Good and Bad

The little Chef icon is very well know but over the years has become very dated due to the style of the face, i like the use of simple black and white to create the logo set against the red back ground but I dnt think it works as well as a logo like KFC which also uses a character to brand there restaurants but the logo has stud the est of time.

Mushroom

The mushrooms where used as a way of upgrading and giving stuff to mario such as an extra life. The mushroom has a face but wasn't really a character but since mario has become such a major brand the mushroom itself has become a recognized character in itself, it very simple yet effective and even has its own merchandise.



I have chosen this image of the mushroom as it one of its first appearances in the form its most know as. In the new games the mushroom has become more detailed and has evolved into its own character in the game. A similar thing in the game to the mushrooms are the little men with a mushroom for a hat, the mushroom on its own has become the more popular icon from the game appearing on t-shirts and as a oft toy.

Amos

I really like the style that James Jarvis uses to create the Amos characters, my favourite character being Harvey. Again i like the style of the toys and the almost clay like construction of them.

Scary Girl

Nathan Jurevicius is an artist i came across whilst just simpily searching for "characters", after reading an article on the computer arts website . From here i found his work and ScaryGirl which is usually seen as a vinyl toy and these are sumthin i am wuite interested in researching further. I like the playful creation of charaters in the world of vinyl toy characters. Scarygirl is a good example of what i like aboutt them

South Park

The south park characters are not logos but have become very well known and when i first saw the characters i found that they where diffeent to most of the characters from things i had seen previously and this is what i like about them. The style of the characters is copyed and pictures of famous people are constantly create to make them appear as a south park character and its instantly recongnzed as that.



The heads are the same size as the body and this is sumthin i have found to be common in popular charaters. I thik this is because more information can be put acorss using a face rather than a body.

Homepride

I decided to look at the hompride character "Fred". I remember seeing this graphic being used when i was quite young and i think it has become a very well know logo if not better know than the actual Homprie brand.

The character is a very simple shape but is also very effective and seems cute to some. In some ways it is similar to the little chef logo. Simple use of black and white block colour and line to create an obvious





i like the little chef logo's simplicity but i prefer the styling of the homepride logo it has recently be replicated in the creating of other black and white characters but with a modern twist.

PG Tips "Monkeh"

The Monkey was originally created for use by ITV Digital, after the collapse of ITV digital the monkey character's ownership was fought over by the advertising agency and ITV. The rights for the monkey where eventually given to comic relief and have since been gained by PG Tips.



The monkey has become a popular character after it was offered as a free gift inside packs of PG Tips. Again i have chosen this because of the way it has become universally popular especially the soft toy. The style is quite interesting too and the scale of the free gift.

Delaney Lund Knox Warren

The company behind the C'mons a "alternative rock formation out of Barcelona, Spain" otherwise know as the characters form the Adverts of the Vauxhall Corsa D. I have chosen these as one of my examples as they have almost become a logo for Vauxhall and are well know not only by vauxhall car owners but by those who don't even own a car.



The idea behind the characters seems to be a viral advertising campaign to make them popular and then to use then to sell more and more.

I really like the way they have been animated and have been made in the glowingly popular plushie style.

Interaction Research

I will be researching logos and characters but focusing on characters that are either logos or that have become almost a logo for the company or product. Logo design is an area i would like to workin in the future so i'm hoping this project will be a good learning tool.