Guinness - A Sip for the Senses
Company R/GA London
Introduction Date May 1, 2017
Project Website
Why is this project worthy of an award?
This project transformed a simple in-store sampling event into a brand experience that suspend the senses and transported people to another place - through the iconic gates of The Guinness Open Gate Brewery and into an immersive world of abstract sights and sounds that are proven to heighten the aromas and flavours of 3 Guinness beers. Once inside the world, the voice of Peter Simpson, the head brewer at The Guinness Open Gate Brewery guides people through a tasting experience like no other. Today, 94% of breweries produce craft beer, all claiming to be more flavoursome than the next. But Guinness have been brewing beers with a craft beer mentality since 1759, something we wanted to remind people of when deciding which beer to buy in store. An immersive VR tasting experience, scientifically proven to enhance the aromas and flavours of 3 Guinness beers. We worked with eminent flavour scientist, Professor Charles Spence, who identified the shapes, colours, speeds and sounds that would enhance the aroma and flavour profiles of each beer. Working with award-winning production companies, we then converted the research into a bespoke 360 environment that engaged all 5 senses, a first in branded VR.
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
Our target audience was discerning beers drinkers who often disregard big beer brands in favour of small craft breweries claiming to have more flavourful beers. Our objective was to have this audience appreciate Guinness beers in a new light, and have them try beers they wouldn’t have otherwise considered. Psychologists such as Daniel Kahneman have shown that we are much more likely to retain something mentally when we have an emotional response to it. Our strategy was to create an experience that enhanced sensory drivers in order to influence purchase. VR was the only medium that was able to make this possible. We began by taking the research and combining the different elements for each of the aromas and flavours - sound, colour, shape and speed - to create individual abstract forms that heightened each individual smell and taste. We then combined these elements to create a bespoke 360 environment that perfectly simulated how you experience each beer, from the first smell to the long lingering aftertaste. The voice of Peter Simpson, the head brewer at The Guinness Open Gate Brewery, acts as a guide within the experience, instructing viewers when to smell and taste the beers. A bespoke binaural soundscape was created to compliment the visuals and further enhance the aromas and flavour profiles. The result was a beer tasting experience like no other. The experience was rolled out in the beer aisles of Tesco stores in Ireland where discerning beer drinkers were deciding which beer to purchase.
Who worked on the project?
Alex Wills - Managing Director, Content Studio Jocelyn Birsch - Executive Producer, Head of Content Production Ciaran McCarthy - Creative Director Tim Wild - Creative Director Paul Calway - Senior Art Director Adam Collins - Associate Creative Director Daniel Liakh - Junior Art Director Josh Croston - Junior Copywriter Maria Stark - Executive Producer Adam Reid - Content Producer Caleigh Kimberley - Production Manager Freddie Campbell - Account Manager Pete Conolly - MPC Creative Director Dafydd Upsdell - Executive Producer Russell Forde - VFX Producer Graeme Turnbull - VFX Supervisor, 3D David Filipe - VFX Supervisor, 2D Sinead Catney - Digital Producer Sam Ashwell - Sound Engineer Mark Hellaby - Sound Engineer
View the project video: http://judgeseyesonly.com/guinness-a-sip-for-the-senses
Halstead Identity
Company Pentagram
Introduction Date April 24, 2018
Project Website
Why is this project worthy of an award?
Halstead is a leading residential real estate brokerage firm in the New York metropolitan area. Pentagram has created a dynamic brand identity that captures Halstead’s unique position and transformative role in its clients’ lives. The program centers on a dimensional, changing “H” and a vibrant system of color, and encompasses brand positioning and messaging, environmental graphics and marketing campaigns, as well as the website. Pentagram worked closely with Halstead leadership to develop the branding. New York real estate is one of the most crowded and competitive markets in the world, and Halstead was looking for an identity that would stand out to the public and agents alike. At the same time, the firm wanted to showcase its forward-looking perspective and one-of-a-kind breadth of capabilities and depth of knowledge. The identity needed to go beyond the familiar symbols of houses and staid typography to something more active, robust and integral. The new look is bold, contemporary and memorable, and speaks to the firm’s most powerful brand attributes while staying true to its core values and strengths. This starts with the brand positioning, which focuses on Halstead as “agents of change” in people’s lives. Halstead agents play a critical role in helping their clients make some of the biggest, most exciting and challenging changes in their lives. The work of the agents represents more than a simple transaction––they are trusted advisors, interpreters of the market, community builders, and much more. This supportive point of view is captured in the new tagline, “Move to what moves you,” encouraging clients to find what inspires them. Throughout the branding, the messaging speaks with an aspirational tone of voice that is smart, positive, passionate and helpful.
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
Strong, smart, robust and pragmatic, the identity’s visual language is built of a layered system of elements that can adapt and evolve for various applications and brand expressions. Like Halstead’s agents, the firm’s new logo is multidimensional and flexible. The reimagined “H” icon is architectural and spatial, offering the ability to stand alone as well as the flexibility for rotation, use in endlessly expanding patterns, and as a window for photography, or even as a directional arrow. The logotype is set in Domaine Sans, a sleek, refined sans serif (designed by Klim Type) that is simultaneously historical and contemporary, bridging the past and future. The company name has been changed to simply “Halstead,” which can be accompanied by “Real Estate” to provide context when needed. The vibrant and systematic approach to color sets the brand apart and evokes the dazzling diversity of New York and its neighborhoods. The corporate color set consists of an elegant palette of grays that anchors the brand, while three additional color sets reflect the company’s various markets throughout the tri-state region––Manhattan, the outer boroughs and the suburban areas. Each market has its own distinct character and qualities, and the different color sets allow these characteristics to shine while maintaining a strong connection to the core Halstead brand.
Who worked on the project?
Partner: Eddie Opara; Project team: Brankica Harvey, Pedro Mendes, Paul Yoon, Steven Merenda, Saundra Marcel
View the project video:
Hanigan & Johnson Brand Identity
Company Test Monki
Introduction Date July 1, 2016
Project Website
Why is this project worthy of an award?
After 20 years of being a solo orthodontist, Dr. Hanigan was adding a partner to his practice and needed a new brand identity. Doing anything with a tooth was considered status quo and out of the question. During our discovery phase, it was revealed that both men are avid cyclists. Test Monki came up with a logo that made them both smile (pun intended). It’s a bicycle that has both an “H” and a “J” inside it. The cycling brand identity theme was successfully executed across all their design material and communication channels for a smooth introduction to the new partnership. We were able to do a ton of fun things with the brand. The logo was transferred into a face when a smile was added to the bottom. And with copy like “Smile in tandem and bring a friend along for the ride” for their refer-a-friend cards, who wouldn’t smile?
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
With the transition into a new brand came a new rewards card named “Rack Up the S’miles”. (we blended smiles and miles there) You received your rewards card in a card with the headline “We’re Currently Changing Gears” that was to reiterate that introduction to the new brand. H&J hold several contests throughout the year. This past summer, they wanted a fun contest that the kids would actually participate in. We took the idea from the good ole’ days of Flat Stanley. Instead of just one dude on a flimsy piece of paper, we put Dr. Hanigan & Dr. Johnson on a stick and the kids were to “take them for a ride” wherever they went over the summer, snap a picture, and be entered to win a prize. The doctors were so inspired by our illustration, they posed as their character illustrations on social media.
Who worked on the project?
Suzy Simmons-Chief Creative Officer and Creative Director, Brad Petak-Chief Engagement Officer, Gabby Nguyen-Design Director, Sarah Wright-designer, Sofi Cruz-designer
View the project video:
Hello, Universe
Company Superunion
Introduction Date March 1, 2018
Project Website
Why is this project worthy of an award?
METI (Messaging extra-terrestrial intelligence) is an international organisation dedicated to making contact with life on planets far from our own. With its network of technical experts, the organisation is leading a sustained interstellar message transmission project, and promotes understanding and awareness to the public and scholarly communities. As well as conducting scientific research, development and educational programmes METI also considers the human impact of its mission, collaborating with leaders in humanities and social sciences, artists and thinkers to explore the ethical, legal and societal implications of potential interstellar communication. METI is concerned with designing and sending messages out into space whilst looking back at ourselves and asking the big questions. What makes us human? What is the future for our species? Why should we make contact? What we do we want to say about ourselves? In a word METI is about messaging. The first interstellar communication broadcast into space was the famous Arecibo message. Transmitted in 1974 from the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico, the message was constructed using binary code to represent a variety of scientific and mathematical data as well as simple graphic pictograms about life on Earth. It was humankind’s first attempt at saying “Hello, universe”. This original message is the inspiration behind the METI visual identity. The roman alphabet, in binary code, becomes a metaphor for a universal language that appears unfamiliar yet can be deciphered. The use of black and white with rational typography grounds the identity in the realm of science and research. Square brackets are used to show the direct translation of the seemingly alien binary message into a more familiar local language. The logo is based on the underlying grid of the binary squares and itself requires some decoding. These graphic, utilitarian elements, combined with emotive imagery and a philosophical tone of voice connect METI to our human experiences of outward and inward discovery.
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
METI launched their new brand with an event called What is Life? An Extraterrestrial Perspective at the Natural History Museum in Paris. The new identity is intended to promote the organisation and its core purpose of messaging to a wide audience as well as the scientific community. Kickstarter campaigns will help fund future projects and rewards such as tote bags, posters and other merchandise will be offered in exchange for pledges.
Who worked on the project?
Kath Tudball, Design Director Erik Brattested, Designer Rosey Trickett, Designer Uri Baruchin, Strategy Partner Miki Nathan, Account Manager
View the project video:
Humankind Branding & Animation
Company Motto
Introduction Date May 31, 2016
Project Website
Why is this project worthy of an award?
It’s easy to overlook positive news stories, especially in today's news cycle. USA TODAY realized this and set out to change the way it curates positive stories by creating a social video brand focused on stories about special relationships, acts of kindness and out of the ordinary triumphs. Within the USA TODAY network of sites, there were a lot of beautiful, original stories, but they were getting lost amongst the bad news and sensational headlines. So we created Humankind, a video-first good-news brand inside the USA TODAY Network which has more than 1 billion views across platforms. The success of Humankind helped successfully launch sister brands Animalkind and Militarykind.
What else would you like to share about your design? Why is it unique and innovative?
The brand concept is brought to life with motion and animation that helps tell powerful stories of people performing positive actions, sharing special relationships and overcoming great odds.
Who worked on the project?
Sunny Bonnell - Creative Director, Ashleigh Hansberger - Chief of Strategy, Daniel Luna - Design & Animation, Yaniv Fridman - Design & Animation.
View the project video: https://vimeo.com/170030268
