United Colors of Benetton campaigns from 1980s to 2000s

1984

Tutti i colori del mondo

Oliviero Toscani

 1985

USA/URSS

Oliviero Toscani

 1986

Nationalities

Oliviero Toscani

1988

Adam and Eve

Oliviero Toscani

1989

Breastfeeding

Handcuffs

1990

Black and White Hand

 Embraced in blanket

1991

 Newborn baby

Condoms

1992

Girl with Doll

1993

HIV positive condom

HIV positive arm

1994

AIDS Faces

Bosnian Soldier

1995

Eyes

1996

Horses

Hearts

1998

Human rights

2001

Volunteers

2003

Food for life

2004 

Apes, James

 2006

Unhate

 2009

Spring summer

2011

first look

2013

Images extracted from: http://www.benettongroup.com/40years-press/img_our_campaigns.html

                                       

United colors of Benetton

Benetton is one of the most consistent brands and most colorful which was founded in 1965 in Italy. The brand always displayed a plea for racial, religous, age tolerance in a bold and sometimes surprising way. the ad campaigns vary in their choice of execution but yet they all display the concept of being united and aty peace such as anti-apartheid, anti-war, anti-violence.Their imagery has been a trademark with its specific focus and concept.

South African Conceptual Design

Pavilion of SA

Extracted from: http://www.modernism.ro/

In this piece the issues being addressed is the fact that domestic workers and soldiers are viewed as stationary jobs with no ambitions and individuality. They are just merely there to follow orders. It addresses status quo and poverty because these job titles are known to be taken up as a last resort in terms of desperation. The idea here is to view them as Art and elegance as their dress code is being exaggerated but also symbolises unity and beauty in what we take for granted. Taking the dullness in their dress code and presenting it as elegance and order but also represents them as what people take for granted, it is almost dehumanising according to status quo.

Deconstructed Sculptures

Extracted from: http://blog.wanken.com/12711/deconstructed-sculptures-by-regardt-van-der-meulen/

Regardt van der Meulen is the artist of these sculptures. He lives in Johannesburg. In these series of sculptures titled "Drip" represents the Human Body and which depicts that the strength and fragility lies at the core of the body and thus exposes the illusion of safety in society. What is being said is that in concerns of the physical human body which in society represents what is your identity and capabilities based on appearances which is not true. What you look like on the outside is not what you are, what counts is your core, which means what kind of person you are mentally or on the inside. Your strengths are determined by what you can endure in life and how you prevail from them. What these sculptures show is that the outside doesn't matter it is what lies inside of you!

SANCA: drinking during pregnancy

Extracted from: http://adsoftheworld.com

The SANCA campaign displays characters laying in the foetal position which addresses drinking during pregnancy. Viewers are made aware of while drinking during pregnancy might not affect newborns immediately but will manifest later in life. They will enter a life of crime, abuse, addictions and neglect. This will also contribute to low self-esteem. This campaign depicts what happens in poverty stricken communities and affects a lot of people as they are discouraged to succeed in life as they can't do certain things due to their living standards and backgrounds such as alcohol abuse in families.

Status Quo

The Status quo is over-rated and should be made possible for everybody to achieve. In conceptual design it displays exactly that by challenging the status quo of society and allow audiences to view life differently. Commercial design promotes the status quo and enforces ideas psychologically as a programmer would do on a computer. Thus making the audience desire things that is unnecessary in their life's and it has no value. 

The Importance of a Manifesto

A must read Manifesto !

First Things First Manifesto 2000

Link: http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/first-things-first-manifesto-2000

Incomplete Manifesto for Growth

Link: https://wiki.umn.edu/pub/DF2TA/Tutorials/MAU_Incomplete-Manifesto-for-Growth.pdf

The First things first Manifesto 2000, it is quite appealing for designers and address the issue of being a designer means to manipulate consumers into buying unnecessary products which consumers do not need but as designers we make it appealing. This issue is to be reversed and designers should use their skills for a good cause as stated in the manifesto. I personally advice every graphic designer to read this Manifesto.

Incomplete Manifesto for growth - this Manifesto is a great guideline to self - actualisation and also in living truthful for yourself. What I learned from this manifesto is how to direct my life towards my own happiness and living with no regret. If you are finding it hard to figure yourself out or just change the way you do things to better yourself this manifesto is a must read.

Manifestos of Interest

1000 words: A Manifesto for sustainability in Design

link: http://www.core77.com/reactor/04.07_chochinov.asp

Why this manifesto? Because of its informal and it also serves as a guideline for designers to sustain their quality in designs and execution. It relates to Manifesto of growth.

A manifesto for creative professional

link: http://pjrvs.com/a/manifesto

This Manifesto tells Designers how to treat clients and how to set a mentality which assure the success of the design and the success of the client. This manifesto is a good basis on how to enter into freelance and dealing with clients.

Importance of formulating a Manifesto

A manifesto is a verbal declaration of motives, views or intensions of the owner whether it is an individual, group or government. They are political or artistic in nature.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifesto). 

Why they are important is because it declares the vision and mission of the author, group or government. The manifesto declares what you stand for and what you want to achieve or change in this world or line of work, in fact it could be based on anything considering whether it is for personal use, for a group or corporation. Once it is formulated it is used as the guidelines for your goals and as well as not to drift away from what must be achieved, in a way it is a reminder of where you want to be as well as being motivation for a better cause. It can be clear or conspicuous. A manifesto is a good way to declare beliefs, opinions, public consensus, visions and mission which could change the way people think.

Contemporary Brands

JAY JAYS

All images extracted from: http://www.jayjays.co.za/ 

The Jay Jays brand is appealing through the freedom of choice in fashion , the design of the clothing is original and allows various customers with different taste to shop to shop at their stores because of the variations in design. The design of clothing and the art is modern and well organized as it displays unity and a more urbanized design. The retro design of the store compliments its products and thus modernizing shopping and fashion for the youth.

The corporate philosophy is that freedom of expression is king by bringing the coolest fashion so that you can be who you are. The mission and vision is for the young at heart, wild and bold, where their style is not just a choice it is a culture. The store is a one of a kind fashion retailer in South Africa. Everything that you need to be the swankiest kid on the block is at Jay Jays and is easy on the pocket.

Personally I wouldn't change their strategy because they stand for freedom of expression which could influence my own branding. Their motto also appeals to the youth but they could also create more inventory for older generations.

Loxion Kulture

extracted from: http://www.brandchannel.com/images/Home/home_img1_sa_streetbrand.jpg

extracted from: http://inspiredleaderssa.com/site/magazine_section_detail.php?id=41

extracted from: http://www.sarabamag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Loxion-Kulture-007.jpg 

extracted from: http://inspiredleaderssa.com/site/magazine_section_detail.php?id=41

extracted from: http://menup.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/SA-Fashion-Week-Mens-Fashion-049-421x1024.jpg

    

The design of this brand appeals more to South African culture of townships. It is all about making a statement about society and about dress sense. The brand is about cultural identity and expression but it can also be a way of resisting oppression.

Loxion Kulture's project is all about the creation and recreation of style, through street fashion in particular. Critics and youth often overlook the role style plays in society rebellion and identity formation. Style is a sense of masking oneself and expressing one's dreams and how it can be utilized as a tool and social coherence. (N.Ntsoma)

The brand strategy targets only youth in townships which could change to appealing more to all areas and various cultures by enforcing the concept of being proudly South African. What influences me the most is that the design symbolizes expression and cultural identity but also resists oppression.

ZARA

All images extracted from : http://www.zara.com/us/ 

Zara is a Spanish brand of clothing. It is one of the major selling brand of one of the biggest fashion retailer Inditex which is a huge fashion retailer owning eight brands. Zara appeals to all countries and is no hindrance to a shared fashion culture. The design is elegant and yet casual. It is a fashion that deals with customer's self-esteem by boosting it through fashion that shows confidence and independence.

Zara is in tune with its customers which helps give it shape to the ideas, trends and taste developing in the world. The philosophy is that its success is among a wide range of people who all share a special fondness for fashion. The design is closely linked to customers. A non-stop flow of information from stores convey's shopper's desires and demands.

The strategy of there design appeals to all cultures and various generations. This strategy is a major influence because its not subjected to only one market. However what should change is their outlook on shoppers which generalizes that all shoppers share similar fondness in fashion.