Read The Branding Comedy

As God is placed in the centre of the Paradise, in the Branding Comedy is the Consumer to stay in the centre of the system and he represents something to be reached by the brands, which are the real protagonist of the book. The Branding Comedy is divided in three sections, like the original Comedy. In each circle are placed the brands, depending on their sins and virtues, their positive/negative values or simply their real position in the market. In fact, as Dante uses the ancient symbols and allegories to describe the medieval world, in the same way logos and brands represent the symbols of today, carrying loads of different values and characterizations.

Ever since then, people have been trying to clone everything. Heck, it seemed like everyone was obsessed with the topic so much so that many of us had to sit through horribly unfunny movies about cloning.

Well, fast-forward to 2010, and cloning has met design in a rather unique way, courtesy of a young man named Philipp Stolenmayer. What has Philipp done that is so great you want to know? Well, he cloned himself through the design of a life sized papercraft model.

Yes, I know it’s not a true ‘clone,’ but there is no doubt that it is quite awesome. Philipp outlines the steps to his project here if you are interested in giving it a go.

If that seems a bit ambitious for your first papercraft project, let us know. We might have something for you to practice with. We’ve been kind of obsessed with papercraft lately. If you’ve been following us on Twitter, you might know what we’re talking about…

Reaching #1 on the music charts in over 17 countries, Coke has essentially gotten their signature sonic logo stuck in the heads of millions of consumers worldwide, which will last long after the end of the World Cup. It is their largest ever integrated marketing campaign to date and considered much more effective than merely paying an artist to mention their brand in a song.

So if the K’Naan song happens to be playing while you’re eating meal, it is no coincidence that all you want is a Coke.

Attn: Gig poster enthusiasts: SMALL STAKES BOOK!

Known for clean design and lovely, gentle metaphor, The Small Stakes seems to be a favorite among most of the people I talk to about gigposter design. Bonus points for creating posters for some of my very favorite bands.

I am one of those people who really likes the idea of eating locally grown fruits and veggies. l seek out restaurants and markets that specialize in them. So, I was really excited to catch an article on a new expression of this, in, of all things, an airline magazine. (I know, if I care this much about transporting foods I really should confine my travel to mule or paddle boat or something, but I don’t.)

Farmers’ markets have long been frequented by chefs as a source for amazing local in-season produce. Now, there are restaurants popping up all over the US that actually encourage patrons to share the best of their own backyards. Foraging is not a new idea, my dogs do this all the time. They scour the back yard for the best sticks and bugs my neighborhood has to offer. But, now restaurants are creating their own foraging culture.

Localvore “Foraging” ranges from chef’s literally exploring the land near their restaurants for useful edible items to sending out harvest calls for crops from home gardens. The resulting daily specials with true “just picked” flavors sound positively delightful.

Tomatoes from community farm Johnson’s Backyard Garden in Austin

Eating local is a great idea however it comes to fruition, but I must admit the idea of bringing something from my garden to be transformed by a food virtuoso into something both imaginative and delectable sounds absolutely dreamy to me.

In all seriousness, consumers are proclaiming their love for brands more and more these days and in very unique ways. From tattoos, to ‘Liking’ a brand on Facebook, brands mean more to consumers today than ever before.

All that said, I’m not so sure that The Onion story was all that far-fetched because late last week I stumbled upon an article on USAToday.com about retail wedding trends…

So, it appears that more and more, people are pledging their “I do’s” to their significant others, while in a retail establishment. You won’t believe this, but this includes having weddings at places like T.J. Maxx and Taco Bell. That’s not all though…. Include Home Depot and Cold Stone Creamery on that list too! It’s pretty unbelievable to me, but hey, I only got married at The Cincinnati Nature Center’s Krippendorf Lodge (which I highly recommend by the way!).

Be it brand loyalty, saving money, or the desire to be a little different, people are actually going through with this, so there’s not telling what’s next. Is it good for the brand? I can’t see how it could possibly hurt. Is it good for the bride or groom? Well, if you are “self proclaimed Maxxinista” (make sure you read the USA Today story relative to this comment) or a Chalupa fanatic, perhaps you can shop or get your Mexican food fix on before/after the ceremony. If you bring a whole wedding party, they can join in on the fun too. I’m sure these brands won’t complain about anyone spending a little money before or afterward the ceremony, so I’d say it’s a win-win.

Again, for the whole story, visit this link.

The site features an original design that leverages the dark undertones and religious/spiritual rites objects from the film itself to help create a perfect canvas to promote the film project. HQ created a system of photography, illustration and animation to round out the unique aesthetic of the site. Based on a graphic novel concept, this film short was created by director James Moran of Trumac Films to generate interest and support for the broader story and sequel opportunities around the main character, Deacon James (Johnathan Schaech).

An excerpt from the Lost Rites graphic novel showing Deacon James fighting it out with deity Ageria

Additional methods of connecting with fans and supporters include a custom-designed blog and a Twitter account that will help keep tabs on the post production, and screenings of the full film short at Film Festivals and COMICON in the future. Be sure to have a look at the teaser trailer posted on the site along with some of the behind the scenes photos. The film may be short, but it leverages all that Hollywood can offer including some great talent, advanced CGI and audio engineering.

Behind the scenes with James Moran (Director) and Johnathan Schaech (Deacon James)

We are proud to add this to our history of over 20+ film sites. Best of luck to Lost Rites, Trumac Films and Deacon James’ future as an on-screen character!

The kind folks over at Ponoko.com recently featured HyperQuake’s own “Create Your Own Environment” poster when they posted a feature on their blog entitled “Put the X-acto Away”.

Tes One — laser cut paper

The post features 39 posters from 20 different designers for your viewing pleasure. It’s definitely very cool to see how others are using laser cutting techniques to bring their poster designs to life. Weather the canvas is cardboard, ceramic, wood, standard poster paper, wood and even stainless steel (yep, stainless steel!), laser cutting is helping bring designs to life in some refreshing and inspiring ways.

We’re honored that the crew at Ponoko saw our poster and included us in the feature. Thanks again Kristen!

Make sure you go over to check out their post and take a look at some of the other designers work. And if you aren’t familiar with Ponoko.com and what the site is all about, let’s just say if you are interested in ‘making’ something, the site might come in handy.

Ace Portland

Ace Palm Springs

Imagine you are staying at your really cool designer/musician friend with really great interior design taste’s apartment. That is the Ace Hotel, which somehow manages to appear both impossibly cool AND approachable at the same time.

The Official Mfg. Co in Portland, Oregon created some of the most beautiful things for the PDX location, and Ace NYC is filled with murals and original art (I know because I did one). The Ace’s own blog is as inspiring as any design blog, and the rooms are surprisingly not outrageously priced. Highly recommended.

NYC Room 1108 – Art by Marshall Roemen from Ace Hotel on Vimeo.

Sometimes you are so involved in a project that you forget to step back and ask yourself, “Self, we both know this looks fly, but does what I just made make any sense?” and sometimes the answer is no. We have all been there.

Dan Hopper writes, “A friend of mine sent me the banner ad, which I’ve been staring at for the last ninety minutes alternately laughing at it and curling up in a hyper-confused, existential panic. Vote for my favorite video? Of Adam Carolla and Klondikes? Who? Cars? String?”