Cheap food, cheap design.

I have always been a value range shopper. Really, how much better can a 86p can of chopped tomatoes be than a 19p can? I don't really care that much abut the packaging either, even as a designer. However, this isn't the case for everyone.

Most supermarket's 'value ranges' main selling point is that they undercut named brands. I think throughout time they've persuaded themselves that to show this price drop they must have horribly plain and somewhat utilitarian designs. This started decades ago with Kwik Save's 'No Frills' brand. It even says it in the name. "Yes, you can have this can of beans for 7p but you also get this black and white label that tells the world how cheap you really are". This advertisment of your wealth puts some people off buying value ranges.

So why can't value ranges have some charm and engagement? Even 7 year old Harry Deverill spotted this marketing flaw. In the metro this week, it described how when eating his breakfast he asked his dad why his Brown sauce label looked so boring. His dad told him to write to Waitrose and to their amazement they wrote back saying that they completely agreed and would now be featuring Harry's own design.

That's why when Coley Porter Bell redesigned Morrison's value range in 2010 I was really impressed. The agency's research showed that consumers are embarrassed of having value products in their trolley. They hoped that the bright colours, comical illustrations and bespoke type-face would add an element of fun and I think they've done an amazing job. The new labels are so far removed from all the bland brands of years passed. It still looks plain and its consistency helps shoppers to identify that it is part of the value range but it does it while looking inviting and inspiring to the consumer.

Unexpectedly nice typography from KFC

   

Ahead of its 50th anniversary, KFC has launched this lovely new marketing campaign to promote their slow cooked, original BBQ chicken. Just about everything from this campaign screams 'trendy'. The distressed chalkboard typography, the south-american music and the summer feeling photography. Even the product itself is in fashion because these days you can't be an 'on-trend' restaurant unless your meat is 'pulled' in someway. Louise Direito, KFC innovation manager says "If pulled pork was the dish of 2014, then 2015 will become the year of pulled chicken. Influenced heavily by both our Kentucky heritage as well as the UK street-food scene, the new range is a labour of love for us." The video featured on the website is also current. The southern-American voice over, plot and hazy style is very reminiscent of the iconic Jack Daniels marketing.

The typography is very similar to recent McDonald's advertising campaign illustrated by Alison Carmicheal. I suspect that the Jack Daniels homely southern roots focus and the McDonald's new focus were key inspirations for this campaign.

It almost seems too cool and trendy for KFC, I love it because I'm a designer but will their die-hard fans feel the same way? I believe it is a bid to draw in new crowds by improving the variety of their menu and bringing it more in-line with current tastes of the 'new generation' market. In that sense I think this campaign works because it speaks to that new audience very effectively.

The responsive site design also looks top-notch and works flawlessly. See the full website here: www.kfcpulledchicken.co.uk/

Marmite - love it or hate it

Marmite - love it or hate it, the same goes for the advertising camapign. Marmite have released spoof adverts of the brand branching out into new ventures. The campaign features all of Marmites most shocking product ideas, including a fabric softener, a shower gel and a perfume.

The ads, created by DDB UK, are not actual products which will be released although the campgin is selling a new Marmite Cereal Bar. It will be the world's first savory cereal bar. The ads tell you to tell you to log onto their facebook page and tell them if you love them or hate them.

Impressive flash portfolio design

Beautiful illustration by Rowan. Lovely way to present your portfolio online.

www.rowanimation.co.uk

Pottery town

In my family's hometown of Stoke-on-Trent, there is an amazing pottery heritage. I recently visited the Clarice Cliff pottery museum. It was brilliant to explore my home town's vast history and visit the museum of a designer whom I adore. The shapes and designs of her pottery were the most unique of its time and still are today. It is undisputed that Josiah Wedgwood is the biggest Legacy in Britain's pottery industry but for me Clarice Cliff is by far the most creative.

New interior design at Leeds University Union

I have been lucky enough to collaborate on the complete re-design of the Leeds University Union brand and interior design. This is just a sneak preview of our new Vinyls which will be going up on the walls shortly.

It's all about loving your time at Leeds kids!

Frightened Seller

CD packaging and merchandise for New York drum and piano duo Frightened Seller by Mikey Burton. Stunning duo colour effects.

Welcome to Yorkshire

The re-brand of the Yorkshire tourist board produced by Elmwood design is a wonderful example of modernisation. The re-brand was necessary to make Yorkshire a desirable places for many audiences not just people interested in the traditional countryside aspect of Yorkshire. This is truly the identity Yorkshire deserves.

The campaign uses the Y to answer WHY Yorkshire is the place to be. "Discover Y" works on two levels the question (whY) and the answer (Yorkshire). A very clever and complete concept. Local newspaper Yorkshire post used the headline "Yorkshire tourism ready to show the world Y" which was a beautiful way of forwarding Elmwood's concept for the brand.

Before and after logo designs for the Yorkshire tourism department.

A passport to a vintage Britain

Britain's new passport designs proposed for next year have now been unveiled. There has been opposing views on the new designs some impressed, others disappointed.


Agency De La Rue collaborated with the Identity and Passports Service's product design team to produce the new designs. It features picturesque qualities of Britain such as seagulls, acorns, butterflies, choppy seas, ferns and cottages. Another recurrent theme is the weather. It features weather symbols depicting page after page as a cloudy day, with patches of sunshine day. This seems very peculiar to me... it almost seems like an advert for the british holiday for people that are leaving the country. "Hey, I know your'e going to Majorca for the sunshine but look what Britain's got for you, good old traditional stormy weather"

It also includes famous places like white cliffs of Dover, the Gower peninsula, Ben Nevis and the Giant's Causeway. The row of houses can easily be a scene from a psychedelic drug trip in the 70's but it's actually the opening page of the new passport. There are no references to modern urbanised Britain rather the nostalgia of a good old remote British village ,where everyones know each other's names. How sweet.

£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.