Catch up with the latest from London with our UK-based editor Justine.

You may noticed the little spectacled cormorant in our post on the Ghosts of Gone Birds exhibition. The cormorant is part of the visual identity of the exhibition, created by Peter Hodgson of Goodpilot. Having a strong visual identity throughout the show really helps tie all of the diverse pieces together. Here is a closer look at the visual identity work from the show, including the lovely logo and series of ghost stories and other materials. Read more about the stories behind the posters here.

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Tags: animals - art - birds - branding - gallery - london - nature - poster

On intriguing packages that have arrived lately ~ Poppin’s shipping packaging is hard to miss ~ as is their cheeky copy ~ and bright bright orange. From the clip board graphic on the box ready to perfectly fit the shipping label… to the silly speech bubbled air bags to protect your goods… to the plastic envelope marked “important documents”… the the branding on each and every product… and the copy. Oh the cheeky copy you’ll find everywhere… They claim to be “Office Supplies. Reinvented.” ~ perhaps… repackaged?Take a peek at it all on the next page!

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Tags: branding - gifts - office supplies - packaging - shopping

2am is a socially acceptable time to admit secret crushes, right? Well i’ve had a long time intellectual and visual crush on SEED. Broke my heart when the gorgeous print mag ceased to be. And the tagline on their Seed Media Group page title “Science is culture.” i adore. Impeccable design. Brilliant insights. What more could you want? Apparently business cards designed by Sagmeister Inc.. How did i never notice these? When they did the branding ~ the logo is apparently reflective on the letterhead… to “reflect the room, etc.” And the business cards… “version of the portrait of the bearer” ~ aren’t they amazing? I can’t believe i only just discovered them tonight! See more images of the logo, the philosophy behind the designs, and the business cards close up on the next page.

p.s. can you imagine Invader adapting these into tile portraits and taking them to the streets?

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Tags: branding - business - graphic - logo

On completely unexpected pieces of mail ~ Anthropologie really knows how to add those special little touches to the customer experience. While i was mixed on joining and getting an Anthro Card when i was at the Man Shops Globe event (and couldn’t help buying something) i gave in and signed up. The benefits weren’t quite clear… but i just recieved a pretty little bubble wrap envelop from them containing the cutest birdthday wishes with a cupcake made from piercings (a fun change from the letterpress trend) and a candle necklace… as well as an in store discount. But presentation matters! And it was such a surprising and adorable card. So thanks, Anthropologie, that was a pretty cute move. Check out close ups on the next page… even the copy is playful.

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Tags: branding - cards - gifts - print - shopping

Ok, you already know i'm an impulsive packaging based shopper often... and really Whole Foods is one of the WORST places for that (particularly if you combine that affliction with being starving!)... so today's Whole Food stop between traffic, i couldn't resist the adorable Fox logo of the Fox Barrel Hard Cider! AND it's delicious, pretty light ~ like champagne colored apple juice with a twist. But check out the packaging! Larger pics on the next page...

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Tags: branding - drinks - liqurious - packaging - reviews

I'm sure you've seen snippets here and there of Shepard Fairey's Studio Number One artwork for the Saks Fifth Avenue Spring 2009 WANT IT! Campaign ~ featuring some very propaganda style imagery, but i've yet to see it all in one place, or up close... Luckily just got a hold of the high res images of all of the artwork, and freshly couriered over were a copy of the latest catalog as well as some of the bags to check out up close. As you can see, i got indecisive in picking the main image to show first, so you get two!

It's a fascinating juxtaposition to see the classy scripty Saks Fifth Avenue logo with the stark black, white, and red clean lines of the graphics... and personally, it doesn't scream "buy me!" luxuriously to me... in fact it's a slight turn off as far as my shopping brain is concerned? But from a design perspective, i love the imagery, and the playful integrations, and the possible subversive twist Shepard Fairey's Studio Number One may have been aiming for... every season trends are constantly shoved down our throats, this merely emphasized it to a point where it's nearly laughable ~ which then makes you step back and rethink Aggressive Shoes and Arming Yourself (with a slouchy bag) - and then perhaps still give in once you realize you still want them! Anyhow, check out all of the images on the next page, and i'd love to hear your thoughts...

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Tags: art - branding - packaging - shopping - streetart

NOTCOT Note: Here's another post from Anna of the lovely Sub-Studio! You can also see her artwork in the tags on the side of the page right now!

Little Fury is the design collaborative of Esther Mun and Tina Chang. The two met in New York at Pentagram, and after a few stints at different offices, started Little Fury with the design philosophy:

No design for the sake of design.
No "overdone" products.
No "cutesy doodads".
Simplicity. Functionality. Practicality. Innovation. Individuality.

The result is an impressive portfolio of branding/identity projects and gorgeous product packaging, including the product series Start Here - a set of linkable notebooks and planners. Individual notebooks can be linked together as you need and customized with self-adhesive pockets and colorful tabs. The cover is stain resistant, waterproof, and tear-resistant, and the interior paper is available in blue, grey, white, pink, manila, and green.

Check out more great projects after the jump.

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Tags: branding - packaging - paper - sub-studio

The Matter Box, apparently people have started receiving them, and i'm SO jealous! I mean seriously, this might be the coolest box of junk mail ever... i know its really just corporate schwag ~ but it's corporate schwag at its finest, most creative, most amusing. So what was in there? Well below we bring you a break down of not only the contents and images of unboxings, but also some guy unboxing it live in a video!

Oh, and for anyone that is lost, Matter first came up on .org #8403... and it is "a box full of interesting stuff" and "a new and unique idea in communications that brings companies and people together around real, physical stuff–things you can hold in your hands, keep in your drawer, or give to your friends. It's a new way for companies to introduce themselves by giving you something you might like" AND "is a collaboration between Artomatic and Royal Mail." Read more at Matter: Brands you can hold, but firstly catch up on the first bow after the jump!

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Tags: advertising - art - branding - free - gifts