I have been following Nicholas Felton for a few years now. His unique ability to organize information, nevermind catalogue it, often leaves me speechless. I've purchased one of his Annual Reports before, but his newest report is something else entirely. Already sold out (in advance of printing of course) this Annual Report is printed on French Durotone paper and letterpressed by Swayspace (Brooklyn, NYC). The report was limited to 2000 copies, but have no fear, you can sign up to be notified when this item is back in stock.

















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While perusing the aisle at the local liquor store this past weekend I stopped dead in my tracks at this excellently packaged Dark Rum. This bottle literally had my name all over it. I am a Dark Rum drinker and a fan/collector of unique glass bottles and jars. The label uses a pen and ink style illustration and a varied type palette prominently featuring Neutraface, which combine to form an elegant tongue-in-cheek design. In a rare instance of getting completely sold by a product's packaging, I marched immediately to the till, pulled out my plastic gold and sealed the fate of my night to come. Suffice to say, I was not disappointed. Upon further research I now realize this particular brand of rum has a highly imaginative story, featured on it's one-of-a-kind website. Full of motion graphics and witty dialogue you have to see it to appreciate it. Furthermore, it has been featured on Lovely Package and is but one of many bottle and label designs from a company called Stranger & Stranger. Now, if this studio doesn't have one of the greatest client bases I could ever imagine, then call me Kraken.

I don't, actually, but ilovedust's work and new blog which they just launched this month are something worth bookmarking. I especially like their graphics and product sections. And their slight obsession with gold foil.

Pardon my french, but designer Tom Henni makes it look fun. His work is playful and colourful- just what we need to brighten another gloomy day here in Winnipeg.

For the nerds in all of us; The Wand Company has released a remote control wand. Yes, that's right, you can now magically control your TV with a flick (or swoosh) of the wrist. Once purchased, your wand will arrive to you in a (faux) dragon hide box for you to display proudly on your coffee table/mantle/stack of Harry Potter books. Awesome!

Well, I just got back from Toronto, and as much fun as I had in every possible capacity, there was one subject above every other that I could hardly wait to write about. That subject is Steam Whistle Pilsner, a microbrewery which calls Toronto home. Located in the former CPR Roundhouse in the heart of downtown, this company is a perfect example of what proper branding can be. Born of a simple idea from "Three Fired Guys" to provide a world class beer with a world class brand, the culture "brewed" within the walls of the factory was highly contagious. I noticed a genuinely warm atmosphere where each employee bought into the philosophy that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Their unique approach can be felt at every level of the company, from the processes in the tanks (four ingredients, all natural, lengthy fermenting times) to the bottle (using an original 1950's mould which had to be rebuilt) to the unique packaging (the 12 pack is a suitcase with two rows of six bottles filling its cardboard walls). Furthermore, the brand is consistent at every touchpoint, using it's three-colour formula and logo creatively across all platforms. Please check it out personally the next time you're in downtown Toronto, I highly recommend it.

Pearlfisher is based in London and New York and has a beautiful and polished portfolio of work. Check out their blog while you're there.

In the spirit of Friday here are a few fun, clever and just plain beautiful wine bottles that would surely catch your eye in the liquor mart aisle. First up, personalize your wine bottle in a cheeky and clever way with BFrank wine bottles, created by Talia Cohen for the B Frank digital marketing agency. Second, The Mini Garage Wines and Brandies by Anthony Hammond have a literal conception – Hammond’s wine is produced in a former tractor shop in Germany. Last but not least, these colourful wine bottles are by the UK based firm Death By Colour.

Boasting an impressive product line, the Chocolat Factory out of Africa is an handsomely packaged chocolate company brought to you by the talented branding team at the Ruiz Company.