Happy Belated Birthday!

www.thedieline.com

You've heard the expression before: 40... it's the new 30? Well, I'm not sure who is responsible for this nasty little lie but, it's exactly that: a lie. People, (including mermaids), should embrace their 40s! Especially when you're Starbucks. Happy belated birthday to YOU!

PS. I love your new logo.

Let's talk about this. The new Starbucks logo lacks text and to some people, that may not seem like a big deal, but to a designer, it really is. Lesson one in any marketing or design scheme: it's all about the brand name. It should be the most apparent piece of text on the package. I remember while designing sustainable wine boxes for a graphic production class last year, my Professor would pull the whole "Well if this is my company, WHY is my name the smallest text on the box? I love my company. Now make it bigger." Starbucks on the other hand, well, it's being quite the rebel. Maybe it's their ego or perhaps they really are trying to take a minimalist approach to their design. Either way, in  lieu of the well known "Starbucks" text, stands (well, floats right?) a poise little mermaid with long long locks and a sweet little smile.

www.thedieline.com

Do I think it's a bold move? Yes. Do I hate it? No. Do I love it? Well duh. It's refined, it's fresh, it's more stylized and simple but not boring—not boring is key. You can dislike it all you want but change is in my opinion, part of a company's growth. I know many people are considerably frusutrated with the look because it's not familiar to them, however. I've got news for you Debbie Downers: The coffee hasn't changed. So cheer up. Enjoy a cup. Enjoy your life. They even have little petite sized sweets for you thrifty weight watchers too! Rock on Starbucks (though I will admit, I'm NOT the biggest fan of your coffee).

Oooops?


For more info on this topic and more, check out:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/business/13coffee.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=starbucks%20logo&st=cse

http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2011/03/08/new-starbucks-logo-debuts-on-companys-40th-anniversary/

Till next time.

Baci,
Mari

An ode to nutella.

Slogan: “Che cosa sarebbe il mondo senza Nutella?” -

“What would the world be without Nutella?”

Just in case you were wondering, today we celebrate my pride and joy in the
realm of Italian sweets and treats: nutella. Serving Italian children and
people of the universe a creamy delicious spread since the 1940s, we are now
commemorating the 5th Annual World Nutella Day. Nutella constitutes half
my body/weight real estate, so I figured the least I can do was show some love
on blogspot. Thank you Ferrero (well  not really).  So if you're not feeling my
drive and are confused about the craze, here's the deal. Nutella to me, is what
Nathanial hotdogs are to you: delicious, nostalgic, and well, a problem for
the belly area.
 
I would like to start a discussion about their logo. It's nothing crazy; chunky,
clean, simple—but we love it. Why? What makes us attracted to something?
Of course it's the product, correct? However, how does design influence marketing
strategies? At the end of the day, when a product is good and you've been
faithful to this product for years, for centuries—does their design/branding
really matter? Oops. Did I just say this right now? Let's be honest, if the jar
of nutella had rainbow emoticon collages all over it, (yes, that would be
terrible/design suicide), yet if the product is amazing, wouldn't we still buy it?
I would. What are your thoughts? Let me know. 

For more info and proof that I'm NOT crazy, check out these sites!

Happy Nutella day!

 
http://www.nutelladay.com/
http://www.nutellausa.com/boutique.htm





Baci.