Ireland

Travel, Architecture, Food, and Cocktails.

A poster series after my own heart. What could be better than travel, architecture, food and cocktails? This series of posters created by Dublin based design studio me&him&you features 14 great world cities that are identified by architectural landmarks and a signature drink or food for each. The 17 by 24 inch one color posters are silkscreened onto 190 gram Rothmill cream paper,with solvent free, water based ink. Each poster is hand numbered and signed.

Prints are delivered rolled in a strong postage tube packed in acid-free tissue paper. Each print is accompanied with an information slip about the project, blind embossed with our company seal. At sixty Euro, or about $75.00 I know what I’m adding to my Christmas wish list.

Funked Up Fixies from Wolf and Lamm.

Dublin Ireland based bike builder “Funked Up Fixies” creates bright customizable bikes in a variety of ranges and styles. They are a young company filled with passionate young and creative individuals that are into skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing and cycling. The fixed gear bikes they produce are built around the idea of low maintenance, urban suitability, and fun. The video below was produced by Wolf & Lamm for Funked up Fixies an features a sexy, colorful and dramatic spot all set to a soundtrack of French pop music. The look captures the vibe of the company and the product they produce in a somewhat cheeky fashion. One that would probably never make it on prime time TV in America. The clip has a great look, and just the right amount of humor to make it work.

Representing a Dying Art Form.

The video below highlights the rich history of sign painting in Dublin. As a person that started his graphic design career doing hand lettering, this short film captures something I hold dear. The art of craft, the art of creating by hand. Watching the people in this film hand letter signage with brush and paint is truely wonderful. Listening to a son talk about his father, grandfather, and great grandfather all passing the craft forward to the next generation is simply fantastic.

Friday Inspiration. Vodafone “Surprise”.

I’m not bypassing Thanksgiving, but for some reason I’m in a very Christmas mood this morning when it comes to inspiration. While surfing around the internet this morning checking out Christmas related videos I came across this beautiful looking piece for Vodaphone Ireland.

The character design is beautiful, and the animation and 3D set design is really outstanding. Directed by Nexus Productions FX Goby, and created by Grey London this spot tells the story of a young reindeer coming home for Christmas. His mother plotts a surprise party with all of his forest friends to welcome him home.

The animation brings the characters to life and the perfect amount of humanity and warmth that they need to sell the holiday feeling, ll done with a few light hearted touches of humor. Like the piece for John Lewis, Vodaphone isn’t trying to sell me a product for Christmas. They are simply telling a story about one of the things that makes the season great. The brand reinforcement is secondary to the message, and that is a winner for me.