Every piece of packaging contains a barcode.
I found this one on a milk carton in Porto, Portugal.
How clever of the designer to use the graphics of the bar code to emphasise the freshness of their milk.
A big healthy cow munching on fresh nutritious grass.
As we fast approach the May 22nd Federal election, the streets are full of political adverting.
Most of it is boring propaganda, however this one caught my attention.
The two word message is both simple and strong, but it’s the placement that got me.
It’s brilliant.
Apparently these posters are all over Melbourne and people have even taken to putting them on their own private rubbish bins.
And they are paying $20 for the privilege.
After the ‘World’s longest lockdown’ Melbourne is starting to break free and get back to some form of normality.
One of the worst aspects of our enforced isolation was being subjected to take-away coffee, in take-away cups.
As soon it became obvious that coffee could no longer be consumed, in cups, sitting in a cafe, we went out and purchased non disposable cups.
These are branded Think Cups and designed and made in Sydney. We found them at the local gift shop, which was lucky as we have had to replace them twice.
They are made from glass and tend to break if dropped. Now this a real risk when you get a barista who is stressed out and over worked, which was often the case at the morning coffee rush, during lockdown.
As take-away became the norm we decided to get some extra cups, to put in the car and carry with us when, on those very rare occasions, we got out of town.
These are KeepCups and designed and made in Melbourne. And if you buy the plastic ones – they bounce if dropped.
As it turned out they are unique, in that they are regarded as the world’s first barista-standard, reusable coffee cup.
The KeepCup company was founded in 2007 by sister and brother Abigail and Jamie Forsyth. Apart from Australia they now sell their cups in New Zealand, the USA, Canada, Europe and China.
Their world first follows the success of coffee shops in New York, Barcelona and London, that were all started by Melburnians.
Now Melbourne can truely be regarded as the ‘Coffee Capital of the world’
While escaping to Spain during lockdown number six, ie: watching the Vuelta a España, we were peppered nightly by the limited range of commercials on SBS Viceland.
This commercial for the Hyundai Tucson stood out.
With amazing special effects, it’s beautifully written, directed and filmed. It also has something that’s sadly missing in most ads these days – an idea.
I hope this is the future of ads.
I spotted this little Long Haired Dachshund, or Sausage Dog, on one of my recent beach walks.
I kicked myself afterwards for not grabbing a snap of him in his wonderful winter coat.
Then, after the walk, when I was having a coffee, there he was.
It was meant to be – just like the coat.
In the midst of all the gloom and doom, resulting from the Coronavirus (COVID-19), it’s refreshing to see someone with a sense of humour. Especially when it’s taking the piss out of all the idiots hoarding truck loads of toilet paper, in the slim chance that they are going to be put into quarantine.
I spotted this wonderfully improvised poster in a Sorrento fish and chip shop window last Saturday.
It was a long weekend and judging by the giggles from the many passers-by, it was having the right effect.
On my first good walk after returning home, I went north towards Brighton.
Just opposite the Brighton Railway Station is a bricked up tunnel that used to run under Beach Road. There has always been some form of artwork there but I was very surprised to see this new mural.
Painted by John Lawry, it cleverly links the history of the St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company with the tunnel.
Built in 1861, the tunnel was created to link the railway line, at Brighton Beach Station, with the pier that was apposite.
The new artwork is painted in the Trompe l’Oeil style (French for ‘deceive the eye’) which dates back to ancient Greek and Roman times. By using perspective the mural gives an illusion of depth and dimension.
It suits this space perfectly.
La Paz in Bolivia is one of the highest major cities in the world, sitting at 3,640 metres. While the adjacent town of El Alto, which is part of the metropolis of La Paz, sits at 4,150 metres.
The Le Paz CBD is in a canyon that has been carved out, over millions of years, by the Choqueyapu River, while the residential areas cling to the surrounding mountain sides.
This topography presented the government of La Paz with a unique public transport problem.
The only public transport before 2014 was taxis and mini busses which are chaotic and unreliable.
The solution was Mi Teleférico (My Cable Car), an urban, mass transit system that spans the city and the suburbs.
Phase one was opened in 2014 and consisted of the Red, Yellow and Green lines. Phase two opened in 2017 adding a further two lines, Orange and Blue. A further six lines are under construction or planned.
This will make it the longest cable car system in the world, covering nearly 34 kilometres and the only public transport system to use cable cars as the primary mode of transport.
It was relatively easy to construct, as the footprint of the towers is small and less disruptive than building a rail or subway system. It is environmentally friendly as it runs on both solar and hydro electricity – there is also no noise or pollution.
Mi Teleférico is lateral thinking at its best.
On Wednesday January 15, during the Melbourne heatwave, my son Evan posted a video on Vimeo.
It was a simple time lapse shot of a Lindt Chocolate Ball melting in the 42°C heat.
In just 3 days over 150,000 people have viewed it and it has been syndicated by news agencies around the world.
It was even aired on the Channel 7 News here in Melbourne.
For years advertising agencies have been trying to identify the formula that makes videos go viral. There are many theories but no real answers.
It simply comes down to the right idea at the right time, viewed by the right people.
But that’s easier said than done.
Coke does something good for a change.
Monday, August 22nd, 2022The Christopher Street Day Parade is a well established Pride march, held annually in Berlin.
This year it was on July 23rd.
This poster, that was opposite where we were staying in Berlin, is a celebration of Coke’s support for the gay community.
It incorporates their iconic ‘swoosh’ morphing into an LBGTIQ+ rainbow, as it passes through an empty Coke bottle.
Very clever, understated and also great branding.
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