LINOTYPE: THE FILM: TRAILER

FILM - "Linotype: The Film" is a documentary about Ottmar Mergenthaler's amazing Linotype typecasting machine and the people who own and love these machines today.

This film is about a machine from the past, but that does not mean this is a sentimental fact-film lamenting the loss of a technology. We are compelled to dig deeper, and find what the Linotype has to say about the present and future.

To make this film, we have extensively researched and talked with experts to learn as much as possible about the history of the Linotype and how the machine works. We’ve been able to talk to numerous people in the Linotype community, from small town printers to typesetters for national publications.

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THE UNDERGROUND GOES OVERGROUND

SPOTTED - At the Whitechapel underground/overground station the underground goes overground.

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TRUTH + TRANSPARENCY = TRUST

SPOTTED - On a recent trip to the north of England (to teach a group of third year university students) I spotted this poster showing the exact amount of money that had been raised at the train station for The Poppy Appeal.

What struck me was, the person who made the somewhat shoddy poster had a fantastic insight into people:

: The poster extends the relationship with The Poppy Appeal past the initial interaction/donation

: It makes donors feel that their contribution is part of a larger community/group effort

: It offers feedback, we all like to know how we're doing

: It enhances trust, how many times have you dropped your small change into a collection box in exchange for a 'social badge', then never hear anything from the charity again?

: The hand-drawn element adds a human element to the charity. It shows that there is indeed a real person counting the donations, not some automated banking machine

: Most importantly, it thanks donors for their contribution

I personally feel brands/charities need to learn that by being truthful and transparent, they will earn the trust of the people. This poster embodies key elements that brands/charities must embrace to earn the trust of the public.

If you've seen anything similar to this, drop us a message.

joes[a]fiend

ACCIDENTAL? BRILLIANCE? ACCIDENTAL BRILLIANCE?

SPOTTED - Last night I attended the launch of the Hermès pop-up store in the Rochelle School Of Art. The aim of the store is to show people how versatile the iconic Hermès scarves can be. In addition to the pop-up store Hermès has created a Fanzine in collaboration with photographer Matt Irwin. Irwin took four models around the world to capture the ways you can wear the Hermès scarf.

As part of the festivities the incredible LA based band Warpaint played a few songs from their debut LP The Fool [Rough Trade Records].

Before Warpaint came on stage I noticed what must have been a Hermès employee tying a scarf to the bass drum [that's the big one in the middle]. I thought to myself, that's quite subtle, a nice little branded touch. When Warpaint came on to play, this all changed, it soon became a stroke of absolute genius or complete luck. As the drummer [Theresa Wayman] began to beat the bass drum it caused to Hermès scarf to flutter elegantly to the beat, it was mesmerising.

Now, cast your mind back to December 2009, when Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka had an installation in Maison Hermes in Japan. The installation was a window with an image of a woman projected on to a monitor. It would appear from the outside that the projected face was gently blowing a Hermès causing it to flutter in the wind.

Was this tie in a piece of marketing genius, or sheer good luck?

It would make sense for Hermès to create a campaign based on the beauty of the flowing movement of their iconic scarves. Imagine a campaign where you see a close-up of the fluttering scarf which then panned out to an iconic moment. The image that springs to mind when I think of the Hermès scarves is a chic woman driving a 1985 convertible Mercedes SL with the top down, on a hot summer's day in the south of France. Imagine the shot; close up of the scarf flowing in the wind [possibly in slow motion], then a soft zoom out to the striking, powerful woman driving the car. Formidable!

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FARM:LONDON

RETAIL - 'How much food can we grow in a shop?' Was the question posed by FARM:London, a concept devised by Something & Son, an eco-social design practice. They aim to answer the question at 20 Dalston Lane, a derelict shop they have converted into London's first urban farming hub.

At FARM:shop you'll find exhibitions that change with the seasons and as nature takes it's course. For the opening you can expect to see the following:

- 'Aquaponic' micro fish farming
- High tech Indoor allotment
- Rooftop chicken coop
- Polytunnel

FARM:shop Dalston [illustrated above] has three main aims:

1 To excite and inspire Londoners to grow their own food, fabric and medicine
2 To create direct links between farms outside London with communities in London
3 To grow food commercially via a network of FARM:'s across London

If you've made it down to FARM:shop let us know what you thought of the concept/space.

joes[a]fiend