Cultural Branding » design

Trump Tartan

culturalbranding — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 09:30:52 +0000

Here at Arts & Business we were recently joined by Kevin Cameron – one of the winners of the Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance Art of Nurture 2010 prize – for a week’s work placement, looking at researching interesting cultural partnerships… much like we write about here on Cultural Branding. The Art of Nurture prize was developed by Arts & Business for Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance five years ago, and we continue to with the bank to develop the prize today.

Studying at Robert Gordon University’s Gray’s School of Art, Kevin introduced us to an interesting outreach project Trump International – Scotland is embarking on in and around Aberdeen.

Previous Gray’s School of Art creations modelled outside Menie House

Having met both support and resistance for the new Trump golf development north of Aberdeen, the global brand has sought to engage in a meaningful way with the local community, schools and industry alike. Students at Gray’s School of Art have been invited to come up with initial designs for a corporate tartan for Trump International – Scotland. The final design, intended to complement the Trump family tartan (Macleod) will be produced using local production manufacturers and mills – ensuring production is kept within the region to the benefit of both the community and the craft industry in the region, best known at present as the oil capital of Europe. The final designs will be used around the new resort north of Aberdeen on Scotland’s north-east coast, and could extend to use in golf wear and resort merchandise, becoming a key part of the brand identity of the resort.

Sarah Malone, Executive Vice-President of Trump International – Scotland says of the initiative;

“Gray’s School of Art’s particular emphasis on the design and application of tartan within their fashion and textiles department prompted this partnership. Trump International – Scotland will commission a Trump corporate tartan in the future and we are keen to engage up and coming designers working in the North-east in this process.”

We’re looking forward to seeing how the relationship develops between Trump International – Scotland and Gray’s School of Art – and just remember when Kevin becomes famous you saw him here first!

Rose Enright

Meet Honda’s Cultural Engineers

culturalbranding — Thu, 20 May 2010 14:08:59 +0000

The Dream Factory is a big, online hurrah-platform to celebrate some of the pioneering, creative entrepreneurs who have broken with the norm, and carved out a truly unique and innovative path for themselves. Honda, the clever eco-forward chaps behind the hybrid car have launched another first; the world first hybrid sports car – the CR-Z. Proof, as they say, of what can happen when we all believe in the power of dreams. And quite honestly The Dream Factory is a marvellous way to both demonstrate both Honda’s own considerable creative drive (if you can excuse the pun) and provide a platform (and an annual and an exhibition) to showcase the wonderful work being done by way-cool people we wish were our buddies, to an audience who might not have heard of some of the stunning work that they are doing.

The twenty appropriately named ‘Cultural Engineers’, working in anything from amazing design to eco-awareness, were shortlisted by an equally jaw-dropping panel of creative heavyweights, including Eugenie Harvey (Founder, We Are What We Do) and Shane Walter (Co-founder, onedotzero – the masterminds who brought the wildly popular ‘Decode’ exhibition to life).

The exhibition opens tomorrow at the Dray Walk Gallery (Brick Lane, London E1), runs through until 30^th May, totally 100% free to the public, and accompanied by an amazing workshop programme at which some of the Cultural Engineers will talk about their work.

Simple and effective and fun, well done Honda. Go and take a look for yourself, here’s that link again: www.dreamfactoryuk.com

Rose Enright

Super Contemporary is just the (Gin and) Tonic!

culturalbranding — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:03:00 +0000

Here at Cultural Branding we aren’t averse to a tipple or two so we were delighted when Beefeater 24 – the new gin on the block –and the Design Museum joined forces to produce the Super Contemporary exhibition. This most contemporary of exhibitions, with its Super Collaborative approach, commissioned fifteen of London’s creative luminaries, including Paul Smith, Wayne Hemingway and Tom Dixon, to come up with new concepts in architecture, fashion and design. The programme of 24 events around the exhibition and the updated historical costumes in the tank outside the museum caught the eye of journos and the public, while referencing Beefeater’s commitment to promoting the past, present and future of their London home. The partnership has generated considerable media interest and debate, which means that it is really pushing boundaries. With such a high-profile entrée into the world of cultural branding, we can only expect Beefeater 24 to continue to build brand value through imaginative and striking cultural collaborations.