Modern Art- do you like it?

As much as I try, I really struggle with some modern art. We were always dragged round the Tate and other modern art exhibitions being encouraged to find something we liked to write an essay on back at school but I really struggled. The Louvre is completely different, to me that is talent, real art. But the following pieces i really cannot understand!

Tracey Emin 1998

R. Mutt 1917

Is packaging as important as the contents?

I read the following article about perfume bottles and I thought it was amazing how perfumes started as early as Egytian times as a very functional necessity to cover up unpleasant odours or embalm the dead and a bandage soaked in fragrance worked just fine but now designers spend thousands of pounds producing the ultimate bottle shape and this has become as important as the contents!

Walk into any cosmetics department and the sweet smell of perfume fills the air. You can choose from designer brand names such as Christian Dior and Chanel to celebrity endorsed scents by pop princesses’ Jennifer Lopez and Brittany Spears. But from a collectors point of view it is not the smell that entices them to the shelves but the collectability of the innovative designed bottles. Throughout the ages perfume has been packaged in various shaped bottles made of many different materials. The ancient world used blown glass and alabaster whilst the Victorians favoured silver topped glass bottles. One of the most collected Victorian bottle is the dual-purpose double-ended one, two bottles fused together they are usually found in green, ruby or blue coloured glass, one end contained the flowery scent that the Victorian ladies liked to wear and the other for their smelling salts.

It was the turn of the 20th Century when the perfume industry began to introduce pre-packaged scents for women to buy directly over the counter. Perfumeries commissioned glass manufacturers like Baccarat and Lalique to produce high quality bottles to house these scents. The Lalique ones have become highly sought after by collectors and some command big money at auction, a rare “Bouchon Mures” Lalique bottle was sold at Bonhams saleroom in 1990 for a staggering hammer price of £38,000.

Baccarat was other leading glass manufacturer that created amazing innovative bottles to house ladies scents. One of their most recognised designs was for French Perfume house “Guerlain”. The bottle has an inverted heart shaped stopper and displays the “Guerlain Paris” label on the front. “L’Heure Bleue” was the first scent to be launched by Guerlain in this bottle in 1912 and they used the same design for “Fol Arome” and “Mitsouko” in the following years.

Today there is a huge array of different scents and novelty bottles to choose from in the commercial perfume industry but collectors are also attracted to the studio glass bottles that are skilfully made by various glassmakers. All leading manufacturers of these art glass creations, each bring a different trait to their trade and have their own personalities imprinted into their designs, these bottles are made as decorative pieces rather than functional and are to be displayed and admired. Look to manufacturers such as Isle of Wight, Okra and Glasform for high quality hand created art glass perfume bottles.
As with any female fashion collectable such as handbags or jewellery, perfume bottles really came into their own in the 1920’s. Women became more aware of their looks embracing the Jazz Age with vibrant colours, short skirts and even shorter hair. Many designer houses moved with the times and encouraged the women to complement their looks with classy scents in stylish bottles. Perfume bottles have formed a large part of our social history, the materials used and the designs created reflect centuries and decades long since past; giving us an insight into the development that peaked in the 20th Century.

How important are the colours you use in your brand?

Does colour matter in a brand and how important is the colour to the sales of the product? When I think about Carlsberg the first thought I have is green followed by their slogan "Probably the best lager in the world". I think their advertising is superb! But why choose green? I have done considerable research into the reason why Carlsberg would have chosen this colour. And i have two theories! The first is that the origin of Jacobsen the founder of Carlsberg came from Jutland. This is a beautiful totally green landscape where grass and trees stretch as far as the eye can see. The second is more of an allegory - Green signifies growth and abundance and the tie between beer and hops and nature could have influenced their decision to choose green.

The brand of Dove reminds me of smooth skin and naked women because that is what I have seen on TV advertising. The colours they have used are blue and white and again blue is calming and evidently one of the most popular universal colours. In 2008 Pantone choose the colour Blue Iris (PANTONE 18-3943) as its colour of the year!

I thought of Coco Cola and it reminded me of the colour red! Which actually on a side note is interesting considering my blog about colours and moods and how red is a very dominant colour which is a stimulant and increases the blood pressure! So did Coca Cola think about that when they developed their brand?

Colour and Me

One thing that has always fascinated me is the effect that colours have on people. Whether it is to do with their moods or they dress in a colour to make a statement about themselves, whether colour is to denote an emotion or merely because that colour suits their skin tone better than any other I love the effect colours have.

Look at this in more detail - lets explore each colour.

Green is the most peaceful colour of all. Think about green! It evokes instant thoughts of forests and woodland, of green fields and perfectly mown lawns! Green makes people relax and unwind and promotes peace and harmony in a living environment.

Orange is the most energetic colour and represents excitement and enthusiasm. Orange was used in ancient times to heal the lungs and increase energy levels. Many interior designers encourage it for exercise rooms, but it has more negative impacts in other rooms.

Red makes a real statement. You always notice someone in red and it is a colour associated with some favourite occasions such as Christmas and Valentines Day. Red makes people think of special times- red roses for love, poinsettias for Christmas. Red raises a rooms energy and makes your adrenalin rush! It stirs the emotions and you never forget a "Lady in Red"

So onto my next colour - blue! Blue flowers can be found at both spectrums of emotion! Wedding flowers often contain delphiniums, veronica, sea holly and wisteria whilst at funerals you can find such flowers as lilies or iris. Dark blue can evoke feelings or sadness whilst sky blues create a feeling of calm and relaxation.

Yellow in the flower world mean sunflowers, winter flowering jasmine, daisies, alstromeria. These flowers are cheerful flowers which bring a smile to a dull day! Yellow is sunshine and happiness but by reverse in studies yellow is not necessarily a good choice for a room decor. Research shows that people are more likely to loose their tempers in a yellow room and babies cry more! The main time yellow is an asset to a house is in a small enclsoed space where yellow can create a feeling of space! And yellow is also a tiring colour - it does not create a feeling of peace and calm in an environment.

The neutral colours such as black, white and beige are flexible colours and whilst going in and out of trends do not have as much psycological impact as the others, although black is recommended in small amounts.

And so to the world of design - what fascinates me is why do people choose a colour? What does it say about them? Does colour affect my mood? Does colour affect yours? Does it make people buy things? Does it make people more succesful?

Folding Paper Guy!

SIPHO MABONA

Someone, had mentioned this guy to me and I then came across him in a newspaper. Despite the fact that I would never pay for one of the paper sculptures, I think they are really incredible and this is a really talented and creative guy. His designs are so intricate and some take him up to 20 hours to fold, they are all done out of one sheet of paper and can take up to six months to design. He folded his first paper plane at five years old and is now folding creations which are being exhibited all over the world, from Japan to France and Switzerland to Canada. Some of his designs sell for more than £1500.
I think this guys work is amazing and its really nice to something new and original being designed.

Hmmmm...

I saw this article in The Sun and didnt really know what to think about it. Was she really hired for her 2:1, despite the fact that many other students out there with the same qualification are struggling to get work? Or did she genuinely excel in an interview and deserves the job?

Natalie Brown

THE brainy beauty told she was too glamorous for a job is being taken on by a top advertising agency - thanks to Sunemployment.
Natalie Brown, 21, is all set for a placement at prestigious London firm M&C Saatchi.
We told yesterday how she was devastated after being told to "tone down" her pretty image by a small marketing firm. But she can now launch her career with the very best.

Natalie, of Holland-on-Sea, Essex, said: "It's a dream come true to be taken on by such a prestigious company. I am over the moon."
After reading about her case in The Sun, M&C Saatchi called her for an interview to fix details of a three-month placement.
The firm was set up by a founder of Saatchi and Saatchi - the famous company behind the iconic election poster "Labour Isn't Working", which helped the Tories sweep to power in 1979.
An M&C Saatchi spokesman said: "The group prides itself on only employing the best brains in the business.
"We admire Natalie's entrepreneurial spirit in contacting The Sun to tell her story.
"If she is as brainy as The Sun says she is, then we would love her to work with us. As such we have offered her a three-month work placement to show us how good she is."
She will help with the PR for massive firms like Coca-Cola, Reebok and Carlsberg.
The beauty - who has a 2:1 degree in advertising and marketing - turned down a job at a marketing firm after being told her looks might "give the wrong impression" to clients.
Natalie, currently waitressing, said: "We learned about Saatchis at uni. I never dreamed I could be working for such an amazing company so soon."

Best Way to Advertise

What is the best way to advertise?

This video has been created by Peter Watkins-Hughes to show round schools to act as a warning to young people about texting and driving.

This video made me think about the best way to get across a point to its audience. For me if this came on television I would simply change the channel-thus making it a pointless advert, for some people it may have a genuine impact. However, the adverts which portray road safety through the hedgehogs, despite not having the shock factor would make me think more, as I would actually watch them. Seeing this latest texting video made me think about what is the best way to advertise?