Some brand logos are art in themselves, and creative agency Dorothy has taken this notion an extra step. In a project titled You Took My Name, the agency has removed the brand names from some very recognizable logos (i.e. as Starbucks actually did last month). The result are super simplistic graphics that are quite pleasing to the eye. How many can you name?

The project has received extremely positive feedback online, including queries about purchasing the artwork. We can completely see why — by definition these logos need to be attractive, and the absence of the brand name strips them of any corporate apprehension. The simple flatness of the artworks are so easy to take in, and we would love to see Dorothy produce more!

(Sources: Dorothy and Creative Inspiration)

The White Pencil will be bestowed upon those behind a creative idea that “changes the world for the better,” and 2012 will mark its debut. We’re very excited about this one because we covet ideas that inspire change, and can only imagine the competition that this award will stir up amongst all creative minds.

Essentially, each year D&AD will partner with a charitable organisation and challenge the creative world to develop a communications strategy for them. The accolade will then be awarded to the creators of the idea that D&AD members feel will inspire positive behavioural change in the world.

From our many dealings with charitable organisations, we have come to realise that truly inspiring campaigns require the most creative thinking if they plan to do more than just raise awareness — they have to get people talking and acting. Hence, we are very excited to see what amazing creativity will come of this award each year. The 2012 partner organisation will be Peace One Day (read the brief from D&AD here), who aim to promote the acknowledgment of World Peace Day on 21 September.

Let the games begin!

(Sources: Creative Review and D&AD)

Produced with engagement announcement search terms

Featuring words from over 100 Obama speeches

Made using the lyrics from ‘Imagine’

Osborne not only uses words to create his portraits, but also images. Here is one we found especially cool, that is compiled of screenshots from Osborne’s 10 favourite Hitchcock movies:

We love the impressionist aspect of Osborne’s work — from up close, the images are merely words (or smaller images), but when stepping back the iconic figure takes its shape. We also appreciate that Osborne develops his own software to create his artwork. He has said, “There are no limits to creativity – if I need something or think of a new way to make something I just create a new application to do it.” Check out his website for further experiments and projects, as well as a plethora of more portraits!

(Sources: My Modern Met and Juan Osborne)

The bookshelves are easy to assemble and are attached to a wall with just two screws.

We think these are a really creative, modern portal to get children excited about reading and about showing off their books and subsequent knowledge.

Keeping with the children’s theme, we must commend Hot Wheels’ recent advertising in Bogotá, Colombia from Ogilvy and Mather:

The monstrous poster is quite life-like and is guaranteed to garner some double-takes. After all, what child wouldn’t want to go on a real life loop after subjecting their invincible/invisible Hot Wheels  drivers to such daredevil fun?!

(Sources: MyModernMet and Neatorama)

For more information on what is dubbed the Great Pacific Garbage Patch this video, which is quite depressing, sheds light on the capacity of this phenomenon.

On a lighter note, it’s Friday! Our advertising this week comes from Mother New York for Target and features an amazing light show done at the Standard Hotel in New York City. The event actually happened last year, but we just came across this video today, and had to share. Watch below:

Though the extravagance of the lights wholly distracted us from the clothing featured, we thought this was a great ploy on Target’s part. As evident in the video, people all over NY got to see the show, even if they weren’t planning on it. This seems like something a major fashion house would do, so kudos to Target for executing it so well.

Happy Friday!

(source: Dvice)

Although the app is still in the conceptual stages and we have no release date to mark on our calendars (or our iCals), we are really looking forward to the concept coming to fruition.We love that Adobe is working to generate more resources for our creatives! Now, if only everyone in the office got a complimentary iPad 2. . .

(Source: Photography Bay)

London entrepreneur Ajit Chambers is looking to rehabilitate and spruce up 26 closed London underground stations in order to reopen them as bars, tourist attractions, and music venues. Chambers has already received permission to do so from Mayor of London Boris Johnson under the condition that no public money is used in the renovations.The reopened areas would likely include Aldwych station (which is already featured in many films), South Kentish Town station, Y0rk Road station, Brompton Road station, closed tunnels and platforms at Euston station, and Down Street station, which now acts as an emergency exit for the Picadilly Line.

We think this is a fantastic idea! Since some of the stations were closed down as early as the 1930′s , they will still feature the decor and architecture of that time period which could offer a really cool theme to the new establishments. And, there’s nothing else happening in them, so why not? Though Transport for London has warned Chambers about potential safety hazards due to some of the stations being close to operating railways, he is still moving forwards with plans. After hearing about the successfully innovative events in the Old Vic Tunnels this year, we look forward to seeing this project go through!

(Source: The Independent)

The imagery in the video is absolutely stunning, and its hard to believe that this spectacle is not cinematically crafted, but a natural phenomenon caused by the sun’s radiation. To shoot the Northern Lights, Sorgjerd sustained -25° C temperatures every night for a week, taking nearly 22,000 pictures near Kirkenes and Pas National Park, near Norway’s Russian border. We can’t imagine seeing this with our own eyes, and are so appreciative that Sorgjerd endured such conditions to share nature’s beautiful art with the world.

The next video we came across is just as beautiful and inspiring, but on a much different level. The video is an advertisement for the Topsy Foundation, a UK registered charity that “provides a range of services to support families and meet the needs and personal development of orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS in poor rural communities in South Africa.” The ad shows 90 days in the life of a women living with HIV/AIDS and the amazingly positive effects that ARV treatment had on her condition.

The time lapse effect in this video shows the effects of ARV therapy in a way that most Westerners would never get to see–a great way to appeal for donations in order to change the lives of others like Selinah. Check up on Selinah’s progress here.

(Sources: MSNPhotoBlog and boingboing)

“Our goal was to reach high school and college students, to try and engage them in a subject that many of them find extremely boring. To encourage them to learn more about people who they might have disregarded as stiff and dull. I think I can say without a doubt, if this had been a real campaign, it would have been immensely successful,” says Burrows.

We think this an excellent way to reach America’s youth – both Ozzy and Bret Michaels may be a bit outdated, but their recent stints and ridiculous antics on reality television have brought them back into modern pop culture. The ads feature a proper layout for speaking to the particular audience, and actually make one want to learn more about these ridiculous facts about historical figures. We would love to see ads like this comparing modern celebrities with past English or European monarchs (way more hardcore, ha)! Well done–we bet these 2 are wishing they’d pitched these to a museum before posting them!

(Source: My Modern Met)

The creatives in the office are constantly brainstorming, sketching, crossing-out, and re-thinking, and are known to nibble on a pen here and there. We hate asking to borrow a pen and receiving a seemingly mauled plastic tube or lending our pen out to a known pen-muncher. Hakkens undoubtedly could relate to this, hence his edible creation.

The candy used to make the pens is similar to that of candy bracelets, so it does not melt in your hand when using it. The whole pen, including the ink, is edible except for the tip where the ink is released from. This solves the problem of those half-chewed pens being strewn about the office! Furthermore, the tip can be saved and used in a different flavoured pen.

Our only qualm with this very cool invention  is what one should do if they wish to put the pen down after having chewed it a bit. Perhaps an old-fashioned quill holder would solve this germy problem? Our favorite part of the product besides its power to cure a sweet tooth is its reduction of plastic waste. So often we throw out a pen after the ink runs out without even taking into consideration how much of the product is going to waste (as Hakkens pointed out, essentially 90%). Quite the double positive.

(Sources: M. E. Design and Dave Hakkens)