Super Bowl Update

1. The Multicolored Murano Glass Christmas Tree (Italy):


Giovanni and Simone Cenedese, motivated by a great passion for their work and for their own city, created this monumental installation for Christmas together with the Architects Studio DDF. This gigantic project stands 24 feet tall and is made with 1,000 multicolored handmade and mouth blown glass tubes.




2. The Swarovski Crystal Color Changing Christmas Tree (Paris):


Housed inside the classic Paris department store Galeries Lafayette, the 70-foot-tall tree is dripping in 120 Swarovski crystals and rests on a chandelier base with 5,000 smaller crystals. The large round crystals actually change colors from white to blue to red to gold.




3. The Porcelain Plates and Mugs Tree (Belgium):


The Taste Tree is a Christmas tree made up of upcycled plates and cups sourced from local families by Inge Vanluyd and Stefan Vanbergen of the creative firm MOOZ. The tree stands 9 meters high and 6 meters in diameter and features around 5,000 items of crockery. The plates and cups were sourced from Hassalt residents who raided their cupboards for odd plates and cups of white porcelain that may or may not include a gold or blue design.



above images courtesy of inhabitat

4. The Heineken Beer Bottle Tree (Shanghai):


Made with 1,000 bottles of Heineken beer, this tree stands in Shanghai's commercial center of Nanjing Road.



images courtesy of Chine Informations

5. The Pac Man Christmas Tree (Spain):


This Pac-Man Christmas Tree can be seen at Nuevos Ministerios in Madrid, Spain. It uses thousands of multicolored LEDs to display an animated tribute to the popular classic 80s arcade video game from Japan.




above photo by Antonio Garcia Rodriguez.

In the Hahn brewery, superness is brewed into the beer at every stage of its creation. The Knight Rider song infuses the barley through massive speakers. Is pounded by body builders in leotards, exposed to kung fu movies, churned by a monster truck Delorean, mixed in an immense drum-kit, poured over a fountain of winning trophies, fermented in a jumpsuit wearing vat, and stroked by a smooth character as it fills a glass panther, before being approved by a CEO hovering outside in a solid gold helicopter. As the Hahn SuperDry exits the factory, each bottle capped by a uniformed ferret, a line appears:

Super goes in. Superdry taste comes out.


The 60 second TV commercial from Sydney agency Publicis Mojo was shot in Los Angeles with director Tom Kuntz, who previously won an Emmy for best commercial of the year with Old Spice’s ‘The Man Your Man Could Smell Like’.

Tom Kuntz directed this visual-effects heavy commercial depicting a hyper-stylized Hahn Super Dry brewery where the "superness" - represented by a series of unorthodox influences - is infused and brewed into the beer at every stage of its creation.

While most of the VFX was completed by Eight VFX in California, VFX supervisor Scott Geerson put the finishing touches on this commercial in Flame at Cutting Edge Sydney with ECD Micah Walker and Producer Adrian. Also completed were a 45', 30', and four 15' versions.

Credits:
Director: Tom Kuntz
Agency: Publicis Mojo Sydney
Executive Creative Director: Micah Walker
Creative Team: Justine Armour, Ruth Bellotti
Agency Producer: Adrian Shapiro
Production: MJZ
Producer: Scott Kaplan
Editor: Gavin Cutler @MacKenzie Cutler
Post Produciton: Eight VFX (LA) and Cutting Edge Sydney
Sound Design: Simon Lister @Nylon Studios
Music Supervisor: Karl Richter @Level 2

Awards:
Gold: Film Craft at Cannes 2012
Silver: Best use of Music.
Bronze: Sound Design.
D&AD Yellow Pencil (MJZ) Production Design for Film Advertising

Artists M.I.A., Geoff McFetridge, Bert Rodriguez, Aerosyn-Lex, Freegums and Willy Chyr have each designed a special limited edition bottle for Beck's this summer. Beck’s beer continues its long-standing support for today’s most original artists, by showcasing their creative work on a series of limited-edition art bottles. Through July 2012, all 12-ounce bottle labels will transform to display one of six original designs created exclusively for Beck’s.


above: Bert Rodriquez' label was inspired by a neon sign

Each artist has designed a label that means something personal to them and reflects their own style. Below are images of each bottle and videos in which the artists talk about their design and inspiration.

The Artists, their labels and videos:

• M.I.A. – London



An artist of many mediums since childhood, the Sri Lankan-born, London-bred Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam began her music career in 2000 with encouragement from electro-clash icon Peaches. Beginning in 2005 with her first album, her work has been released to unanimous international critical praise for its deft mixture of politics, social consciousness and inimitable genre-blending. M.I.A.’s label design for Beck’s is untitled.




• Geoff McFetridge – Los Angeles



McFetridge is one of the world’s most established graphic artists. His work includes title-design for the skateboard company Chocolate, and a number of acclaimed television shows and cinematic features. McFetridge’s label design is titled One of All of Us.



• Aerosyn-Lex – New York


Aerosyn-Lex Meštrovic´ is a designer and calligrapher. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Meštrovic´ is a graduate of both Pratt Institute and Temple University of Japan, and has lived and worked in New York and Tokyo. Meštrović’s label design is titled AQUARELLVM.



• Bert Rodriguez – Los Angeles



Rodriguez is a performance artist who does not limit himself to working within a set range of media and is unencumbered by commitment to any identifiable style, genre or method of expression. Rodriguez’s label design is titled Where I Need The Most Cheering Up.



• Freegums – Miami



Peruvian-born Alvaro Ilizarbe is the artist and designer behind Freegums. Miami-based, he explores space, patterns and the energy that lies in-between. Freegums’ label design is titled A Bit of Spacial Tension.



• Willy Chyr – Chicago



The combination of degrees in physics and economics, alongside time spent with Le Vorris & Vox Circus where he learned how to twist balloons, has resulted in Chyr’s incredible science-inspired artworks of stunning inflated balloon sculptures. Chyr’s label design is titled A Glimpse of Something Ephemeral.



Beck’s beer continues its long-standing support for today’s most original artists, by showcasing their creative work on a series of limited-edition art bottles. Through July 2012, all 12-ounce bottle labels will transform to display one of six original designs created exclusively for Beck’s.



“To me, as an artist, there is a responsibility that goes with the opportunity to create art and put it out there in the world, whether it’s on a Beck’s bottle or you’re hanging it up in a gallery,” said singer/artist M.I.A., who debuted her new song “Bad Girls” earlier this year and will release a single in June, with an album to follow in the fall.



For more than 25 years, Beck’s has been a supporter of the arts and a champion of independent thinking. Beck’s has featured the work of legendary artists such as Andy Warhol, Yoko Ono, Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons – many before they became cultural icons. Beck’s selected these six artists for the new U.S. labels based on the originality of their accomplishments in the artistic and graphic design world.



“We are always looking to support artists who are doing really interesting and groundbreaking work. The stuff that may go unnoticed at first, but can’t be ignored,” said Chris Curtis, brand manager for Beck’s. “These artists are shaping our culture and we are excited to share their creative ideas with Beck’s drinkers around the country.”

Beck's

Another beautifully designed houseware seen at this year's International Home and Housewares show is the stainless steel Kebo one handed bottle opener by architect and industrial designer Rush Dixon of Rush3 Product Design Studio.




Inspired by the Theodore Low bottle opener from the 1930s, this modern interpretation offers better seamless functionality and classic styling that will last for generations.





Cast of stainless steel and polished to a mirror finish, this device exudes quality, artistry, and timelessness. Kebo (derived from "Bottle Key"), is an ideal gift for anyone with an appreciation for fine craftsmanship and of course, fine beer.



Each Kebo comes in its own cool retro packaging- a keepsake tin, so no gift wrapping necessary.




all images courtesy of Rush3 Studios

$24 USD, buy it here