Opinion BY Armin

The Little Airship That Could

Established in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1983 and originally known as The Rainbow Society, the newly renamed The Dream Factory is “a charitable organization dedicated to fulfilling the once-in-a-lifetime dreams of Manitoba children suffering from life threatening illnesses.” Focusing its efforts on children from Manitoba, The Dream Factory has helped over 530 children in the past 19 years — Make-A-Wish Foundation, the biggest organization in this category, has helped 212,000 kids since 1980, just as a point of reference. This past November, The Rainbow Society changed its name to The Dream Factory and introduced a new identity designed by Winnipeg-based Cocoon Branding.

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A B-Side BY Armin

Instagram

Released in 2010, Instagram is a free app that lets you share photos with groovy filters that make your iPhone photos look better than they actually might be. With the release of Instagram 2.0 the app features a revised icon.

Hat tip to Chris Hendrixson at HyperQuake for noting it.

Opinion BY Armin

Office Doodles

Originally established in 1960 in Los Angeles, Viking Direct, supplier of office products to small and medium businesses, first appeared in the UK in 1990 and Australia in 1993 establishing a strong mail order presence overseas. It was purchased by Office Depot in 1998 and by 2002 had expanded its catalog and web delivery service to Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal. This month Viking Direct changed its name to just Viking and introduced a new identity designed by Lippincott (who also have a spiffy new website) that premiered with the mailing of over 30 million catalogues to customers in the UK and Ireland.

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A B-Side BY Armin

Potty Mouth Soap

Potty Mouth Soap is a line of novelty products for cleaning that toddler of yours’ filthy mouth. Old logo had been done with an online logo service. New logo by Cincinnati, OH-based Ladd Design Communications.

Opinion BY Armin

CooperVision, Looking Good

Established in 1979, CooperVision, part of The Cooper Companies, is a manufacturer of contact lenses that hasn’t enjoyed the mainstream consumer popularity of competing brands like Acuvue, Bausch+Lomb, or CIBA Vision, placing it squarely in fourth place. Although CooperVision had a good rapport with eye care professionals recognition among consumers who more and more are getting their contact lenses straight from the source. In March CopperVision introduced a new identity designed by Siegel+Gale that aims to bring it more visibility.

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A B-Side BY Armin

2015 IIC Cricket World Cup

First played in 1975, the International Cricket Council (IIC) Cricket World Cup is the most notable tournament in the world of cricket played every four years. The 2011 Cup, played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh just finished with India taking the championship. The logo for the 2015 IIC Cricket World Cup, jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, was presented this week. The identity was designed by the Australia office of Futurebrand who commissioned Jumbana Group/Balarinji for the logo. Press release here. Bigger view here.

Thanks to Lawrence Nievaart for first tip.

Opinion BY Armin

Tyra Rocks some Fierce Lettering

One of the most unexpected figures in modern-day business and content creation is ex-supermodel — supermodel emeritus? or once a supermodel always a supermodel? — Tyra Banks, as evidenced primarily through the success of 16 seasons and 20 international editions of America’s Next Top Model and her own talk show, The Tyra Banks Show, that aired for five years. Both of these shows were produced by her own company, Bankable. To cement her business savvy (and gain some additional attention), Banks has enrolled in the Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Owner/President Management Program (OPM) which has her attending (and sleeping at) Harvard for one three-week period for the next three years. Her latest venture, in partnership with Demand Media, is typeF, “a revolutionary fashion and beauty website that listens to what women want and gives them the answers they are looking for, when and where they want it.” Banks rang the bell of at the New York Stock Exchange this past Tuesday and launched typeF.

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A B-Side BY lauren

Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta, on a beautiful beach on the Pacific Ocean and Mexico´s second largest tourist destination, has recently undergone a repositioning in response to the changing face of tourism to Mexico. Designed by Puerto Vallarta based Mijo! Brands, “The new identity communicates the attributes which the destination promotes to differentiate itself from a growing list of national destinations competing for a diminishing market share.”

Opinion BY Armin

Taiwan, a Heartfelt Destination

I have never been to Taiwan so you will be spared of any personal recollections today. Located in Eastern Asia, Taiwan is a small island that the Central Intelligence Agency compares in size to the combined square milage of the states of Delaware and Maryland — while there is a combined 6 million people in those two, there are 23 million people in Taiwan. In 2010, Taiwan reportedly had 5 million visitors but it seems they want more. Earlier this month, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau introduced a new identity, designed by London-based Winkreative (the brand agency of Monocle’s Tyler Brûlé), and a new slogan that replaces the awkward sounding “Taiwan, Touch Your Heart” for “Taiwan — The Heart of Asia.”

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A B-Side BY Armin

Big Fish Games

Founded in 2002 in Seattle, WA, Big Fish Games produces its own line of video games that can be played online or as an app on the iPhone and iPad. Their logo evolution came in the Summer of 2010, but that fish is too adorable and that type too chunky to leave un-posted. A bigger view and a shot of the sign installation after the jump.

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A B-Side BY Armin

Tucson Padres

Formerly located in Portland and known as the Beavers, the Tucson Padres will begin play in the 2011 season of Triple-A baseball. They will be affiliated with the San Diego Padres — Tucson’s logo is based on San Diego Padres’ logo from the late 1970s. One story describes the new logo as having “a Tucson feel with the artistic addition of the cactus and mountain, synonymous with the Old Pueblo.”

Thanks to Dan McCormick for the tip.

A B-Side BY Armin

Euroleague Final Four 2011

Played in a different European city each year, this season’s final four of the Euroleague will take place in Barcelona. As of the 2010 – 2011 season, Turkish Airlines is the official sponsor of the basketball league, so expect to see a lot more of that bird. The 2011 logo is “inspired by two of the emblematic artists of the host city, Antoni Gaudi and Joan Miró.” Small press release here.

Thanks to Marc Nijborg for the tip.

A B-Side BY Armin

Lulu’s Thai Noodle Shop & Satay Bar

In business for twenty years and recently relocated to a bigger building, Lulu’s Thai Noodle Shop & Satay Bar is reportedly one excellent place to eat in Kansas City. Designed by the aptly named Stir.

Opinion BY Armin

Novabase to Expand, Grow Appendage

Established in 1989, Novabase is the leading company in IT services, consulting, and implementation. It has 2,000 employees and revenues of over 292 million Euros. A hybrid of companies like IBM, Accenture, and EDS as our Portuguese tipster explained. Self-admittedly “Big in Portugal, but small in the world” Novabase is looking to expand its presence and recognition around the world. This month they introduced a new identity designed by Lisboa-based Albuquerque.

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Opinion BY Armin

A Tree Grows in D

Over the years, I have stayed a few times at DoubleTree hotels. What I remember most about it is just how big their rooms are. Although I have no doubt that this memory is amplified in direct correlation to the consistent shrinking of most other rooms I have stayed at recently. Another memorable aspect of DoubleTree? They welcome you with a remarkably delicious warm cookie in your room — they give out 30,000 of them a day across the world in over 240 cities. And you know what else? They are owned by Hilton. But, until now, you would probably have no idea. First opened in 1969, DoubleTree was an independent hotel until 1997 when it became part of Promus Hotel Corporation, which then became part of Hilton Worldwide in 1999. With an identity redesign announced this week “in front of more than 1,900 hotel owners, operators and corporate executives at the company’s first-ever Global Partnership Conference in Orlando” Hilton is making sure people know DoubleTree is, well, by Hilton.

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Opinion BY Armin

Wembley 2.0

As old stadiums around the world fall apart and new, shiny complexes with plenty of box suites and corporate naming rights rise, it’s the building as much as the memories within it that are demolished. And perhaps there isn’t an international venue as well known and famed as London’s Wembley Stadium, built in 1923 and host to world cup wins by the England national football team, the 1948 Summer Olympic Games, the Live Aid concert, and, um, WWF’s SummerSlam. All these happened before 2003, when Wembley was demolished giving way to a new version of Wembley that opened in 2007 with a design by Foster + Partners and Populous. Back in June Wembley introduced a new identity that spearheads their “four-year sponsorship programme,” an effort to look for a lead partner to pony up some money. The new identity has been designed by London-based Bulletproof.

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Opinion BY Armin

A More Royal Royal Opera House

Nestled in bustling Covent Garden, the Royal Opera House is home to The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. In its third structural incarnation since 1732 — two previous buildings were burned in fires in 1808 and 1856 — the Royal Opera House is a preeminent international performing arts venue but, unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said of its crest, which looks like it has survived its own set of fires.

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Opinion BY Armin

Everything but the Stadium Sink

Melbourne FC is one of the oldest teams in Australian rules football, with a tradition dating as far back as 1859. It celebrated its 150th anniversary last year. That’s a lot of footballs kicked, bounced and caught. Melbourne FC is also a venerable champion, having won 12 championships in the Australian Football League, their last one in 1964. The twenty-first century hasn’t been kind to the club, with on- and off-field lows. The most distracting being a $5 million debt the club dug itself into through a variety of circumstances around 2008. Last week, however, Melbourne FC announced in a fundraising event that the debt had been cleared and, to celebrate, or just coincidentally, they unveiled a new emblem designed by Melbourne-based R-CO.

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Opinion BY Armin

Eat! Organic! Mouths!

Opened in 2009 as one of the most committed and focused stores in providing organic and environmentally conscious products — from produce to laundry detergent to milk — in Stockholm, Hermans Ekohandel has grown in popularity and in ambitions, leading it to redesign its identity and rename its store, to Eat! Ekoaffären, with the help of Stockholm-based Bedow Creative.

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Opinion BY Armin

Brazil Mishandles 2014 World Cup Logo

With the World Cup over and the sound of the vuvuzelas now just a distant echo, it’s only a matter of four years before the world becomes enthralled with futbol once again and for Americans to pretend they like it. In the meantime, we can all look forward to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil by enjoying the officially released emblem, designed by Brazilian agency Africa, after 25 agencies were invited to submit proposals and be judged by Brazilian Football Confederation chairman Ricardo Teixeira, FIFA executive secretary Jérôme Valcke, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, architect Oscar Niemeyer, writer Paulo Coelho, singer Ivete Sangalo, and designer Hans Donner. The logo was unveiled last week in Johannesburg.

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