Toniq Blips

Oddka - Inspiring Foodies, Mixologists & Hipster Millennials (video)

2013-05-21T13:00:14Z

Electricity, Wasabi, Apple Pie, Fresh Cut Grass, Salty Caramel Popcorn, And Original are the flavors of a creative new line of vodka by Pernod Ricard. This sounds like hipster vodka to me! Unique flavors, an upside down moustached man who actually has a whole personality that lives on Facebook, twitter and in TV interviews (see video below). Oh and you can't overlook the really cool bottle design.

"ODDKA was created for the individual who seeks brands that are confident, expressive and challenge the norms, just like they do," said Maxime Kouchnir, vice president, Pernod Ricard USA. "We are excited about the initial release of ODDKA in select states and sharing our curious approach with these individuals and provoking their senses."

Here's how Wit describes the unique flavors:
Original: I once meditated for a week. Afterwards I came up with the idea of a vodka-flavoured vodka. An idea so fresh, so elegant, so smooth, I couldn’t believe it hadn’t been thought of before. When I discovered it had, I thought I’d make it anyway.

Electricity: Ever wondered what a bolt of lightning tastes like? Me too. That’s why I created this shockingly good tongue-tickling vodka. Now lightning can strike as often as you like.

Salty Caramel Popcorn: I love the movies, though personally I’ve never seen the appeal of those 3D ones. If this flavour was a film it would be a caramel comedy with a sea salt subplot and a warm, feel-good ending.

Fresh Cut Grass: One day my llama distracted the janitor when he was mowing my factory lawn and there was an accident. A fortuitous accident with a crisp and citrusy outcome.

Wasabi: At Ninja school I was taught the saying, ‘The Wasabi-eating Ninja Laughs Last’. I’m still trying to figure out what it means, but in the meantime have created this fiery flavour to creep up on your taste buds. Enjoy.

Apple Pie: Inspired by Grandma Oddoski’s famous apple pies. I gave her my word I would never reveal her secret ingredient. This sweet tasting apple and cinnamon flavour vodka is a tribute to that promise.

The elegant and smooth Original Oddka (40% alc./vol., 80 proof) and the new five sensory-pleasing flavors (30% alc./vol., 60 proof) sell for a suggested retail price of $15.99.

And to reach even more hipster millennials, they even have a ODDstache app available on iTunes where you can grow your own ODDstache like spokesman Wit Oddoski.

(via IIHIH & ODDka)

The Millennial Trains Project: Crowd-Hitch A Ride To Explore America's New Frontiers (video)

2013-05-20T13:01:08Z

This August, 100 selected millennials will hop aboard a train travelling from the Bay area across the nation to Washington D.C. Aboard the train will be a group of mentors that are leaders in various fields, economists, journalists, researchers, educators, editors, designers and architects. As they travel across America, they will stop to discuss the changes in the American culture and landscape.

Every millennial that applies has to have a mission, a plan of what they will share, an eagerness to learn and to take the experience and share it with others. Once your bio and project is accepted, you are loaded to the MTP site and there you begin crowd-hitching funds to hop aboard.

This is, by far, one of the coolest millennial campaigns and events I have come across. To be able to share your stories and goals with some of the top mentors in the world aboard a train for 10 days is in itself an incredible journey. Check out some of the applicants and support the ones you like. I can't wait to follow this as the train arrives and the journey begins.

The Millennial Trains Project from Millennial Trains Project on Vimeo.

Who Needs Paint When You Have Tape? (video)

2013-05-17T13:00:21Z

Art director and graphic designer Koji Iyama has been staging installations across Japan to promote the multifunctional uses of mt-masking tape. His latest installation arrived in Sendai, almost 2 years after it was ravaged by the devastating tsunami.

Staged within an old warehouse, and utilizing its high ceilings, Iyama hung hundreds of rolls of masking tape from the ceiling, delineating space and affecting the flow of people. He then proceeded to cover the entire floor with masking tape as well, including all objects in his way, like bicycles.

(Spoon & Tamago)

Corporate Logos That Contain Subliminal Messages

2013-05-16T13:00:26Z

I love this piece by Dominic Greene for Business Insider that I have to share part of it here. Some of these I knew, some are a cool surprise. There's always a strategy behind every design - big, small or subliminal!

The FedEx logo hides an arrow in its negative space. Even a glance subliminally inspires thoughts of efficiency and forward motion.

This cool logo for Sony's computers represents the brand's integration of analog and digital technology. The 'VA' is designed as an analog waveform, the 'IO' is binary code.

This logo, introduced in 2005, cleverly uses the company's initials to advertise its number of ice cream flavors (31).

Slightly more abstract than the other examples, the Tour de France logo contains a well-integrated biker.

See the dancing bear in the mountain? The design is a tribute to the Swiss town where the chocolate was developed.

The cleverness of this logo is twofold. The arrow points from a to z, referring to all that is available on Amazon.com, and it doubles as a satisfied smile (with dimple).

For more, check out Business Insider.

Cut Food Photography

2013-05-15T13:00:04Z

We all eat and drink, but have you ever wondered what your food and drink really look like from the middle? Cut Food is a photo series by New York-based photographer Beth Galton in collaboration with food stylist Charlotte Omnès. I'm curious as to how they captured some of these, but I suppose that is what makes them the artists. The milk swirl in the coffee and ramen are spectacular.

(via Feature Shoot)

Kombucha Dog

2013-05-14T13:01:03Z

Some of you are thinking "huh?". Or maybe, "oh, some fermented tea and a hot dog?". Well, Kombucha Dog is fermented tea and the "Dog" part is a clever strategy to help get local dogs in need of a home adopted. Good cause, great design, healthy drink!

Besides the healthy, organic, raw, hand pressed goodness, every dog on the bottle is a local (Los Angeles area) dog that is currently in need of a home. And as you can see from the beautiful dog portraits on the label, Michael, the founder was a commercial photographer turned kombucha producer. Each dog has it's own page on the website under "Adopt K-Dogs". If these dogs don't get you to try kombucha, I'm not sure what will.

They are a hyper-local brewery and product so all you LA people, go show some love and help find these dogs a home while you're getting all this probiotic goodness.

Learn About Branding...Literally, Learn About Branding

2013-05-13T13:01:00Z

We talk a lot about branding. But have you ever thought about "branding". Really? Like branding cattle. There are actual guidelines in designing a "brand". I thought this was really interesting as it's one of the oldest forms of using symbols to create ownership. This is from the Texas Brand Registration.

How To Design A Brand

The best rule to follow is to keep the image simple. Simple brand designs are easier to read and are less painful for the livestock.

A brand design consists of 2 or more symbols. Many brands have 3 units in the design. Few brands have more than 3 units.

Brands records include the design of the brand and its position on the livestock.

Left or right:

Brands are based on 4 kinds of marks, used alone or in combination.

Letter of the alphabet
Numbers
Lines and circles
Pictures

Brands are read from left to right, top to bottom, from outside in.

Sometimes when the letters or symbols are joined, the word "connected" is included in the reading.

Samples:

However, often the symbols are read as though they were separated by space.

Samples:

We might know this as a hashtag these days, but it's a pigpen.

Four rails are read as pigpen

There's a whole strategy in combining characters to create a unique and ownable brand. It's not so far off from our more advanced world of branding...considering they have one color to work with. A history lesson worth learning!

Watch “The History Of Typography” by Ben Barret-Forrest (video)

2013-05-10T13:00:39Z

Created from 291 paper letters and 2,454 single photographs painstakingly arranged in 140 hours of work, this amazing animated short by Canadian graphic designer Ben Barret-Forresttells the captivating story of typography. Tracing it back all the way to Johannes Gutenberg and his revolutionary invention of letterpress printing, he gives a brief account of all the signficant developments of the last 500 years, including the introduction of italics and serifs, san-serifs and pixel type.

(Highsnob)

Invisible Hieroglyphics...Turning Our Digital Swipes Into Art (video)

2013-05-09T13:00:44Z

Invisible Hieroglyphics is collaboration between Andre Woolery and Victor AbiJaoudi II. This is a fascinating project that transforms our modern ways of communication and turns it into a cultural print, a work of art that preserves the digital lives we currently live.

ABOUT

Art is everywhere.
As the world becomes more digital, we pull further away from an analog, handcrafted world. However, the one remaining human component of the digital experience is touch. Our hands have become the communication conduit through devices with a series of taps, swipes, and pushes. Left behind are the oil-stained remains of finger smudges on a screen. We have extracted these marks and transformed them into vibrant, acrylic prints.

WHY THE TITLE?

Hieroglyphics is a system of writing that serves as a form of communication. They represent an imprint of the world as it was told in the past for the future to decipher and understand. These writings are a window into another world. Today, the touchscreen interface is our window into another world and the writings are smudged onto the screen instead of carved into stone. Its subtle, but if you strip away the hardware and software, what’s left is a finger painting that illustrates the story of how we communicate.

Facebook App Art

Fruit Ninja App Art

Paper Toss App Art

To see more, please visit Andre Woolery Art and Invisible Hieroglyphics.

Game On! Protect and Play!

2013-05-08T13:00:05Z

Because we don't already game enough on our phones, here's a totally retro game case for the Samsung Galaxy S4 by Pure Gear. I love the colors and how it doesn't add bulk to the phone!

Amazing: Navigate the ball through the challenging maze from start to finish

Groovy: Maneuver the balls until all are in the center at the same time in a game of wits

Undecided: Hold vertically and shoot the ball for a magically answer to your question

Game On!

(Pure Gear)