we’ve all heard the common plight of how valentine’s day is a hallmark holiday. there are several industries who’s primary profit is made by holiday sales, and many of them are food or candy related. unreal candy issued the “easter bunny apology tour,” created by crunch brands, in an effort to market their product for easter basket stuffing. while the candy only makes subtle cameos throughout the tour, this feel-good campaign does more than just push their product. unreal teams up with celebrities to show the lighter-side of the candy aisle in it’s unjunk candy movement. follow the easter bunny on his quest for redemption and sweet-tooth salvation.

have you ever found yourself in a target store or viewing an advertisement for the iconic chain and thought to yourself: it would be awesome to design for target? their love of simplicity and affection for the power of white space nearly makes me giddy. not to mention their collaboration with great designers and brands of varying disciplines, like the new shops concept and the recent campbell’s warhol soup cans. target inhouse, target’s “internal creative studio” is behind much of this eye candy, and they have launched a new website that features the work of their “collective of designers, copywriters, art directors, developers, information architects, production designers, account executives, art buyers and producers.” they also have a blog where you can follow the development of many of their creative wonders.

consumerism has consumed our culture, raising package to an art form. here is a selection of art that only a designer could love: elevating the common container from the retail shelf.

jonpaul smith’s consumer trends // bill barminski’s cardboard spray cans // ecoist

this verge article reviews quirky’s development process. their condensed system of innovation relies on consumer input that goes through a democratic evaluation of market demand and usability that proceeds to rapid design, prototyping, and production. this production pressure cooker seemingly brings innovative products to market within days of them being demanded. with such positive outcomes it makes one consider if this is a revolution in the design process. is this process sustainable, or will it fatigue innovation that time has afforded us in the traditional design process? is design at large becoming an on-demand product?

what is the best holiday gift for your designer pal that is a curator of all things design, a history buff, and a reference librarian at heart? oh wait, are we talking about you or your friend? well phaidon has just answered your prayers. the new archive of graphic design includes 500 of histories best examples organized to your o.c.d.’s contentment. the recipient better be on the “nice list” this year, because this collection is more than a stocking stuffer to be sure.

ikea is a brand that exudes innovation and progress, so it is interesting to see them clinging to printed direct mail catalogs and advertisments. however they are doing it so well, that they are seemingly trying to save the endangered medium from the jaws of the digital era… or at least making them play nicely together.

this advertisement by leo rosa borges is flat-pack inspiration in your mailbox:

and the catalog’s app integration is like being in a furniture secret society:

don’t forget about the briefly available cookbook photographed by carl kleiner:

the olympic games are responsible for the temporary manifestation of a sub-economy that not only affects the host city, but reaches globally. the game’s sponsors use the audience and stage as they campaign across media. here are a few examples of brands that are gearing up for the games:

procter & gamble

visa

coca cola

it seems that we have visually upped the ante of presidential propaganda this election cycle. the movement inadvertently started with the 2008 shepard fairey “hope” poster, and has flourished since. here are a few posters of elections past, to illustrate the best visuals of their era:

taft 1908 // truman 1948 // kennedy 1968 // mccarthy 1968 // reagan 1984

not only have the presidential hopefuls broadened their visual horizons, they have also expand the applications of those visuals far beyond bumper stickers, posters, and pins.

obama, has embraced the power of youtube, and harnessed the power of the infographic for complex data as well as immersing the viewer in the story.

the success of obama’s visuals has not been lost on the romney campaign. they have taken to twitter, facebook, smart phones, and blogging to interact and with their followers and provide a cohesive campaign with a broad surface area.

not only have the candidates been improving their visual representation, third parties are getting involved as well. the national constitution center has an interactive exhibit by the chopping block called “election central” that takes the visual tone of the ongoing campaigns.

so do you think the effort candidates are putting in to reach their constituents will improve their campaign, or do you think they will fall on blind eyes? do you think the age demographic of voters and those who use these digital outlets align enough or are these campaigns ahead of their time?

in the ubiquity of the over-packaging of everything from batteries to carry-out, it is refreshing when you come across packages that do more with less. it is inspiring to see the clever ways people structurally modify paper and rethink adhesives and packaging which can function after the shelf. here are a few examples of purposeful packaging that isn’t just pretty:

sweet time, penelope st-cyr-robitaille //  big scary monsters cd/dvd, packaging; tom leggett, artwork; mister millerchip  // guac truck, michealle lee

it seems that celebrities are on a kick to diversify there resumes lately. JAY-Z designed the ny nets logo, justin timberlake has taken on interior decorating, and now drew barrymore has made her foray into the wine business. this introduction has been met with a lot of industry skepticism, especially the package design by shepard fairey.

generally speaking, i think there is a lot of opportunity in the spirits category to have fun with the package/label design. i don’t think the barrymore label is offensive, but i also don’t think it is all that memorable and most definitely won’t have any shelf presence. i am sure that they were trying to separate this product line from the actress, but they hired shepard fairey… use that resource to its fullest! here are a few examples of beverage packaging that walks that fine line of simplicity, personality, and good design:

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