mass consumption – Page 2

mcdonald’s cooks up minimal. no logo.

Feb 20, 2009

mcdonalds recently opened two of their latest tokyo outlets. to say that it surgically has removed their corporate voice — well its really closer to a lobotomy. wow.

above/below> they have done away with the golden arches, ronald mcdonald, hamburglar, happy meals, and mcmuffins in this mcdonalds. they have even done away with a (the) logo. the only thing they retained is the color red.

above/below> the only products served are the qp (quarter pounder) and the qpc (quarter pounder with cheese) simply in red, white, and black packaging. the fries come with the burger as a menu set, no option here.

above/below> the interior is very lounge-like. one can imagine what the background music is — country & western ?

above/below> quarter pounder may look low key, but there is the viral online marketing to the hired hands handing out flyers to passersby. the “quarter pounder big secret” campaign.

we see the “no logo” look for bars and clubs and fewer restaurants. the “mystique” of a somewhere making all of its patrons feel a bit exclusive and in-the-know. if it looks like a club and sounds like a club. its a club. the stores are next to h&m, etc.

what it will do for the qpc? more than a singular design theme to one product. mcd´s is attempting to make an iconic product out of the qpc by wagering an entire restaurant investment on it. feedback and crowds say good.

this is case study material for the brand police. let’s keep an eye on how it does. could you put up one of these in your town?

editor’s notes via links below > in november of 2008 quarter pounder was mcdonald’s no-brand experiment introducing a larger ‘american style’ burger not found in japan at the time and tested on adventuresome and easily bored tokyoites.

via watashi to tokyo — meta tame

Corn Ethanol F*#k That.

Feb 13, 2009

Jon Stewart: “Corn Ethanol F*#k That” – 2 Billion Cars Author Daniel Sperling via ecowonk [PR]

Gadget piece of sh*t doesn't f#!*ing work.

Feb 11, 2009

News about the new stimulus package. Global warming worries. Quality of food on our grocery shelves an issue. How do you really feel?

via ecowonk

Objectified. Objects meet designers.

Feb 6, 2009

From the creator of Helvetica the Movie, Gary Hustwit, comes a new documentary.

Above: sidewalk + snow + stereo in nyc = a production still

Objectified is a feature-length documentary about our relationship to manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them. It’s a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. It’s about industrial designers, the people who re-examine, re-evaluate and re-invent our manufactured environment on a daily basis. It’s about personal expression, identity, consumerism, and sustainability.

World premiere: South by Southwest Festival 2009 ( March Visit 13 – 22 )

Designers featured include: Featuring:
Paola Antonelli (Museum of Modern Art, New York)
Chris Bangle (BMW Group, Munich)
Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec (Paris)
Andrew Blauvelt (Walker Art Center, Minneapolis)
Tim Brown (IDEO)
Anthony Dunne (London)
Dan Formosa (Smart Design)
Naoto Fukasawa (Tokyo)
Jonathan Ive (Apple, California)
Hella Jongerius (Rotterdam)
David Kelley (IDEO)
Bill Moggridge (IDEO)
Marc Newson (London/Paris)
Fiona Raby (London)
Dieter Rams (Kronberg, Germany)
Karim Rashid (New York)
Alice Rawsthorn (International Herald Tribune)
Davin Stowell (Smart Design)
Jane Fulton Suri (IDEO)
Rob Walker (New York Times Magazine)
and more participants TBA

Visit objectifiedfilm.com for more info and screening dates. Thanks Jilly.

Pepsicobama.

Feb 3, 2009

There’s a lot of rhetoric regarding what came first — Pepsi or Obama. (left) Dates not exactly correct but not wrong either – duality in vitro. An unofficial chronology… (more…)

Thai industrial design centre mandate.

Feb 2, 2009

Thai manufacturers want Industry Ministry to set up design centre. A centre goal: create more original-design manufacturers and original-brand manufacturers. via The Nation [PR]

MoMA gets humble.

Jan 29, 2009

Looking back. Homage to mundane. MoMA gets humble. [PR]

ThisWay bicycle.

Jan 29, 2009

ThisWay bike concept.

Description:
A comfortable pedal powered bicycle with weather protection.

Emphasis is made on automotive qualities in the design, to attract non-previous cyclists used to cars and motorcycles.

Another selling point to attract more people riding a bike (particularly here in Europe) is weather protection – ThisWay has a roof.

Built in composite materials (carbon or flax fiber) and some hydro-formed aluminum, this vehicle is very lightweight (approximately 11-12kg). It has built-in LED lights front and rear, powered by a rechargeable battery obtaining its power from roof mounted solar cells. For minimum maintenance ThisWay’s built-in belt drive is well protected and all cables are hidden within the frame.

The car-like ergonomics offers a riding position lower than a traditional bike to keep a low center of gravity and optimal aerodynamics.

The design has simple controls for ease of use; single hand brake lever and hub gears type Torpedo Duomatic providing Low and Hi gear.

The rear of the frame has a “luggage connector”, where the user plugs-in his/her luggage (e g briefcase, helmet box or rack for shopping bags). The design also benefits from flexibility and comfort for riders of different sizes, as the crankset and seat is adjustable in length/height.

A “hybrid” version (pedal power/electric motor) is possible and additional battery pack plugged-in into the luggage connector will extend the range further.

Although this design is more expensive to manufacture compared to its traditional rivals, it is still just a fraction of the price of a car and virtually zero in running costs…

Motivation:
There are roofed bikes out there on the market already such as rickshaws, recumbents, HPVs (Human Powered Vehicles)/velomobiles etc., so covered bikes do exist since a long time but the challenge is to design a functional and desirable bicycle that even appeals to non-previous cyclists.

It makes sense for a commuter bike here in Central and Northern Europe to offer some degree of weather protection for improved comfort. Instead of creating a totally enclosed design similar to other HPVs/velomobiles risking the user to feel isolated, a more open design will allow a higher degree of interaction with the surroundings.

Winner Bicycle Design “commuter bike for masses” design competition. See the Bicycle Design list of finalists .

Designer: Torkel Dohmers

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS CONCEPT? — comment below.

Steelcase coordinated office.

Jan 22, 2009

Looking back. The Steelcase coordinated office approach. via The Midcentury modernist. [PR]

Plastic bag association applauds bag ban.

Sep 26, 2008

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept 25, 2008 — Plastic Bag Manu – facturers Commend Spirit of Wal-Mart Initiative.

Today the Progressive Bag Affiliates of the American Chemistry Council, a trade association representing the nation’s leading plastic bag manufacturers, recyclers and resin producers, applauded Wal-Mart for its efforts to develop a responsible plastic bag policy. Under this plan, which promotes the more efficient use of plastic bags in Wal-Mart stores, the company will strengthen its existing efforts to recycle — an action that is expected bolster Wal-Mart’s position as a world leader in the recycling of plastic bags and wraps.

“It is clear that strong, lightweight plastics are playing a key role in helping Wal-Mart to reach its sustainability goals. Everyday, lighter more efficient plastic products and packages mean a reduction in energy use, costs and emissions for the world’s largest retailer,” said Shari Jackson, director of the Progressive Bag Affiliates.

“Wal-Mart clearly understands that plastic bags are a better environmental choice than alternatives but is taking steps to reduce waste and increase recycling. Bans are not the answer,” said Jackson. “In fact, Wal-Mart’s steps toward implementing this goal are very consistent with our own efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic bags. Plastic bags are too valuable to waste. They should be reused and recycled.”

“The plastic bag industry is a leader in innovation and recycling, and we welcome opportunities to work with companies and policymakers to develop responsible plastic bag practices,” said Jackson. “We hope to work with Wal-Mart and other companies to increase the use of recycled content in plastic carryout bags.”

Importantly, the overwhelming trend nationally has been to implement plastic bag recycling programs. In 2007, California mandated in-store recycling programs, and similar measures passed this year in New York State, Rhode Island, Chicago, New York City and several New York counties. By contrast, San Francisco remains the only large jurisdiction in the United States to ban plastic bags.

On 1/08 this was big news: China’s Plastic Bag Ban Will Save 37 Million Barrels of Oil – China Leapfrogs Other Nations with Simple Message: Bring Your Own Bag

for more information