Reattack of the branding fever: Mexicana Airlines

Just in time to fly Señor Santa to Mexico, Mexicana de Aviación reveals their new image!

Mexicana’s old image was a bit square and definitely 90s, plus it kind of resembled Aeromexico’s logo, archenemyvely speaking. Now it’s all about the modern times:

The old planes:

The new planes:

I’m still unsure whether I like them or not. The whole thing is a bit in the 2.0 side, a bit in the Tron side, but they sure are trying.

Mexicana’s reasons for rebranding are quite generic: “in response to new industry challenges”, “for differentiation”, “to be more competitive”; and the best one, to “portray Mexicana in terms of service, innovation and flexibility”.

Now if they could only innovate through better rates.
Yes, we work in design and we care about prettier things on the sky… hell, we even care about prettier government logos, but what’s the point if they’re still the -personal comment coming up!- restricted, bureaucratic and expensive airline they continue to be? Sigh.

It’s the same lecture over and over again. Mexicana wants to be committed with quality and service, but design doesn’t change that. You still call them and the same lazy employees answer; you book a flight and discover that Orbitz has the same for $300 cheaper…
Still, I salute their efforts of rebranding, something Mexican companies are struggling with these days.
Go designers!

Sources: Jason, UnderConsideration.

This Is Cool™ Holidays Are Fun II

Continuing the dream present list for 2008 that cannot happen because buying milk is more important!

Headphonies

Portable mini speakers to plug your ipod and start dancing contests. Or street performances.
$30, release date unknown (thank god).

Mr. Moustache tote bag

I already praised this cuteness, but never had I officially asked for it for Christmas!!
$20 for you, endless love from me.

Feel Script by Veer (the first one is a typeface, the second one is god)

Super fabulous lettering for any occasion. Of course, only 1 person in 100 will know what to do with it, but still. True love.
$99.00 USD but there are no shipping costs!!

Cassette Tape Tote

Another bag. Because bags are the only accessory that will never make you look fat. Applause.
$12 + $6 shipping… from heaven!

This Is Cool™ Holidays Are Fun I

A cool thing is to buy these cool things. An uncool thing is to have to buy cool pricey things for maybe uncool individuals.

Guns And Roses(-Scented Soaps)

From Ghetto Basics. As seen on the MCA store yesterday, and by The Kraftner.
One gun-soap: $25; two gun-soaps: stupid.

If you cherish the past but love the future: the Yubz Talk Retro Handset.

No idea of the actual price, but Beautiful Home [I'm so gay] says it’s $45 (and orange too) at Neiman Marcus.

Give the gift of good packaging!

The Dieline is unsure about whether they like/need them or not, but they sure love their looks. Me too. Buy.

Design Within Reach (for once!)

$30. Does not include shipping, good wishes, or love from the person who probably cut you.

Friday

Volkswagen France does it right. [Translation of copy: "Choose the right tool"]

The CTA does it wrong: starting January 1st, there will be a $.25 increase in fares. Bastard week!!!

Weapons that hurt… your waistline.

Via Point of view

Grey’s Anatomy coined the next best word for the Holidays: once-bian, or twice-bian: referring to a one-time lesbian doctor.

We’re back to driving to Mexico! My mother is the source of all intelligence.

When in doubt, make pasta at 12:00pm, homemade bread at 1:30pm, and cookies at 2:43pm.

Thursday

Leasing Nissan cars is not a good idea.

Art Snob Solutions, the non-snob but coolest thingy of today. A real Photoshop screen!

Maybe even cooler: tiny tacos from a place called Loteria Grill in LA. I bet you those are good, but, LA? hahaha

From Design*Sponge

Nissan will boycott your trips out of the country.

I’ve been reading my latest brainy book while on the treadmill. Today was good: 50 pages and no falls!

Don’t lease Nissans!!

Things I liked looking at: a cute, sad mouse trap from Bnice2mice.

Social Rocker Club in Ads Of The World

Ads of the World just showed some love to friend, partner in crime and rockstar designer Boronas and his Social Rocker Club agency.

These ads for Redspot Pizza were featured on AOTW today:

Boronas is master lord of Social Rocker Club and Futura in Monterrey, Mexico… and I’ve seen him passing out party after party :)
Kiss, Boronas!!

Today In It’s-Cold-Out!

It’s cold out. And I just fell from the damn treadmill, badly scraping my knees. Again. Which means: no pants until next week, therefore, no going out for me. Instead, surf the web! Grey’s Anatomy is not on until tonight.

ODD: Plants are alive!

Today, I’m scared of being vegetarian. Found here.

ODD, TOO: Food Pyramid Lunch Box

Cool, yet you’ll probably be surprised on how much more you actually eat, plus how badly you do it. Found here.

My pyramid would consist of lots of Frosted Flakes, rice, pasta and bread in the bottom; a good amount of veggies and fruits in the middle (unless it’s PMS hell week); above that, every dairy thingy you can possibly imagine; and candy, ice cream and chocolate in the top… like, as many sweets as my carb intake from the bottom. I’ll show you in a bit.

This Is Cool™: Pixel Couches And Minnie Mouse

A Cristian Zuzunaga couch for Moroso. Might be an oldie collection, but it still gives me the heebie pixels.

+

Favorite designer for my pens, notebooks, color pencils, stickers and purses, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada gave Minnie a new look just in time for her 80th birthday. (Minnie’s, not Agatha’s.)

Prêt à Porter Paris (a fashion exhibition thingy) organized a design duel/show to celebrate Minnie’s anniversary. Designers like Christian Lacroix, Paco Rabanne, Comptoir des Cotonniers and Bensimon, submitted their designs to dress Miss Minnie and rescue her from the decadent American dresses she had been exposed to. Then they sold everything, which is not capitalist at all. Pretty, though!

Cool Things I’ll Never Buy: The Rubitone

Color coordination by Ignacio Pilotto; yet this is not intended to be a commercial product, so the idea of having the oh-so-70s Rubik’s Cube beautifully decorated with the Pantone Color Matching System fooled me. But it is very cool:

Now I have the 291C baby blue blues because I can’t get it; partly because, well, it’s not for sale, and partly because I’m a total imbecile with puzzles, but cool nevertheless :)

The Importance Of Being Updated

Right after that Fanta post, more pretty cases to talk about!

Fanta developed a shiny new image this month, and now it’s Bounce’s turn. And Tide’s. Aaand General Mills’. So besides showing you what they now look like, I thought this would be a good chance to talk about that sensitive issue that I always want to discuss besides branding: rebranding.

New times, strategies and ideas call for a new way to show a change. For these brands, they didn’t opt for a whole new design, and they also didn’t go for the easy fix of adding new elements to an old design. They did what good brands are supposed to do: they improved their look.

With consumers turning more sophisticated, looking for something they can relate to, and recognizing marketing efforts, the redesign trend is finally being adopted by big brands.

Rebranding is no surprise these days. Rethinking current branding strategies through simpler and friendlier design can lead to making that connection you want your customers to feel with your brand, to stay in their minds, to try you out.

None of these brands made any big moves, their colors are the same, and the product’s feeling and target also remained alike; but their their logos received soft design touches, while their packaging evolved to adjust to new markets.
Their new face now talks about modern times, for consumers that are evolving as well.

So, see the importance of being updated? And more importantly, see the importance of listening to me every once in a while? Wink.