My blog posts are a compiling of brave imaginative ways companies have used illustrators. I can't always find the artist name credited (which is a shame), and apologize for not being able to sing their praises!
"...don't be afraid to let them show
your true colors.
True colors are beautiful."
(by songwriters, Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly)
RETAIL draws you in with illustrative charm...
click here to see NORDSTROMS 2018
How Hermès Is Winning With Creative Online Content, FORBES, 10/24/2014
Read about the success of HERMES' online style in Forbes, here.
Illustration = $$, just look at HERMES. Whimsy + Creativity is appealing. Positive, optimistic, hopeful, humorous. Put those qualities on your screen, against any dry template-driven behemoth's website, and watch the hearts melt and clicks add up. Innovative online marketing translates to huge monetary rewards, it's a fact. Viewers appreciate the time, effort and resulting charm of a well done screen campaign. Industry analysts see the reactions and take notice. Brave bold marketing is taken very seriously. Sometimes that means strong, striking, disturbing. Sometimes that means gracious, charming, lighthearted. Know your demographic and go forth bravely!
Spring 2018: GUCCI - Illustrated marketing campaign
On Neiman Marcus website, these mixed media images highlighted the men's shoes for spring.
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| Neiman Marcus - Gucci 1 |
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| Neiman Marcus - Gucci 2 |
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| Neiman Marcus - Gucci 3 |
Spring 2018: HERMES - Illustrated Website (Credit: Pierre Marie, artist)
Illustrated Branding - STEPHEN JONES, Milliner
Meghan Markle wore a white beret style hat by Stephen Jones for her first official outing with the Queen on 3/12/2018. Some of the milliner's online branding is hand-lettered in pen & ink with corresponding illustrations depicting the focus of his business. The double-lined calligraphy overlapping the skewed vintage label shape filled with lines - feels edgy + intimate.
2017: CHANEL - Animated watercolor (by Artist, Shishi Yamasaki)
Marketing for Gabrielle bag animated film with Cara Delevingne (Director’s cut)
SPRING 2018: KATE SPADE - Instagram post
Illustrated Store - Shiseido, Japan
Browsing through some Shiseido images, I came across a photo of a beautiful building, The Shiseido Parlor in the exclusive shopping section in Tokyo called Ginza.
There is a charming story behind this Japanese company. First of all, Shiseido is the oldest cosmetic brand in the world (founded in year 1872). Second, the founder of Shiseido was a genius. Arinobu Fukuhara was an esteemed pharmacist who invented a successful skin softener, which he sold at his pharmacy in Tokyo, a long long time ago.
Browsing through some Shiseido images, I came across a photo of a beautiful building, The Shiseido Parlor in the exclusive shopping section in Tokyo called Ginza.
There is a charming story behind this Japanese company. First of all, Shiseido is the oldest cosmetic brand in the world (founded in year 1872). Second, the founder of Shiseido was a genius. Arinobu Fukuhara was an esteemed pharmacist who invented a successful skin softener, which he sold at his pharmacy in Tokyo, a long long time ago.
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| Gennifer Weisenfeld |
He was more than a genius. He was a magical benefactor. When he went on a trip to Europe and the U.S. win the 1800's, he was wowed by the ice cream parlors he visited, and had the wonderful sense to bring home ice cream - and introduced it to all of Japan. He did this by adding a soda fountain to his pharmacy - (which I wish I could show photos of, but can't find online), and eventually that became a restaurant business.
So, this very special Shiseido building is called Shiseido Parlour. It has 11 stories. The top is a glamorous penthouse bar.
Unlike the other Shiseido buildings & shops which are filled with awesome cosmetics,
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| Shiseido Cosmetics |
Shiseido Parlour is filled with food. It even looks delicious.
The building itself is beautiful. Rosy, with golden trim, and a gleaming street level exterior - a kind of enameled feeling (like a bento box). It is very sleek & modern, and was built on the same corner as that original pharmacy & ice cream parlor.
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| Shiseido Parlour |
I especially love how the front door is illustrated,
and at one point, how those illustrations were carried throughout the website in animation.
The website home page for Shiseido Parlour opened with this simple illustration
of a fashionable woman having her coffee (thinking about all that shopping ahead).
She dips her head forward to drink and the coffee steams as the site loads.
An invisible illustrator starts painting in swoops of white, right on the screen - dropping flowers and music notes along the way.
We're swept through her day at the store -- seeing the shops & restaurants in which other illustrated customers traipse about.
They are choosing delicacies...
or maybe experiencing a fancy lunch with Dad.
(This little girl could have been my mom having her first taste of French white asparagus!)
Our fashionable lady finishes her day with another cup of coffee or tea.
And maybe she orders some of these...
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| From Shiseido Parlor website |
2018 note: I don't see the animation on the site anymore. Miss it!
SPRING 2014: HERMES - Illustrated Website
Just can't show Hermes examples enough. So many different artist styles.
Each catering to a unique product. Same enchanting results.
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HERMES: How refreshing to see whimsy on websites.
Isn't it literally a breath of fresh air?
Our spirits lift.
It gives silly wings to our expectations.
And it's charming in its familiarity.
Dropping glamorous products into the most charming settings.
Showing off confidence.
Sharing an impetuous & delightful sense of humor.
Love it, Hermes!
