Designers in Training

Tokyo's Odakyu Line.


Chicago's Brown Line.

Japanese children seem to understand how to use medium in designing graphics so why can't the CTA? In commemoration of their 80th anniversary, Odakyu Railway held a “Train Design Contest” to collect drawings from children all over Japan. At the conclusion, two of the submitted works were used to decorate actual trains. Yes, children are more qualified than you.
Full story here.


winners Kazutera Maehira and Nanako Kato.


Our two favorite.

It's Better Than Coal

Because Critical Intent still loves Jung Von Matt, Because it's Christmas and because I want one!
via I Believe in Advertising

Advertising Agency: Jung von Matt, Zurich, Switzerland
Executive Creative Director: Alexander Jaggy
Creative Director: Michael Rottmann
Art Director: David Hanselmann
Copywriter: Tom Seinige
Photographer: Patrick Rohner

"I Don't Get It. Didn't You Read the Brief?"

Larger view here.

I first saw this ad a couple of days ago and didn't think much of it. Then I kept thinking about it and eventually got really agitated because it's a perfect example of starting off with a great idea and bumbling the execution. I love Jung von Matt, I think they're doing some of the best work right now especially outdoors but this ad for the Mercedes CL 63 is what happens when creatives become too familiar with their own idea. Too much self editing and internals can widdle an idea down to such obscurity that the only ones who "get it" are the ones that have read the creative brief. The intended claim here is that the Mercedes is faster than it's own shadow but nothing in this ad communicates that idea except a shadow of a car (in a parking zone no less) and the copy Incredible acceleration: CL 63 AMG 514hp. Don't expect the public to work as hard to understand the ad as you did coming up with it. Swallow your pride and test the idea on someone outside of the account.

Advertising Agency: Jung von Matt/Donau, Vienna, Austria
Creative Directors: Andreas Putz, Volkmar Weiss
Art Director: Volkmar Weiss
Copywriter: Thomas Niederdorfer

Digital Billboards Snowball in Toronto

Just in time for the holidays, Bos Toronto brings us a new take on multi billboard messaging. The billboards will be projected up on different buildings throughout Toronto’s downtown core from December 6th to December 29th. They are being projected by BC-based Media Merchants using high-power light projectors.
Via colorbus

Client: Fido
Client: Sébastien Moise, Marketing Manager, Fido
Creative Agency: Bos Toronto
Creative Directors: Roger Gariepy, Chad Borlase, Gary Watson

Art Director: Ibraheem Youssef
Copywriter: Mwewa Frederick Nduna
Client Service: François Mailloux, Erin Gooderham
Production: Sugino Studios
Post Production: The Studio Upstairs
Projections: The Media Merchants
Video Production: Stone Canoe

Crash Test

Nissan's Crash Test Banner

A good idea is a good idea in almost any format and this one for Nissan from Indonesian agency Hakuhodo lends itself perfectly to the medium. Check out the full animation version here.

Internet Killed the Video Star

Arcade Fire's Neon Bible

With more and more music fans looking for videos online, it was only a matter of time before the music video itself became interactive. For their new song Neon Bible, Arcade Fire tapped the director/action script programer Vincent Morisset for this dark vaudevillian inspired gem. The Neon Bible music video(?) seems like only the beginning for online music video's interactive potential. Expect big things to come from this still untapped corner of the web in the coming months.

Green Screen

Emily Grobeille & Theodore Watson

Debuted at the Cinekid festival in the Netherlands, "Funky Forest" is a green inspired interactive exhibit that allows users to experience how their actions affect a digital Forest. Add trees to the Forest and divert river water to nourish them and the Forest and it's inhabitants thrive, misuse the resources and the Forest declines. The brain child of designers Emily Grobeille and Theodore Watson, the installation was created with OpenFrameworks.

Nose Candy

In a misguided attempt at turning breath mints into a hip night-out accessory, Hershey has released the new Ice Breakers PACS. The granular mint which is actually just mint flavored sweetener is housed in individual dissolvable blue baggies. Needles to say, Someone probably tried to get stoned on breath mints last night, someone will be getting shot today for selling bogus drugs and someone at Hershey will be getting fired come Monday.

Winter Olympics Goes Vinyl

We're digging the new 2010 Winter Olympics mascots. It seems that after the New Rave inspired design debacle that was the 2012 London logo, the Olympic committee finally got something right by commissioning Vancouver's own Meomi design and illustration studio. Meomi, made up primarily of illustration/design duo Vicki Wong and Michael Murphy, brought a vinyl touch to the cuddly Sumi, Quatchi and Miga, a native pacific northwestern guardian spirit, a sea bear and a Sasquatch respectfully.