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Video for Ian Axel’s This is the New Year. Directed by Leiv Parton.

Found via Ingrid Michaelson

Tags: cool finds, music // Comments Off on This is the New Year

‘We will sell no wine before its time’

Legendary Orson Welles was the 1970s pitchman for Paul Masson. Outtakes above. Completed, salvaged commercial below  . . .

Tags: cool finds, culinary, design, design history // Comments Off on Orson Welles on champagne (literally)

New Years Eve was always about André. Champagne and Cold Duck.

André is, of course, from the makers of Thunderbird  . . .

And Ripple  . . .

Tags: cool finds, culinary, design history, thoughts // Comments Off on Ring in the New Year

New Years Eve Ball Drop, 1978-2008

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‘Beginning in 1956, Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians entertained the US on New Year’s Eve with a combination of music and the live ‘ball drop’ at Midnight. Guy continued this tradition until his death in 1976. His band still played on at CBS Television on New Years for an additional 2 years. (Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin Eve began in 1972 on ABC and still broadcasts annually.)

‘This broadcast began right after the 15-minute news and ran for an hour. Guy plays the music and newsman Robert Trout announces the beginning of the New Year  . . .  Harsh lighting, a cheap office clock and a World War II searchlight scans the crowd below.’

More Ball history here.

(Psst: Buy more Clairol)

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Found via Martin Klasch

Tags: cool finds, design history, fashion // Comments Off on Vintage After Six

Important message about creativity by the Portland office of Wieden + Kennedy. Made from more than 100,000 tumbtacks. Script lettering. And 351 hours.

More here at swissmiss (including a making of video).

Tags: cool finds, design, education, typography // 2 comments  . . .   

Along with Cake Wrecks and People of Walmart – FAIL Blog has subversively become a guilty pleasure. Here’s a few more FAILS from 2009:

Tags: cool finds // 1 comment  . . .   

‘For The New York Times Magazine’s annual ‘Year in Ideas’ issue  . . .  Paula Scher illustrated a chart of selected 2009 patents’

Chart compiled by Alexandra Horowitz and Ammon Shea. Click image for larger version/jump.

Tags: cool finds, design, design history, education, illustration, thoughts // 3 comments  . . .   

‘The choice of a ‘chamfered’ industrial style works well with the marquee-esque bulb lighting. It also has historical ties with large-scale lettering  . . .’

The 2010 numbers are ready to go in Times Square! Details in this typographic article by Nick Sherman.

Plus
Here’s some historical Times Square signage from the Artkraft Strauss Archive:

Tags: typography // Comments Off on Tomorrow night: Industrial type atop Times Square

Helvetica Bubblewrap Calendar

A roundup of ‘Calendars for a New Decade’ over at Flavorwire.

Tags: cool finds, design, fonts, typography // 2 comments  . . .