The answer to our project - 5 gum??

Our recent, spruce up a mundane product using your advertising and branding skills seems to have been answered. Is this how the gum brief should have been done? If this was entered to our lecturers what grade would it receive?

The first flaw is: its target market. The market has attempted to tempt the MTV segment. In my opinion the packaging resembles your grandfather trying to be 'hip' and 'down'. Im sure with the stark black space and cool bright colors stand out to audience but does it stand out to the right one? There are 3 flavours at the moment: Cobalt, Rain and Flare, which is “cool speak” for peppermint, spearmint and cinnamon.

I can imagine Mike Sheedy saying: "Yes, its good, but what does it do?? What is this gum doing that other gum doesnt?"

Joseph Wright of Derby

Where to start? The colours, the realism, the early recording of science, the emotion, the lighting... There is nothing quite as stunning as a Joseph Wright of Derby Painting. This painting is singly the most beautiful depiction of a science I have ever seen.

The first time I stood before it in the National Portrait Gallery I was taken aback by how moving it was, that was three years ago. I am desperate to see it again. The small JPEG above gives it no justice. You have to see this in the flesh and be drawn into the scene of 'An experiment on a bird in air pump'.

Branson looses virginity

Sir Richard Branson lost his sole use of the word 'Virgin' in branding. Branson has been the only Virgin in town since he started the company in 1970. A south African company named Bodtrade was granted was allowed to use the trademark "You can't be a virgin all your life, its time".

Virgin and no-one even knows what this company does... their are spectualtions it is a shelf company. It is the ONLY time any company has won a branding idea against Branson using the word 'Virgin' except for Olive oil companies. Greedy. Now Branson will be tied up with other companies trying to tag along with Virgins brand identity as others apply to use the word. Virgin are worried that consumers will confuse these products as virgin owned, I'm not so sure.

Bodtrade hit Branson where it hurts costing the company a whopping £1,500 in legal costs.

£30,000 prize for 28 billion coin shaped Jigsaw pieces

In 2005 The Royal Mint released a competition for the public to design the coin collections. It was judged by Gordon Brown and the Queen. The coin design would win a prize of up to £30,000 and your design could be in the pockets of everyone in the UK. Can you imagine your pitch at an interview?

Interviewer: Wheres your portfolio?

Interviewee: Its in your wallet, sir.

26-year old Matthew Dent won the competition with the design above. It also recently landed him a black pencil at the D&AD awards.

His design is heraldic. The royal coat of arms represents England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales all coming together on this single design. Dent states that he wanted a jigsaw puzzle design so children, and adults alike, could play with the design. Its an absolutely beautiful concept. A coin shaped jigsaw puzzle. The pound coin was later released as the lid, the explanation and the model with which to create the puzzle itself. It ties the whole design together and provides a stunning outcome.

The only problem with the design is that, singlely, the coins are not easily recognized as this. I saw the new 20 Pence first and while not phased by the coin design I didn’t quite understand it. With uneven lines going off the edge of the coin and the complete ignorance of borders I thought… how strange, are they trying to be edgy and contemporary? However, when I understood it for the first time I was impressed. As was The Prime Minister, The Queen, D&AD and as I am sure others would be too.

I think its quite clear Britain wont be moving to the euro quite yet.