Busy, busy, busy…

9th June 2011..

 

It’s been a busy few weeks at underscore towers! We’ve been appointed to create the brand identity for a funky London micro brewery and a revolutionary Vietnamese restaurant concept that’s coming to the UK. We’ve also been asked to refresh the brand of well established Hong Kong restaurant chain….so keep your eyes on the underscore site for more details!

 

DIY: Kaiser Chiefs “The Future is Medieval” – consumer experience

3rd June 2011..

 

The Kaiser Chiefs have released their new album, “The Future is Medieval” today in a quite remarkable way. Instead of selling their album via iTunes, they are offering fans a chance to create a bespoke album for themselves. Fans can select 10 tracks from 20 new songs, choose the playlist and design the album cover. They are encouraged to promote their own version of the album to other fans via social media and receive £1 for every version they sell.

But if fans are having an off-day on inspiration, they can also choose for an album version made by the Alzheimer’s Society, of which all profits made from its sales will go directly to the charity. By releasing the album this way, the music industry tries to discourage illegal downloading of albums and tracks.

We think it’s a great way of connecting with your fans and spreading your message in a more active and fun way.

Take a look at the Kaiser Chiefs website (www.kaiserchiefs.com) and let us know what you think of this initiative.

 

Experienced Account Manager needed….

31st May 2011..

 

We’re looking to recruit an experienced Account Manager to help manage our expanding workload from some fantastic new and well established clients.
The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 3-5 years agency experience and a track record of working within both the public and private sectors.

Strong and demonstrable experience of brand development and campaign management is essential. Additional key qualities should include superb organisational skills, a passion for strategy, and an outgoing personality.

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity, send cv’s to jobs@underscore.co.uk now!

 

Chelsea in Bloom brand identity

25th May 2011..

 

To compliment the Chelsea Flower Show, underscore were tasked with creating the identity and brand theme for ‘Chelsea in Bloom’ which sees selected retailers across Chelsea and Knightsbridge compete for the coveted floral crown with a display of breathtaking displays.

This year’s theme is Oriental Chic, drawing on classic eastern influence and timeless style, although our identity concept has been created for long term – using the stem of the ‘l’ as a flower stem gives the opportunity to add flowers specific to the theme year on year. This year, due to the oriental theme, the flower incorporated into the identity is an orchid.

Information will be passed onto the local audience via flyers, floor decals and large displays within Duke of York Square and a large branded inflatable structure within Sloane Square, which is the info point for this year’s event. For more information visit chelsea in bloom or take a tube to Sloane Square and go from there!

 

Great idea: A tent that turns into concrete

19th May 2011..

 

One of the top stories on the BBC technology website this week was the video showing a concrete tent of all things. Sounds mad, the inventors Will Crawford and Peter Brewin show off their invention and explain how it works.

The idea

The two engineers came up with the idea while at university – The tent is made of a new fabric that when you spray it with water it turns into concrete within 24 hours. This would allow aid teams to construct solid structures in emergency zones easily and quickly – and has a possible lifespan of approximately 10 years. The design can cope with most weather conditions thrown at it and can be built by anyone with absolutely no training. Within hours of a crisis, the shelters can be set up and ready to live in.

It’s easy to see how and where the concrete tent invention could be used. Take Japan for example where a reported 100,000 people were displaced by the earthquake and tsunami.

With many of the people huddled in makeshift shelters, the need for better quality emergency shelters its obvious and would lessen the human damage and provide a measure of safety and comfort for victims of such disasters.

Award winning

The original design won a number of awards – including the Saatchi & Saatchi Award for World Changing Ideas. The only problem is that at the moment they cost at least £10,000 each so its less likely to go into mass production. I’m also not sure that money is well spent – it be used for food, water, medical supplies and cheaper temporary shelters.

It seems a shame that such a great idea that could clearly make a difference might be sidelined.

Take a look at the video where the inventors give a full demo and speak about what inspired them to make it.

What do you think?

Is this a word changing idea? Is it enough that a design is an award winner to make it a commercial success? Let us know your thoughts on the concrete tent, comment below.