Liv Design – Nottingham and Mansfield graphic design and branding specialists

Steampunk your smartphone

2012-02-01T12:57:00.001Z

If you're a bit bored of your Blackberry or iPhone and dream of days gone by, then why not take some inspiration from designer Richard Clarkson with the gorgeous Rotary Mechanical Smartphone.

Like many people (including us at Liv Design), you hunger for the good ol' days of mechanical and rotary devices, this concept is great. Old meets new. The phone features two interchangeable brass dials with a rotary dial and a button dial. The body is electroplated copper which is over painted and designed to age/improve aesthetically as it wears.

And for people who don't know what the Steampunk genre is, it's the dark gothic fantasy world where victorian-esque mechanical creations meet futuristic steam operated and clockwork devices. Nice...

Are business cards relevant today?

2012-01-13T15:24:00.003Z

If you're in business with a role where you are engaged in meeting other people in business, you'll undoubtedly have a business card.

For decades this small 55x90mm (ish) bit of cardboard has been an essential piece of communication. But is it still necessary in today's digital world?

Surely people are now more likely to look online for a business or a service, and that usually means looking at a company's website or social media such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn for contact details? Yes, a business card acts as a permanent reminder of a contact name, or a location, or a service, but so can a favourited webpage or computer's address/contacts book.

A business card is still relevant, perhaps even more now. Times are changing, that's true, so it's time to think a little differently about the role and purpose of a business card. A card is not merely a bit of text listing you're name, job title and your address anymore. And just why do people need to know you're address unless they're planning on visiting you? Is that essential at a first introduction?

Great example of a clever, memorable, and sector based business card

Think of a card as an advert or a brochure. It's a selling tool. It's selling you, and it's selling you're offering (whether that's a service or a product). It's also saying a lot about you. If you have a card on a flimsy bit of photocopy paper that you've cut out yourself with a pair of scissors, what does that say about you? It might look like you don't care about what you do or value who you do it with, or that you have no money.

World's most expensive card from Black Astrum

Now it's not about making an expensive business card (like the world's most expensive card at $1,500 each!). What does that card say? Arrogant? Opulent? The best? We charge a premium?... You are advertising and promoting your business first and foremost. Your card should say what you do, what you offer, and how you offer it.

Imagine you're at a business event and you get a dozen cards from the same type of company for a service that you need. Which one do would contact? Why?

The first mistake is to only use one side of a card. It has two sides, you should use the space. Put your details on one side and use the other to show images of your work, items that you make or sell, a list of services that you offer etc.

Secondly, adding your contact details and your logo is not enough. Your logo might not say enough about what you do. I've had many cards where the following day I have no idea what the company did. Contact is not all about the phone these days. Put your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and blog details on there or even add a QR barcode for smartphones to scan.

Thirdly, don't see your business card as an instant sales tool. People might want to get to know you and your company for a time before contacting you directly and placing work. Your card is also an opportunity to direct traffic to your website, encourage people to sign up to your newsletter, participate in offers or take part in surveys etc. You may get recommended to another business, so effectively you get free advertising too, it's not just about making a sale.

Key points to remember about designing your business card:

Be informative but give provide the right information
Make it memorable and eye-catching
Think about your brand identity
Think about your message and what you say
List your services
Showcase your products
They're a cost-effective way to advertise

There are no hard and fast rules to business cards. Use whatever format you want. A business card can be any size, any colour, and be on any substrate. There are millions of great examples out there. Be inspired, be creative.

A little cheer up for January from Liv Design

2012-01-10T10:45:00.000Z

Marriage – so complicated. Do you think you'll ever understand you're husband?!...

Brisk Star Wars Episode I campaign

2012-01-05T09:53:00.003Z

Brisk Iced Tea (a joint venture from Pepsi and Liptons) launches a campaign in the US to promote their products and tie in with the launch of Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace released in 3D in February. The campaign will use TV, digital, radio and cinema adverts, Special Limited Edition packaging and promotions, and a mobile game app called 'Brisksaber'. The campaign features Yoda and Darth Maul.

The smartphone app, available via Facebook, iTunes and Android, allows users to play and unlock new characters and objects by using codes found on specially marked packaging. Players can share their scores on Facebook and Twitter, and top-scoring players feature on a leaderboard on Facebook.

A great example of interactive marketing using both online and offline media we think.

Light Up Your Mood

2012-01-03T10:57:00.003Z

Christmas and New Year are over for another year. We could all do with a little cheering up in these dark January mornings and evening. What better way to put a smile on your face than with these cute light switch stickers!

These Light Up Your Mood Light Switch Stickers, designed by Henrietta Swift, come in three designs: Girls, Boys and Animals and are made from an easy peel vinyl which makes them easy to apply. The sticker sheets have a variety of sticker parts to create your own designs. There should be enough to decorate eight light switches.

Check out Henrietta Swift's website for more information and see all her designs.

2011-12-20T10:08:00.000Z

A great example of new 3D light projection technology. This urban pinball is a brilliant playable interactive light show shown at the Festival of Light 2011 in Lyon by collective CT Light Concept.

Star Wars Evian packaging

2011-12-19T15:36:00.001Z

After successful designer collaborations with Jean Paul Gaultier, Paul Smith (which we have on our shelf!) and Issey Miyake, you might wonder what French water brand Evian will create next for their packaging.

Maybe these Star Wars themed bottles created by Mandy Brencys? Part lightsaber, part Matey bubble bath bottle, we think they'd go down a treat in the Cantina...

Liv Design tips – Surround yourself in design

2011-12-15T11:39:00.001Z

Surround yourself with inspiration and design reference

I've been asked a couple of times recently about advice for designers, whether it's for students studying design or young designers starting out in their first role in design. There are lots for things I could say, and probably a lot I shouldn't!

So you've decided to embark on a journey into the world of design? Good choice. Whichever aspect of design you've chosen, whether it's web, furniture, packaging, graphics, fashion or whatever, I think the principal applies equally to all fields.

The key thing to being a good designer is to be inspired. Design is all about creativity. The world we live in is made by design. It couldn't function without it. Everything you see has been designed by someone and you've probably not even noticed. Your day in full of interaction with design from the moment you wake up. From the chair you sit in for breakfast in the morning, to the box of cereal you have, the paper that you read (or the iPad app version); even the kettle and toaster that you use.

We tend to take things for granted. We are surrounded by 'stuff'. It tends to be a fast-paced and cluttered world that we live in that we tend not to notice what's around us, particularly the world of design.

An essential part of being a great designer is to notice everything – the things around us, the world that surrounds us. Notice the little things. Observation. Look at the advertisements, see the cars, watch the people and how they act and what they wear. Learn to think about the 'how' and the 'why'. Where did that jacket come from? Why does that car look like that? What was the brief? What was the target market? A whole process of design, evolution (and sometimes revolution) has taken place before you even see it. What was the brief from the client? Why does the finished design/object/article look like that? Did price play a part? Did materials dictate the end result?

It helps with your creative output to have creative input. To be inspired you need inspiration. Surround yourself with it. Wherever you work have something on your desk, your computer, your wall, in your drawer or on your shelves. Keep a 'scrapbook' too. It can be a physical one or digital one on your computer. You will need it one day, guaranteed. It can be web downloads, pictures, photos, pages from magazines, labels, fabrics.... anything and everything. Inspiration comes from anywhere. Don't think that because you are a web designer that your inspiration and motivation can only come from other websites. It may come from a fashion magazine, or some packaging, or even a catalogue you've seen.

I add notes onto my phone and take photos nearly every day.

Change your surroundings regularly too. It's great if you've got a notice board or shelf full of inspiration and reference, but if you don't change it regularly you will start to not notice it anymore and it will become mundane, redundant and ineffectual. Remember, you need to 'see' to be inspired.

While it's vital to be motivated and inspired by other work, it's essential you don't 'borrow ideas'. Copying other work may seem like a quick design fix, but it's a) illegal b) immoral c) you wouldn't like it if it happened to your work. If you have enough reference and inspiration around you, you will find your own creative solutions to the brief.

And on a final note, you've chosen a great and rewarding career. There are few jobs in the world that you create something from nothing. At times it's hard work, it can be stressful. But enjoy it, have fun with it, and don't take yourself too seriously!

Scott Johnson, Creative Director at Liv Design Ltd, Graphic Design and Branding agency in Nottingham

Make Christmas a little less traditional

2011-12-14T09:49:00.001Z

Finding Christmas a little routine? Had enough of listening to the same festive songs? Fed up of seeing Santas, Rudolphs and Icicles on every building? Why not make an effort this year with your decorations and bring some fun and individuality back to your decorations. Try something different. Here's a few we'd love to have hanging on our tree this year!

This is a pretty amazing creation from Chris Mcveigh. It's the Death Star from Star Wars, made of lego! Here's the list of parts you need to make your own.

Got a favourite band? Love rock and metal? Show your allegiance with this official Metallica bauble featuring the bands iconic ninja star logo.

Or how about this lovely Alice in Wonderland inspired handmade glass ornament from Fairyfolk featuring a felt toad toadstool and woolly moss.

We've featured these lovely and simple Pantone baubles in the recent Liv Design newsletter, but here's another chance to see them! Available in a range of colours from Italian company Soletti.

These are cute fine bone decorations from Reiko Kaneko, created by Fay Ray, featuring an array of little animals peering into the baubles. Sniffy sniffy...

Maybe if you're not feeling festive, go for a little anti-christmas message from Jingleballs...

The current Liv Design favourite are these rope and gingham baubles from John Lewis for the minimal homely look.

Time to get that tree up!

Great design – BOXX Corp's mini motorbike

2011-12-12T15:46:00.002Z

Meet BOXX Corporation's electric 'motorcycle', the Designer 100 Series. Scheduled to be available for a while now it's now finally available to purchase. The all electric two wheeled urban transport is the first in a series of planned models. The quirky design and compact dimensions are a sure to be a success for city urbanites.

It comes with two wheel drive (AWD) and produces zero emissions making it hugely environmentally friendly. The range is around 20 miles (or 40 miles in ECO mode) but this can be upgraded to double the range. Top speed is quoted at between 28mph and 35mph.

A standard full charge takes 4 hours but an optional fast charger takes the time to just 1 hour.

It's available in ten colours with two different seat colours.

The bike weighs 120 pounds but the great thing is it's size, coming in at 1 metre x 8in x 36in, that's about the size of a suitcase so you could potentially just put it in the boot of your car and use it for short trips.

It costs $3,999 and is available to order now for 2012 delivery.

Configure yours on the BOXX website.

Pantone Universe iPad 2 and iPhone 4 cases

2011-10-31T16:09:00.002Z

Pantone's products feature regularly on the Liv Design blog. There's just something really clever, simple and useful about the way that they apply their brand to products. The designs from Pantone Universe range somehow seem to appear well-thought out and are aimed perfectly at the right market (usually anyone into design and designer products). They have an irritatingly good way of making their products look so good with minimal efforts.

We recently discovered the range of covers for Apple products from a Monaco based company called Case Scenario who 'create mobile accessories with functionality, design and style in mind'. Sounds like a perfect partnership.

We'll definitely be trying out a lovely case for our new iPhone 4S.

The iPhone 4S range comes in the following colours: Pantone 711 (Red), Pantone 7462 (Blue), Pantone Yellow, Pantone 226 (Pink), Pantone 354 (Green), Pantone Cool Grey 5, Pantone 418 (Grey) and Pantone Black.

The iPad 2 range comes in Pantone 290 (light blue), Pantone Rubine Red (Pink), Pantone (185), Pantone Cool Grey 5, Pantone Black and Pantone 1665 (Orange). The Case Scenario website also features a nifty little Simulator to see which Back Case looks best with your choice of Apple Smart Cover.

There are also cases for iPods and MacBooks.

Porche Design P'9981 Blackberry Smartphone

2011-10-31T12:20:00.002Z

Now this is a thing of beauty. This is the new 'restricted' edition (not limited) Porsche Design P'9981 Blackberry Smartphone. But is it enough to rival Apple's iPhone 4S in terms of design and desirability?

It looks great, forged in stainless steel with a leather back. Inside it's essentially Blackberry's Bold 9900 that's been given the Porsche treatment. It comes with a QWERTY keyboard, 1.25GHz processor, 8GB memory, 5MP camera and 720 HD video recording.

If standing out in the board room meeting is your thing, then this will look great on the table. But exclusivity comes at a price. The current unlocked Blackberry Bold 9900 is around £475, but the new P'9981 in the US will cost around $2,000! UK prices are to be announced.

But it is a thing of beauty, and sure to robust and tactile. Well thought out, well crafted design doesn't some cheap, but then why should it? You pay for what you get. How happy would you be using it?...

Online checkout - in real life

2011-10-27T15:09:00.002+01:00

Imagine if we had to shop like this in the real world!... Funny video from Google.

The revolutionary light field camera from Lytro

2011-10-25T14:40:00.001+01:00

Could this be the way forward for photography? The new Lytro camera is a really clever piece of technology that may revolutionise the way we take photographs.

It works by capturing the entire light field rather than using light from just one plane.

This ability to capture light in every direction and from every point allows you to focus and re-focus at any point on the image – AFTER you've taken it! So no need to make sure you get a shot spot on first time.

With no shutter delay and no focussing this should provide a sharper, more instant shot.

For more more details visit Lytro. The gallery of images shows how you can click on different parts of an image to refocus them. Amazing...

RIP Marco Simoncelli 1987-2011

2011-10-24T19:29:00.000+01:00

Tragically at the Malaysian MotoGP race at the Sepang circuit, San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Simoncelli was killed in a terrible racing accident. He was just 24.

There are not many occasions where I feel the need to add something like this on our blog or our website but as a motorcycle rider and race fan it is only right to express our shock and sadness at the loss of such a talent. Every racer at the top level of their sport knows how dangerous racing is. All racers ride at the absolute limit – there is no margin for error. They do it because they love it, and they do it because we all love to watch it.

Marco Simoncelli was a real racer. His style of hard riding mixed with flamboyant looks gained him many fans and critics alike but on track he was as focused, passionate and talented as many of the greats he raced with. He was only in MotoGP for his second season but he'd become a force to be reckoned with. At the previous round at Phillip Island, Australia, he came 2nd - his best ever race position in the top class. Surely a sign of the talent and the successful career that was sadly cut short. He would have won the Championship within the next few years for sure.

We'd like to add to the thousands of race fans around the world to express our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and all the Gresini team.

A brief but fitting montage is available on the MotoGP website.

LEGO's 1960s design icon – The VW Camper Van

2011-08-16T12:10:00.000+01:00

LEGO® has finally created one of the most iconic and loved vehicles every made – the VW Camper Van.

The red LEGO VW Camper Van is a loving recreation of a T1 Camper from 1962, (known as a ‘Combi’). The sixties design icon, was (and still is) loved by hippies and surfers around the world and comes complete with many authentic features such as the V shape three-way colour split at the front, rounded roof and window frames, opening 'splittie' safari front window, opening doors, and even a pop-up roof!

They've even recreated the characteristic flat-four air-cooled Volkswagen boxer engine, squeezed in above the rear axle.

The 60s 'hippie styled' interior comes complete with a sink, a bench that folds down into a bed, a folding dinette table, opening cupboard with a mirror, a lava lamp and a T-shirt in the window that says ‘Make LEGO models, not war’!

”Its unique character and charm have made it loved all over the world, which has also meant that it has become one of the most customisable vehicles ever produced,” says LEGO designer John-Henry Harris. “It has come in so many different shapes and sizes, interiors and exteriors that it really lent itself to a LEGO model.

”There is lots of technical building within the model that I think LEGO fans will enjoy. I’m also hoping that it will appeal to a wider audience, not just LEGO fans. I think the Volkswagen community out there will really appreciate this model,” he adds.

The LEGO® Camper is on sale in October 2011. This one's definitely on Liv Design's Christmas Wish List!...

Love it or hate it - Marmite merchandise

2011-08-02T14:35:00.000+01:00

Vegetarian yeast extract manufacturer Marmite continues to build upon it's 'love it or hate it' brand philosophy with an ever-growing range of branded merchandise. Some you may already be familiar with, some are a little 'off the wall' (or should that be 'off the shelf'?).

The recent retro range of kitchen memorabilia (kitchenalia?) featuring posters, signage and ads from yesteryear proved to be very popular, and many brands are producing similar things at the minute such as Cadbury's and Coca-Cola. You can now buy more modern art prints with a black and a white side, symbolising the love it or hate it brand approach.

What's interesting is their demonstration of how to use Marmite as an ingredient in other foods and dishes rather than just a spread for your toast. In addition to the cookbooks full of recipes and ideas of how to use Marmite, you can now serve your Marmite dish literally in a Marmite dish.

Some odd food combinations featuring Marmite available at the moment include Biscuits, Chocolate, Cereal Bars and Cashew nuts.

There was also a great April Fool product - Marmite Vaseline! Tongues firmly in cheeks there...

But why would we want to own something with a Marmite logo on? After all, aren't we just advertising their product for them for free? It's all about human nature. We all want to show other people what we like and who we are. It's an outward demonstration of our character and status. By signaling our tastes and character we essentially want to connect and interact with like-minded individuals. It's a basic 'tribal' instinct to which we use to form social groups, and also a display of our status within a group. We do it now more than ever with social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. Whether it's a T-shirt with your favourite band on, your flagged 'likes', or your preferred choice of trainers, it's all identification and signalling.

With many brands that have been around for a long time we've probably grow up with them, used them, and have fond memories of them especially from childhood. There is a sense of nostalgia and happiness attached with some brands, perhaps with a sense of comfort and memories of 'simpler times'. This isn't necessarily limited to just food brands like Oxo and Cadbury's but brands such as Raleigh, Persil and Fairy have strong brand loyalty too. Perhaps there is a human need to signal how old we are too!

With Marmite you're not just saying that you like the product, you're saying that you get the joke, that you understand the brand, therefore are a fun and intelligent person. You wouldn't walk around in a McDonald's T-shirt would you?...

Visit their online shop to see more products.

Great retro packaging for Coca-Cola

2011-07-04T17:33:00.000+01:00

We're interested in packaging at Liv Design. Great packaging really sells your products, and we're suckers for all things retro, so we've bought a couple of these! A lovely piece of timeless memorabilia which is only available from Selfridges, it's an original Coca–Cola bottle. The vintage bottle is made to celebrate Coca–Cola's 125th anniversary.

Porsche owners event at Chatsworth

2011-07-04T14:18:00.000+01:00

Sunday saw the beautiful grounds of Chatsworth in Derbyshire filled with a selection of Porsches as the East Midlands Porsche Club gathered for their annual concours event. The lovely warm sunshine drew a large number of cars, owners and visitors.

A plethora of models of the iconic German car maker were represented from the classic 1960s 912 and 356 to the modern 911 GT3 RS and Panamera.

It's interesting to see the evolution of the design of the 911 specifically and how Porsche has managed to develop and modernise a classic design without spoiling the looks or moving away from it's heritage. The 911 itself is more like a sub-brand of Porsche with each model keeping the same characteristics.

It's funny how tastes change too, from the beige and tan examples of the 70s, through the purples and reds of the 80s through to the traditional silvers and metallic blacks of the 90s.

Congratulations to my brother who's 911 Carrera 2 won Best in Class (Water-cooled) on the day amongst stiff competition. Last year his car won the overall concours trophy too.

Liv Design's Creative Director judges Leicester Postgraduates

2011-06-18T14:00:00.004+01:00

Liv Design's Creative Director, Scott Johnson, took part in the University of Leicester's Festival of Postgraduate Research on Thursday 16th June 2011. The annual event sees a wide range of business leaders, professionals and academics from across the region invited to judge Postgraduate students, alongside judges from the University of Leicester. The judging panel consisted of a wide range of judges from business and education including Honda UK, Grant Thornton, De Montfort University and the University of Warwick.

Deborah Alawo (Cardiovascular Sciences) and her work
'The lego-ization of biology using systems and synthetic biology'

The event, the 7th of its kind, aims to widen the range of skills of Postgraduate students as part of their business, research and personal development. Fifty Postgraduate researchers were tasked with presenting their research to the judges at the exhibition which was then opened to the public. The researchers were asked to consider the real world implications of their research and to present it in an engaging and accessible way. The Postgraduate students were marked on their ability to effectively communicate their research to non-specialists and on their presentation skills.

Hussein N Raibey (Cardiovascular Sciences) and his work 'Dissecting Mechanisms of

Information Transfer within a Cardiac Potassium Channel'

Scott Johnson, Creative Director at Liv Design, summed up the event: "I was very happy to be involved in the University of Leicester's Festival of Postgraduate Research. Being invited to take part as a judge was a real privilege and very exciting. I met a number of very talented and engaging students who have clearly benefited from their studies and development at Leicester. It's great to see that the University of Leicester is working hard with their students provide them with the right skills necessary for a professional business research career when they graduate. It's important to remember that by investing in our students we are creating our next generation of researchers, employees and businesses."

Judging took place in the morning, followed by a brief tour of some of the University's facilities including the new award-winning library.

The atrium sculpture at the University of Leicester's award-winning library

The Awards presentation took place in the afternoon with the judging results and a keynote speech by Douglas Halliday, an award-winning academic and previous Dean of Durham University. The overall winner was Nathan Dickinson (Department of Physics and Astronomy) who will now go on to take part in a regional event against other Universities. The full list of the winners can be found at the University of Leicester's website.

Liv Design would like to thank the University of Leicester for the invitation to take part, and would like to congratulate the winners and all the student researchers who took part in the Festival.

Yamaha celebrates 50th Anniversary in racing

2011-06-16T16:38:00.001+01:00

Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Yamaha celebrates its 50th anniversary of World Championship Grand Prix racing this year. To celebrate the Yamaha Factory Racing team feature a special livery for the Assen and Laguna Seca motogp rounds.

The beautiful special edition YZR-M1 WGP50th Anniversary Edition will be unveiled by Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies at a special event on June 22nd near the Assen circuit. The Assen motogp race is on Sunday 25th June.

The retro inspired red and white livery design "pays homage to the iconic Yamaha Factory Racing liveries of the past with a modern twist" and will feature on Lorenzo and Spies bikes, the pit garages and crew.

Expect to see your local Yamaha dealer offering a new Yamaha R1 featuring the paint job anytime now...

2011-05-04T10:09:00.000+01:00

Here's a great video from Adidas to celebrate Star Wars day with Liv Design today. Adidas first launched their tie-in with Lucas' Star Wars franchise in 2010 with a hugely successful range of clothing and trainers. Adidas went on to launch further products at the beginning on 2011.

The cleverly done video replaces certain characters from the classic Cantina scene from Star Wars IV - A New Hope with appearances by David Beckham, Daft Punk, Noel Gallagher, Ian Brown and Snoop Dogg to name a few.

Enjoy! May the 4th be with you...

The Nottingham Easter Egg run 2011

2011-04-19T14:25:00.000+01:00

Some of the bikers at the 31st Nottingham Easter Egg Run

Sunday saw the 31st Annual Nottingham Easter Egg Run, now kindly organised by Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Services and hosted by Mansfield Fire Station. A beautiful warm sunny April morning saw over 1,000 motorbikes gather at the Forest Recreation ground (the Goose fair site) but a charity ride over to Mansfield.

There's something really special about the event. To see so many motorbikes in one place, all the bikers gathered for a charity event really lifts your spirits. Every make and model and bike were represented, from scooters to trikes, sports bikes to customs, learners to classics.

Pictures don't do justice to the sight of 1,000 + bikes at the Forest Ground

When everyone started their bikes and gathered to leave the Forest Ground it was a beautiful moment. The sound of 1,000+ bike engines, throaty V-twins and revvy four strokes crawling out onto Mansfield Road with the air full of the smell of exhaust fumes really made your hairs stick up!

Along the way people had lined the streets, young and old, to wave, clap, take photos and video the event, and the congregation at St Paul's Church in Daybrook had come out to wave palm branches (it was Palm Sunday!). We were grinning from ear to ear inside our helmets! It was a touching and heart warming ride.

Some of the 2,500 eggs donated from the Egg Run for disadvantaged local children

Last year raised over £2,000 and collected 2,000 eggs. This year looked to have beaten that.

The Easter Egg Run is in aid of disadvantaged children and children with special needs within the community. Money raised this year will also be used to send a terminally ill child to Lapland at Christmas.

A well-deserved cool down, a cup of tea and a raffle at Mansfield Fire Station afterwards

A big thank you to Tim Marston from Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Services and his colleagues and friends who put the time and effort in to organise the event and who will be delivering the eggs to disadvantaged children in the area shortly.

Feel free to add your comments if you were there! For more information visit the Egg Run website.

Not long until next Easter...

Star Wars Adidas trainers - Episode 2

2011-04-11T17:00:00.000+01:00

Following on from their hugely successful (well, not all of the range...) Star Wars trainers that Adidas launched last year, 2011 sees the launch of the next batch in the series.

Adidas have taken some of their classic and iconic trainers and boots and revisited them with a Star Wars twist. As these seem to be focused on Imperial characters and themes, expect to see a Rebellion theme before the end of the year.

As with the previous range which we featured on here on the Liv Design blog early last year, some are more successful than others. We like the AT-AT Pilot boots (not sure about the removable AT-AT pilot head though!)

The new trainer range include:

Boba Fett Gazelle
Darth Vader Ultrastar
The Emperor ZX8000
Royal Guard Stan Smith 80S
Coruscant (with Vader) Skyline Mid
Star Wars Superskate Mid
AT-AT pilot Eldorado Hi
Star Wars Attitude Hi

Some are already discounted though on the Adidas online shop. Expect to best ones on ebay for twice the price soon...

Great marketing from TomTom

2011-04-07T16:08:00.000+01:00

Satellite Navigation devices. Sat Navs... A pretty boring topic wouldn't you think? It's a piece of technology that guides you from A to B. A fairly functional thing but one that most of us use these days.

Granted, it uses cutting edge GPS technology though but how do you make that desirable? If you were TomTom for example, how would you market these functional little boxes? By linking up with George Lucas and his Star Wars universe and providing a series of fun character voices and screens of course.

Now it's a given that geeks, sci-fi and Star Wars fans (like us at Liv Design!) will love it, but what would you do to promote and market these to a wider audience? Create a couple of funny videos for You Tube of course and let social media and the internet do the rest.

The result? Brilliantly creative and funny videos! Don't under-estimate the power of the darkside, erm, I mean the power of the video and the internet.

The clever thing in marketing your product is to not get too focussed on the product itself. Think of your target audience, think of what will appeal to them, what will get them excited or involved? Put yourself in their shoes. What would make you part with your cash?

If you bring fun and creativity to your product or brand you add character, you create a background and a setting for your products to sit. When your brand develops and expands people will associate your products with a particular feeling. You create an emotional attachment. You bring life to an inanimate object. Look at how well Apple market their products for example. You might not need and iPad2 but you do want one.

A good product with a good idea will generate it's own publicity and advertise itself.