Stunning: Clarissa Hulse Textiles, Wallpaper

I love finding new textile designs that make my heart sing.

Clarissa Hulse is a bright star in the British textile world, uncompromising in her passion to deliver the ultimate combination of color, print and texture. Her name has become synonymous with beautiful and luxurious home accessories, wallpapers and fabrics. Her reach is wide. 

I've recently been blown away by some recent advertisements that display Hulses' gorgeous textiles. 

I was happily inspired and in awe of an ad I recently came upon in Veranda. The image was from the UK Harlequin fabric company featuring Clarissa Hulse and her new “Kallianthi Collection”. 

The image in the Veranda advertisement is of two rows of pillows covered in Hulces’ new fabric designs.  The two rows are of long wooden benches and appear to be from inside an athletic arena, perhaps in the UK. I loved the unexpected distressed environment in juxtaposition with the luxurious textiles. The color and textures really popped, and the staging was a brilliant choice.

Clarissa has teamed up with Harlequin to produce a truly breathtaking collection of fabrics and wallpapers with a botanical theme which encompasses her trademark style and distinctive handwriting.

Here are a few of the eye-catching images used in this ad campaign. I particularly love the odd and quirky positions of the pillows combined with the unique environments. Hulse’s textiles really come alive using this approach. Although the traditional wow-factor-home-decor approach to advertising also works just fine with Hulces' lovely designs.

All images: http://harlequinfabric.com/default.aspx

Get Your Guinness On! Iconic Advertising of an Esteemed Beer

by Joanie Mullany Ballard

In celebration of all things Irish today (I am mostly Irish, Mullany is my maiden name), I am posting a few of my favorite vintage ads from the famous GUINNESS beer brand.  I love good advertising, the kind that is truly artful and solidifies a brand in the public's consciousness through clever and unique imagery and phrasing.  These colorful and graphic artworks were instrumental in how we think of GUINNESS today.

I am posting images from the 1930's through the 1960's, and it's interesting how little they actually changed visually through their bold-block typography and repetition of their most popular phrase "My Goodness My Guinness".  The use of animals (ostrich, seals and kangaroos), and some Dali-esque imagery have an almost surreal quality at times--the beer foam smiling face trying to sip the last drop of Guinness comes to mind.

But in the end, these are all fun and amusing ads and they really make you want to grab a pint and make a toast (although responsibly, of course)! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

1932

1935

1938

1939

1934

1961, the last of the animal ads...

1943

1935

1936

1956

1961: typography changes along with a more 60's style composition of the poster

Book I recommend: with great information on the history of Guinness: Guinness, An Official Celebration of 250 Remarkable Years , Hachette Pub., history, ads, recipes.

Images in post: Guinness