Stuff We Like

Loving Chimay Ale brewed by Trappist monks in Belgium. This is one of only seven beers that are allowed to carry the Authentic Trappist Product logo which adheres to the following standards: 1) The beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist abbey, by or under control of Trappist monks. 2) The brewery, the choices of brewing, and the commercial orientations must obviously depend on the monastic community. 3) The economic purpose of the brewery must be directed toward assistance and not toward financial profit.

A beautiful bottle, a fantastic tasting beer, and a good cause! I’ll drink to that….

For more on Chimay, visit their (English translated) website.

Check out the next page for more of my (slightly obsessed) photos.
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I am a sucker for great new packaging and EOS “Evolution of Smooth” totally grabbed me at a recent trip to Target. The bottle is modern and fresh compared to everything else on the shelf and seemed like it should have been more expensive than it was. Beyond just the great package, it does seem to be an evolution of sorts from the normal shaving creams—feeling more like a lotion than like the normal foams out there. Plus, it smells pretty good too! Check out more of their products (including an organic lip balm) at evolutionofsmooth.com

Check out wearpact.com, an underwear company that lets you decide what charity gets your support. Whether the charity you support is 826 National, ForestEthics or Oceana, Pact has got your back… errr… behind.

Got this Nescafé instant coffee direct mail piece in the mail the other day. I like the packaging and that they gave me free samples! Who doesn’t love free?! I think that their overall look is very playful and appealing… Nice packaging and typography. However I can’t say that I’m head over heels for the actual product. Every time I’ve made it thus far, it’s tasted too weak or too strong, which makes me think that it’s my own fault and not fully understanding how much water to use. I never did like to follow directions…

Also, who are these people that buy instant coffee? Making it the normal way takes too long? Are these people serious coffee fiends just looking for their next quick fix? Or just really crunched for time? I have personally spent way more time attempting to perfect the exact formula on this instant coffee thing than it would have taken me to just brew a whole pot… and by that time I would have had 6 great tasting cups instead of 3 sort of weird tasting cups… Ok, just had to rant about that…

Anyhow, check out some more shots on the next page. And if you’re an instant coffee lover, I’d like to hear from you…

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I’m loving Global Giving—a website that is dedicated to connecting donors with non-profit organizations that need funding. Their site is simple to navigate and has a great overall design. Go to their website and see if you can find one of their “million little earth changing ideas” that you’d like to help.

More screen shots of their site on the next page…

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Grand has decided to take a more socially conscious path to our direct mail pieces. We’ve taken scraps of paper around the office, cut them up and printed over them with our own inkjet printer. We were able to save some trees and some press plates in one fell swoop! We love the homemade results as every piece is different from the last. Even accidental smudges become a happy accident! Check out the close ups on the next page…

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Discovered this ad for RWE Energy which uses the same song as Discovery Channel… love the animation, but a bit confused on the message. Corporate greenwashing or a step in the right direction? Watch and decide for yourself! Then go to the next page to comment…

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Sappi Paper is in it’s 10th year of their “Ideas That Matter” grant that goes towards designers & ideas that make the world a better place. Check out their site to get inspired by past recipients or to learn more about their 2009 call for entries. Go to the next page for more screen shots from their site and lovely intro video…

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John Creson spoke at the HOW Conference and showed a case study on one of their clients, Better Place. Better Place is the world’s leading electric vehicle (EV) services provider, catalyzing the transition to sustainable transportation. I love their brand identity. It’s very clean and simple, and makes you feel like a world where everyone drives electric cars is possible. Check out another of the videos that Addis Creson made on the next page.

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Michael Osborne was one of the speakers at the HOW Design Conference and I felt very inspired by seeing some of his work. This is a video that chronicles the “Hearts In San Francisco” project that he was very involved in. Various artists took part in designing hearts that were placed around the city which were then sponsored by businesses. The financial beneficiary of Hearts in San Francisco was the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation, whose sole purpose is to fund projects that will enhance patient care and comfort at San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center.

Osborne also designed a love stamp for the US Postal Service. Check out some more (sort of blurry!) slides from his presentation on the next page.

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