Lucy's view: Ben Affleck as Batman? Just think of it as a rebrand

The logo for the Batman and Superman
film to be released in 2015.

There seems to be a lot of negativity around the decision to cast Ben Affleck as the new Batman, and I can see people's concerns. But let's face it, this is not the first time this has happened and it will not be the last, I am sure people remember the media hype around Daniel Craig being cast as James Bond, and look how that turned out. For the record, I am aware James Bond is not a superhero, but his character is treated in a very similar way. Everyone has a favourite 'Bond' just like everyone has a favourite Superman, Spiderman, and obviously Batman, and I think it's pretty obvious that every actor brings something different to the role.

We oppose change

We humans are creatures of habit, and tend to resist change, and this is true across every aspect of our lives. And shaking up the casting of our favourite superheroes is always going to cause a stir. But superheroes are not the people in the suits, they are the characters with compelling stories, from comics dating back to the 30's (DC was founded in 1934, Marvel in 1939). Having a brother who is majorly into his comic books, I am learning that there are so many different story lines and variations in characters, that there is no way that the films can even keep up!

Also, these superheroes do not seem to age much. Kirk Alyn was the first actor to play Superman, way back in the 40s, there is no way he could still be playing the role now! And I am sure there was some upset when he was replaced, just like what's going on with Batman now.

Another factor to consider is that different comic book writers have brought their own spin to the characters, take the Tobey Maguire "Spiderman", and Andrew Garfield "The Amazing Spiderman", both actors are portraying a different Spiderman, created by two different sets of writers. Both required different actors, as both are essentially different characters, just they have the same name. It's a lot more complicated than it seems on the surface, which is why I trust the people casting for these roles, they know what they are doing! Ultimately, times change, roles and actors change, and thus people are replaced.

Tobey Maguire as Spiderman (left). Andrew Garfield as "The Amazing Spiderman" (right).
You can tell the character / icon is still Spiderman, effectively the character has just been rebranded.

"It's simple we kill [rebrand], the Batman" - The Joker

Whilst thinking about the news of Ben Affleck's casting, I couldn't help but notice the similarities between this situation and rebranding, as essentially, that is what's happening. Batman is still Batman, there is just a different guy behind the mask. He still has the same name, he just looks and acts a bit different, within the constraints of the character. Sound like a rebrand to you?

Batman is technically a brand, his suit and logo are icons of his brand, and it is a brand's icons that stick with you as a consumer. But, as Interbrand so succinctly put it:

"Icons are tremendous assets with incredible value, however they require regular updating to infuse them with new and relevant meaning."

As much as we like things to stay the same, we sometimes have to admit to ourselves that things have got a bit tired, or, if we're savvy, we may decide to freshen things up whilst we're still onto a good thing. And this is when we decide to rebrand. It's probably a good job Christian Bale got out now, soon we'd be complaining things had become too 'samey'. At some point, you, or in Batman's case Warner Bros., have to take a leap and change things, and wait for both the positive, confused, and negative reactions. Nobody is ever going to please everybody!

We feel strongly towards our favourite characters because we have empathy with them. When a different comic book writer writes about a well known character, or a new actor is cast for our favourite superhero, they are going to bring their interpretation to the table, it is still the same character, but just slightly different. Superficially our feelings may change towards the character, maybe because we don't like the new writer or actor as much, but remember, it's the writer or actor you're not keen on, not the character itself. The same rules apply to rebranding, people may initially not warm to a new look, but it's what's underneath that retain customers and keeps people interested. Like a brand, the suit and, the character's name, are just the first of many layers that people experience when interacting with a brand.

Change is good, but remember your story

The itv rebrand caused quite a stir when it was launched, now it is
accepted as "the norm".

In a rebrand, you may change your logo, colour palette and strap lines, you may even change your name! But underneath you are the same company, probably with the same mission and values. You are essentially the same, you just look a bit different, you may even act a bit differently. During a rebrand you might strengthen your policies, tighten your internal operations, and become bigger, bolder, and better. One of the most important things to remember in business is that your brand will mean different things to different people. Individuals will interpret your brand in different ways, and this is how a unique business to customer relationship is formed. If you change things peoples feelings may change, but you are likely to attract more people to your business if you are brave, change things, and throw yourself out there. What makes you shine more than any of this is your story, both as a company, and as an individual, this is your continuity, what carries through your old and new brands, this is what people buy into.

As previously mentioned, the decision to cast Ben Affleck has caused controversy, but the experts have selected him for the role, and I am sure they have considered Batman's characteristics when making this decision. In the same vane, when undertaking a rebrand, it is important to consult experts. You know your brand better than anyone, but it's the expert that will help you to unearth the true potential of your brand. An expert will help you to reinvent, reinvigorate and rejuvenate, whilst making sure that there is a clear continuity between old and new. 

Let's not write Ben off just yet, let's embrace change and give it some time to become the norm, then we can start complaining all over again when Warner Bros. decide it's time for another recast, sorry, rebrand!

We'd love to hear your opinions, tweet us @ubd_studio

Guest Post- Luna Moon iPhone Case

Kiera's HTC phone!

For the last two weeks we have had two more members of the United by Design team: Kiera and Esme, students from Joseph Rowntree School, through the NYBEP immerse education programme, who have been here on their work experience. As well as working on some of the live briefs in the studio alongside Annabel and Ross, the pair have also been introduced to the social media side of things, and we tasked them with writing a blog post. Having looked at our previous posts, the girls were inspired by the Apple accessories post we released last week. They have found another great accessory they wanted to share, the Luna Moon iPhone Case.

Kiera:

This week I upgraded from my old HTC to an iPhone. To say it was in less than good condition would be an understatement. My phone I’d had before the HTC was also smashed to pieces. So considering the condition of my previous phones, I thought it was probably a good idea to actually purchase a case for my new phone.

The problem with trying to buy a phone case is the fact that there are just so many to choose from. Unless you are looking for a particular type of case, you could very easily end up scrolling through endless pages of cases, that all look pretty similar.

Whilst browsing for inspiration Esme came across the ‘Luna iPhone Skin’.

Esme:

The skin is made from a thin, flexible concrete, and has individual craters on it’s surface. The innovative design is unique to each skin, no two are the same. The product is named ‘Luna’ as the finished result looks like the surface of the Moon. The skin sticks on the back of the model, like a screen protector. We really liked the design as it was innovative and unmatched. As it is one of the sturdiest backs for an iPhone that you can buy, I think Kiera needs one.

The Luna iPhone Skin.

"We’ve both been on work experience here at United By Design for the past two weeks, and we’ve loved being here. Our work placement has been interesting, educational, and everyone has been really helpful and lovely. It’s fun too. Thanks guys."

Sources of information:
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/122411-concrete-luna-iphone-case-offers-solid-protection-each-one-unique
http://www.thecoolist.com/luna-concrete-iphone-5-skin/
http://knstrct.com/
http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/luna-iphone-5-case

Owen's View: 'Branding' yourself- tattoos

Examples of sugar skulls

Since my college days I have been thinking about getting a tattoo, but haven't yet made the commitment to a design that I am prepared to wear on my body for the rest of my life. Our recent work with Treboom Brewery, and our research into sugar skulls got me once again thinking about tattoos, but also branding, and how the two are alike in so many ways. 

Tattoos symbolise being part of tradition, part of a group or clan, or to stand out and even shock. In the same vein, the reason businesses and individuals 'brand' is to differentiate themselves from the next person or business.

Recently the worlds of branding and tattoos have mixed quite dramatically, with huge brands including Reebok, Red Bull, HBO, ASOS and Sailor Jerrys offering free tattoos at various film and music events. The number of willing participants just proves how dedicated some brand fans can be, and that tattoos are no longer a symbol of rebellion.

And what about being dedicated to your company? I have thought about having the United by Design logo tattooed on my body, but this is my business, it's a part of me and something I feel strongly about. But I am not so sure about what's going on over in New York at Rapid Realty, the company is offering a 15% rise in commission to every member of staff who has the company's logo tattooed on them. Over 40 staff have been inked so far!

Tattooing is highly profiled in the media. The rise in popularity of shows such as Miami Ink is inspiring more people than ever to go out and get inked. The amount of celebrities now sporting tattoos makes the once frowned upon art-form even more part of the norm. After the 2012 Olympics, several of the GB athletes, including the majority of the women's basketball team, went and had tattoos incorporating the 5 Olympic rings, highlighting their dedication and pride to sport, Great Britain and the Olympic games.

Azania Stewart- Member of GB Women's Basketball team with her tattoo.

On the other hand, there is still a certain amount of prejudice when it comes to those with tattoos. Air New Zealand have been forced to rethink their policies after being slated for turning away a prospective employee due to her moko, (Maori), tattoo on her forearm. It is reasonable to say that some tattoos are offensive or inappropriate, but taking in pride in your heritage is no bad thing!

In Japan, tattoos still shock and unnerve people, as the showing of body art by Yakuza gang members is considered a sign of aggression. Attitudes are warming slightly to the tradition, as more and more people have started experimenting with irezumi (japanese style of tattooing).

As for my tattoo, I am inspired by japanese, polynesian and moko styles, in fact I have a Pinterest board dedicated to the tattoos that inspire me, check it out here. While I continue to make my mind up I may experiment with some temporary tattoos, such as these by Lydia Leith.

And just like tattoos, branding is something that has to be thought about and considered carefully. There should be a meaning behind your choice and why you are going ahead with such an investment. With regards to both tattoos and branding, seeking advice from an expert, and doing your research, are paramount. It may cost you, but you want the job to be done properly- money definitely well spent if you're going to have the branding, or the tattoo, for a VERY long time!

Are you inked? Tweet us some inspiration @ubd_studio



Sources of information: 
http://www.today.com/money/company-ink-agents-get-15-raise-corporate-tattoos-6C9714898 
http://www.details.com/blogs/daily-details/2013/05/the-tattoo-as-corporate-branding-tool.html 
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/opinion/8739378/Editorial-Air-NZ-makes-a-moko-mistake
http://www.dontpaniconline.com/magazine/radar/horiyoshi-iii-inks-japan

Lucy's View: Weird and wonderful Apple accessories

Whilst browsing Reddit over the last couple of days, (the place a lot of my blog inspiration comes from), I noticed that there seems to be a few accessories for your Apple products that would probably raise a few eyebrows in Dragon's Den. However, as ridiculous as they may seem, these products exist, and some of them seem to be doing pretty well. Here are the top three Apple accessories that I have found on Reddit this week:

The iPhone lifejacket:

At first this product seemed a bit ridiculous to me. But, the more I have looked at it, and read other people's comments, the more it makes sense. This piece of kit will set you back around $40, but that's a lot less than the damage that could be caused by drowning your iPhone. The lifejacket is not waterproof, so you would have to get a waterproof case separately, but the LifeProof lifejacket will stop your phone from sinking, which is pretty important if you're into sailing, kayaking, or even just lounging around in a jacuzzi, and you like to have your phone on hand.

Lapka- taking being aware of your environment to an extreme:

Ever wondered how much radiation is in the air around you? Been out for a meal and wondered how organic your steak was? Wanted to know the humidity in case your hair might frizz? Well this little set of beautiful designed tools can tell you all that, and more. Incorporating a Geiger counter, electromagnetic field meter (EMF), humidity and temperature gauge, and an organic meter, these little blocks are designed to make you more aware of the world around you, and how it could be affecting you and your family. The associated App stores your readings, so you can keep track of what you are being exposed to on a daily basis. I am sure there will be more meters added to the collection over the years. The set will cost you around $220, and if you're into science and being more aware of your surroundings, I guess it's worth it. The designers of Lapka said the look they were aiming for was "YSL meets NASA" and personally I think they have pulled this off beautifully.

A $15million yacht that can be controlled by your iPad? I kid you not…

And now for the most extravagant accessory that possibly will ever exist. I already thought it was pretty amazing that remote controlled helicopters can be used with an iPad, but this really does take the biscuit. The stunningly designed superyacht can be controlled by an iPad up to 50 metres away! Looking like something that has just come out of Star Trek, this really is the ultimate gadget.




Have you spotted any weird and wonderful Apple accessories? Tweet us @ubd_studio

(I am not sure whether any of this technology is available in the UK yet, all the prices I can seem to find are in dollars)

Source of Information:
http://www.lifeproof.com/shop/us_en/lifeproof-lifejacket/
http://www.theverge.com/2012/12/11/3726638/lapka-iphone-sensors-yves-saint-laurent-meets-nasa
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/01/tech/is-this-space-age-ipad-superyacht/index.html?hpt=hp_bn5

Lucy's View: Dolby Atmos- bringing sound in the cinema to life!

I love the cinema. For ages I just didn't go but recently I can't get enough! Maybe it's because production companies are bringing out films that I simply can't wait to see, Despicable Me 2 being the next on my list. Or maybe it's the atmosphere, and sharing the hype that goes with being one of the first to see a new release. When Iron Man 3 came out I was there for the 00:01 showing, because that's how excited I was, call me sad / nerdy, but we all have things we 'geek out' on!


That being said, you can probably imagine how excited I was when, flipping through E&T magazine, I read about the latest advances in cinema sound. What with 3D now common place, sound needed to catch up with the visual feast that goes on when you go and see that latest blockbuster on the big screen, and that's where Dolby Atmos comes in.

What is Dolby Atmos?

So far, in the UK, there is only one cinema that has this new technology installed, and of course you will find it in London: Empire's Leicester Square complex. This 3D sound system will integrate up to 64 speakers, all of which can be individually isolated to pin-point sound to a certain location in the cinema. Not only that, but because of the isolation of the speakers, the sound can move, dragging you further in to the cinema experience and immersing you deep into the movie atmosphere.

Diagrams comparing the three Dolby sound systems available at present. (From the Dolby website)

A few films have already been released supporting this new sound format, including Star Trek Into Darkness, in which people have claimed they found themselves ducking to avoid overhead space craft! This is the first time speakers will be placed in the ceiling, leading to a depth of sound never experienced before in the cinema. However it seems that the home cinema craze have already adopted this trend, Bang and Olufson, Bose, and Harmon Kardon have developed speakers specially designed to be installed into the ceiling.

Not only is the new technology exciting news for the average cinema buff, but film developers will no longer have to mix their sound to suit the number of speakers in the cinema, Dolby Atmos will do this for them, making the most of the speakers available, whether it be in a huge cinema, or a smaller independent establishment.

Rollout of this new sound technology may take some time. Cinemas will have to close in order to have their systems upgraded, and I doubt that it will be cheap. But I for one am looking forward to my cinema experience being all the more exciting!

Source of Information:
http://techland.time.com/2013/06/06/dolby-atmos/
http://www.dolby.com/gb/en/professional/technology/cinema/dolby-atmos.html
http://www.dolby.com/gb/en/consumer/technology/movie/dolby-atmos-details.html
E&T Magazine Vol. 8 Issue. 6 July 2013

Annabel's View: Mr. Waterstone's new app 'Read Petite' in development

The new service
expected this autumn.

A new reading app, called Read Petite, is due to be launched to the public in autumn. For any traders who've missed this piece of news, it was launched to trade at the London Book Fair in April.

Read Petite is founded by Tim Waterstone (founder of the book retailer Waterstones) along with literary agent Peter Cox, the former editor of The Bookseller magazine, Neill Denny, and founder of book supply chain specialist, Batch, Martyn Daniels.

The app will allow more people, who may be interested in literature but are short on time, to get in on some wonderful literary pieces. You could expect short stories by Graham Greene and Aldous Huxley.

"A lot of the best short fiction has never been properly exposed, because publishers don't find it commercially comfortable," says Waterstone. "Even with a collection, how do you package it? It's difficult in print: traditionally, money was used up on production and distribution, and not enough was left for promotion. In the digital world, production costs are virtually nil, and distribution costs don't exist, so you're left with a much cleaner sheet."

Each book will be under 9,000 words, and many will be serialised, allowing the reader to dip in and out of series comfortably. Denny and Waterstone, when chatting to the Guardian, spoke of their excitement at reintroducing the art of the cliffhanger, and how e-readers have increased people's appetite for a short story.

Some have dubbed Read Petite as the Spotify of the literary world, which some claim has poor quality control. However, Waterstone guarantees that only high quality material will be featured, and authors appearing on this new service will already be "an established, published writer". Although this does not mean the actual works themselves will have been published in the past.

Interesting news, not only for this commuter consumer, but also for the writing industry.

There is no doubt the service will provide a great platform for published authors everywhere. However, I do think it is slightly unfair that those wishing to be published on the site must have been published in traditional print first. Read Petite could be missing out on some great works by those wishing to publish, but who are short on time and resources. The site could have provided the opportunity for authors' first short(s) to be earning the money to fund the next in the series. That way Read Petite would be good news for new writers, as well as those who are winding down their writing careers. (In any case, bad news for printers – sorry.) It will be interesting to see if policies change over time.

Further to this, the possibility of Read Petite publishing journalism is also on the cards if the funds keep coming; "if the site works, if the total subscriptions are high enough, it should leave a decent sum", Waterstone told The Guardian. The details of how this will run have yet to be confirmed.

An interactive app that allows you
to be part of the story.

Another reading app that came to my attention while researching Read Petite, is Versu.

Versu is an interactive app, that allows you to become one of the characters in the story, and to make choices about what your character will do next, to see how your fellow characters react, and react to them. Less likely to be literary genius, but will perhaps attract a younger market than Read Petite.

Either way, at least we might be reading more.

As a twenty-something who is often short of time and can often feel uncommitted to a lengthy tome, I look forward to Read Petite. And, as someone who knows a few young writers, I am very happy at the new opportunities that may arise here for them.

To subscribe for more information from Read Petite, see readpetite.com.
To find out more information about Versu and to get the app, see versu.com.

Are you looking forward to the release of Read Petite?

Sources of Information:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital-media/9985362/Waterstones-founder-to-launch-Spotify-for-books.html
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2260971/waterstones-founder-will-launch-a-spotifylike-digital-book-service
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/09/tim-waterstone-reading-entirely-digital

Owen's View: Looking to extend brand reach – at the cinema

Robert Downy Jnr. as Tony Stark in Iron Man 3.

Having just watched Iron Man 3, which I really enjoyed, I found myself particularly drawn to those brands and their products both obviously (Audi and Oracle) and subtly (ABB and FIOS products) injected into the movie. I even missed some, which others have since highlighted.

It is almost laughable now how brand product placement is something we come to expect as part of our movie experience. Not since Minority Report have I been blown away how cinema can exploit the captive audience of the cinema. 

Do you know what this little icon means?
 

The 'PP' icon used in the UK for programmes
containing product placement.

Product placement has been common on UK television since February 2011, when the 'PP' symbol was introduced. The EU define product placement as "any form of audiovisual commercial communication consisting of the inclusion of or reference to a product, a service or the trade mark thereof so that it is featured within a programme".

This form of advertising is popular due to its ability to show products in context, for example how people interact with products, and how a product interacts with its environment. This facilitates an emotional connection between the product and the audience. Product placement on commercial television has been common practice in the US for a lot longer than in the UK.

However, long before television entered our homes, product placement was already taking place in the cinema, with the earliest instances taking place around 1895! More recent, and much more well-known, instances of product placement include a Capital One credit card in 127 Hours, Domino's Pizzas in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Nike trainers in The Terminator, and Heineken lager in Skyfall.

Is product placement effective?

One of the sarcastically obvious product placements in
'Wayne's World'.

Quite simply, yes it is. There are several ways to measure the effectiveness of product placement, one being implicit memory. A study used the film 'Home Alone' to test the product placement of Pepsi. One group of children watched a clip of the film featuring Pepsi, and when asked to pick between Pepsi and Coke, 67% of the children chose Pepsi. Out of a group of children who watched clip of 'Home Alone' which did not feature the soft drink, only 42% chose Pepsi.

Studies have also shown that a number of factors can affect the success of a product placement, including the attractiveness of the characters, and the degree of subtlety used when placing the product. The 1992 film 'Wayne's World' did a great job of highlighting how to do product placement badly in their parody. In the scene both Wayne and Garth decry product placement while at the same time blatantly promoting many products by looking directly at the camera, holding up the product, smiling widely, and sometimes giving a thumbs-up. 

And as for Iron Man 3...

The main product that I was drawn towards through the excitement, action, thrill and MARVEL madness was the Audi R8. This is more than likely why I really like the super car and Audi as a brand but one thing I did not notice was the fact that Audi appear to have category exclusivity in the film. It has been pointed out that one of the cars in the film is a Mustang, however does not carry the Mustang logo.

Audi take centre stage in the Iron Man movies.

I was also intrigued by some of the sunglasses Tony Stark was wearing. Several eyewear brands were represented throughout the film but the one that caught my eye was the luxury brand Matsuda, who have a very cool website! You can also check them out on Twitter.

And of course MARVEL did not forget to advertise the Avengers franchise with their trademark bonus clip after the credits!

However, it has been questioned whether product placement was taken too far in Iron Man 3, especially in the chinese version. Chinese audiences we treated to an extra 4 minutes of footage, but from the reviews it seems that most of this footage was used to promote a cheap chinese milk brand!

What about the future?

Product placement occurs everywhere; in our streets, on our screens, in our books, everywhere. Are we as creatives going to be asked to persue further avenues to promote and advertise a brand's products and services? Red Bull have already gone to the heady heights of space to push the boundaries, we're pretty sure that if practicality hadn't have gotten in the way Felix would have been enjoying a can just before he jumped to earth...

Notice how his suit is Red Bull branded.

We'd love to hear what you thought of Iron Man 3, and what you think about product placement in general. Leave us a comment or tweet us @ubd_studio.

Sources of Information:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_placement#Product_Placement_in_Historical_Cinema
http://brandsandfilms.com/2013/05/product-placement-slideshow-iron-man-3/
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshWildingNewsAndReviews/news/?a=78666
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/20/ofcom-product-placement-uk-tv
http://www.slashfilm.com/5-things-that-bothered-me-about-iron-man-3/

Sensible Social Media

The careless tweet that may have cost a woman's career.

Social media is becoming an ever more popular form of marketing for businesses worldwide, but used incorrectly this instant, and free, form of communication can become a disaster for even the biggest of companies. This week has seen another three social media blunders each resulting in a huge backlash from the public. There are lessons to be learned here.

Making an 'opportunity' out of a crisis will never work

Without a doubt the biggest social media error of the week comes from Friends Reunited, who posted a rather insensitive tweet following one of the most horrific incidents to affect the UK in recent times. After public reaction to other such social media mishaps in the last few months, it is seemingly obvious that unless your sending your thoughts / condolences, it's probably best not to say anything at all, let alone newsjack and try and force a marketing opportunity out of a tragedy. Friends Reunited have since apologised, suspended the person responsible, and have stated that the post was not cleared by management. Another lesson here, know who has access to your accounts!

Strong personal opinions should be kept away from the internet
 
It's not just companies that can be affected by the power of social media. A flippant tweet by a 21-year-old trainee accountant explaining how she hit a cyclist may have jepordised her career. The girl has already been suspended from her job and has stated her contract may be over. It doesn't matter whether you are the social media manager for a huge company, or simply expressing your opinion on your own personal social media accounts, you are at risk of putting damaging information out there. Do not post anything which you may later regret. Sure there is a delete button, but you can't delete those hundreds of screen grabs just by removing the original post, and you can't stop those hundreds of screen grabs from being circulated, and hate being directed towards you. Do yourself a favour and think before you tweet / post, please!

If someone loves your brand, do not give them reason not to
 
Not as controversial as the other two examples, but potentially as damaging to the company, was the way that Fererro handled a Nutella superfan this week. Sara Rosso created World Nutella Day in 2007, and the event has over 40,000 fans on Facebook. However, Fererro initially panicked, and delivered a cease and desist notice against the event, claiming that their branding was being used incorrectly on the fan page. Luckily, Ferrero backtracked and are now supporting the event. But why the panic? Fans are a great asset to a brand, they are an opportunity, not a threat, especially when they already have 40,000 fans of their own!  We hope Fererro are now making the most of this and are assisting Sara. Send her the brand guidelines, help her use them correctly, make her a brand ambassador, reward her loyalty.

There are those who get it right
 
A great example of how brands can reward their superfans, and use social media in a positive way, comes from Taco Bell, who have been sending rings and hand written letters to their 'special ladies'. These ladies are all high profile celebrities, but they are also people who apparently promote their love for the chain on their social media accounts. This may seem a little bit odd, but a picture is worth 1000 words and some of the receivers of these rings have taken to Instagram to show them off, jackpot for Taco Bell.

What lessons have you learned through using, or watching others use, social media?

Owen's View: No more Gnomes!

The not-so-friendly garden Gnome.

Something sinister is lurking in our gardens as summer is drawing closer and IKEA is challenging us to fight back.







With its dramatic music, and numerous cinematic references, we think the new advert from IKEA is great! Created by Mother (London), the campaign captures an all out turf war between a family and their garden gnomes, who are getting the boot to be replaced by IKEA's modern and stylish garden furniture.



Film buffs will notice the hints of 'Platoon' and 'Apocalypse Now', and music lovers should appreciate the orchestral cover of Mötley Crüe's 'Time for Change', performed by The Palace of Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra and The Heritage Singers. All that said, the plight of the Gnomes has lead to some backlash towards the advert, regarding the level of violence towards the garden dwellers, one critic even stated:

"The advert seems to express the worst excesses of imperialistic bombast. Encouraging people to laugh at creatures being thrown out of their homes and blown to pieces is extremely sinister in my book."

A still from the advert.

The 'Platoon' scene.

 In our opinion it's the Gnomes themselves that are sinister, in our book they are similar to clowns, and they can be a bit creepy too! IKEA and Mother are right when they say Gnomes are "tired, old fashioned and uninspired", we're sure there is a place in the world for the Gnome community, but nowadays that's not in our gardens.

The 'Apocalypse Now' scene.

Currently, as a family going through the green fingered challenge of taking on a front and back garden that have not been tendered since the late 1950's, the advert resonates. Trying to take aspects of the 'inherited' garden, yet bring our personality to our home, and at the same time add value to the property, means finding a balance is hard, but one thing is for sure, there will be no Gnomes in the garden. That's not to say there won't be one in the house...

'Deadly'- The Firetrap Gnome.

Meet Deadly, some of you may recognise him as the Firetrap Gnome, who has been featuring in marketing campaigns for Firetrap since 2004. We have one of these sat on our mantel piece. He is a cool Gnome, he's ditched the red hat and moved forward with the times, something which IKEA is encouraging the family in this advert, and the nation, to do.

IKEA have always been about moving forward, pushing the boundaries and using big and dramatic stunts to wow consumers. We've found our favourite promotional stunts from IKEA branches all over the world. 


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

What do you think of the new advert? And, possibly more importantly, what do you think of Gnomes?

Annabel's View: The over use of Gill Sans

Variations of Gill Sans

The use of the font Gill Sans divides designers' opinions everywhere.

Personally I find it everywhere I go and therefore think we, as designers, have saturated the world in it, and the world (and I) can't take any more.


 






Where did it come from?
Gill Sans started as a signage font, that Eric Gill painted onto his friend's, Douglas Cleverdon's, bookshop front. He also painted a guide for Cleverdon to use the font in further designs.

Then, in 1928, Eric Gill was commissioned by Monotype Corporation to design Gill Sans. In 1929, Cecil Dandridge commissioned a further version for use by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), so they would have a unique typeface. Of course this is not longer the case.

Where is it used?
Monotype themselves used Gill Sans for their own logo, and over the years many iconic designs and well-known companies have adopted the font for their brand or for their published materials. Of those, notably are the BBC, Penguin's book circa 1935, Network Rail, United Colors of Beneton, Tommy Hilfiger, Saab and Philips, and another pet hate of mine, the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' posters.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Other than these, I'm sure as you look around on you on a day to day basis, you may spot Gill Sans everywhere.

Why is it used so commonly?

One of the many uses of Gill Sans

In 1991 Microsoft bought the digitised data copyright for Gill Sans MT, and it became a system font, then a new trend. Since then it has been used prolifically by designers around the world.

My conclusion
Because it saturated our world in the 90s and early 00s my mind can't help but think it feels over-used and old-fashioned now.

We have so many exquisite fonts that we can use, many of Monotype's other fonts are wonderful for both layout and logos. Why don't we update our font collections every now and then, have a spring clean and acquire something new and beautiful and enjoy using something new.

Failing that, there's always Helvetica and Garamond.

Creative Copyright- Facts, thoughts and opinions

So, you have an amazing logo / jingle / piece of art, or anything you've created really, and you want to use it, but you're scared people are going to copy it, what do you do? Having worked with a number of past and current clients, regarding their Intellectual Property, Trade mark and registered status, it got us thinking that people should know more. We've also seen several articles lately that highlight the dangers of not protecting your work and IP. It's a hot topic in the media and it's definitely worth you considering your options about building equity in your business.


Taking the confusion out of copyright

However, what you need to do to protect your work can be somewhat confusing. After quick glance at the IPO, (Intellectual Property Office), website it became clear that it's not a simple case of 'copyright':

- Copyright: protects arts including music, literary works, dance, artworks, layouts for books etc and recordings or broadcasts of any work (music etc.). A copyright protects any medium of a piece of work, meaning that it cannot be copied in any form. Although there is no official system for copyright, the IPO suggest either sending yourself a special delivery letter with the work inside, and leave it unopened, or lodging your work with a bank, (this is not legally binding, but would provide evidence in court). Note that copyrights only protect the actually work, not the thoughts or ideas behind it. You can display that you wish to copyright your work by adding the © symbol. It is also advised to include your name and the year from which you wish to protect your work. A piece of work may have more than one copyright attached to it. A great, yet complicated example of this can be found here, regarding the highly irritating, but super catchy 'Friday' by Rebecca Black.

- Trade marks: otherwise known as your brand. The IPO define a trade mark as "a sign which can distinguish your goods and services from those of your competitors...It can be for example words, logos or a combination of both." The only way to register a trade mark is with the IPO. Although you may have registered your company name with Companies House, you may not be able to use this in your trade mark, the IPO provide a lot more information on this issue here.

- Registered Design: according to the IPO, the legal definition of a design is "the appearance of the whole or part of a product resulting from the features of, in particular, the lines, contours, colours, shape, texture or materials of the product or ornamentation." In the graphic design and branding world, this type of protection is suitable for packaging, graphic symbols, and typefaces. Designs can only be registered with the IPO, in the same way trade marks can.

- Design Right: just like copyrights do not need to be registered, neither do design rights. However design rights only protect the 3D shape and configuration of a product, not the surface patterns or other 2-dimensional aspects of the product. The IPO recommends taking similar precautions to that when protecting your copyright, e.g. mailing yourself a copy of your design and leaving it sealed.

- Patent: a patent is specifically for new inventions and protects "how things work, what they do, how they do it, what they are made of and how they are made." Patents are granted under strict guidelines, information on which can be found on the IPO website here.

The IPO also provide information on other rights regarding intellectual property, these can be found here.

Lessons learned from Leather Bags

Whether its logos, patterns or actual products, copyright infringement is serious, and can be seriously damaging to the owner of a copyright. Take, for example, the case of The Cambridge Satchel Company. It would seem obvious to assume that the brand would face problems with counterfeit products coming from overseas, however it might surprise you to hear that the company's own suppliers were using Cambridge Satchel leather and putting their own labels on the bags under a different brand name! Furthermore, it was discovered that fake social network sites had been created for the company, causing confusion for customers; a deception technique known as 'cybersquatting'.


Cultivating, or capping, creativity?

In the UK, copyright protection can last upwards of 50 years, depending on the type of material being protected. There are arguments for and against this length of time. Some claim that long copyrights increase creativity by providing protection to the creator, which is becoming more of an issue with the ease of sharing in the current digital climate. However, the point has been raised that these extended periods of protection make it difficult to revive or protect older material, as it can be difficult to find the original copyright holder in order to gain permission to use the work. Others claim that nowadays copyright is only used to protect publishing companies / record labels, not the content creators themselves.
  
These arguments raise interesting points. However, we believe, especially in the case of the individual or the independent business, copyright is essential, and trademarking must be seriously considered. Both provide protection for you and your brand from your reputation being damaged by cybersquatting or other fraudulent activities. Protecting yourself now is a lot cheaper than a legal battle later!

So how safe are you?




Sources of Information:
http://www.lawlawlandblog.com/2011/04/copyright_battles_on_friday_fu.html
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/copy/c-about.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/tm/t-about/t-whatis.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/design/d-about/d-whatis.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/design/d-about/d-designright.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/patent/p-about/p-whatis.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/otherprotect.htm
http://www.law.com/corporatecounsel/PubArticleCC.jsp?id=1202590116493&A_Handbag_Maker_Battles_Counterfeits_and_Copyright_Copycats
http://www.economist.com/node/15868004
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/tm/t-about/t-whatis/t-companies.htm
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/c-basicfacts.pdf

Gone are the days of the humble box

Here at United by Design we love quirky packaging. A link on Facebook captured our attention and got us looking at some innovative packaging ideas. After a little more digging around on the internet we came up with this slideshow of packaging ideas that got us talking, laughing, and thinking, exactly what good packaging should do:



Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

We think these are great, which one is your favourite?

It is quite clear to us that in a world where innovation is king and standing out from the crowd is key to success, it is no longer enough to just have a good product. Sure, without a good product you have nothing, but without the tools to sell it, then you just have a lot of product, and not a lot of pennies! Your brand packaging is what makes your product great; it’s what sells it. Packaging should say, “Hey, you, look at me! Pick me up! I am better than that product there, look at my exciting packaging!” Ok, so packaging doesn’t really talk, but a picture is worth 1,000 words, and your packaging needs to tell your consumer everything your product has to offer. It needs to ooze personality and help tell the brand story.

So you’re happy with your product, you think it’s the bee’s knees, but the masses don’t seem to agree with you, what do you do? You need to get some insight from market research, from the people who buy your product but also those who don't, to find out why they don't! Then you need to look at category cues, your competition, those who do amazingly well – so you can benchmark and of course look at your brand story and see how you can express it to entice and draw people in.

Never be afraid to change things! This may be through evolution or perhaps you need to employ and more aggressive approach and innovate in your sector. Do not be afraid to do thing differently to help differentiate! It will ultimately help you to develop your business. Gain insight and act on it!

Take SLOEmotion for example. We continue to enjoy work with the team to evolve their company and the way they do things – ‘evolution rather than revolution’. The basics were already there, a great, award winning product and a signature bottle shape. United by Design has brought the SLOEmotion range of products together, whilst differentiating between the various spirits (gin, vodka, brandy, whiskey), using category cues to help instant recognition; the characteristics that people associate with certain products, e.g red is associated with vodka and purple with sloe gin. The distinctive shape of the SLOEmotion 35cl bottles enabled us to extend the brand to a large 70cl size and a gift range of 5cl bottle, all accentuate the originality of the SLOEmotion brand story. Focussing on finer details such as the hedgerow sprig, strap-line, and focus on the actual fruit help the consumer to be clear on what they are buying.

We also helped to reduce packaging costs for the truffle ranges by designing a generic signature box with a range of product stickers depending on the contents of the box. It’s these simple yet effective ideas that make all the difference in such a competitive market for a business that is thinking about the bottom line as well as making profits!



Early last year we worked closely with the company to launch a new product that’s packaging design has a completely different feel to the others that have been developed to date. SLOEmotion No. 7 fruit cup (gin based mixer) has a fun and fresh design but is still easily identifiable as a SLOEmotion product. Compared to its competitors it has a contemporary design that makes it stand out on the shelves. SLOEmotion have embraced change and challenged the norm to help them define themselves in a very competitive market where other companies have lead for a long time and other brands have decided to create 'me too' products that look lifeless and very much a lesser product due to the strength of the brand leader. This approach, although calculated, is enabling SLOEmotion to make a name for themselves as being different – in a good way!



What we’re really getting at is that packaging no longer just serves as a means of housing a product, it’s a strategic design process, and to get ahead you really have to ‘think outside the box’ (see what we did there?).



Images from: 
http://humorcamp.com/view/6251/
www.thedieline.com

Love? Consumerism? Or because we love consumerism?

Cupcakes in the studio (baked by Lucy)

So it's that time of year again, when people go out of their way to show that special someone how much they care with an overpriced teddy bear or a dozen red roses that cost a fortune. Valentine's Day causes such a stir, with retail businesses loving every second of our need to find the perfect card and gift. Quite often we do this last minute, despite the weeks of warnings around us in every shop we visit.







But why Valentine's Day? Where did it come from? 
And why are we so 'in love' with it?
 
The origins of Valentine's Day could go as far back as the Roman Times, however there are many stories of St. Valentine, and so the true roots of the day of love are still a mystery. Written Valentine's started to increase in popularity in the 1400s, and in the UK the day has been celebrated since the 17th Century.

Now, in the 21st Century the once humble sentiment of Valentine's Day is worth millions of pounds. According to EZBOB, you can expect the average consumer to be spending around £76 on gifts and cards. And if that consumer is female, she may even be buying gifts for her children, pets, or her friends!

Buying in to Valentine's
 
The biggest money maker is cards, with 60% of money spent on Valentine's Day lining the pockets of companies such as Hallmark. But florists, restaurants, and confectioners also get their fair share of revenue. Amazon are even offering same-day-delivery on the day itself, for those forgetful ones amongst us!

We buy into it every year, but are we doing it because we want to treat the one we love, or because it's forced down our necks? Valentine's Day is consumerism in its perfect form, everyone scrambling over each other to wow their significant others with gifts, driven by the hype caused by retailers. And, let's face it, we're all suckers for a good gimmick. But, as The Gauntlet points out, isn't every purchase decision you make just consumerism? The car you drive, your choice of coffee shop, the shoes on your feet, you had been given choices for all these items, and consumerism lead your decisions.

Let's look at it from the other perspective: brands. Without a brand, you have no identity, and without an identity, you're not very likely to have a consumer, let alone lots of them! And without a consumer, how do you expect to take advantage of consumerism? The simple answer is you can't. Your brand is everything! It will cause people to dismiss you or inspire them to queue down the street. Getting it right is paramount, especially when it's a necessity to stand out from the crowd, and on a day like Valentine's Day, that is a must!

If you feel like having a consumerism-free Valentine's Day, why not strip it back and make something for that special person in your life, or those special people if you're all about sharing the love. Here in the studio we are celebrating with cupcakes!

We hope that whatever you decide to do, you have a lovely day. Tweet us with you plans @ubd_studio


Sources of information:
http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/
http://www.thegauntlet.ca/story/valentines-day-and-consumerism
http://www.ezbob.com/valentines-day-consumerism-at-its-best/

Selfridge’s ‘No Noise’ Campaign- Proving the power of branding?

A screen shot of the 'no noise' website.

Have you been watching ‘Mr. Selfridge’ on ITV1? It’s been fascinating to learn about the rise of the department store, and about the characters that you could have found there. Harry Gordon Selfridge was a pioneer of his time, bringing the UK a retail experience they had never had before. It even included a bargain basement.

Selfridge strip it back to basics

Fast-forward to now, 113 years later, and Selfridges is still aiming to inspire and capture attention, the same way that Mr. Selfridge himself did when he installed the first aeroplane to cross water in the department store in 1909. That stunt attracted over 150,000 visitors! 

When Selfridges originally opened, Mr. Selfridge included a silence room for shoppers to escape from the hustle and bustle of the store. This year this room has been reinstated as part of Selfridges ‘No Noise’ campaign. Selfridges believe that we are becoming more and more bombarded with information such as advertising and branding, and have therefore collaborated with some of the world’s most recognisable brands. They have asked these brands to remove their logos from some of their best-known products in order to create a ‘Quiet Shop’, a shop free from branding.

Successful silence? Or screaming louder?

Still looks branded to us!

Although this is a great idea, and it is indeed true that we are now constantly attacked by information left, right and centre, we can’t help but question the success of this campaign. Sure, it’s lovely to have somewhere to relax on a busy shopping day, and escape from the crowds, but is buying a tin of beans that doesn’t say Heinz, yet still has their signature image on, sticking fingers up at branding? We think not.


It’s branding and novelty that make this campaign interesting. You wouldn’t go out of your way to buy an unbranded tin of Value beans, so why would you pay £1.99 for a Heinz tin? Brand recognition, that’s why. You look at the Heinz tin and think, “oh that’s quirky, it might even be collectable one day”, and that’s because it’s a recognised brand! It doesn’t have to say Heinz for you to know what it is; the Levi’s 501s they are selling don’t have to say they are Levi’s, because you already know.

Can you tell if this one is Heinz?

Good branding brings power. All the brands involved in this campaign can still be recognised without their logos, it wouldn’t work if it were any other way. So to say these products are ‘de-branded’ is not strictly true. It’s not just the logo that makes your brand, it’s the colours, the shape of the packaging, the graphics; it’s everything. And that’s what all these brands have in common, you recognise everything about them. Strip it back to a plain old can and then tell us if you can spot the difference! You couldn’t, and that’s why they won’t. 


Don’t get us wrong, we think this campaign is fun, different, and has certainly served it’s purpose, it captured UBD’s attention and got us talking about it. But rather than making things ‘quieter’, it’s really only proved that the information we are bombarded with really does stick, and taking the logo’s off a few products isn’t going to undo that. It’s just going to make people work harder to challenge, and be as successful as, the ‘big guns’, so one day they can take their logo off their product and the masses will recognise it too. And that keeps us in work!
What do you think, serious campaign or a fun and quirky way to get people talking even more about branding?


Information and images from:
http://www.selfridges.com/en/StaticPage/Our+Heritage/
http://www.georgianhousehotel.co.uk/london-shopping/selfridges.asp
http://nonoise.selfridges.com/
http://www.sxc.hu/