Contest | Basis Design

Not Your Ordinary Nut

On August 9, 2011, In Branding, Food, Logo, Symbols, art, By Wes

Companies shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars for a great logo. The idea is to create a memory stamp that will stay with a consumer forever. An instant connection between the visual logo and the brand is the ultimate goal. Having a logo that has lasted and been recognizable for almost one hundred years is a huge accomplishment. Planters has done just this with their lovable Mr. Peanut. Mr. Peanut was created in 1916 by 14 year old Antonio Gentile. Gentile submitted his drawing of a peanut with stick arms and stick crossed legs in a Planters logo contest. His “Mr. Peanut” won the grand prize and became the new logo for the company. Gentile was paid… drum roll, please… five whole dollars!! Even with inflation considered, that’s only $103.65! Not bad for a logo that’s lasted as long as Mr. Peanut. A commercial artist was hired to add the signature monocle, top hat, and cane that sets Mr. Peanut above all other nuts. He’s a classy nut, not like the rest of us. The logo has evolved over the years — becoming less realistic and more cartoon like . Planters also added the name Mr. Peanut to his top hat.

Mr. Peanut truly is a historic peanut. In 1918, Planters ran an advertisement in the Saturday Post, the first ever advertisement for a salted peanut. During World War II, Mr. Peanut even helped to promote war saving stamps. The first TV commercials featuring the dapper nut aired in the 50′s. Mr. Peanut is a staple in the nut world even today, and he’s looking better than ever. In 2011, he still sports his monocle, top hat, gloves, tuxedo shoes, and cane. I don’t think he’s going anywhere anytime soon.

Planters has recently launched a campaign around their famous logo. Throughout 2011, Mr. Peanut is traveling the country in the Planters Nutmobile. Inspired by the way peanuts naturally give back to the Earth, Planters is embarking on this tour in an effort to encourage Americans to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

Planters has also invested an estimated 35 million dollars in the revival of Mr. Peanut on the airwaves. They’ve revamped his look, and even hired Robert Downey, Jr. to give him a voice for the first time in his nearly one hundred years of service.

Tagged with: advertising • art • Branding • contest • costume • logo • Mr. Peanut • Planters • Robert Downey Jr. • Symbols

Oscars Pregame Report Card: The Art Directors

On February 22, 2011, In Film, Uncategorized, art, By Wes

The moment you’ve all been waiting for! Appetites whetted by our insightful post about cinematography, you’ve returned for our dissection of possibly the most popular of all the Oscar categories: Art Direction!

This year the nominees are as follows:

Alice in Wonderland (Robert Stromberg & Karen O’Hara)

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part I (Stuart Craig & Stephenie McMillan)

Inception (Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias & Doug Mowat)

The King’s Speech (Eve Stewart & Judy Farr)

True Grit (Jess Gonchor & Nancy Haigh)

This is a tricky category. Do you want to reward movies who did a wonderful, and wonderfully subtle job of making their worlds look real? Or do you reward spectacle and particular effort? Well we’re wishy washy on that. Go with you heart, we tell ourselves (and our cats). Evaluations:

True Grit is a movie that takes place about 75% outdoors. While many of these outdoor shoots are of course art directed to within an inch of their lives, the directors and DPs have a lot more control when it comes to shooting in the open air. But there is a great little room created in the film, where Rooster makes his bed – it’s real and charming and, bizarrely, Chinese.

The King’s Speech is not a bad movie. But it is not a great movie. And there is nothing about it, aside from possibly costumes, that has any relationship to visual art. And even the costumes are simple; the King only wears a few clothes, all of which have been photographed to within an inch of their lives.

I will fight my gag reflex and talk about Harry Potter now. Forget that the cute kids first drafted into the franchise have aged into bad actors and a fashion plate; forget the awful dialogue, the interminable length of the dreary films, and the total lack of realistic behavior from the teen-aged protagonists. Let’s talk about the sets, which are very good. Dark when need be, whimsical when need be, and consistent across 7 lumbering atrocities, the sets are quite good.

Alice in Wonderland. What to say about the modern incarnation of Tim Burton? That he is trite? Trapped in a terminally cute faux-goth adolescent pose? That his movies are no longer any good at all? All of the above, if you’re grumpy old me. I watched this film recently, hated it, and took note of the sets in particular, which are almost uniformly computer generated and very fake-looking. The whole thing is queasy and stupid, with no zip, no humor, and no attempt to be faithful to Carroll. Get lost. (Except for you, Mia Wasikowska. We love you and can’t wait to see you in Jane Eyre!)

Now let’s talk turkey; let’s talk about the clear winner in this category, in our always humble opinion.

Let’s talk about Inception.

Was it all a dream?

Inception is a masterpiece. This is true in obvious ways; it’s a great action movie, the special effects are mind-blowing, and the story is immaculate. But it’s also a great entry in the canon of art films disguised as popular entertainment. This is a movie about filmmaking, about consciousness, about memory, and about the human condition. And it’s also got a James Bond section, a Last Tango in Paris section, a treatise on the nature of obsession… I could go on.

For the purposes of this article, it has some of the best art direction I’ve ever seen. Paris folding in on itself. The snow fortress. The Asian Mansion. The street riot. The vast and ruined dream city. On and on and on. This is the winner. Props!

Tagged with: architecture • art • contest • Film • the oscars

Oscars Pre-Game Report Card: The Cinematographers

On February 21, 2011, In Film, Fun, _______vs._______, art, By Wes

Here at Basis we take a special interest in the annual Academy Awards. With the caveat that all awards shows are essentially meaningless and nominations truly are an honor, it’s fascinating to see how public acclaim, critical acclaim, and industry acclaim all merge into one glitzy explosion of self congratulation and, yes, acclaim.

We’re a design blog, and we’re addicted to the big show, so this week (the Academy Awards are on February 27th, a Sunday) we’ll be looking at a few of our favorite categories: Cinematography, Art Direction, and Costumes. Today is Cinematography. Here are the nominees for this year:

Black Swan (Matthew Libatique)

True Grit (Roger Deakins)

The Social Network (Jeff Cronenweth)

Inception (Wally Pfister)

The King’s Speech (Danny Cohen)

This is a very interesting list indeed. The King’s Speech is an exceptionally odd choice, as the camera work in that film is about as dull as dishwater. Nothing against the movie itself; but there is certainly no outstanding artistry in how it was shot. While Inception was a very good movie and the special effects were tremendous, one has doubts whether the actual lighting and camera work had much to do with the look of the cities folding in on themselves, impressive though those sights were. (This is why no pics of those films).

In the humble opinion of this humble blogger, only Black Swan, True Grit and Social Network are nominees worth considering in this category. And they’re all quite different.

Black Swan depends on changing colors, film stocks and focus depth. It’s a wild and inventive visual ride, and matches the movie itself thrill for thrill, intensity for intensity. It reflects the emotions of the movie, projects them for the audience. It’s definitely the most obvious, the most showy, of the nominees, and it’s a major achievement from Matthew Libatique.

True Grit is another outing from the Coen Brothers, Joel and Ethan, and their magnificent Director of Photography, Roger Deakins. Deakins, I am convinced, can do anything. The cinematographic style in Fargo, O Brother Where Art Thou?, The Big Lebowski and Intolerable Cruelty could hardly be more different. He’s a master of all looks, all genres and all techniques. In True Grit he goes for a natural look, but a hard one. He photographs vistas, battle, and most impressively, the flight and plight of a pure black horse on a pure black night, ridden to exhaustion and beyond.

The Social Network is diamond cut. Precision is a David Fincher trademark, and his DP, Jeff Cronenweth, makes it happen. He also shot Fight Club – The Social Network uses the same colors, the same subterranean lighting, but removes every bit of grime – precise as a computer. It’s extremely effective in the film.

In the end, while the choice was hard for us here at Basis, it had to be made.

Congratulations, Matthew Libatique – you are the winner of the first of our fake February Oscar Pre Game Awards! Black Swan is gorgeous, harrowing, and a major thrill. Next up: Art Direction!

Tagged with: americana • art • ceremonies • contest • Film • the oscars

The ESPN Herbie Awards: Stoopid?

On August 25, 2010, In Sport, By Wes

One weird thing ESPN does is allow Kirk Herbstreit to take many hundreds of thousands of their dollars for talking on television about college football. Another weird thing they do is allow him to give out the “Herbie Awards” every year. Even weirder, they allow Herbstreit to give an award in the category of “Looks Good in Uniform.” Huh? One player out of more than 10,000 in the FBS gets picked. I know; dumb. Here are this years nominees, doin’ work:

Safety DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson

DeAndrea does look great, hard to deny it.

Tight End Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame Our Mother

Rudolph is captured here at the exact moment he realizes he’s being coached by Charlie Weis.

Defensive Back Patrick Peterson, LSU (A.J. Green is pictured eating his lunch)

This is a picture of Patrick getting owned for the first of two times by A.J. Green in last year’s UGA-LSU tilt. Wow, he really does look great in that uni.

What do you guys think? Legit award, or more bizarre thought-poop from Herbie?

Tagged with: contest • department of the weird • fashion • Sport

Save This Living Room!

On August 12, 2010, In furniture, By Wes

Right now Chattanooga-area retailer Smart Furniture is running a contest called Save This Living Room: The Ugliest Chair in America. All you have to do is send in a pic of the nastiest, dirtiest, broken-est, decrepit-est chair you’ve got and send it in. If it’s proclaimed ugliest, you get a free Stressless Chair. And trust me, you want a Stressless Chair.

That’s the Jazz, one of their top sellers. They’re made by a Norwegian company called Ekornes, and they come in a bunch of different sizes. Get rid of your old piece of crap, and roll easy in a Stressless for free. Don’t say we never gave you nothin’.

Tagged with: Branding • contest • furniture

Championship Trophies

On June 25, 2010, In Sport, By Wes

In all the excitement of this enthralling and (for us Americans) inspiring World Cup, one thing that finds little mention is the astounding ugliness of the World Cup itself.

Just no good at all. But what about some of the other major sports? Here we have the Larry O’Brien Trophy, awarded each year to the NBA champion. It’s okay; a little slick perhaps.

Kobe, of course, is holding the Finals MVP Trophy. Let’s look next to the Lombardi Trophy, the NFL Super Bowl winner’s prize. It’s certainly a major improvement over the World Cup and LOBT, but there’s still a bit to be desired.

Now here’s one I like, and it gets big points for originality; the Commissioners Trophy, given to the winner of the World Series (MLB).

Ivan appears happy.

Okay, the best of the best, my favorite, and the best looking to boot; The NHL Stanley Cup. There’s just nothing better; the size of it, the way the players get to keep it over the offseason, the fact that there’s only one, it’s age and wear – it’s a classic.

Tagged with: contest • Sport • Symbols

The Crossword Puzzle

On May 19, 2010, In Uncategorized, By Wes

We here at Basis love crossword puzzles. The mental exercise, the satisfaction of a puzzle solved, the constant inventory taken of the facts and figures collected in the mind, and the ingenious, meticulous design all form an extremely pleasant way to pass the time.

The original crossword puzzle was published in 1890, in Italy. Featuring only a four by four square it was titled “Per passare il tempo,” or “A way to pass the time.” It was written by Giuseppe Airoldi, a full 23 years before the commonly referenced “first crossword” penned by Arthur Wynne in 1913 and appearing in the New York World. Interesting side note: the New York Times, undoubtedly our preeminent creator and purveyor of quality crosswords, published many scathing editorials calling the puzzles a waste of time, and even sinful. It was not until 1942, half a century after the puzzles made their first appearance, that the NYT deigned to include them within it’s pages. Underneath is what has been considered the most difficult puzzle of all time, published in the December 26th Saturday edition of the New York Times:

ACROSS	4	Leaflet-base appendage
1	Benchley novel	5	Rosary bead
5	Harsh	6	O.S.S. successor
10	Levantine coffee cup	7	He, in Tarantao
14	He was: Lat.	8	Space
15	Kepi part	9	Sultanate in Borneo
16	Coloratura Mills	10	Buddhist sect
17	Cause disappointment	11	Schoenberg’s “Moses und —–”
20	Vale of —–, near 71 Across	12	Lavabo
21	Hawks’ arena	13	Trilbies
22	Insect catcher	18	Japanese kombu ingredient
23	Tyrrhenian Sea island	19	Annuli
26	Elway target	24	Oswego tea
28	Certain estimates	25	Direction from Levine
36	Midianite ruler	27	Defunct Russian parliament
37	Fabulist	28	Father of King Hadad: Gen. 36:35
38	Silvery fish	29	Dispatch boat
39	Beanie	30	Great Wall town
41	Hills	31	A U.N. member: Var.
43	—– spumante	32	Raisin capital of the world
44	“—– Like It”	33	Remnants, in Roma
46	Scarf	34	Author of “The Augustan Ages”
47	High fashion	35	Bee bite
48	Gambler’s plunge	40	Honshu port
52	Abstract being	42	Kind of steward
53	The Cornish Wonder	45	Cubiti
54	Sharp turn	49	Portuguese dollar
57	A-one	50	Rail supports
60	—– salts	51	Swinger in the 40′s
64	Avenges	54	Eastern Roman emperor
68	English river	55	He played Big Daddy
69	Catfish	56	Roman family group
70	Trammell of baseball	58	Poetry of a people
71	Thessaly peak	59	Sights on the Atl.
72	Georgian Aryan	61	One-man shows
73	Sharp point	62	City having a casbah
	DOWN	63	Ancient wall word
1	Rigoletto’s forte	65	Teachers’ org.
2	Prada offering	66	Have, in Haddington
3	Cordial	67	N.Y.C. time zone

Tagged with: arts & crafts • contest • graphic design • the classics

Smart Furniture Design Contest – Dollhouse for Adults

On February 11, 2010, In Fun, furniture, By Wes

There’s a pretty nifty design contest going on at Chattanooga furniture store Smart Furniture. They have this tool called Smart Designer which allows users to design their own living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, dungeons, terrifying attic spaces, and anything else you want to try your hand at. It’s exactly like playing with a virtual dollhouse, and the childish god complex comes free!

The best part is that every week, they choose the best design and give the winner an Aeron Chair. At the end of five weeks, Smart Furniture gives the winner a 2,500 gift card to help them actually build the room. Everything you see in the Smart Designer can actually be bought at the store, so synergy, yay.

I took a few screen shots for rooms I built. Check ‘em out:

From the side:

Why yes, that is an Eames Desk, Noguchi Coffee Table, and Goetz Sofa in my bedroom.

Tagged with: contest • furniture • industrial design

Basis Design

Bringing design to the masses…

Not Your Ordinary Nut

Oscars Pregame Report Card: The Art Directors

Oscars Pre-Game Report Card: The Cinematographers

The ESPN Herbie Awards: Stoopid?

Save This Living Room!

Championship Trophies

The Crossword Puzzle

Smart Furniture Design Contest – Dollhouse for Adults

Categories

Tags

Articles

Links

Meta

Looking for something?

Visit our friends!

Archives