Gucci by Gucci

Everything about this advert infuses beauty and luxury. The models are absolutely gorgeous, the setting is moody with gold, creams and browns and the fabrics are soft silk. David Lynch (director) has completely captured the essence of Gucci. The camera shots merge into one another creating a dream like scene that emphasises how amazing the perfume must smell. I also think 'Heart of Glass' by Blondie is the perfect sound track. 

Nice Weather For Ducks

This song by Lemon Jelly never fails to cheer me up! The music video is pretty good too... The dancing ducks are the best bit. 

Cannonball

'Cannonball' by Damien Rice is one of my favourite songs of all time. The lyrics are so thoughtful and pure; I particularly love how he juxtaposes ideas of love and lying, life and dying. I have posted the lyrics below if anyone would like to read them. 

Cannonball

Still a little bit of your taste in my mouth
Still a little bit of you laced with my doubt
Still a little hard to say what's going on

Still a little bit of your ghost your witness
Still a little bit of your face I haven't kissed
You step a little closer each day
Still I can't say what's going on

Stones taught me to fly
Love taught me to lie
Life taught me to die
So it's not hard to fall
When you float like a cannonball

Still a little bit of your song in my ear
Still a little bit of your words I long to hear
You step a little closer to me
So close that I can't see what's going on

Stones taught me to fly
Love taught me to lie
Life taught me to die
So it's not hard to fall
When you float like a cannon

Stones taught me to fly
Love taught me to cry
So come on courage!
Teach me to be shy
'Cause it's not hard to fall
And I don't wanna scare her
It's not hard to fall
And I don't wanna lose
It's not hard to grow
When you know that you just don't know

Guess How Much I Love You

Did anyone read this as a child?! It was my favourite book, the illustrations are gorgeous and the story is simple and sweet; a perfect read for a child. I also loved Beatrix Potter who wrote the famous Peter Rabbit stories, which had a similar illustrative style to Anita Jeram. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Tim Burton's 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' is my favourite fantasy film of all time. The story follows Jack Skellington 'king of the pumpkin patch' from Halloween Town, who is amazed by the feelings of Christmas Town when he accidently finds a portal leading to it.  Jack wants to introduce the holiday to Halloween Town, but the locals are not too keen, so elements of Halloween are introduced and Jack gradually becomes more obsessive about Christmas. The rest of the film involves kidnapping, disguise and romance... I won't go into it all incase anyone hasn't seen it!

The idea of the film originated from a poem written by Burton whilst he was an animator for Disney, and then after years of thinking about the project, production started in 1991. It is one of those Christmas films that will always be popular, and even now I still enjoy watching it. 

The Mill

Being Europe's leading post-production house, The Mill wanted to offer an exclusive service for their clients. They worked with MadeThought to create all of the branded material. The colour palette is kept simple and sophisticated with clean, crisp typography that really stands out in white. The layout is so precise and professionally done, which is an important reflection on the company. 

Unfold Japan

This poster was designed by MadeThought creative agency. The idea is simple, but the effect is quite striking. 

CKIN2U

The Calvin Klein advertising always conveys the sexy and daring streak that is associated with the brand. The camera work creates a fast paced sequence, perhaps trying to connote the heartbeats of the characters as she is chased up the building. I think the name of the campaign is really successful in promoting two fragrances for males and females, and they keep the sex appeal with the suggestiveness of 'CKIN2U'. 

Logo

'Logo' book is written by Michael Evamy, and has been designed by Spin creative agency. The book covers many logos, from the more traditional to the new and contemporary, which means it has a very wide range to refer to.

Keeping a simple black and white palette for the majority of the book ensures it looks smart and fresh. The reverse of the dust jacket also doubles as a poster which outlines the categories within the book, which is a nice touch to something that some people take off and don't use. 

Dog Brochure

I found this brochure whilst browsing through The Chase's website. I really like the simplicity of the type layout, letting the image of the dog be the initial focus. It is clever the way they have managed to use the Dalmation's spots to subtly show the areas surrounding Manchester. 

It Must Be Love

'Magical' from BBH London for Vodafone's 'Make The Most of Now' campaign simply makes me smile... What more could you need from an advert?!

Claes Oldenburg

Oldenburg is renowned for his sculptures of mundane, everyday objects, and has displayed them around the world. Some of these sculptures have interactive capabilities, creating more interest for the viewer. The style of the sculptures meant they were often associated with the Pop Art movement, as they were seen as fun, bright and were a popular addition to the environment. 

Wrap It

Christo and Jeanne-Claude are in my eyes legendary for their large scale artworks. They are known for the art of 'wrapping', which can go from wrapping trees (as shown above) to wrapping buildings and even islands! Such large projects have a massive impact upon the surrounding environment and take a lot of planning and preparation. 

Christo and Jeanne-Claude have completed 18 projects, and failed 37, which just shows the passion and commitment that goes into each design. Many of the 37 failed projects were down to refusals of plans and the loss of interest from the designers themselves. Their website explains that their projects are their own ideas, so when they lose the passion for it, it is time to move on. The wrapped Reichstag in Berlin took 25 years to complete... that's commitment! 

Water Painting

I first came across the works of Gary Hume after a visit to the Tate Modern, where I was intrigued by 'Water Painting' 1999. The brightness of the painting conceals the ambiguity of the body parts, which do not actually belong to one whole body, but are all segmented across the piece.

Hume's works are very varied; I would recommend taking a look at some of them on the Tate website.

www.tate.org.uk

All That Jazz

I'm a big fan of musicals; Chicago being one of my favourites. 'Cell Block Tango' is my favourite scene in the film, because I like the way it is dark yet glamorous, and it does not lose the feel of a theatre production. The simplicity of the dark room with the spotlights allows the viewer to feel the sounds and the lyrics that are so important when watching a show. The use of close up and overhead shots also enhance the drama of it all. 

Khaosan Road

The Khaosan Road, Bangkok, is renowned as the stop off for travelers en route to various destinations in Thailand, explaining the vibrant and eclectic atmosphere of the place. I have never felt so bombarded with messages as I have here (see photo!). Travelers are shaded by the vast amount of signage above the buildings, all in bright neon lighting. To me, Khoasan captures the essence of Bangkok completely; hectic, loud and buzzing.

Miami Deco

Nowhere captures the beauty of the Art Deco movement better than Miami. The typical symbols of the sunshine, waves, rainbows and the colours gold, orange and green reflect the sun kissed, glamorous lifestyle that Miami is famous for. The architecture conveys Art Deco through curving structures, the windows and the signs, where the typography is in a typically Art Deco style.  

The Lion King

The Lion King has the best costume and set design I have seen in a West End production. Particularly the animal costumes, which are so intricate and designed to imitate the way each individual animal moves. I would definitely recommend seeing this show if you are planning a night in London!

Henri de Toulouse Lautrec

Henri de Toulouse Lautrec was drawn to the Montmartre area of Paris, where his most famous works were inspired. His connections with the Moulin Rouge were what initially drew me to his works, as I love the old poster designs with the characters like Jane Avril. However, I have discovered many more of his works, particularly figure drawings that show what a skilled artist he was. It could be said that he lead a quite 'seedy' lifestyle, spending much time in brothels, where many of his works came from. In my opinion, it is easy to tell Toulouse Lautrec embraced the French style, particularly the shapes of the figurines and the choice of colour. This is what attracts me to his work. 

Moulin Rouge

As you can probably tell, I like all things from musicals and all things French... so Moulin Rouge was an obvious choice for my film section! Everything from the costumes to the music makes me love this film, and the camera work is experimental; which is appropriate in conveying the atmosphere of Paris at this time.