Straight up, I’ll admit that I struggle to resist a condensed sans typeface set in uppercase. I’ll also confess that I’ve spent the last hour (no lie), trying to identify this one… Helvetica? Hell no. Railroad Gothic? The wrong track. Söhne? Sö not. Must be Knockout? Another blow. For Druk’s sake is it Druk? Well, whatever it is, it’s neatly...
Five years ago, the discerning and culinary-minded were content with their everyday Waitrose Essential Extra Virgin Olive Oil. But now – as with wine – there is increasing awareness that the taste of oil is individual, depending on olive variety, soil type, climate, cultivation method, and a host of other factors. From The River Café’s hotly anticipated annual pressing to...
From à la mode Lick paint to gramable Aokka coffee, everything comes in a tin these days. The rise of metal packaging solutions in food and beverages, healthcare, household and consumer is expected to accelerate by 3.1% year-on-year from 2021 to 2030, driven by the demand for sustainable alternatives to plastic and lightweight substitutes for glass. Aesthetically speaking, the tin...
Skin is the human body’s largest organ while skincare is the fastest growing segment of the beauty industry. Yet with all their promises of ‘dewy’, ‘glowing’ and ‘blemish free’, most products on the market, are focused on the face. Direct-to-consumer business Soft Services creates skincare products for specific body skin problems, such as acne, ingrown hairs, stretch marks and fungal...
In case you’ve missed it, low and no-alcohol drinks are a thing. With over 20% of adults in the UK claiming to be teetotal, abstinence is cool: Brewdog is now Punk AF (that’s ‘alcohol free’), Thomson & Scott’s Noughty is (fairly) nice, and Seedlip is sexy. This sobriety revolution is driven, in part, by the mindfully sceptical Gen Z, turned...
In 1984, the death of the wrestler Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta – commonly known as El Santo – sent shockwaves through Mexico. Over the course of five decades and 15,000 matches, the legendary fighter had captivated audiences, helping to fuel the growth of Lucha Libre around the world. Through his appearances in film, comic books and cartoons, he established himself as...
The Hyundai is one of the three major department stores in South Korea, with its 15 branches across the regions of Seoul, Yeongnam and Hoseo accruing more than $6 billion in annual sales. Petit Planet is the Hyundai’s new specialised children’s division, presenting premium brands in an environment designed to stimulate young imaginations. This post includes Extended Insights for BP&O...
In 1775 Crane paper was used to print the first money for the American colonies, and by 1801 the company was the primary paper producer for local and regional banks. Later that century, equipped with an arsenal of innovative techniques from Europe, Crane won a contract with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and became the supplier for the US...
Fashion designer Marc Jacobs heads his own eponymous fashion brand, as well as diffusion lines The Marc Jacobs and Heaven by Marc Jacobs. He was also creative director at Louis Vuitton from 1997 to 2014, where he created the company’s first ready-to-wear clothing line. In his own words, Jacobs’ work is ‘a little preppy, a little grungy, a little couture’, and this...
According to Sweden’s travel and tourism website, craft beer enthusiasts will discover a ‘smorgasbord’ of artisanal, eco-friendly and organic things to drink there, with more microbreweries per capita than any other country (apart from the UK). Omaka joined the scene in September 2020, at the height of the pandemic, and with a slogan to match its fearless attitude: ‘taste before...
Cutting and creasing since 2010, Think is a design-driven structural packaging agency with an over-arching emphasis on form: ‘the neat bevels, the tight creases, the perfect fit’. The team of cardboard engineers has an international reputation thanks to its portfolio of award-winning work for global studios and brands, from startups to industry leaders, including Marx and Supply (New Zealand), OMSE...
Piedmont is a small city in California named after the European region in the shadow of the Alps (from the Italian piemonte, meaning ‘foothill’). Surrounded on all sides by Oakland, the neighbourhood has a population of roughly 10,000 people and an active charity scene. This includes the Piedmont Arts Fund, a nonprofit group that promotes and supports visual and performing...