Press

The design fraternity is still grappling with the question about what defines ‘African design’.

Theories about and we seem no closer to a consensus, but perhaps that’s because we’re asking the wrong question.

In a Design Indaba first, one small seed teamed up with vida e caffé to bring a unique experience to this year’s design expo, which ran from 24-26 Feb 2006. Working round the theme of ‘Home-Grown, High-End’, some of SA’s hottest design talents, including REX Creative, Circus Ninja and the one small seed design team, created unique cup sleeves that were served up, as piping hot, with each cup of coffee that vide e caffé distributed from the vida e caffé/one small seed stand at the expo. We take a look at some of the big names behind the explosively creative designs.

Rex, a young Joburg-based company of designers that made its mark working with Coca-Cola on projects including M5 and Coca-Cola Remix, has turned its talented eye to the production industry with its latest corporate identity design for boutique production shop Bouffant.

Bouffant, which opened its doors for business in September this year, is a reincarnation of Freshwater Films following the departure of executive producer Glen Bosman. New leadership in the form of industry stalwarts Lorraine Smit and Melina McDonald brought with it new energy – which resulted in the decision to rename and rebirth the company.

Dulux Duco presented the perfect opportunity for design specialist Rex to give an existing brand a whole new lease on life.

The team was tasked with rejuvenating the packaging of this iconic brand, but in typical Rex style, the project quickly evolved beyond the surface of pack design.

When it works best, branding can bring about the restructuring of business and the birth of new vision and meaning for a company. Such was the case when Johannesburg-based design company Rex took on their first ever project in the Middle East with the creation of a brand identity for Kuwait-based construction outfit, ACICO.

The lights might be out in Joburg, but the power is on at urban lifestyle marketing specialist Timesquare – which has kicked off the new year with a new focus, new energy and a brand new image to match.

Founded by Kim Millar in 1990, Timesquare began its life as a specialist communications agency in the pharmaceutical and health care arenas. With clients including Merck Pharmaceuticals, Reckitt Benckiser and Ranbaxy Laboratories (the world’s fifth largest supplier of generic pharmaceuticals), the agency has established itself as one of the top players in this sector.

Global Access has recently adopted the phrase ‘start something’ as its positioning statement in a recent extensive rebranding exercise. The management team, headed up by Rick Grantham and Ronnie van Wijk, decided in April this year to re-examine the positioning of the company in the marketplace, and to apply some traction to the business after their acquisition some two years ago.

The Star Smile Fund has a new brand identity

– the Smile Foundation – courtesy of REX Creative.

“Very few organisations make a more beautiful promise than the Smile Foundation. To assist it in spreading its inspirational message with greater influence, new strategic focus and fresh visibility were required,” says REX Creative’s Rudo Botha.

An estimated 230,000 children under 15 are living with HIV in South Africa. Yet only about 50% of children are currently on ARV treatment.

One of the most important things that you can give to these children is hope, and that’s exactly what the team at REX set out to do when they created a new name and brand identity for the Wits Paediatric HIV Clinics – currently the biggest and one of the best children’s HIV treatment and care centre groups worldwide.