Wednesday, 3 March 2010

Lucibel - Product of the Year Award 2010

Lucibel, with packaging I developed with Nouvel Oeuvre, has been awarded Product of the Year 2010 in the Grand Prix Marketing Innovation category.
Lucibel were highly praised for their 'radical innovation' both in terms of the low energy CFL light bulb technology and the ecological 100% recyclable, easy-open packaging.
http://www.produitsdelannee.com

Sunday, 28 February 2010

Paris Metropole - branding Paris for the 21st Century









































Branding for Paris Metropole, part of the Grand Paris urbanisation initiative. The brand is based on the superimposition at an equal scale of the different departments making up the metropolis.
Paris, the world's No.1 tourist destination, has suffered in terms of building a genuine contemporary identity, due to its all too well known landmark - the Eiffel Tower, whose image is so synonymous with the city as to handicap any attempt to create and deploy a powerful destination brand. This design does manage to make a break with cliché imagery and successfully communicate the dynamism, diversity and vitality of a 21st Century metropolis.

Batman will not be outdone

And now the first Batman for more than $1 million...

Tuesday, 23 February 2010

Working Late Alphabet















Another interpretation of the Found Alphabet assignment undertaken with 3rd year students at the Ecole Bleue. Working Late alphabet by Justine Sainte-Faust.

$1 million Superman comic

The first Superman comic sells at auction for $1 million. Published in June 1938, issue No.1 had a cover price of 10 cents.

Thursday, 18 February 2010

Paul is on www.coroflot.com

I now have a profile and portfolio on Coroflot and on Behance Network, the global creative resource web sites.

Thursday, 11 February 2010

e-cycle typography

Best Buy's 'e-cycle' campaign to promote recycling of electronic equipment and gadgets has been launched with this PC typography sign in Times Square New York. Finally a good use for all that electronic junk that fills our basements and attics.

3D branding/merchandising/store design for T-Magi

We are currently working on a retail branding/merchandising concept and exploring the relationship between the brand, the retail environment and signage.
The combined brand and store design for T-Magi in Copenhagen by We Architecture is a superb solution and a brilliant illusion whereby the brand becomes the shop and the sign. It is reminiscent of the perforated exterior skin of the Chanel building in Ginza by Kumiko Inui which incorporated embedded fibre optics to light up the facade at night.

Thursday, 21 January 2010

09 Annual Design Review

Our Annual Design Review features some of the creative highlights from our work over the year.
A broad variety of projects are covered from our Gold Award in the 2009 Pentawards and Vendange Wines branding to our COP15 co2penhagen posters and conference speaking engagements.

Wednesday, 20 January 2010

Found ABC















Looking and Seeing - a typography research project with students at the Ecole Bleue. Sky Type involves raising your eyes and looking at the city from a new angle. The Reflection ABC book cleverly plays on a mirror foil page and the reflection of the image to create the complete character.
Sky Type by Céline Juppeau
Reflection by Anne-Laure Acloque

Monday, 18 January 2010

Google search and site traffic

Google - 'Paul Vickers + design' and the first six entries found are mine. In a Google image search sixty of my images are found on the first five pages.
Traffic to my des!gn think!ng site averages between fifty to one hundred hits a month.

Sorbonne University Paris brand identity review by Paul Vickers for Brand New

I have joined the editorial team at Brand New, a division of Under Consideration, as an international correspondent covering branding and identity design news from France.
My full review of the new brand for the Paris Sorbonne University can be read here: www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/the_radiance_of_knowledge.php

Tuesday, 12 January 2010

200 years - Peugeot's new brand

Friday, the 200th anniversary of French car maker Peugeot, saw the unveiling of the new Peugeot brand by BETC Design as well as the launch of the SR1 concept car and an impressive promo video retracing the brands history from its humble origins as a coffee grinder maker, via steam-powered tricycles to one of the world's leading car manufacturers.
The new brand is an improvement in some ways on the rather unsophisticated and functional 1989 design but is rather a predictable solution with a few disturbing characteristics.
Most disappointing is the treatment of the lion - Peugeot's heritage symbol - who has lost all his majesty and force, his very lion-ness and now looks more like a teddy bear or a poodle. This, to judge by the comments in internet chat's, is what most concerns the design community and the general public.
The chrome treatment of the lion, the current design trend for all car makers, is poorly rendered, where Citroën's by Landor was successful. There is none of the power and dynamism of Jaguar by The Partners 2002. The typography is light and sophisticated with the same E as Citroën, perhaps to signify their belonging to the same group. One thing I have always questioned is why the lion faces left, when the name reads left to right and facing left is looking backwards. Flipping him to face the future was just too much change?

Monday, 11 January 2010

La Charcuterie business cards

And whilst on the subject of food, these business cards and packaging labels for La Charcuterie deli/restaurant by Rethink in Vancouver are absolutely brilliant.

Mary & Matt chocolates


Who needs packaging with chocolates that look this good? From Mary & Matt in New York.

Thursday, 7 January 2010

My 2010 card on www.design.fr

My NY 2010 card is also featured on www.design.fr
and on the Russian design site www.etoday.ru

Wallpaper* publishes Pentagram card I designed with Mervyn Kurlansky



Wallpaper* the design, art, lifestyle magazine has published an article on Pentagram's Christmas cards over the years, featuring the card I designed with Mervyn Kurlansky in 1982. This brought back memories of my years with Pentagram and the people who made up that unique team.
It also reminded me of the time before Mac's, when everything was done by hand, of Cow Gum, Rotring pens and scalpels...

Friday, 1 January 2010

My 2010 card selected by dezeen magazine



My 2010 New Year card is selected amongst the years best designed cards by dezeen design magazine. A great start to 2010. www.dezeen.com

Saturday, 19 December 2009

Snow Branding in London

With most of Europe covered with a seasonal layer of snow, here is Snow Branding.
Imagined by the UK agency Curb for the Extreme Sports Channel, over 2 000 logotypes were stamped across London. Great viability and buzz, zero environmental impact.