Stockings Series, Part 3: Ads from the Archives, 1890-1939
For decades, Ivory sold itself as the suds that made legwear last longer
September 18, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
The Swimsuit Series, Part 6: Ladies in Wading in Art
A look at how artists spent their summer vacations—at the beach
August 31, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Rebranding Amsterdam and What It Means to Rebrand a City
To help maintain its position as a popular European destination, Amsterdam embraced marketing with "I amsterdam," a brand campaign for the city and its residents
August 30, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
How Chattanooga Created Its Own Font to Spur Urban Growth
Like products, cities need a brand identity. In this Tennessee city, a team of designers have created an official font
August 29, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
How Alphonse Mucha Designed the Nation State of Czechoslovakia
When the country gained its independence after World War I, artist Alphonse Mucha was called upon to help design an important part of any country's identity - its money
August 21, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
How Advertisers Convinced Americans They Smelled Bad
A schoolgirl and a former traveling Bible salesman helped turn deodorants and antiperspirants from niche toiletries into an $18 billion industry
August 03, 2012 |
By Sarah Everts
The History of the Olympic Pictograms: How Designers Hurdled the Language Barrier
Infographic design first appeared at the Olympics in 1948, when the games were last in London.
July 20, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Remembering Bloomingdale’s Chairman, the Dearly Departed Martin Traub, 1925-2012
The department store chain's visionary executive beat the competition in exotic fashion flair
July 13, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Wearing Wool, All Summer Long
Layered, corseted summer garments kept women proper and fashionable, if not cool
July 03, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
The High-Tech Minimalist Sock-Shoe
Nike's latest innovation promises to improve runners' comfort, help the environment, and revolutionize shoe manufacturing
April 06, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Better Feet Through Radiation: The Era of the Fluoroscope
In the 1940s and 50s, shoe stores were dangerous places. At the center of the shopping experience was the shoe-fitting fluoroscope—a pseudoscientific machine that became a token of mid-century marketing deception.
April 04, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
How To Be Taller
A modern Scottish elevator shoe designer runs a global business from his Bangkok outpost
March 23, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
The Shape of Fruits to Come
How our need for convenience is redesigning our food supply
March 16, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
And for Dessert: An Object Lesson on Simple Pleasure
How a disappointing dessert becomes an object lesson on simplicity and pleasure
March 14, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Who Is Linda Tatersmith?
If flashy package design can lure people into eating factory-extruded chemical slurries, why shouldn’t it work to trick junk food addicts into eating a vegetable?
March 06, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Airships and Oranges: The Commercial Art of the Second Gold Rush
How citrus crate label design fueled a boom that caused the art form's own demise.
March 01, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Design Specs for a Genetically Ideal Snack
How plant geneticists are growing convenience food on trees
February 27, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Designing the Perfect Fruit
How a tiny, seedless fruit becomes the iPhone of the produce aisle.
February 23, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Strike Up the Brand
In an ever more competitive world, nations strive for the perfect slogan
September 2011 |
By Richard Conniff
The History of Sweetheart Candies
For over a century, the Valentine’s Day treats, and the messages printed on them, have matched the tone and jargon of the times
February 08, 2011 |
By Annette Foglino
