Patterns through romance, fashion and rock & roll- acquaint yourself with the latest product collaboration from Benefit and Diet Coke (by way of PSFK). In an effort to reach a fashion customer base, these limited edition cans have “gotten glam” using basic textures and silhouettes.

If tasked with this project, I know I’d be more experimental, like this campaign. What patterns would you suggest?

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Always a proponent of repetition, I thought I’d share two examples where patterns steal the show online. The above banners on The Sydney Morning Herald illustrate the power of color and graphic detailing when paired alongside text. Your eye is immediately drawn to the advertising, even before the duck.

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J.Crew illustrates a similar technique in their online holiday sale. When paired with text, large shapes with relevant or abstract meaning can be a wonderful compliment.

When flipping through the January 2012 Vogue, it took us about half a second to notice something familiar about the Lexus ad (as seen on the left). Immediately, we called to mind the meticulously dissembled works of Todd McLellan (example on the right) that we spotted last February whose images were quickly disseminated throughout the blogosphere with glee. Could Lexus have gotten their inspiration from Todd who incidentally also photographs cars and advertisements?

A little digging finds that this photograph from Lexus was only the beginning of a project in which four fashion designers – Moss Lipow, Eddie Borgo, John Patrick and Alejandro Ingelmo – were challenged to “rethink their notions of automotive design” for an ad campaign slated to appear in Vogue.

A Lexus CT 200h hybrid car was taken apart and from the pieces the designers created clothing [...]

Identities are a funny thing. In one instance you’re one version of yourself and in another you’re an entirely different character. Alternate parts of your personality shine at varying times. Now add a digital layer. A boundary of sorts, something to protect you from the reality of what’s true and what’s false.

Today’s story hones in on the awkward line between these worlds. Photographically, it’s illustrated by Neil Barret’s latest print campaign of youth divided. Reminding us of Nick Cave’s beautiful and often confusing costumes, we have David Sim’s latest spread in LOVE Magazine and bringing an eerie surrealist interpretation to the table, there’s Dow’s Einstein-infused Solutionism campaign.

Anyone who spends time with me knows I love video and am always recommending it to clients when branching out into editorial content. Between the massive budgets that produce seasonal campaigns and homemade flip camera productions, there’s a swath of space in between to produce films on a budget and today’s Kate Spade feature is a perfect example. Enjoy.

We’ve all been there. You hit the return button 5x in a row, trying to get the ball to stop spinning and all of the sudden the screen pixelates, then goes blank. Well, several fashion brands have found inspiration in this state of chaos and still frustration. Mr. Hare of the UK and McQ, the contemporary line by Alexander McQueen have both slashed and repeated several images, infusing a playful reminder that our reliance on digital technology can be as vibrant as it is paralyzing.

Relaying this concept through animated gifs, Mauro De Donatis’s Glitched Helvetica breathes life and motion into this concept.

Back in March of 2010 we highlighted an emerging angular trend. Today we’re following up, as it doesn’t appear to be dissipating- it fact it’s continuing to evolve into other markets. We’ve seen the classic diamond shape shift to a crystal-like gem in the fashion, home and marketing industries and interesting, the color and “vectorfunk” style has been adapted to a new campaign. Bombay Sapphire’s latest creative initiative looks like an extension of Chase Bank’s design roll out in 2010. We wonder if it’s a coincidence, a collaboration or a copycat. Either way, the visuals are crisp, and somewhat interchangeable.

If you’re familiar with the east village of Manhattan, you’re no stranger to the optimistic and wit-filled graffiti of  James De La Vega. Words of advice and encouragement translated through adorable fish are painted on mattresses, walls and garbage cans throughout the city. In one of my favorite collaborations this year, Tory Burch and De La Vega have teamed up to design an exclusive collection featuring positive messages and original artwork.

The laptop case is my favorite (probably because my powerbook’s been covered in his stickers for years now), but check out the entire collection for yourself. All profits from the purchase of this collection benefit the Tory Burch Foundation, committed to providing economic opportunities to women and their families in the United States.

This animation entitled, Life of a Man, recently landed in my inbox and I must say it’s oddly mesmerizing. Perhaps it’s the piano, the voice or the overdone patterns, but all of the components merge beautifully for an eerily calm storyline. The creative endevour’s a marketing initiative for Vitamin Water and it’s not until the final frame that this becomes apparent. Bravo to Pedro Henrique and his team for an enjoyable (and might I say visually arresting) watch.

Over the past few weeks we’ve been noticing a new trend in the the retail sector. Everyone from Custo Barcelona,  Anthropologie and Isabel Marant has been experimenting with string. From florescent sharp edges to crafty corks and quirky block heads, each display reveals a precise and economical take on the brand. Using linear paths to lead the eye, these installations remind us of a recent feature in Theme Magazine. The artist uses electrical tape to construct optical vanishing points, a throw back to the basics and a reminder of what we all learned in art class.

Yesterday was my first day “off” in a while and I spent it wandering round town. On my pursuit to make it to Columbus Circle, and subsequently, Central Park, I walked by the Museum of Arts & Design. Though I’ve heard of BMW’s ongoing collaboration with artists to outfit their vehicles, this was the first time I saw the real time results.

In partnership with Esther Mahlangu, of South Africa, this BMW 525i was commissioned in 1991. Mahlangu is best known as a Ndebele painter and bead artist, and for this particular project, she translated a design that’s most often seen on Ndebele architecture onto the car. A brilliant and beautiful canvas, fit for any endurance race or exhibition.

These days, social strategy should be part of every one’s growth plan. From crowd-sourced content to rewarding five minutes of fame, every brand is hoping to engage using digital technology, beyond the sweeps of yesteryear.

Here are a few snapshots of Forever 21‘s Time Square store. The video loop on their LED screens is playful, engaging and larger than life. Models “walk” up to the screen, summon the crowd then take a Polaroid shot of the street, capturing everyone who’s a fan. Remarkably, hundreds of people are willing to wait through the five minute loop to see themselves on the big screen, over and over again.

Just across the street, the monolithic LED screen that belongs to American Eagle takes a similar approach, merging their customers, twitter and a branded photo booth. Developed by the brains at