Replay, are in direct competition with Diesel. Their products are similar, the pricing is in the same bracket, they are both the same age, they both emerged from the same fashion umbrella company in 1978, and their founders were best friends who worked together. The only difference between the two is in their marketing. Replay are now developing marketing strategies and brand awareness to re establish their position within the global market. Part of this drive is to create a distinct environment within their showroom. Presently its just white, but its about to be refitted to suit the raw industrial feel they are pushing. Raw materials such as rusty chains, rope, steel, corrugated metal are coming in to sit next to stone work surfaces and presentation areas. There is one key wall within the showroom which they want to be illustrated. They’d like the main corporate logo to be integrated, but its not essential. The main thing is that it’s in their colours of red, grey and white, that its creative, eye catching and can last a year. Ideally it would be painted on.
The most important thing is to consider the client. In this case I have to consider both the client and the customer. Who are Replay? What define them? Who are their customers, and what are they about? We have to look at things both philosophically and aesthetically. Since the death of Replay’s founder Claudio Buziol, Replay appear to have lost their sense of identity. Their marketing is a mess and when you look at the brand, you’re not sure what they stand for or where they sit within the rest of the fashion industry.
1978 Claudio Buziol registers the ‘Replay’ brand. 1989 Replay reinvents jeans with its ‘double ring denim’. Output reaches a million pairs in just two years. 1991 The Milan store opens at the end of the year. Alongside shirts and jeans, the Replay total look has completed its development with thousands of articles inserted in the collection annually. The Replay&Sons line dedicated to kids’ wear is born. 1992 Sixteen new sales outlets open. Turnover hits 69 million Euros. 2000 The new-concept store project is developed during the year’s first semester with the opening of new single-brand sales outlets in Rome, Cologne, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Innsbruck, Budapest, Amsterdam and Stockholm. 2001 New-concept single-brand stores continue opening in Berlin, Athens, Antwerp, Paris, Barcelona and Vienna. A licensing agreement is signed with the Sugi Ltd Group in Hong Kong for the production and distribution of shoes under the Replay and Replay & Sons brands. 2004 Consolidated turnover reaches 230 million Euros. The Group strengthen its presence in North America with the opening of a branch in the U.S. The first four We are Replay single-brand stores opens in Italy.
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Make an impact but don’t overwhelm
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Define & push the brand
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Consider materials and surfaces
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Say something about the brand with the illustration
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Consider target audience
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Stick to REPLAY identity
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Think about how the budget will effect the design
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Not seasonal theme
2007 Replay completes its brand extension and focuses on licensing by choosing partners which are leaders in their sectors: licensing deals are signed with Procter&Gamble for the fragrance line, Christian Bernard for watches and jewellery and Arcte for the underwear and beachwear collections. 41 new stores are opened around the world. 2008 The retail strategy continues, with the aim of strengthening brand presence, in the Far East in particular. In May the Claudio Buziol Foundation takes up residence at the Mangilli-Valmarana palazzo in Venice. The company founder is also awarded a chair at the Fashion Design Degree Course at the Faculty of Art and Design at IUAV University in Venice, the first time such an honour is awarded to a designer and entrepreneur in Italy.
- the values & the vision Replay are a tricky brand to pin down and identify. Where does Replay stand within society? And what artistic style best represents them and who they want to be? I thought a good place to start would be trying to delve deep (or as deep as I could) into the philosophy behind the brand. I managed to find videos and interviews on the web from the president of Replay and people involved in making the adverts (like Raul Duque, Replay’s brand manager). From this, I manage to grasp what the creators of Replay feel the brand is about. From this, I can develop some ideas based around these themes…
“Replay’s identity? It’s a young company, a young corporation for young people. We are interested in sponsoring up and coming young artists and young musicians . We like to be associated with them for our young customers. It’s a great contribution to the community...
“...individual character...free spirit...bohemian.” Raul Duque, Replay’s brand manager
...Replay is freedom, and style.” Paolo Fassina, President of Replay
I also had a read through ‘The Power of the Dream’ by Beppe Donazzan which gives a good insight in the creator of Replay (Claudio Buziol) and how the brand got started. It tells you a lot about the Replay ethos and philosophy and is a good starting place in term of understanding the company and what they want.
What are Replay famous for? So who is a typical Replay shopper? The brand prides itself on designing products which caters to those fashion aware individuals who are unique in their style and prefer to be trend setters as opposed to followers and like original pieces which push fashion boundaries. Replay is a practical yet stylish and distinctive brand and the garments and accessories within the range are made for a perfect fit (particularly the jeans) as well as being dynamic in design and featuring the famous and simple red logo. Replay likes to set seasonal trends yet their clothes and accessories are timeless and made to precision. Each Replay collection is made using only the finest and specifically processed materials meaning that the quality is exceptional.
Reinventing jeans, high quality materials, ecological processes, being edgy and sexy, with a bohemian, freespirited style.
Replay’s Key Words & Themes:
Freedom, Bohemian, Free-Spirit, Individuality...
Art & Music in Fashion: Replay, like many other fashion labels these days, are interested in the illustration and music industry as a way to market their brand (they even have a separate website dedicated to it - see left image). ‘Upper Playground’ for example is a clothes store who have illustrators and designers making the clothes for them, they collaborate. These days, fashion goes hand in hand with music and art, illustration, photography etc. Music needs album art, posters, flyers while fashion companies need advertising and maybe print for their clothes. Certain shops will always use the same style of illustrations and imagery in their decor and advertising. Topshop for example, play a lot of indie music in their shops and the illustrations they use on their products, their bags, their adverts reflect that style. Kate Moross did both a clothes line and a wall and window display illustration for Topshop. She also did an illutration doe Diesel, too. Another example are the illustrators i have been looking at specifically for their mural work. Artists like Jeremy Fish (especially famous for his collaborations with hip hop star aesop rock) came from a graffiti background and have naturally progressed onto large scale street art. Work like this is used on the walls of shops like Upper Playground, WESC and Size in Carnaby Street. These are all part of the hiphop culture, breakdance and graffiti.
One of the books I had a look through ‘The Secrets of digital illustration’ . It gave a whole list of examples where music meets fashion, illustration meets music, and fashion meets illustration. On the left is a screen shot of Replay’s site that promotes the work of young musicians and artists.
- the look & the feel red, white, black & grey.
REPLAY’s Nautical/Beach Theme: ropes, sailor stripes, sun, sea, sand etc.
REPLAY’S Urban/Graffiti Theme:
a mixture of natural settings with an urban element, spray painting etc.
REPLAY font in red type
REPLAY’S Fete/ Carnival Theme:
bright colours, big lettering/signs, flowers, maypole, romantic...
On a visit to both the Replay store and the warehouse I noted down the different elements they used to decorate the spaces. I thought this would be a good way of understanding their genre, and their target audience, who they want to sell their clothes to and how they distinguish themselves amongst their competition.
Beach Wood panels -Rremind me of little colourful beach houses.
Old beach wood/drift wood stands for displaying clothes and hanging ropes for decoration.
This image is exactly the kind of image Replay want on their Warehouse wall. Representing freedom with a sexy American edge.
Key themes I could run with: Rusty metal displays - they want to intoduce more of these kind of raw materials for the new industrial feel they are pushing.
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A Nautical theme - introducing sailors, stripes and boats etc. Would this be too summery a theme though? 50’s - old school pin-ups like though you get on cigarette packets and playing cards etc. (introducing a bit of a masculine theme). Old- fashioned images of furniature, portraits in gilt frames etc - Renaissance/Victorian.
This ideas generation was used to ‘define the problem’ - questioning the brief and Replay, who they are and what they’re about. I took as many differnet elements into consideration as I could - the warehouse, the store, the branding etc. and from these I brain-stormed what themes, words and images I thought represented Replay. I used tools such as; Dominant Ideas, Six Thinking Men, Concept Challenge, and Wishful Thinking. These all played a part in helping me come up with several dominant and initial ideas. These brainstorms also gave me a good ideas about how to best answer the brief, which is useful to refer back to so I can make sure I deal with every aspect. I can reanswer questions at a later stage.
Dominant Ideas, Six Thinking Men, Concept Challenge, Wishful Thinking...
Exploring the nautical theme and how I could incorpoate that into my illustration for the wall. The beachy wood theme in the store was a good indicator of the kind of look they were going for and the target audience they were aiming at. I thought I’d run with their use of ‘ropes’ etc and take it a bit further, maybe even introduce the sailor aspect. I’ve done some illustrations of typical nautical images (anchors, ropes, and cliché tattoos) and incorporated the ‘pin-up’ idea for the added ‘sexy edge’ that Replay are looking for.
Another element to the decor of the Replay store that I was interested in, was the old chests and what looked like suitcases they had about. This, combined with the nautical ropes and wooden panels, created I nice old travelling feel. It made me think of beaten suitcases and travel stickers and weathered old men. I could also maybe run with this idea, or incorporate it with another...
Inspiration taken from the likes of old 40’s and 50’s cigarette adverts, pin-ups, and rum companies such as Sailor Jerry and Captain Morgan. Who use the image of the ‘sexy pin-up’ to sell their products. They have a playful, provocative element to their design.
I was also interested in exploring more of the Renaissance theme I had brainstormed at the beginning, after I’d visited the Replay store. The store had featured some oldfashioned chairs, hat racks and a few side tables that I thought could be extended upon. I could incorporate things such as hand drawn wallpaper, old furniture, gilt frames (and illustrations within those) etc. This illustrated frame, and the wallpaper on the right, are both things I’ve created for previous projects, I could create somehing similar but add a Replay spin on it.
An area of design I have a particular interest in is surface design and tillable patterns.
This pattern (directly above) by Julia Rothman, (from the book ‘Graphic Details: A Style Guide to Patterns & Applications’) is a nice example of a pattern that is much more complex and engaging than your average wallpaper. I would like to create something like this, but relevant to the imagery and styles to suit Replay.
With the brief requiring something suitable all year round and not too distracting from the clothes held in the warehouse, the possibility of using a pattern is an interesting alternative to a conventional illustration/mural. I think it’s a good way of breaking up the different areas of the warehouse too. I could have a more child friendly pattern for Replay & Sons and then maybe a more fancy pattern for the couture area, for example.
I’ve always had an interest in hand written type so I was thinking I could use this in the illustration. Perhaps reapeating the word ‘replay’ in lots of different ways over the wall. Or words that relate to the Replay brand and what I associate with it. A wallpaper of words, as such. This way we can tell the buyers a little bit about the history of Replay whilst they’re there. They get a feel for what it’s all about and where it all started. I could even create shapes and scenes out of the words like the two images below by Mike Perry and Sarah King.
Above, the hand written type is made out of ropes and anchors etc. If I did something like this it could tie in with my nautical theme I was thining about....
From my research and general appreciation of mural artwork and illustration I find what leaves the biggest impression on me is when the artist has thought about the surroundings and incorporates the environment into the illustration. The contours, texture and shapes within the space are considered within the design. Here are some examples of this. In the book ‘Street Sketchbook’ (below) I found a lot of relevant work by artists who were set similar briefs to my own. I’ve further researched the artists whose images struck me as interesting.
The piece above & right by ‘dem666’ uses the balcony/upper floor in the right of the image as a way for the illustration to interact with its environment. As well as this, he has placed real boxes and a chair with the image so it appears the elephant is balancing on just two legs of a small chair. I’m sure if these items were simply drawn onto the wall like the elephant is, it wouldn’t have left the same feeling of interest with me.
A rough idea of a garden backdrop with a clothes line but the line would be real and have the replay clothes displayed on it that way - the wall is then interacting with the warehouse and the buyers.
I have to consider the wall space and the features of the warehouse when I design my illustration. Could I create something that reacts with its environment in a clever way? Within the space at the replay warehouse the windows are the biggest element I have to use, as well as this, I have the the door, the pipes running ahead, and I could even have the illustration leak out onto the floor or onto the two grey walls on either side. I like the idea of opening the illustration out onto other elements of the space, and not just resricting it to the walls. This page features some initial rough sketches, just so I could get an idea of scale, and how things might look on the wall.
Using quite an abstract image that leaks out onto the floor and side walls. Using a clothes zip (relevant to replay) that unzips into a more ‘exciting’ world - something people can look at and see something new every time - packed!
Using beach houses as a background image - one of the beach house doors is the actual entrance to the warehouse (using the room in the illustration).
Using the idea of the French Renaissance and painting on large gilt frames (or even having them 3D with illustrations within them.
I wanted to further explore the importance of graphic design within retail space, so I hunted down some books on the subject. Retail design is primarily a specialist practice of architecture and interior design, incorporating elements of interior decoration, graphic design, ergonomics and advertising.
Inspired Retail Space: Attract Customers, Build Branding, Increase Volume by Corinna Dean
“A quantum leap has occurred in retail space design. As shopping becomes one of the most popular leisure pursuits of contemporary society, consumer becomes more discerning and sophisticated. Retail stores, are aware of the increasingly visually astute customer are up against a sea of competitors to gain brand loyalty.“ “Attracting customers into the store and building brand awareness are still the principal concerns of the design process…the design should reflect the product. “
Retail Desire: Design, Display and the Art of the Visual Merchandiser by Johnny Tucker
“Graphics and retail go hand in glove – graphics have always played a major part in enticing the customer, ever since the first market trader put a price ticket on the first mound of fruit and vegetables. Graphics now adorn and pervade every aspect of retailing, from the exterior of the store, hoardings, fascia, visual merchandising in the window, to the interior, more visual merchandising, informational graphics, signage, the floors and walls, and all the way down to the packaging.”
“…the design should reflect the product. “
I found an article in LdN magazine all about retail design. It was interviewing several art directors/ creative directors/graphic designers who work within retail. Here are some of the interesting snippets picked out from the article:
“In order to help sell the product, a close and steady relationship has first to be established between customers and the brand (which in turn demands a similarly close and steady relationship between agencies/studio and client).” “Visual identity needs to communicate the soul of the brand and retail design is a physical expression of the brand” - BVD “…Others base their work on an excising visual identity of the brand and, through their creativity, express and expand it in a multiplicity of forms and presentations. They all aim to produce an unforgettable experience for those who come into contact with them.”
Q&A with Japanese creative director Kashiwa Sato:
Q&A with creative duo Dizel & State:
Q: It is becoming more common to mix art with retail these days. How do you respond to this?
“...A successful design starts out with research and a 360 degree view of a clients concept and product. Communication is everything when you shape an identity.”
A: People discover a brand in a variety of ways, in the retail environment as well as through the images used in the brand’s advertising. In the future, the full set of images generated by a brand will be increasingly important. Q: What are the most important factors to take into consideration when you’re designing a visual identity for a brand? A: The essence of the brand and how exactly to visualize it.
Q: what’s the biggest challenge you have to overcome when you are working on a retail design? To make it look and feel like something other than what it was expected to be. At the same time, it’s important that it should mediate the concept.
I conducted this questionnaire with a Replay employee on Carnaby Street. It was primarily to help me decide in which direction to go and to see if I was on the right track. I didn’t want to start developing an idea that didn’t suit what the Replay employees thought to be the brand feel (they’d know best I guess, as they’re there everyday!). It confirmed a lot of things that I had guessed already (like the average Replay customer - my target audience). The thing I found most interesting was the themes or elements Stephen thought would not suit Replay. I hadn’t really thought about this too much before be he’s right. I guess it’s a good job I didn’t want to go for Anime or graffiti style illustrations! I need to be aiming to:- Please the target audience (25-35 year-olds) - Please the client (create something that best suits the Replay brand and ethos) - Base my development on what themes and materials Steven feels best encompasses Replay.
One of my initial ideas was to use the 50’s icon – the pin-up girl in my illustration. I did some initial sketches of the pin-up (see bottom left for example) but after our first crit I discovered this was far too obvious a concept because apparently, everyone had gone and done the same thing. However, I was still pretty stuck on the idea of a girl being used as the sexy Replay edge. I got to sketching…
I’ve used the image of a ‘pretty girl’. And I’m toying with the idea of using it within a frame. Also started exploring the idea of using typo and words, and abstract pattern in this sketch. Swirls and florals etc. Could the patterns be outside the frame? Creeping up the rest of the wall or over the floor even? I need a better concept if I’m going to use the girl as my key image - how could I explore and progress it? Maybe I could start looking at other eras (rather than just the 50’s) or concentrate on the framing and portraiture concept...
Good Wives & Warriors Good Wives & Warriors is the name of a dynamic illustrative duo who specialise in wall illustrations. I discovered them whilst flicking through LdN magazine (below) and their work is exactly the kind of thing I would want to create if I were to follow the patterns and florals route. They use lots of abstract shapes and flowing feminine patterns.
My Abstract Sketches This was the kind of thing I had in mind when I said ‘abstract pattern’. These can be quite beautiful, especially on a large scale. I think they’d add a nice flow and femininity to the Warehouse and it’s very easy to fill space with these kind of drawings. Perhaps they could just act as a background for my other imagery? The patterns could leak out onto the floor and walls - it would be a good way of using the warehouse space. But does it lack concept? I don’t want to do something just for the sake of me thinking it’s pretty to look at... (Below, an illustration by Florence Manlik - a good example of the kind of thing that would look nice)
Decades of Beauty: The Changing Image of Women (1890s to 1990s) by Kate Mulvey
Fashions in Makeup: Ancient to Modern Times (Hardcover) by Richard Corson
Fashions in Hair: The First Five Thousand Years (Hardcover) by Richard Corson
I’ve decided to bring forward my idea of using a girl in my wall illustration because she would act as the ‘sexy edge’ Replay are pushing. But didn’t want to stick with just the 50’s pin-up girl. I thought it was probably too obvious a concept and already much like their ‘motorbike girl’ idea they were thinking about already. I want to look at the female image through different time periods. Look at the different fashion, the hairstyles, the make-up etc. and display them in some way. This gives the wall a ‘history of fashion’ feel to it, so to speak. I followed this up by researching the fashion trends through the decades. The book ‘Decades of Beauty’ (left) and the two on the right by Richard Corson, were useful as they go into a lot of detail about what was going on in the different time periods (socially, politically, economically, etc) and it’s these factors that heavily influence fashion of the time. 1920’s:
1930’s:
1940’s:
1950’s:
The decade in which fashion entered the modern era. It was the decade in which women first liberated themselves from constricting fashions and began to wear more comfortable clothes. All decorating and clutter was cleared from the silhouette. They ditched the corset and did anything to make themselves look flat as a board. A more masculine look became popular, including flattened breasts and hips, short hairstyles such as the bob cut, Eton Crop and the Marcel Wave.
The effects of the Great Depression began to affect the public, and a more conservative approach to fashion displaced that of the 1920s. For women, skirts became longer and the waist-line was returned up to its normal position in an attempt to bring back the traditional “womanly” look. Other aspects of fashion from the 1920s took longer to phase out. Cloche hats remained popular until about 1933 while short hair remained popular for many women until late in the 1930s.
Gradually hair was worn longer in soft or hard curls. Most hairstyles were smooth at the crown to accommodate a hat, with curls framing the face and at the ends. The first “Perm” hairstyles also became popular. Wartime austerity lead to restrictions on the number of new clothes that people bought and clothing was strictly rationed. Most women wore skirts at or near kneelength, with simply-cut blouses or shirts and square-shouldered jackets.
The main themes for fashion in this decade were femininity and refinement.The 1950’s were dominated by nylon, petticoats, bold femininity, bright lipstick, and often the projection of a ‘cheerful, happy’ persona. Long, elegant skirts and cinched waists dominated women’s fashion once more. In the 50’s the women were all prefectly groomed.
1960’s:
1970’s:
1980’s:
1990’s:
In the 1960s, pop culture was more focused on teenagers and their interests. Previously, teenagers dressed similarly to their parents, but now a rebellious and different youth style was being developed. Rock and Roll gave people the freedom to dress with more individuality. This was particularly noticeable in the overtly sexual nature of their dress.
The decade began with a continuation of the hippie look from the 1960s. Jeans remained frayed, and the Tie dye shirts and peasant blouses were still popular. Other treands included; wide-legged, flared jeans and trousers, the platform, tunics, waistcoats, embroidery, decorative patches, hot pants, the fitted jacket, and materials such as velvet, suede, and leather.
The masculine-influenced fashion trend that was most indicative of the 1980s was the wide use of shoulder pads for women. People became label conscious and businesswomen started power dressing. It was the era of the ‘trophy wife’ who spent hours in the beauty parlour to look good for her husband. Hair was big, perms and bouffants were the look, and punk also became huge in the 80’s.
The 1990s is typically referred to as the decade of “anti-fashion”. The fashion of the 1990s was characterized by minimalist styles, and many overlapping, often contradictory trends. It was all about ‘individuality’ in the 90’s. That goes for length, style, trousers or dress - it was the wearer’s choice not only what to wear, but how to wear it and what with.
The illustration of the girl I want to use, through different stages of fashion history: TWENTIES
THIRTIES
FORTIES
FIFTIES
SIXTIES
SEVENTIES
I want to use the concept of portraits and when I visited the Replay store they had old Edwardian furniture to create a kind of ‘retro/vintage’ feel to the brand (furniture included things like old side tables, chairs, mirrors, and hat racks). This decor was only minimal but I want to try and exaggerate it, as I felt that’s the look and feel they were pushing for in their warehouse showroom. I’m running with the ‘gilt frame’ because it has a lovely vintage renaissance feel to it that I think could work really well. I’ve illustrated it so it could work as tillable wallpaper, but I think it would be interesting to incorporate real frames onto the wall and frame illustrations in those, or mirrors, even!
EIGHTIES
NINETIES
NOUGHTIES (PRESENT)
Using an illustrated pattern in the background? This imitates what someones wall at home might look like (Portraits of the family etc.) - a nice, almost intimate touch, I think.
Another of my initial ideas was to use type in the illustration. I am interested in somehow creating ‘a wall of type’, so to speak. I experimented with the letters that spelt out Replay and the different ways I could manipulate them. I thought a good place to start would be to use the frames I made to display the girls in. What would it look like if I framed the R’s? Or tiled them even? It could act as an alternative to the image of the girl.
Hidden patterns within patterns: I wanted to experiment further with the use of type. If it was just a wall of letters that’d be pretty dull and meaningless. I took inspiration from the likes of Ian Wright and Timorous Beasties to create a pattern within a pattern.
I could make it perhaps more subtle than it is now but this is just an example. Perhaps I could spell out the whole word ‘Replay’?
Timorous Beasties: Beasties create patterns using smaller images. From far away they often just look like a regular floral/patterned wallpaper, but when you get close, you see the detail.
Ian Wright: Ian Wright likes to experiment with the materials he uses. He creates images that can only be seen from afar. On the right, we have an image of T.I made out of paper scraps.
Some rough ‘prototypes’ of what some of the illustration might look like up on the warehouse wall. They still need further development! I want to experiment with using more materials, interacting with the space a bit more and using some 3D objects too, maybe.
It was time to visit the Replay store again so I could hunt down some customers and get some feedback! I asked 8 people in total what they thought of my final ideas for the wall illustration. I came equipped with printouts of my prototypes and asked the following questions: QA. Do you have an illustration you least favour? QB. Do you think any of these designs are too distracting for the warehouse environment? QC. Which of these illustrations would most suit Replay’s style? And why? QD. Is there anything you would add to your chosen illustration? QE. What are your criticisms of the other illustrations? These were the most helpful (and common!) answers I got for each question: AA. “Probably number 3”.
(My Reflections:)
Most people said this. I don’t think I actually did the design justice by putting it on the wall like this. There was quite a clever concept behind it but it didn’t show very well on the prototype. If I were to do it on the wall it’d be on a much larger scale and it’d spell the entire word ‘Replay’ rather than just a single R. AB. “Not really. If anything, I guess I would probably say number 5. But even then, it’s still pretty subtle.”
(My Reflections:)
When I designed these illustrations I wanted to make sure none of them ‘overwhelmed’ because in the brief it said not to ‘distract from the clothes’. The buyer is there to see the clothes not necessarily to look at the wall – that should be an afterthought. AC. “Number 1. It’s quite a simple idea but because it’s hand drawn, it gives it a more modern edge that I think Replay are about. It reminds me of the kind of things you see in shops these days. I haven’t seen anything in Replay before but I think it’d go well.”
(My Reflection:)
This idea actually came out better than I thought it would. I was swaying towards the girls in the frames before, but this may have won me over. It’s a simple concept, but I think that’s why it works. AD. “Some 3D letters or something? It’s quite flat as it is.” AE.
1 = “Lack of colour?” 2 = “Too girly for a unisex shop like Replay” 3 = “I like the use of colour here, it’s clever but it’s too simple. Not enough impact” 4 = “It doesn’t fit in the space as well as the others seem to.” 5 = “Again, a little too girly for Replay I think. But I like that it looks like a wallpaper pattern.”
(Overall Reflections:)
This feedback was useful in discovering what and what not to pursue. I might experiment with mixing ideas together and seeing what results I get from that. More importantly I need to develop the typo drawing that the Replay customers favoured. Experiment with colour, and perhaps incorporate some 3D elements too.
Mixing the typo and frame tile illustrations. I really like both of these, and although they have a similar concept, I just don’t they they work together.
I think this is the final idea in terms of shape but I still need to experment with the use of colour and perhaps 3D objects too. I’ve used the floor and leaked it out onto the wall too in this illustration too, I haven’t just limited it to the wall.
EXPERIMENTS WITH COLOUR:
Creating a subtle difference using the Replay colour palette. I experimented in various different ways (outer layers red turning to white in the center, stripes of red in the pattern, with red and grey being prodominant rather than white...etc) but I thought this sporadic use of colour looked the best. But does it improve the overall aesthetic quality of the illustration? I think the use of colour maybe important in emphasising the Replay brand and feel.
EXPERIMENTS WITH 3D OBJECTS: The image on the left was from a shop I visited. It inspired me to push forward with my original frame idea but to combine it with the typography wall I had created. I thought using frames in this fashion would add a 3D element to the design that some of the Replay customers thought was missing. I photographed some frames and played with the letters that spelt “REPLAY”, and framed those. It produced some interesting effects. I’m not sure I like how they look when they’re manipulated digitally, but it’s quite a nice concept and actually, I think it could work if it were really to be done in the warehouse (if the frames were in abundance). However, leaving them out might be much more cost effective, seeing as Replay don’t have the biggest budget to play with.
These are my final chosen images, and I think with this illustration I managed to define and push the brand in the direction they aim for. It’s a very simple concept, but I think that’s why it works so well. The imagery isn’t too distracting so it keeps the customer focused on what they’re there to do, but it certainly adds an aesthetic appeal that the warehouse really needed. The use of the Replay colour palette and the obvious repetition of the ‘R’ really just emphasizes the brand and what they’re about in a way that perhaps an abstract image, or even an image with a complex story couldn’t do. It’s simple. And it’s effective. I didn’t want to stick so strictly to the oblong shaped white wall, so I leaked the pattern onto the floor and supporting wall. I thought this would be most effective for the customers as they came in as it’s the first thing you see! As well as leaking the illustration, I decided against using the entire white wall space (like most murals tend to) in fact, I only went halfway across, because I think it gave the overall illustration flow and a little something extra – it wasn’t necessarily where you thought it should be! But I think if you were looking at it in terms of cost – it’s pretty cost effective this way! This illustration is timeless in the sence that it isn’t limited to seasons, it says something about the Replay brand, it makes an impact (but not too big a one), it suits the target audience and like the Replay customer said - the hand-drawn element adds an edgy feel that Replay are all about. I think it ticks all the boxes and considering the time frame we had to do it in, I think I managed myself pretty well. There were however, many other developments and experiments I had in mind that I didn’t get to play with (for example, the use of 3D letters and sculpture on the walls and ceiling) but a project always has to end somewhere!
The Power of the Dream: Claudio Buziol and Replay by Beppe Donazza. Marsilio Publishers (2007) Graphic Details by Page One. Index Book (2008) Street Sketchbook by Tristan Manco. Thames & Hudson (2007) The Secrets of Digital Illustration by Lawrence Zeegen. RotoVision (2007) Retail Desire by Johnny Tucker. RotoVision (2004) The Inspired Retail Spaces: Attract Customers, Build Branding, Increase Volume by Corinna Dean. Rockport Publishers Inc. (2003) Street Art by Ric Blackshaw and Liz Farrelly. Rotovision (2008)
LdN. Volume 15, Number 6. The Visual Identity Issue: Retail Desire. International Designers Network (2009) LdN. Volume 16, Number 2. The Illustration Special: Drawing On Natural Talent (2009)
www.wearereplay.com www.replay.it www.fondazioneclaudiobuziol.org www.dizelsate.com www.kashiwasato.com Illustrator’s sites :
Good Wives and Warriors – goodwivesandwarriors.com Jeremy Fish - www.sillypinkbunnies.com Kate Moross - www.katemoross.com Ian Wright - mrianwright.co.uk Timorous Beasties - www.timorousbeasties.com Blu - www.blublu.org Dem - www.flickr.com/photos/dem666 Microbo - www.microbo.com Matthieu Bessudo - www.mcbess.com Sarah King - www.sarahaking.com Mike Perry - www.mikeperrystudio.com Mr Kern - www.mrkern.com San - www.eseaene.com Mudwig - www.dasmudwig.com Richt - www.flickr.com/photos/richt Elph - www.akaelph.com Hello Monsters - www.fotolog.com/tatone Royal - www.juancarlosnoria.ca
Varoom. Issue 9. Illustrated Lettering Edition (2009) Grafik. Special Report: Fashion (2009) Grafik. Special Report: Illustration (2008) Esopus. Issue 11. (2009) Replay Advert - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2cTmpBBwgg&feature=related Paolo Fassina Interview - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C01etGmdn4U Replay Store Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL3Uw9kc4xA&feature=related Insight into a Replay commerical (including commentary from Raul Duque, Replay’s brand manager) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMimExI43rw