A New Look For McDonalds

"McDonald's is rolling out new designs for its food packaging aimed at fortifying the brand and staying ahead of obesity concerns."

The interesting aspect to consider here that that with a changing economy and an ever changing consumer, companies must adapt and be ready to fulfill the needs and concerns of their market.

"The new packaging is splashed with bold text and crisp imagery. Unlike the previous no-frills white and red box, the new Big Mac container, for example, triumphantly exclaims in heavy block text, "There is only one." On one side, plucky marketing copy extols the Big Mac's height while, on another, the vegetables, cheese, and cooking utensils used in the burger's making are highlighted. The goal, says Mary Dillon, McDonald's global chief marketing officer, is to "create unique personalities for our menu items by telling a story about each one.""

McDonalds has cleverly realized that with changing times, they too need to change and in turn made a very smart business decision, by hiring a design firm to re create the design of their packaging... the initial contact a consumer has with their product. However, something the company has to keep in mind now that it is attempting to accommodate consumers more readily, it must understand that consumers in each country contain various needs and likes.
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/dec2008/id2008123_918813_page_2.htm

Ford's Green Plan to Drive Sales

"Promising a slew of new green vehicles, the troubled Detroit automaker is turning to top design firms to make those cars innovative and appealing."

Its interesting to see that with the economy in the slump that it is, companies are straying from their old methods of operation and turning to designers in order to achieve the look they need to make their companies profit.

"Along with its fuel-sipping gas-electric technology, the Fusion features an inventive interior designed to influence drivers' behavior and improve mileage. The Fusion will be the first in a raft of clean burning, digitally savvy vehicles that help redefine the company as with-it and green."

ERAME: Research

Below is the power point presentation depicting how ERAME was created, everything from the movie, music, name and logo:

Erame

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own.

Helvetica in the Subway

"It was the letter J that opened the door for Helvetica into the subways."

Helvetica today is a commonly used and also popularly seen typeface, mainly because of its versatility. Helvetica has also become the official standard in the New York City transit system. But that has been true for only 20 years or so.

"Helvetica only became the standard typeface for the subway system in recent decades. Helvetica was originally created in Switzerland. It was a neutral typeface from a neutral country and gained runaway popularity starting in the 1960s for its modern grace. But the subway system looked elsewhere."

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/how-helvetica-took-over-the-subway/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Logo ReDesign

A logo redesign has to ability to either renovate and boost a companies image, or consequently alter it to the point where it is no longer recognizable or attributed to what consumers once knew. Below are a few examples logo redesigns which work and some which don't... in my opinion.




I feel as though this one is a failed attempt. It seems as though the designers went for a more modern approach but it seems to alter the original too drastically.



Effective, changes the brand logo just slightly to adjust to the changing times... subtle and less 80's.




I like the older logo much better, I feel as though this one is less striking and it dosn't seem to fit as well as the other one did, it stands out too much.




This one is the most successful update, I feel that it is just enough of a change and gives the company an up to date image which proves it to be keeping up with the evolving technologies.