I wouldn't normally upload just a presentation board but this is the easiest way to show all of my work. This is a typography based project I did for the Nationwide brief of D&AD. Trying to make banking appeal to young people isn't as easy as it sounds. Saying free Candy with every penny you put in to as savings account isn't the answer. So what do young people do? They are still learning so when they make mistakes, they try and justify it. So that's what this campaign is about.
"You can make excuses for your buying but don't make them with your banking" is my slogan so banking with Nationwide isn't a mistake, you don't need to make an excuse for doing that.
My problem with doing briefs like this, is that for the cost of £0 and 0 pence, a big company gets a free advertising campaign from those clawing to get into the industry. Big Companies do tend to only go for big design companies to do their work so it is nice that smaller people / especially students getting there ideas heard. But it doesn't stop goo work being done.
Obscure northern indie bands aren't hard to come by, But obscure
northern indie bands that played a few gigs and did radio interviews are
hard to come by. I bet not many people did that. Obscure northern indie
bands that feature played a few gigs and did radio interviews are hard
to come by and feature James Reay and Phillip Reay lead you to one band.
Back to Basics were (are?) an indie punk band from the north east of
England and they had three albums, one EP, a few live albums and one
vinyl single all before fading into folklore. They did play the O2
academy 2; Bruce Foxton once stood on that stage.
The designer was the drummer and he is me. The bands design was a
bit rubbish, or of it's time so I have been trying to salvage it a
little bit by doing a selection of posters based on some of the bands
output. I have done six. of which you can see the six now. I will be
doing more as I want a full set so I can put them up on my wall. I loved
being in that band. I nearly killed my brother during the second album
but it was great fun. I must of been a pain to work with too. He nearly
killed me. Several rehearsals, we couldn't play or if we did it was for
twenty mins.
It's that time of the week again, ladies and gentlemen, it's;
So the left is out in force or has been as it were. It seems there's a mandate for change. Us in the UK, it is the person of 2015 Jeremy Corbyn and in the US of A it is presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. And I have never been so happy with politics. It brings me great pleasure to see men with the "right views" been given the chance to consider power.
I remember the first time I heard Jeremy Corbyn's name is was on the world tonight (the radio 4 news program) and pretty much the day before voting was closed within the party for leader. The final people who voted for this man were hoping, by voting for him, they'd widen the debate for the next leader. But little did they know they'd voted for a man with strong personal principles and a man of pure honesty. The rest of the candidates just looked like face representing a face. Burnham looked like Blair lite and the women (no offense) were not strong enough to convince people. Hence lack of selection; there were ideas of shy Cooper voters but they didn't materialise. So now we have a really new and exciting politics again and all of this from an aging man. Why has it taken a man of age to revolutionise the left. If so many young people opposed the Tories why didn't they rise up not as a protest but as a party. It's democracy after all.
Now across the pond to the US of A, where elections are run on such massive scales, they will make us fall over and the election campaign takes over a year in length and where, the young, I think couldn't give two monkeys. This is where "celebrity" endorsements come in. On the left we have the person who I want to get runner up for Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, she seems quite on the ball in terms of policy but the thing to get young people to vote for her; Katy Perry, she is friends with the queen of stadium pop. I mean Obama is also friends with rap super power Jay Z. Now the man I would vote for if I could but I can't is Bernie Sanders. He is on point (as my friend would say) with policy. He knows what he wants and he is another aging example of someone rocking the political boat, as it were. His celeb is more than just an endorsement as much a fully fledged promotion tool. Killer Mike from Run the Jewels invited the senator out to his Atlanta barber shop to get an interview, the hour long interview covers all key policies in the most open and honest debate I have seen in politics. There's no curtain, to hide behind & no façade. open & honest debate, that's what the public want. And if the The Jam got it right "the public gets what the public wants" fingers crossed we'll see.
A suggestion from a fellow designer thought that a gif might be a good way to get the message of how awesome James Reay Design is. To maybe attach it to emails and enhance social media presence and he was right. On social media, it has 7 Likes. This is more than most of my stand alone pieces. But in the future when I pester companies if they want me as an intern or just want me to design stuff for them. It is just a quick and immediate way for people to say my work So thank you Mr Walden.
I was never at the Lesser Free trade hall in 1976 to witness the Sex Pistols change Manchester music for many reasons.
I wasn't alive.
the most compelling reason but I would love to of. For this project; I had to research a first person account of a major event and this Peter Hook was a career altering decision. I had to research it and then put it's motivations an it's energy into an exhibition space. The first time, I did it; I felt like I got a rubbish grade. But since redoing it; I am happy with it but don't know it's grade as of yet so I wait patiently. This version compared to the one I am not showing you is more extreme.
The editorial lacked any dimension to it. It was black and white like a typical punk fanzine but when the exhibition is glaring with pink and yellow and a black and white sellable item is a clash to say the least. The content is the same as before, just with the a little tweak in layout and with new colour patches. I have only used black and white for selcted spreads where they are relevant like most good designers do;
I have done the same with the exhibition space; tweaked layout, removed a bit more text and increased image size. There is now text and projections on the floor which weren't there before. The hand type has always been there but has been given a remix. This is meant to be a type project and I have only really used one typeface which seems weird and I am using it in such an unconventional. It also seems odd that most of my type is image.
Just a little bit of house keeping; Sorry I haven't posted in a while uni has taken over for...up until Monday but I have a few thoughts I would like to share in the newly revised Wednesday Write Down. I even have a logo for it that I am making as I type this. Hope you like it... the writing not the logo.
It is said that you go to heaven for the weather and hell for the company so please let heaven swing by for at least a few months. Living in the north of over Christmas all I have seen is grey and not a nice one; Grey like a weak cement mix. Is a bit of sun too much to task for.
Oh and the rain please no more of the wet stuff. I wasn't personally effected by the floods but it postponed my uni teachings and damaged my friends houses. And my favourite route into uni has been blocked by a bridge being damaged.
I didn't want to believe it. but it's true. One of the best musicians all time is longer walking among us. I have dedicated so much ear time to the man, I felt a connection between me and him. When you listen to Heroes; you believe you can be a hero. When you listen to Starman; you feel like other worldly. For a man who never wanted to be a singer; he sung all his life. Whatever period of Bowie you fell in love with he was a part of your life. If you don't like him; you will like something he has inspired. If you don't like anything about him; you can appreciate how influential he was.
Remember him with the gift, he gave us, his music.
Well tomorrow is the big day. No...not my wedding silly... Christmas. Have you heard of it? Have you been good? What is Santa Bringing you? Normally I would write a post right at the end of the year but expect to hear nothing more until the new year when I will be uber busy and may not get round to anything anyway...
It's been an odd year, normally I exclaim at this point that the year has gone over quickly but this year hasn't. I can't remember what happened at the beginning, or the middle and I can just about remember the end. I was reminded by a poster that I have stored at uni;
that I went to see the Lucid Dream. It feels like ages ago. Well it was ten months but I should have a better memory than that. I have been to see them guys (the Lucid Dream melted my face as did Purple Heart Parade), Sleaford Mods (great live w/two awesome supports), Courtney Barnett (I still have a crush on her w/two awesome supports), The Computers & Colt 45 (awesome), The Strypes (w/a support act better than they were), Kazabian (alright) & Resurrection (not great). We have had some amazing albums (see two posts ago for that run down).
In terms of events, two really effected me. Personally, was the floods in Carlisle it meant I could not get to uni or go anywhere in close proximity to the outskirts. As well as, mentally, the Paris attacks knocked me for six, that weekend I had gone home and that was buzzing in my head. I knew no one effected, but innocent people being shot while listening and dancing and enjoying themselves to the music they loved, hurts on a deep level.
Click the link to raise money for those effected by buying covers of the EODM song "I love you all the time; http://playitforwardeodm.com/
I saw my brother play his first gig as well as go off to uni. He doesn't know it or may not understand how proud I am of him. He has gone through; a death in the family, the stress of moving away and the nerve to stand in a room of his peers and raise the roof. He has been through a lot more in previous years too so if you are reading this; YOUR BROTHER THINKS YOU ARE GREAT!
I went to another foreign country that I have wanted to visit for a while. Italy is a marvelous place; beautiful, hot and sunny. We went to visit the pope but he wasn't in so we had to admire the architecture of his house instead. As usual we had to find a record shop so got two punk bootlegs; of course I did. that's normal, right? It will be harder to visit next time if the brexit happens (if being the key word).
A photo posted by JamesAlexander Reay (@jamuggins) on
I think thats all i needed to cover in this brief overeview of the year; more highlights include; Moved uni house, went too NME, Mourned the death of NME,bought lots of LP's, drunk lots of beer, ate pizza.
Have a great Christmas and see you on the other side of the new year.
An ode to the bard of Salford.
JCC, is a talent. A true original. Poetry at the speed of light. With wit as sharp as a nail. He leaves everyone in his set to fail. You can copy this man and it will be obvious, your not as good as his royal highness.
I am not sure why I am writing this but to tell you people the good word of John Cooper Clarke. Poetry without pretension. Writing as an outsider, what do you think of the human race.
Far from the 3 chord wonders of punk made him the true punk. A bare voice. Nothing to hide behind. No chords to help you guide where this is going. No melody to carry the message. Words mouth to ear.
Words on Sci Fi, words on death, words on love, words till he runs out of breath. This man ranks among one of the best lyricists/poets in popular culture. Poetry was a high art, until it married a monster from out of space, thanks to JCC. Bringing it to punks and then the masses rather than the cultured few. Like the beat poets before him; it mattered how it was said, not simply how it was read.
I am have little authority as a designer to do reviews on areas I have little knowledge of, but he is my favourite poet and one of my favourite people in general terms (never met the bloke as with everyone on this imaginary list inside my list, but he's just someone you'd expect to be awesome). Although I have seen him live. It would be hard to choose a poem to end this rant on but here it goes
So it's list time of the year and you guys know how much I love lists. So I thought it would be good to combine my love of music and lists for the years run down. Here is the 15 best albums and tracks of the year;
Top Albums 1. Sometimes I Sit and think, Sometimes I just Sit – Courtney Barnett 2. To Pimp a Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar 3. No Cities to Love - Sleater Kinney 4. FFS -FFS 5. Highest Point in Cliff Town - Hooton Tennis Club 6. Are You Satisfied? - Slaves 7. In Colour - Jamie xx 8. Currents – Tame Impala 9. Why Make Sense? – Hot Chip 10. Key Markets - Sleaford Mods 11. Fading Frontier – Deerhunter 12. Short Movie - Laura Marling 13. Multi-Love - Unknown Mortal Orchestra 14. Get To Heaven - Everything Everything 15. La Di Da Di - Battles
Top Tracks 1) Elevator Operator – Courtney Barnett 2) Huarache Lights – Hot Chip 3) No Cities to Love – Sleater Kinney 4) King Kunta – Kendrick Lamar 5) False Hope – Laura Marling 6) Mystery – Boxed in 7) Distant Past – Everything Everything 8) Ship to Wreck – Florence & the Machine 9) Chateau Lobby #4 – Father John Misty 10) Burning For No One – The Cribs 11) Jasper – Hooton Tennis Club 12) Come Home Baby - The Charlatans 13) Anna – Will Butler 14) Gunga Din – The Libertines 15) Bronx in a Six – Sleaford Mods
I have watched the "Imitation Game" the other week and it broke my heart. It
is an amazing film, staring one of the people I admire the most Benedict
Cumberbatch starring as Alan Turing. This man halted the second world
war by two years and was convicted of homosexuality! He was convicted
of being Gay. What were the police thinking? Sexuality was never and is
not a crime. Murder is. Robbery is. Rape is. But not sexuality.
The
way we as a country treated the war hero is shameful. This man saved
millions of lives by breaking enigma and he should of been celebrated
but instead he was left to his own devices via medical castration to
survive. He ended up taking his own life of which we should be ashamed
of. A war hero made to kill himself.
It's not just this guy who was convicted, many thousands were so; I hate you police, whom
prosecuted this man. I hate the police who convicted all them other people. I hate you who think homosexuality is against
nature. It is natural to love who you do. Science says so.
Tonight we are surrounded by water & people out there are someones son or daughter All innocent of crime but all victims of the storm Whoever you are; man, women or Child, seek the warm Warmth of heart and of a heater Just to make the pain feel less bitter Things are replaceable, you, you are not So stay safe with the friends or family you've got
