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...

TO PAGE 2 of "Fox Barrel Hard Cider"! ----->

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...

TO PAGE 2 of "Saks and Fairey's Studio Number One"! ----->

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.

TO PAGE 2 of "Start Here / Little Fury"! ----->

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!

TO PAGE 2 of "Matter Box"! ----->

Tags: advertising - art - branding - free - gifts