An Advertisement with a Metaphor

The discussion about identifying the metaphors within advertisements and art has been the perfect learning curve for me because I am thinking about creating my own advert for another project. It's clever how they manage to get a message across without shouting it in your face.

I particularly liked the Deluxe colour advert because of it's clever link to the 1920/30's prohibition. The theme ran throughout the advert, from the music and clothing, right down to the way they spoke.They cleverly swapped alchoul for their product (paint) and used it as a metaphor to bring colour and joy into life, just like a beer would to a resident living in those dull times.


The advert that I'm going to focus on is another one from the bank TSB. I'm not overly keen on the advert but it has a clever use of metaphor within it,  the customer is acting as a long term banking customer and the waiter is acting as a bank. He entices the customer with a nice percentage, or in this case, the cake and swaps it for a smaller one and messes around with the customers decision just before walking off to a brand new customer, offering him the better slice (percentage). They finish it off with a new waiter looking after the long term customer which is a visual representation of the Bank TSB.

The adverts whole objective is to show how TSB look after their own long term customers unlike some banks who are after your money for very little return. You could read into it further and say hoew it's a reflextion of their customer service as well.

A Mind Map Of Asian Ideas

Mind Map

As a start to my own mind map, I thought it would be a good idea to see what other avenues of research the group are looking at. I have also been looking at the padlet wall which has also gave me a few key words to channel into my own mind map. The beauty of this wall is that when you think you know all, you can think again. I never would have thought about the Holi festival of colour or the many different animals to consider that are related to Asia!

At this moment in time I feel a little stuck as to where to take this project. I have thoughts and ideas but nothing in my sketch book, I feel I need to start getting practical and creative to start generating ideas as opposed to just looking for the answer on the Internet.

Tea Cup Discussion

We had a group discussion about  generating ideas from absolutely nothing which was fun. We were talking about how something as mundane as a cup can turn into a suspended installation and how you could create a painting with different shades of tea. It was discussion that makes you realise how important it is to mind map and talk about ideas so they can grow into something cool!

Product and Packaging Research

Product packaging has been an area which I haven't really explored in much depth but is surely an important side to graphics design. So I have decided to take a look around on the internet to see what interesting and inspirational designs I can find.

I found some great examples of packaging designs and products on www.dddddd.com which go a little further than your average products. The first out of these is a design for a box of chocolates which has been inspired by the boy scouts. They have managed to include a interactive element within the box which encourages you to earn each bite through completing tasks.

Each of these and many more interesting and inspirational ideas

can be found at www.thedieline.com

Merit Chocolate Bars

I love these novelty ideas, It reminds me of a one of those drinking games you can buy. I believe these small unique touches are what captures the consumers imagination which could lead to a sale. I could see this type of idea working around the holiday season such as Christmas or Halloween where people have parties. I like how they have drawn inspiration from the scouts way of earning their badges and applied this to their game, also you can see this inspiration within the design of the box. Not only is the box in the shape of a typical triangle badge, the wooden material which has been laser cut ( An important thing to take note) instantly reminds me of the great out doors and gives the box an authentic rustic feel

Designed by One Long House ,Country: USA, City: Los Angeles, Chocolatier: Cocanu

Juniper Ridge

These selection of scents and soaps are made and crafted using ingredients from the earth. They include all sorts ingredients from moss to tree bark. What a amazes me more is the craftsmanship that's ton in to making the packaging. The bottles are caped with hand crafted wooden caps and on the side of each bottle is a wilderness painting which as been designed by Obi Kaufmann. Yet again, this company has played on their products materials and name "Juniper Ridge" and directed that theme and injected it right into their products packaging. It' this way of thinking that I would need to take if I wish to go down this route in more depth.

Designed by Juniper Ridge, Country : USA

Stitch Bears (Soap)

This product is another clever idea, its a brand of soap used for babies which is made up using organic goats milk from New Zealand. It's good they have designed the product to look just like a sweet ice cream which is surely a link to the sourced material. What interests me more is the series of designs (or press adverts) that they have created, each one has a colour that is related to the type or flavour and are colours that you would associate with babies such as pastel pinks and baby blues. I like the simple tag line 

"Delicious Milk Soap" which has been stacked like a bunch of babies building blocks, overall a nice clean piece of design for a cleansing product which is surely the point?

Design: Ahhaproject, Client: Stitch Bears, Country: Germany & South Korea 

Dave's Shower & Shave

This last look and my personal favourite out of this small look into unique packaging products is a shower and shave product. The reason isn't just because of the name, but because of the overall design. The product has been designed with convenience in mind, the soap is obviously used for both showering and shaving and comes with a built in shatter proof, fog free mirror. The inner packaging also allows the man to place on the shower wall with it's built in suction cup! 

I love the design of the outer packaging, it reminds me of the new charitable campaigns such Movember and the distinguished gentleman's ride out. The graphics fonts and colours are have a retro look to them and a real masculine look to them, they where designed and crafted for the Man!!

Designed by Webb deVlam, Client: Dave's Sower & Shave, Country: USA City: Chicago 

Creative Director: Jason Campbell, Illustrators: Paris Lowitz& Jason Campbaell

This has been a very interesting piece of research, I must admit I feel like getting stuck in and start creating but, I have to hold back and explore other ways within graphics design. I do have one idea which would be a good experiment to go with, my Trails real ales product idea would be a good way to gain a little experience in designing a package. I could create the labels and beer carrier in illustrator, all the graphics are done, I would just have to design a template. It would be a good experience and if it turns out well, a great piece for my portfolio.

Adventures In Imagination: M&S Food - TV Ad 2014

Adventures In Imagination

By M&S Food

Just like in Graphics Design,  A clear message

The advert has been lighted up to give a
professional look just like in photography.

I like how each small scene has been filled
 with movement to create interest

Recently I have been doing a lot of video scripting, story boarding and editing at work on a small low budget level which I has been challenging, but one I have really enjoyed. I have started to take notice of a lot of TV ads in the type of style, the design and how they have been made.

The one that's caught my attention is the new food advert from M&S. Although this isn't related to the Asian theme, It doesn't mean it can't be. I see a short advert a great way of presenting what ever this idea may or could be. I have a camera which can record in HD and I sure I could set achieve a simple idea on a small scale for a short amount of time within the time scale. 

Breaking down the M&S advert, you can work out how simple it is. It's just a set of frames with no transitions timed to go along with the music which has been lit up with some thought. But probably the most important aspect is that it tells a story which in case, a new recipe ideas for food.

Lurpak Cook's Range - Adventure Awaits

Adventure Awaits

The colour of the sky instantly reminds mew of
the red planet Mars

The CGI effects far out reach my knowledge

However, this moonscape looks like it's been
created using flour and lighting

Everything that the narrator says has been
reinforced with visuals.

I would have to have some kind of product to show at the end
which opens up all sorts of design choices and explorations.

I love this advert, it's great how the team has linked the theme to space exploration with both music and all the visuals. They have created a moon landscape with just flour and the correct lighting and used bright lights through out to replicate the sun. The use of narration has been cleverly used as well, everything the speaker says is reinforced through novelty visuals.

It's this novelty way of thinking which sets a good advert from away from a average one, plus some of these effects could be recreated using a lows budget which is what I would be aiming for. As for some effects, they far out reach my software and knowledge.

The more I observe these adverts, the more I want to create one but, I need to come up with an Asian theme before I even begin to think about the presentation.

Asian Cities

Shanghai (China)

Shanghai, A City steeped in history and mixture of many cultures.

Although a bustling hub of business and entertainment, it still
holds it's traditional Chinese roots.

The word Shanghai literally means " City on the Sea" and was carved up by by other countries after it opened their ports to foreign involvement after the first Opium War which was around 1842. Brought with these countries (British, French, America), was diverse cultures, architectures and societies.

Described as the Paris of the East "Shanghai" was a hub of business, entertainment and had some of the best art around. It was playground for the rich but all this would eventually come crashing down later on when it was occupied by the Japanese in World War 2 and eventually fell to the uninformed culture of Communism.

Today Shanghai has yet again become a hub for business and was once described by Deng "Xiaoping " as the head of the Dragon. It's a unique city steeped in history and many Western and traditional Chinese cultures.

I'm not quite sure what attracted me to research this city but it's a place I have heard of in films. I visioned it as a bustling neon lit city which is true but, I never new that it was a mixture of all different cultures. I love the traditional side of City with the no Doubt beautiful Chinese gardens with the neon lit back drop. As for how this could tie in to my project, well I suppose I could look into the types of food and drink, the fashion, I could create a visit Shanghai brochure which takes you on a tour around the many different cultures that make up the City.

Information sourced from The New York Times www.newyorktimes.com

Hanoi (Vietnam)

Described as the modern Vietnam, Hanoi has areas which
have a Parisian grace about them 

The hustle an bustle of the busy streets of Hanoi

I like this clash of cultures Hanoi may have foreign influences but
it still has areas of it's own culture.

Over the many years, the city of Hanoi has been dominated by many powers. From the country of China back as far back as the 9th century, to the French taking over in the 19th century trough to the 1940's when Japan took over during WW2. At the end of WW2 Hanoi began operating as the capital of Vietnam but yet again conflicts changed the cities fate when Vietnam was split into two which led to the Vietnam war, during this time, Hanoi became the capital of the north.

What caught my eye when reading about this city is the French culture that has been entwined with the Vietnamese culture and way of life. During the occupation of the Hanoi by the French Hanoi has a distinct Parisian theme to some of the architecture.

Tokyo (Japan) 

A place of technology, vibrancy and wonder and history. Originally known as "Edo" Tokyo was a centre of politics and culture as far back as 1603. It wasn't until 1868 when Edo would be named as Tokyo as we all know it today. Tokyo has suffered devastation from the great Kanto earthquake,  to the bombings of 1945 which more or less levelled the city.

Over the years the city has grown from strength to strength producing cutting edge technology, culture and fashion and is currently accelerating efforts to achieve goals for a 10 year plan to deal with the recent Great East earthquake of March 2011 and become a city that fits the 21st century.

I would  imagine Tokyo as a technological wonder, the vibrant city and culture within it  is an area I may wish to explore or at least include in my project.

Delhi (India)

Delhi is a city where emperors have risen and fell throughout history among these is a our very own British rule 1911. I can't say that the city grabs my attention but the cuisine certainly does. Curry is there native dish which is probably very different from our equivalent. I also imagine that the city is a very colourful place but in a more traditional way instead of the neon glows of the streets of Tokyo.

The cuisine aspect may be an interesting way to take this project. It's an area which is reflection of there customs and traditions and each city or countries cuisines are so different and diverse.

You Have To Start Some Where

I always find that hardest part in any project is to start. So I thought I would start in words and thoughts to kick off this project. After reading the unit brief, I feel I want to cover as much as possible to learn as many different ways to communicate a graphic message. I want this whole unit to revolve around both skill building, experimentation and working towards a quality body of work to go in a well designed portfolio which could lead to a better job or a showcase of styles to offer working in freelance.

Today we started with a group mind map which has helped me to start, but I think it needs taking further tailored towards myself. I seem to be drawn to advertisement because of the broad approach in both contexts and techniques that could be learnt from the subject.