In the crush of day-to-day work it’s easy to forget that design can do more than simply sell the latest product your client wants to shift, it can actually do some good. This week, we are reminded that the beer glass in our hand can make someone else’s life hell, and that texting and driving is the mark of the reckless and downright deadly. (For more Cool Designs of the Week, do the socially responsible thing and find them here.)
Domestic Violence Coaster Design
In Japanese professional circles, men are expected to spend much of their time after work over drinks with the boss and colleagues. Not only does this mean they spend more time away from their families, this increased alcohol intake can also lead to domestic violence once they return home. Tokyo bar chain Yaocho hired Ogilvy & Mather to come up with something to bring that point home. The result: a bar coaster printed with thermochemical ink that reacts to the cold. Every time a customer puts their cold beer down on the coaster, the woman’s face printed on it sustains another “bruise.”
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3NuS2_sVxk#action]
‘It’s Never Just a Letter’ Ad Design
People are selfish and reckless. People are more so behind the wheel with their smartphones, and are thinning our collective herd more than terrorists and climate change combined. Still, ya gotta try. To draw attention to the fact that sending a short text message is every bit as dangerous as sending a long one, Mexican ad agency Publicis created this brilliant magazine ad campaign sponsored by the Mini in which a large die-cut letter conceals the dangers that can cross your path on the road in the second it takes you to type a letter.
