Friday Fives, Vol. 206
This week, we’re peeling back the history of fruit stickers, reading our font horoscopes, and looking at redesigns of everyone’s favorite daily word puzzle.
The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is top of mind for people and brands alike, with everyone looking for a way to provide aid. Major entertainment studios such as Disney, Warner Bros, and Sony are halting the release of films in Russia. Twitter is suspending ads in Ukraine and Russia and ramping up their misinformation identification. And Airbnb is providing short-term housing to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. But you don’t have to be a successful brand to lend your voice to the Ukrainian cause. Here’s a helpful hub with petitions anyone can sign, and a list of worthy causes that are taking donations. Please help in any way you can.
The little stickers found on supermarket fruits have a long but simple history. These citrusy stamps are in the spotlight in a new exhibit in Spain, one of the world’s biggest fruit exporters. If you’re a marketer, you can probably guess the origin of the small bit of branded real estate. In the 1920s, Spanish fruit sellers realized they could sell more fruit if they included a bit of branding to differentiate themselves. They created names for their products such as “Infinita” or “La Soculente” (The Succulent), and people ate it up. Literally. We hope the stickers never go away — they’re like the toy in the Happy Meal you get to play with as a reward for making a healthy snack choice.
Forget Geminis, Libras, and Capricorns. The real way to determine someone’s personality is by analyzing their choice of typeface. Arial users are staid and dependable, but about as exciting as airline on-hold music. Calibri consorts are friendly and cheerful, but can come on stronger than a box full of puppies. Papyrus users? They’re not to be trusted and if you meet a Papyrus person, swipe left. Hard. Use this 100% not scientific guide to grill your next date or interview candidate to compare font compatibility.
Viral puzzle game Wordle’s current design is utilitarian. Its layout isn’t necessarily ugly, although the game’s frustratingly simple yet elusive guessing does bring out the ugliness in some players (admit it — you’ve thrown your phone across the room in anger at least once). Dribble asked designers to reskin Wordle and give it a more modern look. While Wordle’s design is up for debate, people’s game strategies are not. Some folks have words they lead off with every single game, words like ADIEU to maximize vowels or CHAOS to include some common consonants. If you ask us, we think strategies are BS. Think of a random word off the top of your head and fire it off, then let the Wordle gods take the WHEEL.
Celebrities and brands have always been on friendly terms. A marketing campaign with the right celebrity at the center has guaranteed visibility, but these days brands are taking their relationships with superstars to the next level. More and more, DTC brands are tapping A-listers to not just vouch for the brand, but become financial backers and stakeholders. Probiotic soda brand Olipop received funding from Camila Cabello and Gwyneth Paltrow. Cleaning brand Blueland is backed by Justin Timberlake. These are just two examples of a growing trend. It’s a smart move to generate awareness for brands, but beware. Some celebrities want big slices of equity, and the price may be too high to pay. Unless the celebrity is Danny DeVito. Give him whatever he wants. He’s worth it.
The Working Assembly is an award-winning branding and creative agency.
Established in 2017, we collaborate with emerging and evolving companies for end-to-end brand building, including strategy and visual identity, print and digital design, content, and creative campaigns.
Have a project in mind? Let’s talk.
hello@theworkingassembly.com
The Working Assembly
NYC branding agency exploring the intersection of art, design, technology and culture. Partnering with emerging and evolving brands.
