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This year, Salon Royale Court, a well-known and upscale salon in Center City Philadelphia, got a whole new makeover. With new owners and a new location in the heart of Philadelphia’s shopping district, they needed a new logo, and we were happy to take part in the makings of this royal family.

They wanted a fresh, clean look to match their new place. And we didn’t have to look much farther for inspiration beyond their own window.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, their clients immediately identify the brand before even stepping into the salon for the royal treatment.  From signage, to letter head, to business cards, we were intent on making this salon stand out from the rest.

Photography courtesy of Salon Royale Court.

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Works Design attended the East Pack Expo in Philadelphia, PA last week. Among other things, we were there to check out the latest in packaging and manufacturing technologies in a variety of industries, from pharmaceuticals to beverages. The event was held at the Philadelphia Convention Center, and as you can see from the picture below, there was a lot of expo’ing to be had.

While we took a lot of pictures at the show, we thought it would be best to focus on what you all really want to see…

Robots!

And not just any robots: these robots are blue collar, manual laboring, factory working, SUPERSTARS. Here is the video of how this guy from Kawasaki moves Pringles boxes around:

Not to be outdone though, we were mesmerized by a robot superstar from the Swiss company Staubli. Here is the video showing what that robot can do with a few tic tac boxes:

If all this seems futuristic and wild to you… well, we feel the same way. And if this gets you thinking about how the manufacturing industry (and manufacturing jobs) will be affected by all these new technologies… well, we were wondering the same thing.

Click here to read a recent article from MIT on this topic.

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In a recent article in Knowledge@Wharton, a leading business publication by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, the authors took a close look at the pop-up phenomenon that has taken the retail industry by storm in recent years.

A “pop-up” is a physical retail store that can take many forms – from temporary stores that open for days or weeks to stores within stores that can be either temporary or more permanent in nature. The number of pop-up stores in the U.S. has grown by 30% over the last 3 years, and that growth shows no signs of dying off. One sign that this trend is turning into a full-fledged industry is the number of startup companies that are popping up (pun intended) to service this industry. For instance, you can now find a number of pop-up leasing agents and consultants (www.popupinsider.com and www.thestorefront.com, among others), and the media has been tracking new developments in the space as well.

One of the first large brands to venture into the pop-up world was Target, which opened a temporary Christmas store at Chelsea Piers in NYC in 2002. Target has since done 20 pop-up stores, mostly in the U.S., and hundreds of large and small brands have followed this trend. One notable example discussed in the Knowledge@Wharton article is the world-renowned California restaurant French Laundry, which opened a pop-up restaurant in London for 10 days in 2011, and offered nine-course meals for $400 each.

While the most profitable pop-up stores have tended to be specialty stores that open around the holidays (i.e., temporary Halloween stores), many brands are using this strategy for the marketing and promotional awareness aspects rather than just focusing on turning a short-term profit.

While this trend has not yet blossomed into a full-fledged industry, it is on its way. And moreover, it has created a new shopping experience for many consumers while adding a cool factor that has been lost with the growth of big box retail.

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There are precious few companies in the world that have experienced the kind of explosive growth that Facebook and Google have enjoyed. And of those few companies, the vast majority have a silicon valley area code. Given all that, you might be surprised to know that in recent years a food manufacturing company based in upstate New York has experienced growth that even Facebook and Google would envy. That company? Chobani.

In case you have been avoiding the supermarket for the last decade, Chobani is a Greek-style yogurt that has taken the world by storm. As a recent CNN Money article states, the growth that Chobani has experienced “is unheard of, particularly for a startup, in the packaged-goods business—and rare in the tech world.”

That being said, this company’s success clearly has a lot to do with (as most often times it does) the person behind the brand: Hamdi Ulukaya. In 2000, Mr. Ulukaya borrowed $1 million to buy an 85-year-old yogurt factory in upstate New York. Five years after selling the first case of Chobani, the company reached $1 billion in revenue. Mr. Ulukaya has always been the 100% owner of Chobani, and has used an innovative business model that is anything but a corporate one. He doesn’t believe in customer research, as all feedback from the website goes directly to his BlackBerry. He doesn’t value one employee over the other – he values the person who answers the calls just as much as someone in the purchasing department.

What’s more, from the start, Mr. Ulukaya has and continues to give 10% of Chobani’s after-tax profits to philanthropy. His motto? “Nothing but good.”

To read the CNN Money article, click here.

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My how consumption trends have changed. Gone are the days of “Big Gulp” soda options and “Super Size” me offerings. It used to be about getting more bang for your buck, but now it’s about enjoying the finer things in life…in moderation. Of course that’s why you choose the “mini dessert” option on the list at restaurants. Just a sliver does the job, right? Well this includes beverages too. Indulging in a Coca Cola is indeed a splurge in this health conscious society. But why feel bad about splurging? That’s why Coca Cola developed the clever idea of a mini can coupled with innovative packaging below. A splurge is something special. It should make you feel excited. What’s there not to get excited about when it comes to minimal consumption in a cool and fun can? Such a win-win!

Source: Co.Design

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Are traditional advertising and creative agencies facing extinction? Harvard Business Review (HBR) thinks so.

The idea is that the crowdsourcing phenomenon, which has taken the fundraising world by storm, has also been finding its way into the creative world. And according to HBR, that trend will only continue to accelerate.

One early product of this phenomenon is the new age agency of Victors and Spoils (V&S). In one example of this new model at work, V&S wanted to land the Harley Davidson account after the motorcycle maker split with its long-time agency. But instead of going through the typical pitch process, the V&S team created a brief and posted it to its crowd of 7,200 creatives and strategists — made up of freelancers, moonlighters from other agencies, and brand and advertising enthusiasts all opting to work in a new open model. The result? V&S presented 65 of the ideas to Harley’s CMO and landed the account.

Now, the key question will be whether this new concept represents a disruptive idea or, rather, a revolutionary change to the agency model. Either way, it’s pretty cool.

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As Works adds more and more talented members to its team, we’re running out of space to put them all! That’s why we’re upgrading to a larger space right around the corner. Yep, we’ll still be on Browning Road—in the same complex—only we’ll be able to spread our wings in a bigger, better studio.

We’ve been spending a lot of time grinding cement floors, painting walls, and upgrading fixtures. With so much more space, we’re able to build a quiet and creative atmosphere for our designers to work in that will help them continue to churn out stellar work.

….And check out this pic below of our 4,000 sq. ft photography studio. With all this flex-space, our dog and studio mascot, Halo, just may be even more excited than we are about the move!

Even though we’ve only moved a couple hundred feet, the upgrade on the view is the icing on the cake! With large, expansive windows, the sunshine (and runners, bikers, walkers) across the street at the boat house will keep our minds fresh. Maybe we can work on getting a company boat?

Can’t wait to move in and for you to come visit us!

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Toy packaging doesn’t have to be over-the-top. Sesame Street showed us that recently, with the simple re-design of their licensed consumer products packaging that is being rolled out worldwide.

Sesame Street collaborated with the agency Parham Santana to fight against the cluttered toy aisles that are becoming overwhelming for customers (excessive images, messages and colors.) The brand was committed to defining itself by keeping their design simple, nice and cohesive….and by placing their most prized assets in the forefront of their designs – their characters. After all, these characters are what people connect with the most, no matter what or where people are looking, reading or watching. The characters are what sell, so why not sell the characters!

“Parham Santana discovered that it’s the instant, emotional connections to the characters that play out daily across countries, cultures and channels that make the brand so powerful. Whether it’s Big Bird or Cookie Monster, the Sesame Street Muppets instantly make connections with people. This essential truth guided the development of new unified packaging designs that make Sesame Street characters the stars at every brand touch point.” – (The Dieline)

This 43 year old brand is doing it right – they are going back to the basics, when everyone else is inundating their packaging with excessive designs. How refreshing.

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Works Design Group has relied upon David Wilkinson’s talent for years, having partnered with him on a wide variety of design and illustration projects. But after almost nine years of creative collaboration, we decided we wanted him all to our self. At the end of April, Dave came on board to Works full time…and with that signature smile on his face.

Dave has over 19 years of experience in the toy and entertainment industries, specializing in original character development, illustration, home video / theatrical key art, packaging and brand identity. He worked as a project designer for Mattel / TYCO for more than eight years. He approaches every job with a fresh perspective and passion, which, as a freelance artist enabled him to build an impressive client list and portfolio that he brings with him to Works.

As our new Vice President of Toys & Entertainment, we know Dave will do Works proud. We feel lucky to have landed him.

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According to an online March 2013 Harris Poll of 2,276 U.S. adults (ages 18+), the majority of Americans (59%) see the USDA organic label as an excuse to charge more. While the study shows that Americans indeed are concerned with the future of the environment, and the concern continues to rise, they aren’t willing to dish out the extra cash on organic items.

However, that’s not to say that Americans don’t believe in what the organic label stands for. In fact, they very much believe. More than half of Americans (55%) believe that organic foods are healthier than non-organic, even though recent research shows that organic produce and meat typically aren’t any better for you than conventional varieties when it comes to vitamin and nutrient content. And, 41% think organic food tastes better and/or fresher than non-organic.

Another interesting fact: Men are the most skeptical about organic, with 63% agreeing that the labeling of food or other products as organic is an excuse to charge more, versus 54% of women.

Sources: Harris Polls & Packaging Digest

 

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