious, though I still will stick to my good ol’ 18 year Macallan.

Designed by UK based Here Design:

“We’ve recently finished a redesign of The Balvenie whisky, which involved working with a lot of great UK craftsmen to make sure the design embodied the respect that the company holds for it’s own craftsmen that make the whisky. Because the distillery was set up in 1892, we also wanted the design to be a true reflection of late 19th Century archival documents so it was important that each element of the design was limited by the printing processes of that period.”

Stunning product line identity system. This packaging rocks. I...

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:58:30 -0400

Stunning product line identity system. This packaging rocks. I love that the embossed graphic of the shape of product contained within also produces an effect of wanting to “press a button” for help. Simply brilliant!

jairustonel:

Before & After: Help Remedies

Help is a new brand of over-the-counter healthcare products. Our mission is to make solving simple health issues simple. We find the best solution there is, and take away everything else. By stripping away some of the complexity and fear mongering of the health industry, we hope to make the category friendlier and more accessible, and in doing so empower people to make their own health decisions.

Help Remedies first two products “Help I have a headache” and “help I’ve cut myself” launched in April 2008. They generated significant press attention from design, eco, lifestyle, business and media as well as sales both online and through selected retailers.

Our packaging is made of molded paper pulp and a bio plastic made primarily of corn. We use these materials because they are interesting to look at, and they are compostable—which means one day, they might become part of a large tree. Maybe you can cut down that tree and make it into a speedboat.

ChappsMalina did structure and form, Little Fury did the graphics and our own internal team worked on bring those ideas to life in the final package.

Pepsi vs. Coke in the branding department is astounding in this...

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:25:40 -0400

Pepsi vs. Coke in the branding department is astounding in this visual. What I see in Pepsi is a company that massively struggles to find its voice and its identity. Clearly their original logo was a mimic of Coke’s (since it was done three years later.) Disclaimer: I’m a Coke girl, 100%. Maybe the strong identity is a subliminal influence… I do feel pretty confident about it!

kmccormi:

The art of good logo design.

nicolazaro:

hammerito:

stormofgenius:

airport:

(via jonwithabullet)

WHOA guys. This is the first time I’ve looked at the word Pepsi. I mean REALLY looked. What a strange word. My eyes are open now.

I like the 1906 and 1940 Pepsi branding best. Coke’s awesome too.

100 (Really) Creative Business Cards

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:14:00 -0400

Web Designer Depot (@DesignerDepot on Twitter) has gathered an awe-inspiring group of business cards together. Delightful ideas to spark your creative synapses!

Check out: 100 (Really) Creative Business Cards

What a stunning self-promotion piece for this logo designer!...

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:55:19 -0400

What a stunning self-promotion piece for this logo designer! Awesome poster concept. :-)

via @2creativo:
Career-spanning poster by Aaron Draplin:

“I’ve wanted to make a so-called “career-spanning” poster for some time now, showing every little logo, wordmark and whatever else I could fit into it I’ve made. It’s been on the project list going on four years now. And each year, the jobs would starting lining up and I’d say, “Oh shit, just wait a month, and you can put this/that into it…” And the years went by.”

2creativo: 36 Beautiful Packaging Designs For...

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:45:57 -0400

2creativo:

36 Beautiful Packaging Designs For Inspiration by Dzine Blog

davemorin: brit: “Research reveals people make a subconscious...

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:51:55 -0400

davemorin:

brit:

“Research reveals people make a subconscious judgment about a person, environment, or product within 90 seconds of initial viewing and that between 62% and 90% of that assessment is based on color alone.”

A Guide to Choosing Colors for Your Brand « Usability Post