When Harlem Came to Paris

For the past 2 months I've been working with the branding and design for an event here in DC called When Harlem Came to Paris.

"When Harlem Came to Paris" features unscripted portrayals of real life figures from the Harlem Renaissance era. The goal is to expose the audience to artists that may or may not be familiar and encourage further study of their contributions to the literary and musical arts. The hostess, Mamie Mason is a fictional character that was created based on the character of the same name in Chester Himes's novel Pinktoes.

The event is tonight and I will be there taking in all the amazing live performances, food and drinks. In honor of the event, I thought I'd share some of the stuff I created with you folks.

Enjoy...

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New Media Douchebags...

yup!



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Clean Design for Clean Kicks

Just when I thought I was the only sneaker head / typography nerd / package design geek in town... Jason Markk comes along and blows that theory right out of the water. This sneaker cleaning kit is amazing - the packaging is simple and well designed, the product label has beautiful typography and a color palette that compliments the solution... and it will clean my sneaks!

I salute you Jason Markk for creating a product with JUST me in mind!

“Designed specifically with the sneakerhead in mind, Jason Markk Premium Sneaker Solution is the first sneaker cleaner to cater solely to the sneaker boutique market. This product does not contain any harsh chemicals or abrasives, is 98.3% natural, and is completely biodegradable. Jason Markk P.S.S. is a gentle, foaming solution that effectively cleans and conditions, removing dirt and stains that inevitably occur during wear. ”

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No Holds BARD'S

If I were to be reincarnated as a beer bottle ( think about that one )... I would want to be a Bards Beer.

"Bard's Beer is America's first gluten-free beer and the only one that is crafted with 100% malted
sorghum to achieve traditional taste and aroma.

It began as a tale of woe: two self-professed beer aficionados discovered that they were allergic to wheat, one of the main ingredients in 99% of beer. After crying in something other than beer for awhile, they decided to take action: They crafted Bard's Tale Dragon's Gold, the first gluten-free beer to use 100% malted sorghum to achieve traditional beer taste and aroma. Although they quickly became one of the top four players in this niche market, Bard's soon began to see major competition (Anheuser-Busch). To survive, they had to find a way to separate themselves from these interlopers while staying true to their craft origins.

Problem/Challenge

Hunt Adkins objective was to re-brand Bard's so it spoke to the gluten-free enthusiast market without alienating the craft-beer drinker‹those guys who will not compromise one iota on taste. Bard's needed to speak to the beer drinker in all of us instead of the gluten-free beer drinker in some of us.

Solution

In order to position Bard's as the gluten-free beer of choice and get it into the consideration set of all beer drinkers we leveraged the essence of Bard's, which was this: Bard's was created out of a love for beer. Unlike some competitors, Bard's was never about exploiting some market niche. It was created to protect everyone's inalienable right to pull up a stool and drink a cold one with friends.

Bard's hadn't just given people a great beer; it had given them camaraderie. It had invited them back to the stool where they could discuss it over a Bard's. From posters to packaging, from a complete website redesign to the underside of every bottle cap, we gave Bard's drinkers something to talk about. What does it take to be enshrined in the North Dakota Irony Hall of Fame? What exactly is the best course of action in the event of a zombie attack? How does one successfully answer the "What's your greatest weakness?" question in a job interview? These topics du jour remind us that the best part of having a beer is having it with friends.

The new packaging launched in November of 2008 and can be seen in 26 states and a Canadian province or two."

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16x20 print from David Flores - $50 - Edition of 7. Grab it here.

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Hedberg Lives Through Type

Brilliant little poster that immortalizes the genius of Mitch Hedberg (RIP) through type - from Nate Hillabush projects portfolio.


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Fenetik's First Born.

Alright folks, it's a proud day for us at Fenetik Design. Our first package/label design has finally arrived. The client just sent us these pics of the juice labels we designed, as they are literally rolling off the assembly line.

I had to share - this is the closest thing I've ever had to a child. We've named it - O.J. Fenetik.

Sylvia Ji

Sylvia Ji's paintings are so beautifully morbid and captivating that they send shivers down my spine.

Her work encapsulates an alluring beauty that is both cutting edge and a nod to a time-honored technique. Hauntingly beautiful images brimming with sexual provocation mixed with a sense of consternation, hinting that all is not as well as it may initially appear.

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Teddy Hipster-bin

This is either the sickest or the most genius thing I've seen... still deciding.


what do you kids think?

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Real Men Like Helvetica

This reminds me of Mad Men - as if Don Draper might be behind this.

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Face Mower

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ABC...TEA

Over at Fenetik, we've just finished a poster paying homage to 2 of my favorite things... Helvetica and Tea. These will go to print soon... so if you guys want to grab one for yourselves let me know.

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Also, while on the subject of Tea... check out my post on 2modern.