Qz.Lab

I think I'm addicted to window shopping..therefore..the existence of :

The worst book in the world?

A new book documents Kessels Kramer’s 15-year campaign for the Hans Brinker Budget Hotel

“In the long history of hospitality, the Hans Brinker Budget Hotel stands alone as the worse there ever was,” says a press release promoting the book. Its 280 pages include every piece of communications ever made for the hotel by Kessels Kramer, which has famously made great capital out of the fact that the place is so awful.

Campaigns have included little flags stuck in dog shit (with illustrations by Anthony Burrill, an early collaborator)

Burrill also produced posters for the campaign

And this tongue-in-cheek list of complimentary items at the hotel

Even “sleeping pills”

Other ads focussed on the awful effect a stay at the hotel may have on guests

And its somewhat cavalier attitude to hygiene

It was also quick to send-up other ads’ dubious environmental claims

A range of posters allows guests to recreate the wonderful view available from select rooms

The Worst Hotel in the World is published by Booth-Clibborn, £25

as you all know that I love packaging design, so when someone combines that with music...

this is what perfection is all about.

Farrow resumes its longstanding relationship with the Pet Shop Boys with the sleeve for the duo’s latest album, Yes.

“When we had our first meeting about this album, Neil and Chris said that this was their most ‘pop’ album in a long time and the idea of creating something very bright and colourful – as we had for their ‘Introspective’ album – really appealed to them,” says Mark Farrow. “They had also been inspired by the Gerhard Richter 4900 exhibition at the Serpentine gallery which featured panels of brightly coloured squares.”

Gerhard Richter 4900 Colours: Version II, 2007, Enamel paint on Aludibond, 49 Panels, each 97 × 97 cm, La Collection de la Fondation Louis Vuitton pour la création, © 2008 Gerhard Richter

“Although the Richter paintings look stunning on a gallery wall, as an idea for a CD cover it felt a little tired and we felt we had ‘been there’,” Farrow says. “The tick was obviously inspired by the album’s title ‘Yes’. Reducing the title to a symbol that encompassed the other elements the band had requested just seemed to work; it’s instant and memorable and pop. The tick is made up of eleven coloured squares, one for each track on the album. It’s made up of eleven coloured squares, one for each track on the album.”

While the standard version of the album has a white background (shown top) a limited edition double disc version comes in black.

The coloured blocks continue on the inside of the package where the tick deconstructs and both merges and clashes with photographs of the band.

In addition, there will be a highly limited edition vinyl version of the album which will consist of the album tracks split over eleven separate vinyl records, each in a coloured sleeve, all housed in a smoked Perspex case.

When correctly arranged the eleven album sleeves will allow you to make up your own tick, measuring some eight feet in length.

This is the Movie of the Year..I can just tell

I love paper, and I love artists who love paper!