BLANKETS
Whether laid out flat, rippling in the air or tightly clad to some other shape, many recent logos have been developed with all the qualities of a draped textile. These marks have a sense of place often defined by perspective, as they appear to fade to the back. Blankets generally avoid the head-on geometric solution, but allow their regimented qualities to be pushed about by the laws of gravity or shrink-wrapped to a surface. This connection to the logo's environment helps play out symbology in a clear but subtle fashion.
The Aquacon logo gives every sense of the water's surface without relying on waves, ripples or other trite visuals. These feel like an evolutionary step forward from Microsoft Windows' logo waving in the breeze or Bank of America's geometric landscape fashioned out by a symbolic flag.

Aquacon, Chimera Design

TEMPLIN BRINK

Abstracted Leaf Shapes Food Line
Gaby Brink and Joel Templin, of Templin Brink Design, write, "We were one of several firms Target asked to conceptualize a complete redesign of their premium food line, Archer Farms. They gave us several parameters to consider in defining the brand persona: make it look like a European food brand; make it feel like Target; and don't use any farm-related icons or imagery. However, since the name contains the word 'farm' and food comes from nature, we thought that conceptually it made a lot of sense to depict an abstracted sprout or leaf — a shape that is friendly, suggests wholesome quality and still looks modern. This shape became the cornerstone of the Archer Farms branding system as patterns and die-cut windows were created from it.
An important segment of the Archer Farms assortment was its line of kids' food. Target asked us at the onset to give special consideration to how the brand comes to life in this area. The solution we came up with was the introduction of a family of animal characters constructed from the shape of the logo. Target has the advantage of only selling this brand in the controlled environment of their own SuperTarget stores. This, combined with their bold, recognizable brand persona, allows them to take a very different approach from food packaging sold in conventional supermarkets. In that context, we felt this was a natural extension of their celebrated brand."

FICTIONAL CHARACTER TELLS WINE STORY

Fictional Character Tells Wine Story
The Michael Austin Winery was started by two longtime friends. "Michael" and "Austin" are their middle names; the person "Michael Austin" does not actually exist. When Templin Brink was tapped to create the winery's identity and labels, they first explored how to get around having to explain these odd facts, but then decided to turn them into assets, a unique angle on which to have the client hang its hat. The firm created a fictitious character named "Michael Austin." Each wine label recounts a story loosely inspired by anecdotes from the two founders' lives. For example, the "Bad Habit" label refers to how the two met in a Catholic high school as young men, and "High Flyer" relates to the fact that one of them flies small airplanes as a hobby.
Getting noticed as an emerging player in the saturated California wine industry is tough. But Templin Brink has helped the winery cut through the clutter, not only in the busy retail environment but also in the industry overall. At the end of the day, a name alone is not much to remember a fine wine by, but an unusual label and identity materials go a long way.

SUBPLOT

Graphics Take Bar Concept 'Publik'
Subplot Design recently executed a major brand-creation project, when Earls Restaurants launched The Publik Drinkhouse and Eatery in the Canadian city of Edmonton. The bar and restaurant concept is the brainchild of Stan Fuller, founder of the Earls Group of Restaurants, which operates over 70 locations in Western Canada and the U.S. The aim was to extend the group's customer base to include a more youthful audience. With only a working title and a location established, Subplot was assigned the task of establishing the brand personality and developing the name, logo, identity and their applications throughout the bar environment. Subplot decided on a theme of interactivity. A distinctive feature of Publik is a strong food menu, something typically lacking in bars. The menu and the environment encourage interaction through a share-plate approach. Comments Subplot partner Roy White, "We feel we stayed true to the desire to come up with something that is spontaneous — where it is all about creating a memorable night out. Everything supports this strategy: from the menu and the identity, to an environment (by Vancouver's MStudio) that is dominated by a huge bar — the whole space is visually connected and social. The name, The Publik, clearly communicates that this bar is a place for the people, by the people."

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