Goodbye Hostess (Repost)

A re-post from The Sketchpad on Jan. 12, 2012: Goodbye Hostess...

Gold Twinkies | William D. SIEMER II

Twinkies maker Hostess seeks bankruptcy protection

As a kid, me and my mom would sometimes go to the local Hostess store to get some produce, bread, and a box of Hostess snacks. It eventually shut down, followed by the other location, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2004, changed its name to Hostess Brands in 2009, and now filed for bankruptcy once again early in 2012.

Supposedly Twinkies last forever, so hold on to them like gold to see if their value increases over time because Hostess profits sure need to...

Twinkies: Good as gold wdsiemer ii

Red Cross Brand Identity

Back in February, the American Red Cross caved into a design trend, and decided to reinvent their iconic logo with gradients, a 3-d orb, and drop shadows. Soon, EVERY company and logo will follow suite.

See my previous pieces: 3-D Orb Logo & Forgettable Tag Lines

Design by Henri Dunant, 1863.


The emblem of a red cross with arms of equal length on a white background is the visible sign of protection under the 1949 Geneva Conventions (inverse of Swiss Flag). As such, it is the emblem of the armed forces’ medical services.

International Red Cross uses the Red Crescent name and trademark in some Arab World countries.

BandAid Red Cross / Designs We've Seen (a lot)

Gold Twinkies

Gold Twinkies
William D. SIEMER II

Twinkies maker Hostess seeks bankruptcy protection
[READ ARTICLE]

As a kid, me and my mom would sometimes go to the local Hostess store to get some produce, bread, and a box of Hostess snacks. It eventually shut down, followed by the other location, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2004, changed its name to Hostess Brands in 2009, and now filed for bankruptcy once again early in 2012.

Supposedly Twinkies last forever, so hold on to them like gold to see if their value increases over time because Hostess profits sure need to...

Twinkies: Good as gold wdsiemer ii

Netflix's Jokester

Netflix's Jokester

The indecisiveness continues... Not the best way to solidify a brand.

Dear William,

It is clear that for many of our members two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVDs.

This means no change: one website, one account, one password…in other words, no Qwikster.

Buffalo Wings & Rings

New Buffalo Wings & Rings Brand

Production doesn't always get the same glorious treatment as design, but it is equally important. Although these Buffalo Wings & Rings' files came to us as a finalized design from Interbrand, we realized their vision through materials, color matching and production quality.

There are a lot of ways a good design can be ruined, and sloppy production would be one of them. Keep that in mind every time you present a final project at school, hold a gallery showing, or present to a client. Show you care for your work!

KIA Brand

KIA Hamster Logo Spoof

The KIA Brand

I have been saying it for a while; KIA has really turned their brand image around. The vehicles are visually appealing, the reliability and safety is improved, the warranty is outstanding, the price is right and the marketing has taken off.

The commercials are targeting an edgy and youthful audience, even if I'm not a big fan of the Soul's oversized hamsters.

[READ ARTICLE]

The freshly designed KIA Sportage. From KIA.com

Cheerios Buzz

Buzz collecting honey for his next batch of Honey Nut Cheerios

Cheerios turns 70; iconic cereal endures, sells
By Carolyn Thompson, Associated Press

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Here's a little quiz for the breakfast table:

What is the most popular cereal brand in American grocery stores?

Hint: It's been General Mills' top name since 1951.

Another hint: If you're a parent, you've vacuumed it from the minivan and under the high-chair cushion by the cupful.

[READ USA Today Article]

Summer Package Designs

Summer designs aim to boost soda, beer and tissue sales 
By Bruce Horovitz, USA TODAY

These Kleenex boxes are designed to look like waffle ice-cream cones. Kleenex.

Folks who sip a Coke, munch a Chips Ahoy or sneeze into a Kleenex this summer can't avoid noticing summer-theme package designs.

It's about sales. Marketers know shoppers can be swayed to buy a product not just because of what's inside the box or bottle, but what's on the outside. That's why package design has become a $1 trillion industry. Even a fraction of a percentage of increased sales can separate a successful selling season from a lousy one. So consumer product giants are adding a splash of summer to packaging.

"People look at brands and see a sea of sameness," says JoAnn Hines, a package design consultant. "But a unique shape, design or color that says summer can take them out of the me-too category."

Read the Article