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Posted by Nick
on 08 May 2013
Ray Harryhausen, the special effects guru who has been an influence on numerous film directors since beginning his career in 1925, has sadly passed away aged 92.Although modern day designers outside the film industry can relate far more closely to their CGI-using contemporaries, sitting at a Mac to create spectacular visionary effects, each of thes…
Posted by Mark
on 27 Apr 2013
Sponsorship. Done correctly, and when the right opportunities come up, it can not only create valuable exposure for your brand but also reinforce your brand's reputation in ways other forms of advertising just can't.Think of the product placement that goes into a franchise like James Bond, for example. Rolex and Omega have appeared in more than 15 …
Posted by Nick
on 05 Feb 2013
As regular visitors to our site - and indeed regular drivers-by - will know, we like to change our hanging sign to reflect national holidays and big events.The style of these signs varies each year (last year they featured relevant images made up of QR codes, for example), an for 2013 will feature members of the Theme team with subtle variations de…
Posted by Theme
on 16 Nov 2012
So, ITV have launched a new logo as part of their multi-million pound rebrand - the biggest rebrand that the leading commercial channel has gone through for more than a decade.As well as a far more informal style thanks to, in the words of ITV. its "warm, bold design based on a formalised version of human handwriting". Alongside this, it will have …
Posted by Nick
on 05 Nov 2012
The name Stefan Sagmeister conjures up different images for different people in the design world. For some, he is the mind behind some iconic album covers for music legends like the Rolling Stones, Lou Reed or the Talking Heads.For others, he is known for turning his talents to a series of books – some by him (Things I have Learned In My Life…
Posted by Nick
on 27 Sep 2012
For the third of our Design Icons interviews, I had a very interesting chat (actually, two chats – my laptop ran out of battery so we had to arrange a rematch) with Timothy Jacob Jensen, CEO of Danish firm Jacob Jensen.It was a marvellously informal chat that included a guided tour of his studio over Skype, numerous side tracks and several cu…
Posted by Nick
on 10 Sep 2012
It's time for the second of our Design Icons series, and next up we have usability and emotional design expert Don Norman.Although Don's is potentially not a name that stands out to those outside the design industry, there can be no doubting his credentials. Named by Business Week as one of the world's most influential designers, Don was at one tim…
Posted by Theme
on 17 Aug 2012
When I had the idea to start a Design Icon series, the decision of who to begin with was a tough one. For a kick-off, there are so many big names in so many design disciplines, and secondly, icon means different things to different people.In the end, we decided to open up with a man who has created pieces of art so pervasive in the public conscious…
Posted by Theme
on 16 Aug 2012
Whether it’s a gorgeous poster, brilliantly conceived piece of furniture, eye-catching pair of trainers, beautiful car or classy watch, we all have our favourite designs.And whether we know it or not, we all have our favourite designers, people who constantly produce the kind of work we elevate to cult levels.As designers, we take note of a l…
Posted by Emily C
on 01 Aug 2012
As our blog piece from last week showed, marketing restrictions during these Olympics have been tougher than ever - I've had to go back to clients on several occasions already to say their idea for a summer campaign runs the risk of angering officials.But it seems not everyone is happy to sit back and accept the rules - like the shopkeeper in this …
Posted by Theme
on 27 Jul 2012
As you're probably aware by now, there are extreme restrictions on what can and cannot be done in terms of advertising your brand with a remotely Olympic theme over the coming weeks.We'd love nothing more than to flex our creative muscles to come up with an original way of leveraging the power of the greatest show on earth for our customers, but as…
Posted by Nick
on 17 Jul 2012
Think Small. That's the line that would effectively launch what has since been voted the best campaign of all time, cementing a revolutionary design that went totally against the grain and shake up the staid 1950 / 60s ad world.The line, of course, belongs to the famed VW ad, which eschewed the convention of huge product shot and in-your-face headl…
Posted by Nick
on 13 Jul 2012
There are certain inventions that pervade culture so absolutely that their initial use becomes somewhat irrelevant, and their popularity ceases to be based on their primary raison d'etre.Sixty-eight years ago today, a man was born who would go on to become responsible for one of the most iconic examples of a creation outliving its purpose – t…
Posted by Emily C
on 25 Jun 2012
With all the fuss about the recent jubilee and upcoming Olympics, this year's Wimbledon championship seems to have snuck up and caught us unawares!I've compiled an infographic to highlight some of the more interesting facts I found out about this quintessentially English sport. Some may surprise you – did you know, for example, that if the to…
Posted by Emily S
on 19 Jun 2012
After looking at my favorite shoes by the famous designer Christian Louboutin, I came across this article featured on an American news channel... and it subsequently got me thinking about footwear.When we walk out the door having put on shoes for a night out, are we being judged before we have spoken? And are the soles of our shoes looked at and ou…
Posted by Louise M
on 30 May 2012
In celebration of the impending Queen's 60th Jubilee, I wanted to create a visual piece that showed off the Queen's personality in a unique way.The Queen is always impeccably turned out in a colour co-ordinated outfit and hat, and it was while researching the numerous brightly coloured outfits that Her Majesty has been photographed wearing the worl…
Posted by Theme
on 24 May 2012
They say charity starts at home - which is why we're using the strong presence of our home on the busy Loddon Bridge Road to help promote a local business's fundraiser.Need A Cake will be holding an event for Macmillan Cancer Support on Tuesday, May 29 between 7-9pm. As well as the chance to buy their delicious cakes at a discount, there will be a …
Posted by Mark
on 23 May 2012
As Apple designer Sir Jonathan Ive got knighted yesterday, it only served to reinforce my belief that Britain really is at the forefront of all things design.Actually we have been for decades (if not centuries); think of the Mini (both the car and the dress), Jaguar E Type, Concorde, the iconic and award-winning 30 St Mary's Axe (the Gherkin), the …
Posted by Mark
on 08 May 2012
Reading University student Craig Melvin is looking forward to getting some valuable real-world experience after winning our competition to design a May sign.And as well as summer work placement here with the Theme team at The Old Chapel, Craig (pictured centre with lecturers Gerry Leonidas, left, and Dr Rob Banham, right) will have his Star Wars-th…
Posted by Theme
on 24 Apr 2012
Our latest pixel art sign is wishing a very happy 50th anniversary to the Woodley branch of the Girls' Brigade (GB), based at the nearby Woodley Methodist Church.The local GB was formed in 1962, and as such would have been initially known as The Girls' Life Brigade. It was only three years later, when the Girls' Brigade (Ireland) merged with The Gi…
Posted by Mark
on 23 Apr 2012
It's St George's Day today, and what better way for us an agency to celebrate it than by highlighting some true English design icons?I am a great believer that we produce some of the finest designs in the world, but that in a typically British way we don't go to any lengths to show that off.Our advertising industry is certainly something to be prou…
Posted by Lil Lou
on 19 Apr 2012
Our impact on the environment is something that faces us all, and as a race humans are having ever more concerning effect on our surroundings.WWF's ultimate goal has always been to encourage people to live in harmony with nature, and their campaigns reflect a desire to ensure we respect and value the world around us, and that we share the Earth's r…
Posted by Jo
on 03 Apr 2012
As serial chocoholics here at Theme Group we couldn't resist sharing this chocolately discovery with you this Easter. Created entirely of chocolate (yum), you can probably identify most of the goodies in there, there's even an Easter bunny!Carl Warner, a London based photographer is the creator of these fabulous ‘Foodscapes'. Along with his t…
Posted by Nick
on 30 Mar 2012
To mark the launch of the new season of Mad Man, the popular drama series charting the rise of advertising in 1960s America, Sky Atlantic is running a documentary charting the success of the UK's marketing geniuses.Ad Men, which has been shown several times this week, looks at the switch made from boring, bland and repetitive ads to the funny, thou…
Posted by Nick
on 16 Mar 2012
Tomorrow (March 17) is St Patrick's Day, and what better way to mark the occasion than by looking at Guinness, a brand that has - and probably always will have - an unmistakable link with the event (and with Ireland itself).Since its very first ad in 1929, Guinness has had an innate sense of the power of brand awareness. Here we look at 17 great Gu…
Posted by Nick
on 09 Mar 2012
Theme Group wishes to pay its respects to the late Ralph McQuarrie, concept artist on a range of blockbusters including the original Star Wars trilogy.Ralph passed away on March 3 following complications of Parkinsons Disease, but he leaves behind an array of magical movie moments that will guarantee he's remembered by film fans for generations.Che…
Posted by Nick
on 01 Mar 2012
Today would have seen the 116th birthday of jeweller Harry Winston, a businessman whose global empire grew from a love of jewellery designing learnt in his father's shop in the early 20th century.His eye for updating older collections helped him grow a worldwide reputation among the rich and famous - he even had a mention in the song 'Diamonds Are …
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